Course overview The BA (Hons) in Art & Design with Foundation Year is a completely unique, modular degree that offers you the opportunity to develop a personalised study programme based on your learning needs and expectations. It is a four year programme. The first year is a foundation year (HE0) during which you will enjoy a structured introduction to a wide range of materials, processes and techniques and learn to communicate your ideas and organise your work effectively. As you grow in confidence you will develop your own line of visual enquiry. You will also be encouraged to express your views on the history, context, practice and contemporary directions of art and design. This year of the programme provides an opportunity for you to explore different areas of Art and Design and develop a sound portfolio of creative work. It will also help you to choose the specialisms you take for the remainder of the programme. Following the foundation year, you will study two specialisms side by side. This creates a learning environment that supports you as multi-skilled practitioner and offers you a distinctive and unique combination of specialisms and modules. The programme offers several combinations of subjects drawn from a range of disciplines within art and design available at the University such as animation and illustration, fine art, graphic design, photography, and textile and surface design. It is tailored to match your interests and strengths. About the course Prior to commencing the second year of your programme, you will have discussed your particular interests and learning combinations and will have chosen a multi-disciplinary programme of study for this next stage. Throughout the programme you can remain as a multi-skilled practitioner or you may specialise in one area in the four year. This approach makes the programme particularly attractive to those who may wish to teach due to the possibility of acquiring a broad skill base that translates well into the classroom environment. The programme has the capacity to offer combinations that are robust and exciting delivering the relevance of new technologies alongside the richness of traditional craft-based practice. While you are on this programme you have access to a broad range of live project briefs that are available across the modules as well as a rich visiting speaker programme. Art and Design students have access to specialist tutors, workshops, studios and technical support. In addition to the technical and practical elements, the programme addresses broad-based issues such as internationalism, globalisation and sustainability, and ethical issues appropriate to your specialisms. At each level of the course you will study critical theories in which you will examine the theoretical and historical background of your disciplines.

As a graduate of this discipline you will gain a wide range of transferrable skills which can include: developing and expanding your creativity, team work, presentation skills, information and research, organisation and planning and good use of IT and creative software. Taking part in exhibitions and events will also provide you with confidence, self awareness and help to improve your communication skills. This degree is an ideal preparation for a wide range of employment opportunities in art and design. Many graduates become practitioners in a broad range of art and design roles such as multi-skilled artists and designers, illustrators, advertising executives and community artists. Others go into teaching, art therapy, museum and gallery work and arts administration.