UAL Foundation Diploma in Art and Design

Course overview

The Foundation Diploma is designed to prepare students for specialist undergraduate degrees in art and design subjects. It’s a year of exciting projects, new faces and experiences that will inform your future study, career and creative life.

Foundation is widely considered the best preparation for progression to an undergraduate degree in the creative arts in the UK. On this dynamic course, you’ll try different disciplines from across art and design while being supported to fulfil your creative potential and ambitions.

While your day-to-day study will be based at the UAL Pre-degree Studies site at Lime Grove, you’ll have the chance to attend talks and events at UAL’s Colleges throughout London. You’ll discover each College’s unique approach and get a feel for the range of dynamic creative communities on offer at UAL.

What to expect

• Expert staff: You’ll be taught by highly experienced teams who have previously taught on our Foundation Diplomas at Central Saint Martins and Camberwell College of Arts. Skilled technicians will also support you in all of our studios.
• Outstanding facilities: Make the most of Lime Grove’s facilities, including its dedicated library, learning zones and digital suites, as well as wood, metal, plastic, plaster, textile, stitch, printmaking workshops, photography and time-based media facilities and a loan store.
• Varied teaching methods: You’ll take part in studio teaching sessions, technical workshops, collaborative projects, group teaching sessions and additional study support sessions.
• Portfolio development: Build a strong portfolio for application onto undergraduate degrees in art and design subjects.
• Progression support: Get advice to help you progress onto further study, including College visits and talks from undergraduate course teams from across UAL.
• UAL library access: You’ll have access to all UAL libraries and learning zones located in our Colleges across London.

Choosing a mode of study

When you apply to the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, we’ll ask you to choose from 2 modes of study: Diagnostic or Specialist.

Diagnostic mode

Specialist mode

The Specialist mode is best for you if you’re already confident about your future direction. This mode allows you to apply directly to one of the 4 curriculum areas: Fashion and textiles, Art, Communication and Design.

If you decide to study in specialist mode, you’ll tell us which curriculum area you’re interested in as part of your application. During the first 8 weeks of study, you’ll take part in workshops across all the pathways in that curriculum area. Then you’ll be guided, through tutorials and assessment, to the pathway that best suits your interests and skills.

Curriculum areas and pathways

The course is divided into 4 curriculum areas, each with their own specialist pathways:

Curriculum Area 1: Fashion and Textiles

We encourage a playful, experimental, and fearless approach to the exploration of materials, techniques, and processes in relation to social, political, and industrial contexts. Fashion and Textiles combines colour, texture, and pattern with structures for the body and explores innovative material investigations, large-scale spatial installations, or conceptual art-led outcomes.

Pathways:

• Fashion and Textiles
• Textile Craft

Curriculum Area 2: Art

We will support you to develop your own individual visual language or voice. A series of projects will encourage you to learn by doing across a range of different media. You will also develop greater awareness of the link between research, theory and practice, and the importance of experimentation and open approaches.

Pathways:

• Painting
• Sculpture
• 4D photography and time-based media
• Drawing and conceptual practice

Curriculum Area 3: Communication

We place an emphasis on the development and communication of ideas, creative thinking, and storytelling, encouraging a practice which engages with and responds to society, culture, politics, and the environment. Work is often in the public domain, where it is the role of the communication practitioner to persuade, provoke, inform or entertain their audience.

Pathways:

• Graphic design
• Illustration
• Fashion communication
• Film and animation

Curriculum Area 4: Design

We encourage thinking, making, and experimentation across a broad range of subjects including architecture, jewellery, product, performance and film design. In this area you will explore functional, craft based, and conceptual approaches to design. We encourage the exploration of process and materiality through the developments of digital and analogue making skills.

Pathways:

• Architecture and spatial design
• Jewellery, footwear, and fashion accessories
• Product design and ceramics
• Design for theatre screen and performance

We may offer you a place on the course, but in a different mode of study or curriculum area to the one on your application form. This happens when we think your application is really strong but believe your strengths and skillset are better suited to a different mode of study or curriculum area.

Home fee

• Free (if you are under the age of 19 on 31 August of the year you start your course)
• £5,275 (if you are aged 19 or over on 31 August of the year you start your course)

These fees are correct for entry in autumn 2023 and are subject to change for entry in autumn 2024. We will have information about our Home course fee from April 2024.

Home fees are currently charged to UK nationals and UK residents who meet the rules. However, the rules are complex. Find out more about our tuition fees and determining your fee status.

International fee

£22,800

This fee is correct for entry in autumn 2024 and may be subject to change for entry in autumn 2025.

Students from countries outside of the UK will generally be charged international fees. The rules are complex so read more about tuition fees and determining your fee status.