Art and Design Foundation Year

This foundation year course has been specifically designed to support successful progression onto our suite of Art and Design degree courses, by allowing you to strengthen the creative skills you have developed during your previous studies.

It is ideal preparation for those who are returning to formal study or who are progressing from non-arts backgrounds, as well as those who have not met the entry requirements for degree-level study.

Working in a lively and energetic environment, you will be given the freedom to expand your knowledge of practical skills, creative exploration and conceptual development, underpinned by broad critical understanding, academic writing and emerging theoretical principles.

There will be a range of opportunities to work on collaborative projects aimed to develop employability partnerships and to identify the role of developing practitioner. BA teaching staff from across our art and design courses will work with you throughout the year to prepare you for progression.

After successful completion of the foundation year, you will have the opportunity to progress to one of the following courses:

• BA (Hons) Art and Design with Creative Technologies

• BA (Hons) Digital Animation

• BA (Hons) Fine Art

• BA (Hons) Graphic Design

• BA (Hons) Illustration

• BA (Hons) Photography

• BA (Hons) Product Design

What's covered in this course?
Throughout the year you will be challenged with projects that question your current creative experiences and explore a breadth of experimentation to broaden your technical and critical understanding.

You will be encouraged to analyse methods and materials appropriate for creative development and to question your position in relation to historical, contemporary and future world scenarios. Both practical and written research tasks will be supported by one to one tutorials and small discussion groups to help you constructively build academic and social confidence.

The two first semester modules will form the building blocks for future work and will explore core principles of creative practice focussing on, the development of technical confidence, research, study skills and productivity.

The two final semester modules will give you greater autonomy, encourage positive integration between research and practice, challenging decision making and technical competency. This semester is designed to empower you with independent learning skills appropriate for your future BA studies.