LOCAL-G45089
This module provides you with the opportunity to take control of your own learning and demonstrate your achievement by independently initiating, researching...
FNDip - Foundation Diploma UAL Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
Explore a range of art and design practices, discover your creative interests and build a portfolio to support your progression to degree-level study.
Key facts
- Duration
- Full time: 1 year
- Part time: up to 8 years
- Starts
- September 2027
- Level
- Undergraduate
- UCAS code
- N/A
- Location
- Headington
- School
- School of Arts
About this course
The UAL Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design course introduces you to a wide range of creative practices.
You will experience a broad range of projects to help you prepare for further study or employment. You will develop your independent creative thinking and learn to apply this across a range of disciplines. You will gain a broad understanding of the creative industries and the career paths across the sector.
You will be supported to develop a portfolio of work, ready for applications to undergraduate courses or creative roles.
This course is based in the School of Arts which is home to a range of specialist facilities including:
- printmaking workshops
- letter press
- video editing
- photographic studios and darkrooms.
Have a look at our UAL Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design Instagram channel.
Oxford Brookes University is an approved centre for the UAL Awarding Body for Foundation Diploma in Art and Design.
Oxford Brookes was rated ‘outstanding’ for Foundation Art and Design by OFSTED.
Freedom to explore
Experiment with a range of art, design and media disciplines, helping you discover your creative interests before deciding what you want to specialise in.
Develop your creative practice
Build your skills through practical projects, experimentation and reflection, while developing greater confidence and independence in your work.
Study abroad
You may be able to go on a European or international study exchange while you are at Brookes. Most exchanges take place in the second year. Although we will help as much as we can with your plans, ultimately you are responsible for organising and funding this study abroad.
Language courses
Our university-wide language programme is available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
| Qualification | Typical offer |
|---|---|
| UCAS tariff points | 32 |
| A-level | N/A |
| BTEC Extended Diploma | PP |
| GCSE Maths | Grade C or above |
| IELTS | UKVI-approved SELT 5.0 with 5.0 in all skills. For more information, please see our English language requirements. |
We welcome applications from candidates with equivalent alternative qualifications, and from mature students.
Portfolio guidelines
What we are looking for:
Research and idea development - sketchbooks, research on artists and designers, studies and preparatory work. Show all stages of how you have got from a starting point to a final piece. The journey you have embarked upon to achieve the final outcome is very important therefore present the development stages of your project.
Range of materials, media and approaches – experiment with material using mixed media, making samples, models etc. Include evidence of both 3D and 2D work. All larger pieces and 3D work should be photographed.
Include inspiration, references and research - Are there any galleries, exhibitions or events you have visited that have been influential? How do you stay current and up to date with contemporary art and design? What do you hope to gain from studying a Foundation Diploma course? And what are your aspirations for the future? We also like to know a little bit about what you do outside of art and design, such as hobbies, interests, and other influences.
Creativity and problem solving - we will look at the range of media, techniques and processes you have used and that are central to your work. This could include for example, drawing, painting, collage, photography, model-making, textiles or printmaking. We are aware that the range you are able to demonstrate will depend on your current studies but we do like to see diversity in your work so it is best to show more than one approach or use of media.
We are interested to see how you develop your ideas, what informs them? How you identify problems and make decisions in order to solve them. We will typically see this through sketchbook pages, idea/design development work, trials, samples and experiments (2D and 3D).
Portfolio preparation course
We offer short courses to provide a picture of the foundation course through taster experiences of the kind of work that our foundation students undertake. The courses also provide guidelines for the selection and presentation of a portfolio for interview for a place on Art and Design foundation courses.
Fees and funding
Fees
UK students that are aged 18 or under on the 31st August immediately before this course starts do not have to pay tuition fees.
| Fee types | 2026/27 | 2027/28 |
|---|---|---|
| Home full-time | £5,580 - FREE (if aged 18 or under on 31 Aug 2026) | £5,760 - FREE (if aged 18 or under on 31 Aug 2027) |
| International full-time | £17,250 | £18,500 |
Please note, tuition fees for Home students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by government. Oxford Brookes University intends to maintain its fees for new and returning Home students at the maximum permitted level.
For further information please see our tuition fees FAQs.
Tuition fees for International students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students.
The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.
How and when to pay
Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.
- For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
- For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page.
Questions about fees?
Learning and assessment
The course is divided into 3 units:
- Diagnostic Investigation – you'll be introduced to a wide range of approaches. How you respond to these projects will help you understand how you work and what you are most interested in pursuing creatively.
- Developing Specialist Practice – you'll be supported in making an application to university, creating a portfolio and going through interviews, while also being involved with collaborative projects with employers.
- Consolidating Practice – in this final unit you will write and develop your own personal project and exhibit it in our end of year exhibition.
To find out more about the academic calendar, visit our semester dates web page.
Teaching includes studio-based projects, one-to-one tutorials, lectures, seminars, practical field trips, skills workshops and demonstrations. You'll be taught by a range of different staff but will have a dedicated personal tutor that you will meet with for both 1-1 meetings and group tutorials.
When not attending timetabled sessions, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. This typically will involve drawing in your sketchbook, reading journal articles and books, and working on individual and group projects. Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities, including:
- online resources
- the library
- Moodle, the online virtual learning platform.
| Total workload |
|---|
| 1,200 hrs a year |
Assessment
The Foundation Diploma in Art and Design award is based on passing all three parts of the course, and on completion of 120 credits. Each part should be passed. You'll be formally assessed at the end of each part in order to proceed to the next stage.
You will participate in reflection, evaluation and assessment. The emphasis is on continual feedback, which ensures a high level of communication between you and your tutors. Contextual work is fully integrated and designed to inform your practical work, this includes theme-based lectures, talks from practising artists and designers, and field visits to museums.
Additional learning support
The learning support tutor meets regularly with students who have a learning need such as Dyslexia or Dyspraxia. All students can request tutorials as required. Topics range from reflective writing to personal statements and understanding the principles of research. All students are screened for Dyslexia when they start the course.
Year 1
Compulsory modules
ARTD3008
45 credits
In this module, you will build on the knowledge and skills you developed in the first module. You will reflect on your progress, explore your creative interests...
ARTD3007
30 credits
In this module, you will explore how visual language is used in art, design and media. You will experiment with a range of creative disciplines, helping you...
Field trips
Field trips also form part of the course. Recent destinations have included the Eden Project in Cornwall, Copenhagen, Tallinn, Berlin and Venice.
The field trips to the Eden Project and a European destination are payable by you to cover the costs of accommodation and travel. In addition, you will need to cover the costs of living in Europe and we would recommend a budget of 50 euros per day. In Cornwall, accommodation is likely to be full board.
A trip to London to see museums and galleries will be covered by your studio fee and you will not be asked to cover travel or entrance fees. However, you will need to either provide your own lunch or buy it whilst there and we would budget for approximately £5.
How to apply
Please apply directly to the University using our online application system. You cannot apply for this course through UCAS.
We encourage you to apply as soon as possible so we can consider your application.
If you live in the Channel Islands, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, please read this guidance regarding funding.
If you are expected to meet the requirements for the course, you will be invited by email to submit your portfolio for review.
Accommodation for this course
If you're applying for this course, please note that there are specific accommodation arrangements for some students. Find out more about accommodation options for this course.
Our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, so module availability and course structures may vary from what is listed here. On rare occasions, we may also need to make updates to our course programmes after publication; for full details, please visit our changes to programmes page (opens in a new tab)