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UAL Level 3 Applied General Diploma and Extended Diploma in Art and Design

These qualifications are designed to be ‘Applied General’ qualifications and they provide post-16 students with the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to progress into further, higher education and training or employment.

The Diploma is for students seeking to undertake a broad or specialist programme of study in art and design. It focuses on developing students' understanding and application of the creative process to enable them to develop creative ideas and produce outcomes.

While students may take this qualification in a specialist subject, this qualification is ideal for those who have not decided what discipline and subject area within art and design they wish to use to develop their practice.

The Diploma is a precursor of the Extended Diploma. Therefore, those choosing to do the Extended Diploma will cover the same knowledge as those doing the Diploma, but in more complex tasks and will also learn to apply their knowledge of the creative process to a personal creative practice, for example, textile, graphics, photography.

Students will show an increased amount of autonomy and critical thinking to develop creative ideas and produce outcomes.

For more information, please read:

Statement of purpose - UAL Level 3 Applied General Diploma in Art and Design (PDF 133KB)

Statement of purpose - UAL Level 3 Applied General Extended Diploma in Art and Design (PDF 105KB)

Contact

To find out more about the academic content of this qualification please contact academic.awarding@arts.ac.uk.

For all non-academic enquiries please choose an appropriate department via our About Us page.

Hanging colourful embroidered fabrics
'Urban Landscapes' by Mandy Bevington, Southport College

Qualifications at a glance

Diploma

  • Level - 3
  • Units - 1
  • Total Qualification Time (hours) - 780
  • Guided Learning Hours (GLH) - 600
  • Typical course duration - 1 Year
  • UCAS points - Pass 36 / High Pass 48 / Merit 60 / High Merit 72 / Distinction 84
  • Qualification Accreditation Number (QAN) - 603/1457/6
  • Typical progression - Higher education, employment, other training opportunities, apprenticeships.

Extended Diploma

  • Level - 3
  • Units - 2
  • Total Qualification Time (hours) - 1620
  • Guided Learning Hours (GLH) - 1160
  • Typical course duration - 2 Years
  • UCAS points - Pass 72 / High Pass 96 / Merit 120 / High Merit 144 / Distinction 168
  • Qualification Accreditation Number (QAN) - 603/1459/X
  • Typical progression - Higher education, employment, other training opportunities, apprenticeships.

Specifications and documents

All students starting their starting their first year of a two-year programme of study on the UAL Level 3 Applied General Diploma in Art & Design on or after 01 September 2023 will be taught and assessed on Version 2 of the qualifications’ specification.

Version 2 of the Delivery Guidance and Sample Assessment Materials (SAM) should be used in conjunction with Version 2 of the qualifications’ specification.

Students on the Diploma and Extended Diploma who completed Unit 1 prior to the academic year 2023/24 will continue to be taught and assessed on Version 1 of the qualifications’ specification.

Version 1 of the Delivery Guidance and Sample Assessment Materials (SAM) should be used in conjunction with Version 1 of the qualifications’ specification.

Copies of delivery resources are available on the UAL Awarding Body Library.

Centres delivering these qualifications can request access to the UAL Awarding Body Library by emailing: academic.awarding@arts.ac.uk.

UAL Level 3 Applied General Diploma and Extended Diploma in Art and Design specification - Version 1 (PDF 8.1MB)‌

UAL Level 3 Applied General Diploma and Extended Diploma in Art and Design specification- Version 2 (PDF 4.1MB)

Amendments to the UAL Level 3 Applied General Diploma and Extended Diploma in Art and Design (PDF 471KB)

UAL Level 3 Applied General Diploma and Extended Diploma in Art and Design specification - Chief Examiner Report, Unit 1 - External Assessment (PDF 1.4MB)

Delivery guidance available upon request from academic.awarding@arts.ac.uk.

Stakeholder support

This qualification has been developed in collaboration with subject practitioners and further education colleges to ensure that it provides learners with the skills, knowledge and understanding needed to prepare learners for employment and/or support a role in the workplace.

Both the UAL Level 3 Applied General Diploma and Extended Diploma in Art and Design have been supported by the following Higher Education Institutions:

Arts University Bournemouth - letter of support (PDF 53KB)‌

Blackburn College - letter of support (PDF 59KB)

Leeds College of Art - letter of support (PDF 197KB)‌

Plymouth College of Art - letter of support (PDF 344KB)

Ravensbourne - letter of support (PDF 47KB)‌

Working with us

Find out more or register your interest in delivering the UAL Level 3 Applied General Diploma and Extended Diploma in Art and Design at your centre.

To find out more about this qualification

please email academic.awarding@arts.ac.uk.