Course Overview
Entry Qualifications
This course is for students who want to pursue a career in the creative industries and have a passion for Art and Design. In addition to the standard College entry requirements (see below), this course normally requires a student to have achieved Grade 5 or above in a GCSE Art and Design course or Grade 5 in GCSE Design and Technology (Graphic Products or Resistant Materials). To ensure you can successfully meet the rigours of the course, it would also be helpful for students to bring with them examples of their creative work on enrolment day.
What will I study?
During this two-year course you will explore a range of art and design techniques as part of a number of core units and then choose to specialise as the course progresses towards more specialist art and design-based disciplines.
How will I study?
During year one you will be introduced to a wide range of techniques and learn new processes including:
• Art & Design in Context
• Exploring digital photography
• Exploring Ceramics materials techniques and processes
• Understanding sculpture
• 2d materials techniques and processes
• Fine art drawing
• Using digital technology in graphic design
• Creating an outcome for a specialist art or design brief
You will design your second year around your chosen specialisms, the list to choose from is huge but here are a few:
• Portrait photography
• Textiles
• Fine art printmaking
• Digital fine art
• Contemporary fine art
• Fine art painting
• Creating 3d art or design work
• Design for advertising
• Exhibiting and presenting artwork
• Art and design illustration
How is the course examined?
Continuous assessment takes place throughout the course through assignments based upon current art and design practice. All work is produced through coursework and projects and there are no exams.
Where next?
Students can progress straight to a specialist visual arts degree or HND courses, apprenticeships or directly into employment. Careers, including architecture, the fashion industry and computer games design ask for the drawing skills we teach on this course.
What does the course combine well with?
This course is a complete full-time course to which students can add an enrichment course listed on the college website. Some students may need to retake English or Maths alongside this course.
College Entry Requirements
We normally expect applicants to have achieved good GCSE passes in at least six subjects, these must:
• demonstrate the suitability for Advanced Level study
• have been achieved at Grade 4/C as a minimum
• include two at Grade 5/B as a minimum
• include English Language – a minimum grade of 4/C
Mathematics – If not achieved within the scope of the above should normally be achieved at grade 3/D. If mathematics is not achieved at grade 4/C then it will be a requirement to continue to study at the correct level until a grade 4 is achieved. Subjects with a mathematical content will require a higher grade.
