DL827 BA [Hons] Art

IADT is running a full-day, on-campus Art Portfolio Workshop on 17th February. You will be asked to complete a number of practical exercises to demonstrate your skills. Your work will be assessed, and you will receive portfolio points by the 1st March. See below for more details.

Art students develop projects that can be presented publicly from their first year of studies, through collaborations with professional art galleries and museums.

As a student you will continuously develop your skills, through ongoing practical workshops and tutorials that provide supportive feedback and guidance. You can choose to focus on a specific artform or you can combine varied forms of artmaking, such as drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, woodworking, metalwork, sculptural installation, film production, zine publishing and live performance.

IADT emphasises the importance of hands-on practical and technical skills, and you will have access to dedicated production facilities throughout your studies, including painting studios, print studios, sculpture workshops, photography darkrooms and digital media labs.

At IADT, which is also Ireland’s National Film School, you can connect with students from many other areas, collaborating with them on editing, sound recording, visual storytelling and immersive media experiences. You will also gain valuable experience in business, entrepreneurship and arts management through a professional placement, and you will have the option to study abroad if you wish.

In the final year of your BA in Art, you will present a public exhibition of your own artistic work and also complete an ambitious research study demonstrating in-depth knowledge of your chosen topic. Once you graduate from IADT, you’ll become a valued member of our alumni network, joining a vibrant community of internationally successful arts professionals.

Portfolio Workshop – 17th February 2026

Once you have applied via the CAO for BA [Hons] Art, IADT will invite you to attend the Portfolio Workshop on 17th February. This is an on-campus workshop from 9.30am–4pm.

Participants will complete a range of practical drawing exercises exploring the visual phenomenon of light and space.  The exercises will focus on perspective and tone in a range of drawing materials. Through completion of these exercises, we will look to assess the following :

Core technical skills in line drawing, tonal drawing and combined materials.

Understanding of the concepts of light and space in 2D image making

Ability to develop critical and practical skills in response to guidance

Evidence of how well you respond to guidance and feedback is of key importance.  We expect those who are really engaged to make mistakes, its showing what you learn that is more important.

Your work will be submitted at the end of the day. It will be scored out of a maximum of 600 points. You will receive your Portfolio Workshop points by March 1st, 2026.

IADT will supply a range of materials on the day, but we are happy for you to bring your own drawing materials & media too.

*Note to applicants – in addition to the above Portfolio Workshop application, you can also submit a portfolio by uploading to IADT’s digital portfolio platform by March 10th. Your highest score from either of these methods of application will be counted as your CAO score.

What will I do?

• Develop artistic and technical skills to a high level by working with professional artists in excellent facilities
• Experiment with new forms of self-expression through group workshops and self-directed personal projects in media such as drawing, paint, print, sculpture, video and performance
• Collaborate with other art students on exhibitions and public presentations in contexts such as the Irish Museum of Modern Art
• Explore how artists can help to positively shape social and cultural change
• Expand social connections and gain practical professional experience through the Placement Module
• Identify practical ways to finance artistic productions through business and project management skills
• Build confidence in communicating and writing by studying in a supportive academic learning environment
• Study abroad at an art institution connected to IADT through the (optional) Erasmus programme

What will I be able to do when I graduate?

Careers include: professional artist, teacher, film-maker, creative producer, exhibition curator, designer, arts administrator, art director, arts policy-maker, arts entrepreneur, art writer, public arts officer, media content developer, image researcher.

Post-graduate study options include the Postgraduate Diploma in Cultural Event Management, Postgraduate Diploma in Circular Economy Entrepreneurship, Postgraduate Diploma in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, or Masters by Research.

Cost for materials and/or field trips

Approximately €300 per year (years 1, 2 and 3) for materials and tools. You may also have an opportunity to take part in extended field trips or international visits (but these are not compulsory). Your final year exhibition is your professional showcase of work, which can be produced in a range of different formats. We advise you to budget for not less than €500. It’s extremely useful to have a good quality digital camera, portable hard drive and laptop. We recommend you don’t purchase these in advance, but seek advice from your tutors.

Portfolio Submission

Please use IADT’s Portfolio Guidelines to help put together your portfolio; they are designed to help you ensure it becomes the perfect showcase for your work.

Portfolio Workshop – 17th February 2026

If you have applied through the CAO you will be invited to the BA [Hons] Art Portfolio Workshop on IADT campus on Tuesday February 17th 2026, where you can demonstrate your skills and aptitude for the BA [Hons] Art course through a series of drawing exercises that will receive CAO points. You can attend the Portfolio Workshop or submit a Portfolio, or do both, in which case your highest CAO score will be used to calculate your total points for entry.