Contemporary Art Practice HND
Course code: 309W
Study mode: You study most days of the week and complete all course units /modules in the standard time., You take fewer course units/modules per week compared to full time.
Course type: HND
International: Available to study on-campus
Study at: Inverness; North, West and Hebrides (Portree); Perth
Start in: September
Learning mode: You attend classes in person at your local campus or learning centre.
Duration: Full-time: 2 years; Part-time: 4 years
How: You attend classes at scheduled times, shown on your timetable.
What is special about this course?
Join these stimulating, project-based, interdisciplinary courses and respond to a range of creative briefs designed to challenge, motivate, and inspire.
Explore a variety of media, processes, and techniques, including drawing, painting, sculpture, film, and photography. Develop your personal work and projects, with modules in portfolio-building and personal development planning. These courses form the first two years of our BA (Hons) Art and Contemporary Practices.
Special features
- You will develop practical and transferable skills in contemporary art practice and develop a broad visual language
- You will develop an open-minded, critical and evaluative approach to study, investigation and research
- This course will allow you to develop an understanding of the influence and contribution made by art practice and practitioners within the 20th and 21st centuries
- With this recognised qualification and on successful completion of this course you could have the potential to gain employment in galleries, work with design companies and agencies or as a freelance graphic designer
Accommodation
We offer modern student accommodation at a number of our locations.
Entry requirements
For entry to year 1, HNC Contemporary Art Practice:
- 1 Scottish Highers at grade C or above OR
- 1 A level at grade D or above OR
- NC Art and Design OR
- Foundation Apprenticeship Creative and Digital Media
- Prospective students without the standard entry requirements as listed above are encouraged to apply
- We will consider individual competence in art, design or lens-based skills, evidenced by a portfolio of your work, and you will be required to attend an interview
- This is a Category 2 PVG course: PVG Scheme membership is required for specific optional modules/unit(s), where there is guaranteed contact with vulnerable groups in optional module/unit(s), but an alternative pathway exists to achieve target qualification. For further information visit our PVG scheme webpage
Direct entry to year two:
- Successful completion of HNC Contemporary Art Practice (15 credits)
Year 1 of this course is the HNC Contemporary Art Practice.
Mandatory units are:
- Contemporary art practice: project
- Contemporary art: professional practice
- Exhibition of contemporary artform
- Contemporary art practice: graded unit 2
Optional units may include:
- Site specific artwork: development
- Site specific artwork: production
- Mixed media development
- Mixed media production
- Art and design context: personal investigation
- Community arts: visual arts workshop*
- Contemporary art practice: digital media development
- Contemporary art practice: digital media production
- Observational drawing portfolio
- Philosophical aesthetics: an introduction
*If you wish to undertake this unit you will be required to complete a PVG Disclosure Check and become a PVG scheme member.
Option units available may vary depending on study location, for more information contact your chosen campus.
How will I study my course?
- Full-time
- Part-time
- You will study by way of face-to-face lectures and tutorials in the classroom, with practical design work in the studio
- Assessment is continuous, with external assessment of the graded unit
How long will my course last?
- Full-time: 2 years
- Part-time: 4 years
- Inverness
- North, West and Hebrides - Portree
- Perth
Start date
- September
Fees
For students normally domiciled in Scotland, with a term-time address in Scotland, the following fees apply:
This includes
- EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status in the UK,
- EEA/Swiss nationals with settled status in the UK
- EEA/Swiss nationals with pre-settled status who are self-employed or migrant workers in the UK.
| Higher National Awards (HNC, HND) | 2025-26 | 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time per year | £1,285 | £1,285 |
| Part-time (per HN credit) | £86 | £86 |
For students normally domiciled in the rest of the UK (England, Wales and N. Ireland, including Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) and with a term time address in Scotland, the following fees apply:
| Higher National Awards (HNC, HND) | 2025-26 | 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time per year | £7,440 | £7,886 |
| Part-time (per HN credit) | £496 | £526 |
Fees are payable in advance each academic year unless otherwise agreed.
There are a number of funding options available to UK students to help you pay for your studies and your cost of living while studying.
For students who do not normally reside in the UK, including EU/EEA and Swiss nationals without settled or pre-settled status in the UK, with a term-time address in Scotland, the following fees apply:
This includes EEA/Swiss nationals with pre-settled status who are not self-employed or migrant workers in the UK.
| Higher National Awards (HNC, HND) | 2025-26 | 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time per year | £8,925 | £9,460 |
| Part-time (per HN credit) | £595 | £630 |
Part-time study is not open to international student requiring Student Route visa sponsorship to study in the UK.
Funding
UHI has a number of scholarships, bursaries, awards, and discretionary fund opportunities available to new and current students. Please use the A-Z of funds or use the filter to see which ones may be relevant to you. All students are welcome to apply.
Further information on funding your studies is also available, please see the attached link or contact the relevant UHI partner.
What can I do on completion of my course?
On successful completion of this course you may choose to seek employment as a:
- Gallery assistant
- Gallery technician
- Sculpture studio technician
- Printmaking technician
- Digital media technician
- Curatorial assistant
- Artist assistant
- Studio assistant
Can I progress into further study?
On completion of this course you may be able to progress to:
As well as developing my artistic ability the course has taught me business skills such as marketing, and planning as well as providing an insight into what being a freelance artist could be like. The course helped me to develop new photography skills which I never would’ve thought to try and has given me the confidence to enter local exhibitions and competitions and attend pop-up markets with both my photography and artwork.
Sophie studied the HND Contemporary Art Practice at UHI Inverness.
Apply for Contemporary Art Practice HND
We are delighted that you are thinking about studying at the University of the Highlands and Islands. We operate a fair and open admissions system committed to equality of opportunity and non-discrimination. We consider all applications on merit and on the basis of ability to achieve, without discrimination on grounds of gender, age, disability, ethnicity and socio-economic background. We welcome applications from all prospective students and aim to provide appropriate and efficient services to students with disabilities.