Art, Design & Media - Extended Diploma Level 3

What opportunities will this course give me?

This Level 3 Art, Design and Media programme will start to equip learners for a career in the design industries; however, the primary progression route at this stage is to a Pre-degree Foundation Diploma or direct entry to a Level 4 Higher Education programme e.g. Bachelor of Arts degree or a Foundation degree. This is because learners require further training before entry into the creative industries.

Learners successfully completing Level 3 are eligible to progress onto a diverse range of university education programmes, for example fine art, photography, film and TV, fashion, graphic design, product design, illustration, animation, advertising, marketing, design crafts, games design and new media.

Most of our learners take the opportunity to progress onto our one year Pre-degree Foundation Diploma in Art, Design and Media (UAL) in order to build a specialist portfolio for application to their chosen Higher Education course at university.

If successful with your course completion review you will gain full accreditation in a L3 Diploma / Extended Diploma from the University of The Arts London (UAL). UAL is number one in the world leading undergraduate art and design education. This guides us through incredibly high standards of learning and outcomes for our learners.

What will I be learning?

Year 1

The UAL L3 Diploma in Creative Practice: Art, Design & Communication offers students an exploratory, playful approach to a range of Illustration and graphic skills; including; drawing, printmaking, animation, advertising design, typography, , photography, 3D, visual communications & information graphics. Learners will learn and develop skills through the use of industry standard software and facilities, preparing them for higher education/employment. You will also be able to study aspects of professional practice within the art and design industry as part of the programme.


The UAL Level 3 Diploma in Creative Practice: Art, Design and Communication is delivered over two years. In the first year of the programme, students complete units for a Diploma. Upon successful completion of these units, students work towards completing the full Extended Diploma in Creative Practice: Art, Design and Communication in year two, which on completion is the equivalent grade to 3 A-Levels.

Projects will be professionally based and will allow you to explore design development, computer imaging techniques, visual recording techniques and visual communication methods. All assignments and projects are closely focused on individual and personal development within the visual arts area and are internally and externally (UAL awarding body) verified. Our aim is to develop in you a critical approach to previous learning, which sparks a new type of cognitive understanding to encourage the forging of new creative connections.

The course is split into 6 units over the duration, with 3 units per year. The first year is generally intended to get the students used to exploring and experimenting with new disciplines they may not have been introduced to previously.

Exploratory: We offer a unique programme of workshops in the 1st unit, allowing students to gain experience in using the equipment and facilities within the department and develop focused technical knowledge. The 2nd unit will build on these initial exploratory workshops allowing the student to focus and refine their practice in a short, focused project, usually based on creating a short film or piece of animation. These 2 units are pass/fail only in their grading, and aside from familiarising the students with their new environment they are encouraged to take chances and push their work into new areas as we encourage students to learn through experimentation and reflection of their work.

Pathway Realisation: The 3rd unit, and final unit of the first year, is a 10-week independent project where the students will write their own creative brief based on a given theme. They can explore and develop the project in any area of their practice they choose and will be supported through the process by tutors. This is a chase for students to really demonstrate their growth over the year and this project will give them their final grade for the year of pass merit or distinction.

Year 2

Pathway Exploration: By the 2nd year, the Extended Diploma will start again with short workshops intended to help the students after the summer break and again push their thinking into new areas. Students engage with the basic elements in art and design, to recap on the value of Colour, Scale, Mark Making, Time and Motion. These short projects nudge the student towards their desired specialism, and open further the understanding of the creative process.

The 2nd unit of the extended year is where the learners really focus in on a chosen specialism and start to refine their practice. They will strengthen their creative research skills in primary and secondary inquiry and learn the management of process through mind mapping, sketch mapping thumbnails and experimentation through material qualities. This independently led project will also involve related industry research. This project may include an external exhibition of the final work in a public, usually through The Point in Eastleigh giving the learners an opportunity to exhibit their work.

Confirmatory: The final unit is another extended independent project where the students will be expected to really push their chosen specialism from previous projects to produce more work for exhibition in the department's end of year show. This show is held in conjunction with the Foundation learners who are about to leave for university and aside from giving the learners their grade for the year, will also be part of their application process to move to the Foundation diploma after completing the course.

The end of year show is the focus of the learners work and involves the entire department being turned into a gallery space. Learners will be expected to assist in this process and help with hanging or work and hosting events such as private view and normal viewing times. We invite local universities and colleges along to our private view and it is an opportunity for schools and the public to visit and see the diversity and quality of the work produced.

Why is this course for me?

Eastleigh college provides a unique environment where art and design learners can engage in a clear balance of contextual theoretical analysis and hands-on practice in a purpose-built studio space. Our course is delivered by highly experienced lecturers and artist practitioners, who have clear connections with the design industry and contemporary innovation within the art and design world. This atmosphere creates a buzz to the creative learning environment which gives students a sense of freedom and individual growth. This environment is coupled by the playful structure and stimulating project challenges set through the course by the personable delivery of the lecturers, who are more than on hand to help and guide over and above, at all times.

The art department has a range of studio spaces open for you to use during self-directed-study and during workshops; including a large studio space used for group work, seminars, lectures and some workshop sessions.

Our 3D / Sculpture workshop has an extensive range of specialist equipment for working both resistant and nonresistant materials including spot welder, vacuum former, sheet metal folder / cutter and a laser cutter for generating 3D outcomes.

For chemical photography and black and white film processing, students make use of the Dark Room, including 9 Enlargers for photographic printing. Our generous photographic studio hosts professional lighting setups to record students' work and facilitate experimental fashion photo-shoots.

Our Fine Art and Textile Print Studio is equipped with a variety of printmaking equipment including an Etching Press for dry-point etching, a Roller Press for surface and lino printing, stencil Screen-Printing facilities, plus the Sublimation Heat Presses used for dispersing printing.

The Fashion studio contains Sewing machines, an overlocker, a cutting table, and mannequins to assist with garment play and construction.

The Textile studio facilitates a range of workshops: exploring felting, Batik, Shibori, resist techniques, dye processes, weave, knit and crochet.

The department hosts two Apple Mac design suites with professional software packages such as Adobe Creative Cloud software, including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects and Premiere Pro. Software-controlled tools, such as a laser cutter and vinyl printer enable large-scale experimental play.

During your study, you will be invited to attend offsite activities, including trips to major London galleries, the invaluable UCAS Creative Futures Fair, as well as local art studios and galleries. Previous visits have included The Tate Modern, Tate Britain and V&A in London, The Pitt Rivers, Natural History and Ashmolean Museums in Oxford, and local galleries such as Pallant House Gallery, Chichester and The Hansard Gallery, Southampton.

What do I need to sign up?

You should have a genuine interest in art, design or media and a portfolio of art and design or media work which you will need to bring to a college interview.

You will need 5 GCSEs at Grade 4 or higher including English Language and mathematics.

You will require an interview with subject specialist staff to ensure you have a good understanding of the course you are applying for. Attendance and attainment reports from previous education will also be required.

For internal progression it is expected that you will have achieved a minimum of a merit at L2 and made positive progress to achieving your GCSE English and Maths (if below Grade 4) as well as demonstrating that you have upheld the college values.

Adult learners may apply for any of our full time and apprenticeship programmes and your vocational experience will also be taken into consideration alongside existing qualifications.

The programme is fully funded for learners aged 16-18. Fees may apply for 19+.

Is there anything else I need to know?

All learners enrolled on a full-time study programme are expected to attend a compulsory work or industry placement during their course. The number of hours of placement will vary from 35 hours through to 750 hours, this variance is due to the differing types of assessment on each course.

Learners should be aware that this is compulsory part of their study programme and work / industry placements will take place during the college week.

For learners aged 19+ the price is upon application only, and after receiving information, advice & guidance.

Application Information

Please note that all courses are subject to minimum numbers and course descriptions may be subject to change. A place on your chosen course is not confirmed until all of the necessary enrolment paperwork is signed and any relevant fees are paid. The team will be in touch to discuss this with you, once your application has been processed.

Course Code

ARDEE3

Need some further advice?

Contact the Learner Recruitment Team for further guidance - email bebetter@eastleigh.ac.uk or call 023 8091 1000.