Full Time Diploma in Foundation Studies in Art and Design

Diploma in Foundation Studies in Art and Design
Level Three | Awarding Body: Edexcel | Aireville Campus | Full-Time

Course Description
The Diploma in Foundation Studies in Art and Design is an exciting and intensive one year (post Level 3) pre-degree course. It is designed to give you the opportunity to experiment with a broad range of art and design disciplines. After the first term you decide in which particular discipline you wish to specialise and prepare for further study at higher education.

While the Art and Design Foundation course is a highly respected qualification in its own right, the main aim of the course is to secure you a place on a higher education course in a related subject area. You will attend college four days a week as well as working in your own time.

Course Content
The qualification encourages independence and will aid you in developing your concepts and linking these to practical skills within specialised aspects of art and design.

Experimentation plays a big part; you will be encouraged to explore, think and evaluate to help you gain an intellectual curiosity and a critical awareness of the contemporary visual world. It should challenge you with innovative and inspiring delivery, from experienced and successful professionals.

The qualification is structured to comprise three main stages: exploratory, pathway and confirmatory.

This will take you through a journey of experimentation, skills building and creative research, then move towards specialism in a particular area, and end in a major project in your chosen specialism that demonstrates ability and independence.

Additional Qualifications During the course you will have the opportunity to study a BTEC Award in Visual Arts that includes Print-Making, Digital Photography, Digital Video* and 3D Modelling*. This course is scheduled to run on Monday* and is completed before the onset of the confirmatory stage of the Foundation Diploma. The purpose of this additional course is to provide you with further skills in art and design, but also supplementary material for your portfolio for university. (*subject to change)

Course Length and Study Pattern
The course is divided into 3 stages:

The Exploratory Stage

During this stage you will learn about and experiment in a wide range of art and design disciplines including:

Fine Art, Graphic Design, 3D Design, Fashion and Textiles, Photography, Printmaking, Video and Digital Animation

The Pathway Stage

· This stage allows you to specialise in your chosen area and explore the development of ideas

Drawing as well as Historical and Contextual Studies are taught throughout the Exploratory and Pathway Stages

The Con�rmatory Stage

· Final Major Project. You will write your own project brief, which culminates in the exhibition of your work in the End of Year Show in June

· Research and Write a Dissertation

Career Progression
The majority of learners move on into higher education, usually in the form of a BA(Hons) degree course. If you achieve an overall pass grade or better you will earn enough UCAS points for university application.Ã, Many universities require applicants to have successfully completed a Foundation Course before entry into art and design based courses.

Work Experience
Work experience is not a compulsory part of the course but if it is essential for an application to a HE course/employment (eg.architecture) it can be arranged. Students who specialise in graphic design will have the opportunity to work on live assignments delivered by local creative design businesses.

Assessment
You will be assessed through course work and written essays. Assessments are carried out continuously throughout the year and you must pass each stage in order the progress to the next. The confirmatory stage is assessed as an exhibition at the end of year show.

Trips and Enrichment Activities
There is an optional residential trip to London.

Is this course available as evening study? No

Examples of Student Destinations
100% of Skipton School of Art and Media Foundation students who apply secure the HE place of their choice. Students have progressed onto: Leeds Metropolitan University, Huddersfield University, Camberwell College of Art London, Liverpool John Moores, Leeds University, Nottingham Trent University, UCE Birmingham, Sheffield Hallam University, De Montfort University, Northumbria University and Manchester Metropolitan University. Past students went onto the following degrees: Photography, Contour Design (Lingerie), Architecture, Visual Communication, Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Textiles, Landscape

Student Testimonial
This course prepared me well for university and studing it was the best decision of my life

Rowan Nowell 2008