EastleighEastleigh
Year 1 The UAL L3 Diploma in Creative Practice: Art, Design & Communication offers students an exploratory, playful approach to a range of Illustration and graphic skills; including; drawing, printmaking, animation, advertising design, typography, , photography, 3D, visual communications & information graphics. Learners will learn and develop skills through the use of industry standard software and facilities, preparing them for higher education/employment. You will also be able to study aspects of professional practice within the art and design industry as part of the programme.
The UAL Level 3 Diploma in Creative Practice: Art, Design and Communication is delivered over two years. In the first year of the programme, students’ complete units for a Diploma. Upon successful completion of these units, students work towards completing the full Extended Diploma in Creative Practice: Art, Design and Communication in year two, which on completion is the equivalent grade to 3 A-Levels.
Projects will be professionally based and will allow you to explore design development, computer imaging techniques, visual recording techniques and visual communication methods. All assignments and projects are closely focused on individual and personal development within the visual arts area and are internally and externally (UAL awarding body) verified. Our aim is to develop in you a critical approach to previous learning, which sparks a new type of cognitive understanding to encourage the forging of new creative connections.
The course is split into 6 units over the duration, with 3 units per year. The first year is generally intended to get the students used to exploring and experimenting with new disciplines they may not have been introduced to previously. Exploratory: We offer a unique programme of workshops in the 1st unit, allowing students to gain experience in using the equipment and facilities within the department and develop focused technical knowledge. The 2nd unit will build on these initial exploratory workshops allowing the student to focus and refine their practice in a short, focused project, usually based on creating a short film or piece of animation.
These 2 units are pass/fail only in their grading, and aside from familiarising the students with their new environment they are encouraged to take chances and push their work into new areas as we encourage students to learn through experimentation and reflection of their work. Pathway Realisation: The 3rd unit, and final unit of the first year, is a 10-week independent project where the students will write their own creative brief based on a given theme. They can explore and develop the project in any area of their practice they choose and will be supported through the process by tutors. This is a chase for students to really demonstrate their growth over the year and this project will give them their final grade for the year of pass merit or distinction.
Year 2 Pathway Exploration:
By the 2nd year, the Extended Diploma will start again with short workshops intended to help the students after the summer break and again push their thinking into new areas. Students engage with the basic elements in art and design, to recap on the value of Colour, Scale, Mark Making, Time and Motion. These short projects nudge the student towards their desired specialism, and open further the understanding of the creative process.
The 2nd unit of the extended year is where the learners really focus in on a chosen specialism and start to refine their practice. They will strengthen their creative research skills in primary and secondary inquiry and learn the management of process through mind mapping, sketch mapping thumbnails and experimentation through material qualities. This independently led project will also involve related industry research. This project may include an external exhibition of the final work in a public, usually through The Point in Eastleigh giving the learners an opportunity to exhibit their work.
Confirmatory: The final unit is another extended independent project where the students will be expected to really push their chosen specialism from previous projects to produce more work for exhibition in the department’s end of year show. This show is held in conjunction with the Foundation learners who are about to leave for university and aside from giving the learners their grade for the year, will also be part of their application process to move to the Foundation diploma after completing the course. The end of year show is the focus of the learners work and involves the entire department being turned into a gallery space. Learners will be expected to assist in this process and help with hanging or work and hosting events such as private view and normal viewing times. We invite local universities and colleges along to our private view and it is an opportunity for schools and the public to visit and see the diversity and quality of the work produced.
You should have a genuine interest in art, design or media and a portfolio of art and design or media work which you will need to bring to a college interview. You will need 5 GCSEs at Grade 4 or higher including English Language and mathematics. You will require an interview with subject specialist staff to ensure you have a good understanding of the course you are applying for. Attendance and attainment reports from previous education will also be required.
For internal progression it is expected that you will have achieved a minimum of a merit at L2 and made positive progress to achieving your GCSE English and Maths (if below Grade 4) as well as demonstrating that you have upheld the college values.
Adult learners may apply for any of our full time and apprenticeship programmes and your vocational experience will also be taken into consideration alongside existing qualifications. The programme is fully funded for learners aged 16-18. Fees may apply for 19+.
This Level 3 Art, Design and Media programme will start to equip learners for a career in the design industries; however, the primary progression route at this stage is to a Pre-degree Foundation Diploma or direct entry to a Level 4 Higher Education programme e.g. Bachelor of Arts degree or a Foundation degree. This is because learners require further training before entry into the creative industries.
Learners successfully completing Level 3 are eligible to progress onto a diverse range of university education programmes, for example fine art, photography, film and TV, fashion, graphic design, product design, illustration, animation, advertising, marketing, design crafts, games design and new media. Most of our learners take the opportunity to progress onto our one year Pre-degree Foundation Diploma in Art, Design and Media (UAL) in order to build a specialist portfolio for application to their chosen Higher Education course at university.
If successful with your course completion review you will gain full accreditation in a L3 Diploma / Extended Diploma from the University of The Arts London (UAL). UAL is number one in the world leading undergraduate art and design education. This guides us through incredibly high standards of learning and outcomes for our learners.
College is not just about your course – it’s an opportunity to have fun, meet new people and explore your interests! You can socialise with friends in the café and comfy seating areas, join a club or sports team or attend exciting events around the college. Many of our enrichment opportunities are also great on your CV or UCAS application to demonstrate your commitment and enthusiasm outside of your studies.
Your time at college can also be affected by life or health difficulties, and it’s okay to need support. Our specialist teams are here every day to listen and give advice, whether it’s about career planning, financial support, mental health, or something else. And if you have a long-term support need or medical condition, we’ll work with you on personalised learning support to help you achieve your full potential.
