Foundation Degree in Art and Design

Required qualifications

For entry to the Foundation Degree applicants under the age of 21 should have:

• 100 UCAS points from at least one full ‘A’ Level or
• BTEC National Diploma grade PPP, BTEC National Certificate grade MP
• BTEC QCF Extended Diploma grade PPP, BTEC QCF Diploma at MP
• Access to HE Diploma (Full Award – 60 credits)
• UAL Diploma Grade Pass, UAL Extended Diploma Grade, Pass

All students will be interviewed to assess their suitability and preparedness for the course.

What skills will I develop?

• Practical specialist studio-based skills development.
• Historical and contextual understanding within your specialist area.
• Skills relating to professional practice and working with external agencies such as funding applications and writing formal project applications and proposals.
• Wider skills associated with being effective within the Creative industries, such as communication skills, time management skills and collaborative working skills.

Careers

The Creative economy is worth over £1115.9 Billion to the UK economy with arts and Culture contributing around 0.5% of UK economic output. There were an estimated 226,000 jobs in the arts and culture sector pre-pandemic which included careers in: Advertising, architect,  artist, arts journalist, art director, CAD/CAM designer, cartoonist copywriter, content writer, costume designer, creative director, curator, digital artist, engraver, entrepreneur, event manager, exhibition designer, researcher, fashion designer, film maker, footwear designer,  furniture designer, gallery staff, game designer, graphic designer, interior designer, illustrator, lighting designer, makeup artist, marketeer, merchandiser, multimedia designer, product designer, programmer,  photographer, set designer, teacher, therapist, UX designer, videographer and web designer.

English and maths

English and maths is an important aspect of any future employment, self-employment and in working freelance. The course will encourage students to continue to maintain and further develop their literacy and numeracy skills in addition to HE study skills as part of the course.

Other important information

The Foundation Degree course is two year full time based at our Lichfield Campus. Students will have their own studio workspace, which they can also book into outside of their timetable hours to further develop their work, and build their portfolios.

Study visits:   

The art department recognises the importance and value of viewing art and design in the context of a ‘live’ exhibition, museums and gallery visits and we encourage all of our students to independently take regular advantage of galleries and museums, for research,  inspiration and the purposes of ‘keeping up’ with current trends taking place within the creative industries.  The art team invites you to join in with organised visits to local and national venues including Birmingham museum and art gallery, The Ikon, Walsall New Gallery. The National portrait gallery, the National gallery, Victoria and Albert museum, Tate galleries and each year we visit a major European city such as Paris for a weeklong study visit.

Equipment and materials kit list:  

It is important that all students invest and equip themselves with a basic art and design kit.  A comprehensive kit list will be issued to all students during the course induction.