UAL Foundation Diploma in Art & Design

Course outline

• Drawing and ways of seeing, life drawing, and observational methods 
• Workshops in painting, printmaking, bookbinding, photography, and moving image
• Contextual investigations through history, exhibitions and events, field visits and foreign study trips, written assignments, and lectures
• Construction methods in fabric, fibre, wood, metal, clay, plaster, glass, and mixed media
• Design principles in illustration, typography, advertising, packaging, animation, spatial and architectural, textile, crafts and applied arts, 3D and products, 2D and 3D software, fashion and costume
• Fine art practice in sculpture, installation and site-specific work, text and bookworks, time-based studies, images and concepts

Entry requirements

We welcome applications from students with appropriate qualifications, prior relevant learning or experience, or demonstrable interest and knowledge in a subject. We welcome students of all ages, from all countries, backgrounds and cultures.

For more information about the UAL Foundation Diploma in Art & Design at University College Falmouth, please email admissions@falmouth.ac.uk or telephone Admissions on 01326 255763.

Please note: There is no intake for the part-time Foundation Diploma in 2011. It runs over two years and therefore has an intake every alternate year only.

Tell me more about the Foundation Diploma in Art & Design course

For some of you this course bridges the gap between secondary and higher education, expanding and deepening your knowledge. For others, this will be a great chance to diversify into new fields or refresh your skills. Whoever you are, you'll find the experience will challenge your attitudes, change your ideas and introduce new approaches to creative practice and learning.

The course will introduce you to fine art (including life drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking and illustration), 3D design (including ceramics, product design and spatial/interior design), visual communication (including graphic design, typography, packaging, and design for print and computer graphics), media (including photography, video/animation and computer skills), fashion and textiles (including fashion design), computers (including desktop publishing, drawing and painting packages) and the history of Art & Design.

How is the course taught?

Taught by passionate staff who are visual practitioners with a range of expertise, this course introduces you to the fundamental skills required to become a successful artist, designer, maker or media practitioner. As the course progresses, emphasis changes from project work set by tutors to student negotiated projects and finally to self-written projects. As well as developing individual initiative, you'll also work in groups to strengthen your communication and negotiation skills.

The course contains units in art and design research methods, art and design ideas development, art and design materials and methods, evaluation and reflection, preparation for progression and the final project proposal and realisation. Project work is supported by lectures, demonstrations, professional experience, seminars and tutorials.

Assessment

• Continuous assessment
• Portfolio

Facilities

At Falmouth, you'll have your own workspace in stages two and three. Although modest in size, these spaces give you somewhere to work and think. We have our own dedicated Foundation workshops and you'll have some access to advanced technical facilities in other parts of the University College when needed.

Funding and money

Before applying, all students should carefully read the Foundation Funding Guide, in our Fees & Funding section.

Do I have to pay course fees? You don't have to pay any fees if you are under 19 years of age on 31 August in the year you are starting the course. If you need further information on this, or feel that you may have to pay fees, then please call the Admissions team on 01326 213730.

Do I need to pay a deposit? Yes. If you wish to accept an offer to study the Foundation Diploma, you must pay a non-refundable deposit. All students are require to pay this non-refundable deposit in order to secure a place. 

Can I get financial help during my course? There is very little financial support available as the Foundation Diploma is a Further Education level qualification (like A-Levels). For full details on the available support, please see the Foundation Diploma Funding Guide.

Can I get a grant or loan? No. As the Foundation Diploma is a Further Education course, and not a Higher Education course (like degrees), grants and loans aren't available.

I'm looking to move to Falmouth in order to do the course, is there any help available? There isn't really any help available to relocate, other than through the Residential Support Scheme. This is only available to students who currently live more than a one-hour commute from the closest college which provides a Foundation Diploma in Art & Design. Full details are in the Foundation Diploma Funding Guide.

If you have any further queries, please contact our Bursary Adviser on 01326 213744.

Answers and advice about the course

Our student mentors are now on Facebook. To chat to a mentor about the course, living in Cornwall, or what to expect at Falmouth, check out the Foundation Diploma group. You need to join the group before you can post.

Foundation Diploma Facebook group

If you're not Facebook you can still speak to a student mentor. Email your name and the course you're starting to: studentmentorenquiries@falmouth.ac.uk and we will be in touch with you.

For more information about the UAL Foundation Diploma in Art & Design at University College Falmouth, please email admissions@falmouth.ac.uk or telephone Admissions on 01326 255763.

Educational opportunities

We have an exceptionally high success rate at placing students on degree-level and other Higher Education courses, including:

• Graphic design
• Fashion design, illustration, photography
• Illustration
• Textiles, surface design
• Fine art - sculpture, painting, printmaking
• Photography
• Architecture
• 3D Design

Interview & portfolio

The interview will last four hours, during which you will undertake a practical making and drawing project, have a campus tour with student ambassadors from the Foundation courses, and have a one to one interview with a member of staff.

If you’re invited to interview your portfolio should include examples of a range of your work – around 20 pieces should be enough. We want to see a range of your drawings including some examples of observational work. We also like to see examples of creative development through different stages of research, exploratory drawing, and general experimentation as well as more finished examples.

Your portfolio should also include an essay relating to art and design issues, sketch books and design sheets as well as models, prototypes, material experiments and finished pieces.

Please note that EU and international students will not normally be required to attend an interview and may either submit a portfolio of work online or in the form of photographs, slides or CD/DVD.

Interviews for 2012 entry will be on 15, 16, 22 and 23 February 2012 only. Please note that we are no longer interviewing on 17 and 24 February as previously advertised.

Application information

Applications are now closed for the Foundation Diploma for 2012 entry for UK/EU applicants. The deadline was Friday 9 December 2011.

If you are an International student applying from outside the EU, please email the International office: international@falmouth.ac.uk

All on-time applicants were emailed a project brief on Monday 12 December 2011. The deadline for this project to be completed was 5pm, Friday 6 January 2012. All applicants who completed the project, on time and according to the brief, will be invited to interview. See Interview & Portfolio for more information.

Please note: Due to the high volume of full-time applications we receive each year, we are not able to consider any late applications or projects that are received after the deadlines. We hope you will understand that we are unable to make any exceptions to this rule.

Keep in mind: The content of the project is kept secret until you receive the project brief email. We expect you to work on the project for no more than 10 days. We are not strict about this timeframe as long as your project is received by the deadline of 6 January 2012.

And one last thing: Make sure your contact details are up to date and remember to check your inbox in the week commencing 12 December 2011. It is your responsibility to read your emails and make sure you meet the deadline. If you have not received our email and think you should have, please let Admissions know immediately on 01326 213730.

Term dates - 2012/13

Autumn term

10 September - 14 December 2012
14 weeks

Spring term

14 January - 15 March 2013
9 weeks

Summer term

15 April - 31 May 2013
7 weeks

Total: 30 weeks