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Pre-degree

Foundation Diploma in Art and Design

Multi-coloured abstract painting by Algernon Mitchell - Foundation Diploma in Art and Design.
Algerno Mitchell.,
Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, Camberwell College of Arts, UAL
College
Camberwell College of Arts
Start date
September 2023
Course length
1 year (full time)

The Camberwell, Chelsea, Wimbledon Foundation Diploma covers art, communication and design. The course gives you the chance to try different art and design disciplines. It will help you build a portfolio for application to an undergraduate course. This could be within University of the Arts London or beyond.

Course moving in September 2024

The Foundation course at Camberwell College of Arts is moving to our dedicated pre-degree site in west London from September 2024. This will offer you even greater support and resources as you think about your next steps into an undergraduate degree, at UAL or beyond.

Applications for 2024/25 entry will open in autumn 2023.

Course overview

The Foundation Diploma has its own dedicated site on Wilson Road, Camberwell. The year is about creative exploration. You’ll learn which art, design or communication specialism is right for you.

Choosing a mode of study

When applying to the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design you must choose from 2 modes of study:

Diagnostic mode

This mode is best if you are unsure which pathway to choose. It will give you a broad range of experience to help you decide your future direction. You will be able to try the Art, Communication and Design pathways. After this you will then choose a specialist option.

Specialist mode

This mode is best if you are very confident in your future direction. It allows you to apply direct to one of the pathways.

The specialist mode pathways to choose from are:

  • Art
  • Communication
  • Design

You will gain an introduction to the specialist options within your chosen pathway.

Art:

  • Drawing and Conceptual Practice
  • Painting
  • Photography and Time-Based Media
  • Sculpture

Communication:

  • Animation and Film
  • Graphic Design
  • Illustration

Design:

  • Design for Theatre, Screen and Performance
  • Textile Craft
  • 3D, Product and Spatial Design

Please be aware:

We may offer you a place on the course, but in a different mode to the one on your application form.

The Foundation Diploma at Camberwell does not have a Fashion pathway. You should apply to the Foundation Diploma at Central Saint Martins for this pathway.

Facilities

The Foundation Diploma has its' own dedicated workshops. They include 3D, printmaking, digital and media.

Contact us

Register your interest to receive information and updates about studying at UAL.

Contact us to make an enquiry.

Course units

The course is divided into 3 parts:

Part 1: Diagnostic Investigation into Creative Practice

You will have an introduction to a wide range of creative practices. This will give you the chance to try different disciplines. This part of the course is about exploration and experimentation.

Part 2: Developing Specialist Practice

In part 2 of the course you will reflect on the knowledge and skills you have developed in part 1. Through a range of activities you will start to think about your own creative ambition. You will consider your own work in relation to your chosen specialist practice.

Part 3: Consolidating Practice

This part of the course gives you the opportunity to take control of your own learning. You will come up with an idea for a project proposal. You will research, write and evaluate your proposal. From this you will produce a body of work for your final assessment. This work will also become part of the college's end of year exhibition.

Pathway and specialist option information:

Art

The art pathway has 4 specialist options:

Drawing and Conceptual Practice

Drawing is not only a research activity or preparation for another medium. It is developing it’s own diverse identity within fine art. Artists who use drawing create work in a variety of different ways. These include making individual works, books, film, animation, sound, installations and objects. In this specialist option, the idea comes first and then you find a way to express it.

What you can expect:

  • A series of projects that reflect current art ideas
  • Weekly seminars based on readings. These encourage you to engage with critical theory and contemporary issues surrounding art
  • A program of lectures and exhibition visits
  • To collaborate with the sculpture group on an exhibition. This will help you begin to learn how to curate a show, hang work and write a press release

Painting

This specialist option is about exploring the subject through the medium of paint. It also covers the expanded field of painting and new developments in the subject.

What you can expect:

  • Regular presentations, talks, gallery visits and studio crits
  • To gain a stronger contextual understanding of your work
  • Projects that are with historical content and allow you to use mixed media
  • Materials and methods workshops

Photography and Time Based Media

This specialist option covers a broad range of approaches to making art. These include analogue and digital photography, animation, installation, moving image, performance, projection, sound and video.

What you can expect:

  • Projects that are concept based allowing for individual interpretation and outcome
  • To explore the photographic process
  • To be able to experiment with a range of cameras and projectors
  • To work with old and new technologies
  • A program of lectures and exhibition visits
  • To learn new skills and build on existing ones. For example - cyanotype, photo polymer etching and screen-printing. How to process and develop in a darkroom. An introduction to video and editing and working in a digital darkroom

Sculpture

The sculpture specialist option is practical, theoretical, diverse and conceptual. Artists making sculpture use a wide variety of materials and processes. Sculptors are involved with object making, installation, interactive art, socially engaged practice, kinetic work, sound, film, performance, exploring site and presentation.

What you can expect:

  • To learn processes such as casting, mold making and wood construction
  • To be able to use the open access 3D workshop
  • Projects that reflect current art ideas
  • Projects that encourage you to think about the big ideas that sculpture deals with. These are the object, space, site, installation and audience
  • A program of lectures and exhibition visits
  • To develop ways of working that allow you to express your ideas as an artist
  • To collaborate with the drawing and conceptual practice group on an exhibition. This will help you begin to learn how to curate a show, hang work and write a press release

Communication

The communication pathway has 3 specialist options:

Animation and Film

This specialist option has a focus on sequential images, animation and moving image. It also engages with narrative and documentary filmmaking.

What you can expect:

  • To look at narrative structures and visual devices to help with the art of storytelling
  • Projects that encourage you to create your own stories. You will also look at the interpretation other peoples’ texts
  • To focus on all areas of the preproduction process. Including scripts and treatments, character development and casting, storyboarding, environment and set design
  • To learn about the ‘rules of cinema’ and gain an understanding of film language
  • To learn about storyboarding and how to communicate to an audience
  • An introduction to production techniques and methods. These include the animatic, stop motion and 2D animation, live action, video editing, compositing and sound design
  • Projects supported by workshops, presentations, tutorials, group discussions, technical demonstrations and contextual references

Graphic Design

A desire to communicate is central to graphic design. It is about new ideas and developing innovative and effective ways of communicating.

What you can expect:

  • Projects that look at problem solving, the use of language, organisation of information, narrative structures and understanding an audience. These are the fundamental concerns of graphic design
  • Projects that encourage exploration, research and discovery
  • An approach to working that reflects the professional design world
  • To engage with a wide variety of approaches. These include animation, drawing, film, photography, printmaking, 3D and typography
  • Studio discussions and presentations that encourage you to look beyond the design world

Illustration

Illustration is about the communication of ideas through image making and the use of text.

What you can expect:

  • To use drawing on a daily basis to research, develop and record ideas
  • Projects that reflect the range of practice in the professional world
  • Projects that allow you to work in a variety of different media, both 2D and 3D
  • To look at ways of exploring ideas, storytelling and constructing images

Design

The design pathway has 3 specialist options:

Design for Theatre, Screen and Performance

Covers a wide range of subjects including:

  • Costume design and making
  • Immersive theatre
  • Live performance
  • Film production design
  • Make-up and prosthetics
  • Performance art
  • Prop making
  • Puppetry
  • Technical effects
  • Theatre design

What you can expect:

  • An introduction to narrative, creating characters, spatial, lighting and sound design
  • To work both on your own and within a group
  • To be able to use our open access 3D workshop and performance spaces across the university
  • To learn making skills
  • Regular lectures and talks from industry professionals
  • Trips to galleries and theatres

Textile Craft

Textile Craft will encourage you to explore materials and design. You will do this through making and experimentation. It is about investigating the possibilities of surface, fabric, form and construction.

What you can expect:

  • Projects that will challenge ideas and beliefs about materials
  • To look at a range of potential uses for materials. This could be decorative or commercial. You will look at digital design, installation, sculpture, performance and film
  • To experiment using a range of different processes. These will include drawing, collage, stitch, print, knit, casting, moulding and constructing
  • An emphasis on practical work and making in the studios. You will also use the Foundation technical workshops
  • The use of sketchbooks and sample books to develop ideas and concepts
  • To build an awareness of sustainability within textiles. This will include using the Wilson Road Garden to grow and make materials for construction, dyeing and printing
  • Skills workshops, contextual lectures and research visits

3D, Product and Spatial Design

This covers the following areas:

  • Architecture
  • Design craft
  • Fashion accessories and footwear
  • Furniture
  • Industrial, interior, product and spatial design
  • Jewellery

What you can expect:

  • To be able to use our open access 3D workshop
  • To learn new skills and build on existing ones through workshops and from tutors
  • To use design sheets and model making to present ideas
  • To take part in discussion groups

Student work

Explore work by our recent students on the UAL Graduate Showcase

  • Interior and the Intangible
    Interior and the Intangible, Flora Chandler, 2022 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, Camberwell College of Arts, UAL
  • Room
    Room, Ho Long Pang, 2022 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, Camberwell College of Arts, UAL
  • Marks Left Behind
    Marks Left Behind, Alisha Waters, 2022 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, Camberwell College of Arts, UAL
  • Love, Sex and Friendship Between Black Queer Bodies
    Love, Sex and Friendship Between Black Queer Bodies, Dio Dunbar, 2022 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, Camberwell College of Arts, UAL
  • I'm migrant
    I'm migrant, Aurora Jiang, 2022 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, Camberwell College of Arts, UAL
  • Banana Bread, (Alone, Together)
    Banana Bread, (Alone, Together), Elizabeth O'Farrelly, 2022 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, Camberwell College of Arts, UAL
  • Ridiculous Squirming Worm-On-A-String Rug
    Ridiculous Squirming Worm-On-A-String Rug, Joe Gordon, 2022 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, Camberwell College of Arts, UAL
  • Life on the Road
    Life on the Road, Emily Lau, 2022 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, Camberwell College of Arts, UAL
  • "?"
    "?", Khadijah Heath-Bailey, 2022 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, Camberwell College of Arts, UAL
  • Visualising Otherness
    Visualising Otherness, Maya Brown, 2022 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, Camberwell College of Arts, UAL

Film

Foundation Diploma Showreel

Staff

  • Claire McCormack - Programme Director
  • Nicola Fitchett - Design Pathway Leader
  • Frank Owusu - Communication Pathway Leader
  • Laurence Noga - Art Pathway Leader

Specialist Option Leaders

  • David Batchelor - Painting
  • Noel Bramley - Illustration
  • Gary Campbell - Theatre, Screen and Performance
  • Jake Hopwood - Graphic Design
  • Joseph Childs - Film and Animation
  • Tim Ellis - Sculpture
  • Kate Frade - Textile Craft
  • Michael Hurley - 3D Product Spatial
  • Chrystel Lebas - Photography and Time-Based Media
  • Kate Terry - Drawing and Conceptual Practice

Fees and funding

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 2023/24 entry and are subject to change for 2024/25 entry.

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

£20,730

This fee is correct for 2023/24 entry and is subject to change for 2024/25 entry.

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.

Scholarship search

Entry requirements

The standard minimum entry requirements for this course are:

  • Portfolio of work
  • Personal statement
  • 1 A Level or equivalent
  • Or equivalent Level 3/EU/International qualifications, such as International Baccalaureate Certificates - 2 at ‘Higher Level’ and 1 at ‘Standard Level’ - all grade 4 or above
  • And 3 GCSE passes at grade 4 or above (grade A*-C)

Entry to this course will also be determined by the quality of your application, looking primarily at your portfolio of work and personal statement.

APEL - Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning

Applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered in exceptional cases. The course team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:

  • Related academic or work experience
  • The quality of the personal statement
  • A strong academic or other professional reference
  • A combination of these factors.

Each application will be considered on its own merit but cannot guarantee an offer in each case.

English language requirements

All classes are conducted in English. If English isn't your first language you must provide evidence at enrolment of the following:

Applicants who require a Student Visa must take a Secure English Language Test (SELT) which is approved by the UK government for your UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) application. No non-SELT tests can be accepted.

Achieving Maths and English GCSEs

Under existing funding regulations, if you are a home fee assessed student who is under 19 and has been accepted onto one of our Foundation Diploma in Art and Design courses but did not achieve a grade C/4 or above in GCSE English or maths, you will be given the opportunity to retake the exams as part of your course. This is government policy (post 16 Study Programme) and UAL are obliged to undertake this and ensure that GCSE teaching is provided and that students attend.

When you enrol, you will need to provide evidence of your qualifications. We will automatically enrol you onto a compulsory GCSE study programme if you have not achieved a minimum of a grade C/4 (or equivalent) in English or maths.

If this applies to you, it is important to note that attendance is mandatory, and you will have to attend the sessions alongside your Foundation Diploma course.

In addition, those students who are taking the GCSE maths and English retake programme will ultimately be withdrawn from the Foundation Art and Design course as well if their attendance falls below the 85% level required, and this can happen at any point throughout the academic year. A separate attendance record is kept for these classes.

Please note:

  • We will keep a record of your attendance in accordance with the FE Agreed Absence and Attendance Policy. If you fail to turn up to your GCSE classes regularly and on time, your progress towards your Foundation Diploma could be affected
  • You must re-sit your GCSE English and/or maths exams as part of the study programme, but failure to achieve a grade C/4 or higher will not affect your achievements on your Foundation Diploma in Art and Design unless you fail to attend the retake programme
  • The exams do fall just out of term-time, but a weekly timetable will be distributed to enable you to plan your time accordingly
  • It is highly likely that a degree-level or post-graduate course at UAL or any other institution may require you to have a grade C/4 or higher in English and maths, so this is a good incentive to enable you to achieve the relevant grades
  • You will have the benefit of small, dedicated classes every week during term time with specialists within the field of education

Selection criteria

We look for:

  • Visualisation skills - e.g. drawing, photography, 3D work
  • Research and investigate skills
  • Creative thinking and problem solving abilities
  • The use of a range of materials and processes
  • An interest in art, design, or related subjects

Apply now

Applications for 2023/24

We are no longer accepting applications for 2023/24 entry to this course.

Applications for 2024/25 entry will open in autumn 2023.

Apply


Home students apply by direct application.

You can only apply to one UAL Foundation Diploma Art and Design course. You must choose between Camberwell College of Arts and Central Saint Martins. Any duplicate application will be withdrawn.

Application deadline

Deadline: 13.00 (GMT) on Wednesday 22 February 2023.

Personal statement

This should be about 500 words long and include:

  • Why you have chosen the course and how it will help with your future plans.
  • Describe aspects of your current work that support your mode of study choice.
  • Talk about the type of work you want to make whilst on the course.

What happens next

Communicating with you

After you’ve submitted your application, you’ll receive a confirmation email providing you with your login details for the UAL Portal. We’ll use this portal to contact you to request any additional information, including inviting you to upload documents or book an interview, so please check it regularly.

Initial application check and selection

We check your application to see if you meet the standard entry requirements for the course. If you do, you will be invited to submit a digital portfolio through UAL’s online portfolio review system. These will be reviewed by the academic team.

Final decisions will be made based on your uploaded digital portfolio only. There are no interviews for Home Foundation Diploma in Art and Design applicants.

Portfolio advice

  • A maximum of 30 pages showing a clear and organised presentation of your work including self-directed and in different mediums. If you have video work please edit down to no more than 3 minutes.
  • Evidence of development of your ideas i.e. your research which should be included on separate pages and next to relevant pieces of work.

For more support, please visit our Portfolio advice page and PebblePad advice page.

How we notify you of the outcome of your application

Our aim is for you to receive the final outcome of your application through the UAL portal by the 31 May 2023.

Applications made to this course may be given an alternative pathway offer. This decision will be based on our assessment of your creative and potential interests.

Feedback requests:

If you would like to request feedback please contact us through the UAL Portal using the Contact Us button in your My Application(s) tab.

Deferring your place

This course does not allow offer holders to defer. If you want to start later, please re-apply when applications open for that academic year.

Applications for 2023/24

We are no longer accepting applications for 2023/24 entry to this course.

Applications for 2024/25 entry will open in autumn 2023.

Apply


There are 2 ways international students can apply to the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design:

Read our immigration and visa information to find out if you need a visa to study at UAL.

You can only apply to the same course once per year. Any duplicate applications will be withdrawn. Read the UAL international application advice for further information on how to apply.

Application deadline

Deadline: 13.00 (GMT) on Wednesday 22 February 2023.

Personal statement

This should be about 500 words long and include:

  • Why you have chosen the course and how it will help with your future plans.
  • Describe aspects of your current work that support your mode of study choice.
  • Talk about the type of work you want to make whilst on the course.

What happens next

Communicating with you

After you’ve submitted your application, you’ll receive a confirmation email providing you with your login details for the UAL Portal. We’ll use this portal to contact you to request any additional information, including inviting you to upload documents or book an interview, so please check it regularly.

Immigration history check

You will be asked to complete an Immigration History Check to establish whether you are eligible to study at UAL. We will not be able to proceed with your application until you have submitted your completed Immigration History Form.

Initial application check and selection

We check your application to see if you meet the standard entry requirements for the course. If you do, you will be invited to submit a digital portfolio through UAL’s online portfolio review system. These will be reviewed by the academic team.

Final decisions will be made based on your uploaded digital portfolio only. There are no interviews for International Foundation applicants.

Portfolio advice

  • A maximum of 30 pages showing a clear and organised presentation of your work including self-directed and in different mediums. If you have video work please edit down to no more than 3 minutes.
  • Evidence of development of your ideas i.e. your research which should be included on separate pages and next to relevant pieces of work.

For more support, please visit our Portfolio advice page and PebblePad advice page.

How we notify you of the outcome of your application

Our aim is for you to receive the final outcome of your application through the UAL portal by the 31 May 2023.

Applications made to this course may be given an alternative pathway offer. This decision will be based on our assessment of your creative and potential interests.

Feedback requests:

If you would like to request feedback please contact us through the UAL Portal using the Contact Us button in your My Application(s) tab.

Deferring your place

Read our Admissions Policy for details, and request your deferral by contacting us through the UAL Portal using the Contact Us button in your My Application(s) tab.

Careers

Throughout the diploma, students have a personal tutor who ensures they receive the appropriate guidance to prepare them for Higher Education. This involves preparing an application and developing a portfolio of subject specific work.

Foundation Diploma students will be encouraged to progress to undergraduate study within the University of the Arts London. Our foundation and undergraduate academic staff will be on hand to support and guide students through the application process.

Our diploma graduates typically go on to take up their first choice degree at undergraduate level, with a high number continuing their studies within the University. Our students can also progress to courses throughout the UK, Europe and beyond.

Your UAL undergraduate offer

All Foundation Diploma in Art and Design students who successfully complete the year will be guaranteed a place on an undergraduate course at UAL. This means that as long as you pass, you will have the opportunity to continue your studies at one of the 6 colleges, the following year.

Which UAL undergraduate course will you be offered a place on?

If you successfully complete the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, you will be made at least one offer to a UAL undergraduate course, to start the following September. We cannot guarantee that you will be made an offer for each course that you apply to, and, in some instances, you may be made an offer to an alternative course that you did not apply to. The offer(s) that you receive will depend on your portfolio and will be made after careful review by College course teams and Admissions Tutors.

How does it work?

To progress onto an undergraduate course, you must:

  • Have made your application through The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)
  • Successfully pass the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
  • Be able to meet any other additional entry criteria for the undergraduate course you’re offered a place on