Creative Pratice: Art, Design and Communication - Level 3 (UAL)

Art and Design - Level 3 Diploma (UAL)

This course is accredited by the University of the Arts London (UAL).

This Art and Design course will focus on studio-based practice, supported by Professional Practice and Critical Contextual Study modules to help you define your practice. Seminars, lectures, and gallery visits expand knowledge, while practical workshops encourage experimentation and diverse artistic development. You will present your work in group critique settings, developing confidence and communication skills.

Key skills development includes observational drawing, traditional painting techniques, and sculpture combined with digital processing, film, and 3D digital developments. Teaching ranges from one-to-one supervision to small group tuition and public projects.

This course will explore traditional and contemporary artistic practices, which will challenge you to develop experimental approaches in 2D, 3D, and 4D.

• 2D: Investigates how making is informed by contemporary culture, politics, and social forms. It explores questions of image and abstraction, considering the screen, picture plane, and surface as fundamental aspects of visual production.
• 3D: Explores materiality, scale, and production in relation to place and audience. Students engage with traditional and new 3D technologies and hybrid production processes, exploring materials and sculpture as well as digital.
• 3D mock-ups and simulations: Disengagement allows students to explore conventional understandings of studio, exhibition, and institutional spaces.
• 4D: Examines time-based, durational, performative, and interdisciplinary practices. Critical perspectives shape studio experimentation, challenging conventions of artistic practice.

The course is located at our Kings Cross centre. It is a full-time, two-year course designed for those who wish to develop their skills and knowledge in art and design.

We encourage an exploratory approach, allowing students to experiment with various traditional and digital techniques to develop innovative practices. Art and Design students are part of a diverse, dynamic student body taught by qualified tutors who are artists and makers, within a supportive and nurturing teaching environment.

In the first year, students will focus on fundamental creative processes, materials, techniques, and processes within a studio environment. At the end of the first year, you will have a portfolio of evidence showcasing your ability to develop a project from start to finish using traditional mediums and industry-standard creative practice methods.

The second year is more independent; you will work on projects with a wide range of creative skills, including drawing, printmaking, and sculpture, digital processes, as well as the practical side of this art and design course you will develop your briefs and develop an independent line of inquiry into a project theme. You will build autonomy by developing your project from initial ideas through experimentation, refining developments, and bringing them to fruition as an outcome. This process combines one-to-one tutorial guidance with workshop-based skills development and portfolio building. You will leave the course with a digital portfolio and website showcasing your project work in Art and Design

You will need:

• Four GCSES at grade 4 (C) or above.
• A portfolio of creative work demonstrating an interest in any creative area, including digital and traditional illustration, graphic design, print, drawing, painting, and photography.
• A successful interview with the course tutors to discuss aspirations and review work.

Course units can include:

Year 1

• Unit 1: The Creative Process 180 GLH Internally assessed and verified portfolio of evidence
• Unit 2: Developing Creative 180 GLH Internally assessed and practice verified portfolio of evidence
• Unit 3: Responding to a Set 180 GLH Internally assessed, brief assignment, externally moderated by UAL Awarding Body

Year 2

• Unit 4: Researching an N/A Internally assessed and specialist industry-verified portfolio of evidence practice
• Unit 5: Specialist Technical N/A Internally assessed and skills development verified portfolio of evidence
• Unit 6: Specialist Creative N/A Internally assessed assignment outcome and final project, externally moderated by UAL Awarding Body

AGED 16 - 18

If you will be aged 16, 17 or 18 on 31st August 2025 before the start date of the course, and you have the legal right to remain in the UK for the duration of your course then your study with us will be free.

Please see here for the documents you need to show us.

Some courses have additional costs, such as specialist materials and trips.

Many of our students are eligible for financial support. See here for details.

Successful completion of this course prepares students for higher education or employment in the creative industries. Possible progression routes include:

• Degree courses in Illustration, Graphic Design, Visual Communication, Animation, Fine Art, and related fields.
• Entry into creative industry roles, including Freelance Illustration, Publishing, Advertising, Digital Design, and Media Production.
• Further specialist study through foundation courses or apprenticeships.

UCAS Points:

• Year 1 Pass (P) 36 points, Merit (M) 60 points, Distinction (D) 84 points.
• Year 2 Pass (P) 72 points, Merit (M) 120 points, Distinction (D) 168 points.