You will explore a variety of areas in art and design before choosing which specialist pathway suits your personal interests. You will also develop skills working with a variety of materials and processes which will help you generate and develop ideas and outcomes.

Your studies will be supported by contextual studies during which you will investigate contemporary and historical practice in art and design. You will gain insight from different practitioners’ ideas and approaches and use your research to inform and inspire your own practice.

Learning is enriched with workshops and talks from visiting artists and designers and there are a number of trips to art galleries throughout the year, both locally and further afield.

The purpose-built,  large art studios allow for life drawing classes as well as individualised spaces to enable the development of specialist activities. Some of the facilities available are a photography dark room, a lighting studio, printing press and screen-printing equipment, sewing machines, digital SLRs, iPads, Mac computers and access to the Adobe Creative suite.

The programme is delivered four days a week (currently two full days and two half days) for 35 weeks and is free of tuition fees.

The course is in three stages; Experimentation, Specialisation and Exhibition. Initially students are encouraged to explore materials and ways of working in a highly experimental way, fostering individual curiosity and developing conceptual understanding of art. From this base students begin to develop a specialisation within a particular discipline of art practice, be it design, fine art, photography etc, which leads to an exhibition of work in Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

Students progress from the Foundation to a range of degree courses at universities around the UK. These include courses at BA level in disciplines such as Fine Art, Photography, Graphics, Illustration, Architecture and Fashion Communication. Alternative progression routes include self-employment and working in various creative industries. The one-to one tutorial system enables focused attention to be placed on individuals’ progression beyond the course.

There are designated assessment points throughout the year after each stage is completed when coursework is assessed and internally verified against the unit grading criteria. At the end of the course a moderator from another art college visits, agrees grades with tutors and meets the students.

A level three Qualification (preferably art related) and 5 GCSEs grade A*-C or equivalent , which includes either English language or Welsh (1st Language) and maths. Mature learners without qualifications may be accepted subject to successful interview and presentation of artwork

There is a £60 fee for materials.

All learners are required to pay an administration fee of £25.00 prior to enrolment.

You will need to provide your own stationery, and may also incur costs if the department arranges educational visits