Foundation Diploma in Art & Design
Overview
The Foundation Diploma in Art & Design (3D Design pathway) offers an immersive introduction to creative making for aspiring designers. The course has been crafted to support students who want to build strong technical skills, explore materials, and understand how ideas are transformed into physical form.
You will explore a wide range of three-dimensional design disciplines, including ceramics, sculpture, exhibition design, and design for theatre, television, and film, as well as interior, product, environmental, and architectural design, alongside jewellery and body ornament.
It’s an ideal pathway for those aiming to pursue higher education or gain essential experience for employment in the creative industries. You will undertake a diagnostic investigation into creative practices, develop specialist skills, and complete an independent project.Â
Through project work, assignments, presentations, and group critiques, you will work with material experimentation, design principles, and 2D & 3D model generation. The course also focuses on communication and critical evaluation.
Qualification:
Foundation
Awarding body:
UAL (University of the Arts London)
Location:
London
UCAS tariff points:
Pass 80 / Merit 96 / Distinction 112
Duration:
1 Year
Study mode:
Blended (3 days a week on campus)
Tuition fee:
Home: £6,421
Overseas: £10,160
Next start date:
Autumn 2026
Delivered in partnership with
Why Choose to Study a Foundation Diploma in Art & Design
The Foundation Diploma in Art & Design offers an immersive learning experience in 3D design and materials. Through project work, material experimentation, and critical evaluation, you’ll develop essential skills in design principles and visual communication. This course not only prepares you for a career in jewellery design but also equips you with a strong foundation in broader art and design disciplines.
With a focus on creative practice, the course begins with a diagnostic investigation, allowing you to explore various artistic disciplines and identify your strengths. As you progress, you’ll specialise and take full control of a project within your chosen field, gaining the independence and expertise needed for success for further study and a career in the creative industry.
Choosing to study a Foundation at the British Academy of Jewellery means stepping into a hub of curiosity, craft, and cutting‑edge 3D thinking. Here, you’ll explore form on every scale, from sculptural ideas that fill space to wearable concepts. At BAJ, the body can be both a site of investigation and an immediate tool for making.
You’ll learn within a community of expert tutors and technical specialists who live and breathe 3D design and have a broad understanding of a variety of materials. Surrounded by specialist equipment, studios, and workshops, you’ll gain the confidence to experiment, prototype, and push materials in new directions. Whether your interests lean toward sculpture, fashion, digital design, or jewellery, you’ll build the core skills needed to translate ideas into compelling physical form.
This is a place to stretch your creativity, refine your craft, and join a vibrant environment dedicated to the future of 3D making.
There are no formal entry requirements for these qualifications. However, UAL, the Awarding Body, recommends that students have a minimum of:
- 5 × GCSEs at grade 4 or grade C, including Maths and English.
- One A level or equivalent Level 3 qualification, preferably in a relevant creative subject.
International students are expected to demonstrate that they have a good level of written and spoken English with a recommended minimum IELTS (or equivalent) score of 5.0.
- A digital portfolio of your work (max 20 pages)
- A personal statement (max 500 words)
Fees & funding
- Home students: £6,421
- Overseas students: £10,160
Planning to study in the UK?
What You Will Learn
The Foundation Diploma in Art and Design is a pivotal qualification which provides a transition from general to specialist art and design education.Â
The programme therefore builds on your prior experience, linking skills already acquired with ideas and challenges, which will increase your independence and enable you to demonstrate a full understanding of the relevant standards necessary to progress to higher education or to an alternative career path.
Technical skills
On the Foundation Diploma 3D Design, you will explore a range of 3D materials, techniques, and processes. Basic manufacturing skills covered by the course may include the following: cutting, carving, constructing, shaping, casting, joining, measuring, soldering, laser cutting, 3D printing, and shaping 3D design software.
Innovation
You will explore a range of 2D and 3D idea-generation techniques, including visual mind mapping, word association, designing, drawing, sketching, model-making, working from primary and secondary sources, photography, and screen-based design work. Justifying your decision-making and recording your creative process is integral to the course.
Professional practice
You will have the opportunity to practice key employability skills, including critical thinking, problem solving, and applying creative solutions using systems and technology. You will work collaboratively, developing interpersonal and presentation skills.Â
History and theory
To develop your ideas further and interpret briefs, you will conduct historical and contextual research and investigation. Through self-reflection, critical analysis, and effective communication of your thoughts, you will gain a better understanding of your work in relation to the contemporary context.
Progression
On completion of the UAL Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, you will have the skills and understanding needed to progress to:
Higher education – this Level 3 qualification is intended to carry UCAS points and be recognised by higher education providers as meeting admission requirements to a range of BA (Hons) courses.
Employment or apprenticeships – the skills developed throughout these qualifications may support students to progress into appropriate entry level roles, training programmes or higher apprenticeships, or self‑employment in the creative sector.
You are advised to check specific entry requirements with higher education providers.
Foundation
Level 4
30 credits
In this Unit, students will undertake a diagnostic investigation into visual language and creative practices. This exploratory investigation allows students to become familiar with and experiment within a wide range of (art, design, craft and media) creative disciplines as part of their journey to, or reinforcement of, specialism in Unit 2 or Unit 3.
The content for this unit is not restricted to but will typically cover the following:
- Investigations into research methods, including ethical perspectives.
- Analysis of creative practice.
- Application of creative theory in support of practice.
- Exploratory and experimental investigations into manual and/or digital techniques, processes and creative practices.
- Application of materials, techniques and processes for a variety of creative practices and audiences.
- Investigations into the relationship between ideas, visual language and purpose.
30 credits
This Unit will provide students with the opportunity to reflect on the knowledge, skills and practices they have developed in Unit 1 of the qualification, and to define their creative ambitions by encouraging a holistic approach to a range of activities, which will support, contextualise and position their creative endeavour within their chosen specialist practice.
30 credits
Typical activities that students will be engaged with may include: workshops, location‑based activities such as field trips and gallery visits, planning, critical thinking and writing, practical exploration and experimentation, presentations etc.
Meet the Team
More Information
The British Academy of Jewellery offers a range of student services and Academic support.
Student Services and Administration provide a range of support, information, and specialist services to enhance your student experience.
The Student Welfare and Support Officer can advise on academy policies and procedures, any concerns, emotional or personal difficulties and provide information on external support services.
The course is fast-paced and focused, and you will work within dedicated studio facilities. A range of teaching methods are used throughout the course, including workshops, studio-based projects, seminars, lectures, discussion groups, project critiques, technical inductions, peer and self-assessment, individual and group presentations, and writing.
At our London campuses, you will have access to professional-quality workshop spaces and a range of technologies to gain familiarity with professional equipment.
Assessment is both summative and formative. Primarily, summative assessment is intended to identify what has been learned (assessment of learning) and therefore the assessed mark counts towards the module grade awarded. Formative assessment is intended to help students to learn (assessment for learning) and provides opportunities for students to identify their strengths and weaknesses, focus on areas they need to work and improve, and identify how to achieve improvements.
Formative assessments will take place at several intervals during the course. Feedback, both formal and informal, is maximised throughout the programme and may take the form of individual tutorials, presentations, essays, shows and degree exhibits, portfolios, and module assessments. Students are given regular feedback/feed-forward through interaction in the studios in the development of projects, tutorials, group crits, and practice presentations.
News About This Course
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