VOC Level 3

Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design UAL

Campus
Christ's Hospital Terrace
Start Date
September 2026
Duration
1 Year (Full-time)

Do you have a natural artistic flair? Do you want to pursue a career in art and design but you’re not sure of your specialism? This course is an excellent way to find out.

You will showcase your work in an end-of-year show to fellow students, industry professionals, prospective employers and the general public. There are trips to major art galleries and exhibitions planned throughout the year, depending on what’s showing; often Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham and London are on the list.

Based at Lincoln College of Art and Design at Christ's Hospital Terrace (in the Cathedral Quarter) which has excellent facilities including a print room, 3D workshops (ceramics, glass, plaster, wood and metals), a dark room, five MAC suites, fashion workshop, photography and media studios and light and airy art.

The course is in Three stages:

Stage One extends your skill base; We will introduce you to a variety of disciplines, processes and materials, allowing you to experiment in fields such as:

Painting
Sculpture
Ceramics
Installation
Textiles
Fashion
Graphics
Printmaking
3D
Life drawing
Illustration

Stage Two is about you narrowing your interests and deciding upon a way forward, eventually finding the perfect undergraduate course for you – this may be in fine art, design, contemporary crafts, visual communication, fashion and textiles, digital media or architecture.

Stage three is a self-initiated project that is graded. This will celebrate all of the knowledge, technical and creative skills you have developed during the course.

You’ll need five GCSEs (minimum grade four), two A-Levels including an Art and Design related subject (minimum Grade C), or a Level Three Extended Diploma qualification in an Art related subject.

You’ll be required to attend an interview, where you will be asked to show your art and design ability in a portfolio of artwork. You are also required to provide a reference (from an employer or recent school/college report).

Assessment: There is no exam. Coursework is all internally assessed through a combination of interim and formal assessments at the end of each stage. The final project is graded pass, merit or distinction. You can achieve a level four qualification at the end of this course.

Progression: The Foundation Diploma in Art and Design is a year-long course providing the vital stepping stone from A-Level / Extended Diploma to Higher Education.

We will help you apply to university or write a C.V. to prepare you for interviews for higher education or employment, we will also show you how to present a strong and exciting portfolio of work and write UCAS statements

You’ll need equipment such as Graphite pencils, a black Edding 55 pen, A4 hardback sketchbook, A3 hardback sketchbook, eraser; craft knife, masking tape, synthetic brushes, a set of system acrylics, a memory stick, Pritt stick, scissors and an A1 folder.

Other materials may be required to do the course. These will be supplied by the college and you will be required to pay a fee to use these within the studio.

Fees listed are for those aged 19 years and over only. Fees are subject to change. Support for fees may be available, such as fee remission or the Advanced Learner Loan.

For further information regarding the Advanced Learner Loan please visit www.lincolncollege.ac.uk/funding-your-course/

Please note that where stated, fees are for the first year of a course only.

For more information contact our Course Information Office on 030 030 32435 or email [email protected]