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Art and Design (Foundation Year for Specialist Degrees)

  • BDes (Hon)
  • 1 Years
  • Full-time
  • 21 September 2026
  • Undergraduate
Belfast
More about Ulster University

Course options

2026-20272027-2028
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Course summary

Foundation Studies Art and Design is an exciting and intensive one year, practice-based programme that enables students to explore and engage with a wide range of art, design, and digital design discipline areas. The Foundation Art and Design experience builds confidence and supports students to make an informed decision about their specialism for undergraduate progression and future career pathway.

This studio-based programme is taught by core and specialist tutors. It is supported by contextual studies; so, as well as studio-based practice work across a range of discipline areas, written projects and academic tasks are also explored. The course is delivered through a combination of lectures, practical demonstrations, workshop practice, studio critiques, seminars and individual tutorials.

Final practice-based project work from Foundation Studies Art and Design is exhibited at the Belfast School of Art annual Degree Show in June.

This course is available in Clearing. If you have submitted an application, you can add this course. If you haven’t sent us an application yet, you can do this until 24th September 2026.

This course is not accepting applications for deferred entry.

Ways to study this course

Campuses

  • Belfast

Study options

  • BDes (Hon) • Full-time • 1 Years

Start dates

  • 21 September 2026

Apply by
14 January

This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.

Application codes

Course code:
WW1F
Institution code:
U20
Campus name:
Belfast
Campus Code:
B
Points of Entry:
Year 1

How to apply

This course has limited vacancies, and is no longer accepting applications from some students. See the list below for where you normally live, to check if you're eligible to apply.
  • EU
  • Wales
  • England
  • International
  • Scotland
  • Northern Ireland
  • Republic of Ireland

Apply by
14 January

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
WW1F
Institution code:
U20
Campus name:
Belfast
Campus Code:
B

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

UCAS Tariff
Not accepted

A level
CC

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
MPP

We will also accept smaller BTEC/OCR qualifications (i.e. Diploma or Extended Certificate / Introductory Diploma / Subsidiary Diploma) in combination with A Levels or other acceptable level 3 qualifications.

To find out if the qualification you are applying with is a qualification we accept for entry, please check our Qualification Checker - https://www.ulster.ac.uk/study/entrance-requirements/equivalence

We will also continue to accept QCF versions of these qualifications although grades asked for may differ. Check what grades you will be asked for by comparing the requirements above with the information under QCF in the Applied General and Tech Level Qualifications section of our Entry Requirements - https://www.ulster.ac.uk/study/entrance-requirements/undergraduate-entry-requirements

Access to HE Diploma

Overall profile of 45% (to include subject requirements) (120 credit Access Course) (NI Access Course)

Overall profile of 15 credits at Merit and 30 credits at Pass (60 credit Access Course) (GB Access Course)

Scottish Higher
CDDD

Scottish Advanced Higher
DD

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
24 points

To include 12 at higher level.

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

64 UCAS tariff points to include a minimum of five subjects (four of which must be at higher level) to include English at H6 if studied at Higher level or O4 if studied at Ordinary Level.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

For full-time study, you must satisfy the General Entrance Requirements for admission to a first-degree course and hold a GCSE pass at Grade C/4 or above in English Language and Mathematics.

Level 2 Certificate in Essential Skills - Communication will be accepted as equivalent to GCSE English.

English language requirements for international applicants
The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.

Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.

Applicants to this course will be required to submit a portfolio.

Acceptable alternative qualifications include:

Pass HND with overall Pass to include 45 distinctions in level 5 credits/units may be specified.

Pass HNC with overall Pass

Additional entry requirements

Portfolio
Applicants to this course will be required to submit a portfolio.

Historical entry grades data

This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course with (learn more).

It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place.

Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.

Not enough data available

We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Per year tuition fees

LocationFeeYear

* This is a provisional fee and subject to change.

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.

Additional fee information

Please note that fees for Home and GB for 2026/27 have not yet been set by Department for the Employment in NI and will be subject to an inflationary increase from 2025/26.

Related courses

At Ulster University

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