Creative Practice: Art, Design and Communication (Photography) - Level 3 Extended Diploma (UAL)

Images are part of everyday life; do you love looking at and creating images?

If you are keen to develop your understanding of photography and graphics-based communication, then this course is ideal for you. The aim of this course is to provide technical skills and theoretical knowledge for contemporary image-making creating ideas through photography and graphics. This course introduces and develops your technical understanding and visual communication through a wide variety of photographic imagery and graphic project briefs.

You will be introduced to both traditional darkroom and digital photographic, graphic-based techniques and processes. You will research a wide array of artists to discover how they go about producing their work and allow their work to inform your ideas. You will learn how to master Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and other software as part of the Adobe Creative Cloud of programs, exposing you to the powerful bit map and vector base manipulation tools used by leading photographers and designers within the industry.

Extended Diplomas have two one-year programmes. You need to finish the first year before moving on to the second.

Units studied in this course include:

• Unit 1 – Introduction to media processes and technical Skills
• Unit 2 – Introduction to design and research skills
• Unit 3 – Professional Practice
• Unit 4 – Critical and contextual awareness
• Unit 5 – Investigating auditory production and technology
• Unit 6- Investigating visual production and technology
• Unit 7 - Investigating interactive media production and technology
• Unit 8 – Developing a creative media production project

You will need:

• 4 GCSEs at grade 4 or above, with English Language or Maths being at a grade 4 or above
• Level 2 Diploma at a Merit and either English Language or Maths being at a grade 4 or above
• A successful interview with a Lecturer to look over your portfolio

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.

This course will help you to move on to higher-level courses, such as a Bachelor of Arts, an apprenticeship, or other employment.