Art & Design Foundation Diploma Post Level 3

To gain entry onto this one year pre-degree course you will have a minimum of one A Level and 6 GCSEs at 4 or above, or equivalent level of qualification such as a Level 3 Extended Diploma. If you do not have the normal entry qualifications, you may gain entry onto the course with appropriate experience or a mixture of work experience and the ability to demonstrate competence in art and design.

This exciting course is delivered in three distinctive stages: Diagnostic Investigation, Developing Specialist Practice and Consolidating Practice. The introduction to the course is mainly diagnostic in which students experience a number of different art and design areas. After this, you will choose a specialism from areas such as: Fine Art, Fashion and Textiles, Graphic Design and Illustration, and Three Dimensional Design, which you will study in much greater depth leading towards a celebratory exhibition of your Final Major Project at the end of the year Creative Show. The course will link skills already acquired with ideas and challenges which will extend your critical independence and raise standards to achieve progression to HE or a career in the creative industries.

Educational trips
Throughout the programme, visits to galleries, workshops, museums, exhibitions and places of specific interest are organised to extend awareness of the wide range of contemporary creative opportunities as well as supporting the contextual studies programme, which is an integral part of the Diploma.

Students have the opportunity to take part in our induction trip to a castle in a beautiful part of Northumbria and, as an optional part of your programme we also offer an exciting opportunity to take part in an overseas study visit to a European city reflecting cultural excellence in the visual and applied arts. There is also an opportunity to take part in a study visit to the UCAS fair in Manchester and a residential study trip to London to major galleries and museums such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Saatchi Gallery and Tate Modern, as well as the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and The Hepworth.

Additional costs
There is a £30 cost for a mandatory Art Kit to enhance students learning through the availability of additional resources. More details will be provided at Guidance Discussion and enrolment.

Residential trips both home and abroad are an important part of the course but are optional. The cost is dependent on the destinations.

If you are 19 or a mature student please contact our InfoZone for further information on fees.

You will typically be in College four days per week which will also include any GCSE English or Maths resit you may need to undertake - you cannot undertake both GCSEs at Post Level 3. In-College delivery is supported by online resources and potentially trips and visits to support primary research within project work. The course is designed in three stages: An Induction stage to the different processes in Art and Design, followed by a Project or projects in a specialist area to put these elements into practice and culminating in a Final Major Project. The course helps you build on prior knowledge as well as developing strong independent learning skills to equip you for your next progression step.

Your progress will be monitored by your personal tutor and by means of individual and group tutorials. The programme will culminate in a final exhibition of work on view to the general public and is assessed at the end of the programme at pass, merit or distinction which carry additional UCAS points.

This is a full-time course. It is not possible to combine this course with other Vocational, Apprenticeship or A Level programmes.

You will work with specialist tutors throughout your course to help you focus on your strengths and to develop an individual and focused portfolio of work. A wide range of progression opportunities are achieved to degree courses throughout the country to study subjects such as Fashion, Textiles, Fine Art, Illustration, Photography, Graphic Design and 3D Design. Past students have successfully gained places at top creative universities such as Central Saint Martins, London College of Fashion, The Ruskin School of Art, University of Cambridge and Edinburgh College of Art.