Fine Arts

You can study Fine Arts as a diploma or Meisterschüler student at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste Braunschweig (HBK) / Braunschweig University of Art:

General Information

The fine art degree programme offered by the HBK enables students to create and develop works of art in any number of media or genres. Approximately 20 specialisation classes are led by renowned artists, who all represent a separate and unique artistic position. Thus, the HBK can boast of a learning environment that covers contemporary art in its entirety: painting, sculpture, printmaking, graphic art, photography, film/video, installation art, object art, sound art, and spatial concepts. Students are also encouraged to further diversify their specialisations by making use of the university's facilities for digital photography and holography, computer animation, and multimedia. Students are all provided with a personal studio space, witho which they have year-round 24 hour access. Outside the studio, students are able to hone their practical skills with the assistance of numerous technicians, and by participating in technical workshops.

Study Goals

Studying fine art at the HBK poses the perfect challenging environment for unique artistic development. Those who enjoy the challenge of following through with abstract artistic concepts, possess sure-handed technical competence, have expressive personalities, are prone to critical thought and reflection, can apply all of these characteristics in their studies at the HBK. Upon successful completion of the final examination after a five year study period, the HBK will grant a diploma degree in fine arts. Those who wish to pursue a degree in art education/art mediation must first be accepted into the fine arts diploma programme and study fine arts for a minimum of six semesters, before they can combine their degree with another subject for the purpose of a teacher certification.

Degree Content & Structure

As of 2006, the fine art (diploma) degree programme has undergone reformation in the following areas:

Re-organisation of the programme into consecutive study levels, which are each completed within the period of one academic year. These levels provide a frame of reference for study goals, which will become more complex as students continue with the programme.

Result-oriented emphasis, ensured by the formulation of work goals at the commencement of each study level, as well as the presentation and documentation of work results during the university's annual summer exhibition. Intense targeted integration of art history, aesthetics, and media studies components in work practices. The critical observation of art works and work strategies builds a foundation on which connections with contemporary issues of art theory can be made.

An optional degree upon the completion of three study levels (6th
Semester) has been introduced. This degree guarantees the cross-institutional acknowledgement of achievements for those who do not wish to continue on with the HBK fine art diploma, but would like to pursue a different degree. However, it is important to make clear that these alterations remain concurrent with the HBK's renowned approach to fine art studies:

In accordance with the belief that a wide range of specialised instruction should be available, students participate in a single preliminary class their first year. The students are still free to choose which of these classes they will attend, and each instructor can be said to represent a specific genre. These instructors mainly aim to assist students in getting their bearings amid the vast array of creative possibilities, to identify specific gifts in individual students, and to encourage development and expansion in these areas. After successful completion of two preliminary study semesters, students advance after passing an intermediate examination.

After this preliminary year, HBK fine art students decide upon an area of focus, and select a specialisation class accordingly. Students may change their specialisation any time they wish, and may also participate in more than one, provided this doesn't result in conflicting class schedules. Fine art classes at the HBK are best described as being liberal platforms for interdisciplinary exchange between professors and students. Furthermore, being in a certain specialisation class does not mean that students are obligated to work only in specific media; students are instead challenged to push medial boundaries and discover new ways of finding form.

A student's art making methods and results are presented and critiqued during one-on-one meetings with the class professor, as well as in plenary class discussions. This aspect provides feedback important for further artistic development and focus.

Excursions with professors, visiting exhibitions in conjunction with seminars, and external activities complement fine art instruction at the HBK. Wood-shops, metal-shops, a plastics facility, a ceramic centre with a walk-in kiln, numerous print studios, a multimedia centre with separate facilities for film, video, sound, photography and reprography, a fully equipped theatre department, and specialized sculptural studios are all readily available to students as they realize their artistic concepts. Equipment in all of the HBK`s work facilities is continually updated, is environmentally friendly, and complies with the strictest health regulations.

Collaborative projects with students from adjacent subject areas, such as art history and aesthetics, media studies, and design allow art students to experience the broad offering of the universities programmes, which subsequently enables a more academic reflection on individual art practices. The fine art diploma degree gives students the freedom to specify their position within the academic arena, which lends to the development of a unique and genuine scholarly profile.

Application Requirements

Applicants need to either provide proof of completed secondary schooling, or evidence of art practice that would qualify them for successful fine art studies. On the premise that these requirements are fulfilled, candidates then take part in an examination to determine the level of their artistic capabilities. Those candidates who cannot provide any proof of secondary schooling are only admitted if the examining committee determines that they are outstandingly apt for fine arts studies at the HBK. The deadline for entry exam applications can be seen on this site (German text). Foreign students are additionally required to pass a German language proficiency test that is officially recognized by German universities.

The number of students that are admitted into the fine art diploma programme is limited and studies only commence in the fall term of each year. Study places are issued in immediate concordance with entry exam evaluations, and provided that there are more successful candidates than available places, choices will be made based solely on grades levels given for the exam. Admitted students must confirm their study place within an allotted time period. Unconfirmed places are filled via a waiting list procedure.

Admission

The number of students that are admitted into the fine art diploma programme is limited and studies only commence in the fall term of each year. Study places are issued in immediate concordance with entry exam evaluations, and provided that there are more successful candidates than available places, choices will be made based solely on grades levels given for the exam. Admitted students must confirm their study place within an allotted time period. Unconfirmed places are filled via a waiting list procedure.

University Transfers

Generally, for those who are interested in transferring to the HBK from universities, the conditions stated above apply.

Transferring into a higher semester at the HBK is, as of 2010, normally only possible in the fourth study level (7th semester). In addition to the usual admission formalities, transfer applicants must confirm that a HBK class professor has guaranteed the applicant's placement in their class. This necessarily requires the applicant to make an appointment with a HBK professor prior to application. In exceptional circumstances, it is also possible to begin studies in the summer term, in which case the application deadline would be November 30. The transfer of any study achievements / credits from other institutions for continued studies at the HBK is possible by separate application.

HBK students, who graduate from the fine art programme with honours, are eligible for admission into a two semester post secondary degree in fine art. Admission into this programme, the Meisterschüler degree, is only possible in the fall term.