Foundation Diploma in Art, Design & Media Practice
Subject and course type
- Animation, film and photography
- Architecture and interior design
- Fashion, fashion promotion and product design
- Fine art
- Graphic design and illustration
- Interaction and experience design
- Foundation
- Undergraduate
Kingston University’s accredited Foundation Diploma in Art, Design & Media Practice will give you the skills and knowledge you need to progress your studies to degree level.
You are reading:
Turn your creativity in a career
Prepare for a vibrant career in art and design.
This Foundation Diploma in Art, Design & Media Practice is accredited by Pearson and prepares you for the study of art and design at degree level. You'll gain an understanding of Visual Communication, 3D Design, Fashion & Fabrication and Fine Art. You'll explore a wide range of applied creative practices, developing your creative voice and helping you to identify the area of further study that best suits you.
You'll be taught by a broad range of tutors who all are creative practitioners who will engage you in a critical investigation of your work, progression aims and ambitions. You'll take part in regular research and drawing trips; studio, gallery and museum visits to London also form part of the course.
Central to the course is a vibrant studio culture which fosters individual creative identities as well as championing the value of collaborative practice.
Please view our digital portfolio guidance (PDF) to assist with your application.
Please note: application deadlines are strict. No late applications are permitted. Decisions will not be made on applications until after the relevant application deadline. Due to the expected volume of applications to be received, this may mean a final decision may not be made on your application until early April.
Applications for September 2026 entry are now closed
We are no longer accepting applications for September 2026 entry, as the deadline has now passed.
Applications for the course starting in September 2027 will open in November 2026.
It was such a massive year of learning for me, I would not be in the place I am now as a designer or as a person without it. The peers and tutors I met have completely formed my creative practice and I am now the biggest advocate ever of doing a Foundation at Kingston.
Student work
-
3D Design specialism
-
3D Design specialism
-
3D Design specialism
-
Fashion & Fabrication specialism show
-
Fashion & Fabrication specialism
-
Fashion & Fabrication specialism
-
Fashion & Fabrication specialism
Why choose this course
While you study, you’ll benefit from top quality teaching at Kingston University. Not only are we ranked Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework, we’re also Top 10 in the UK for Art & Design (The Complete University Guide 2026). Our Foundation Diploma also received an Outstanding across all four areas of our Ofsted inspection.
As part of Kingston School of Art, you’ll benefit from joining a creative community where we encourage collaborative working and critical practice. Our workshops and studios are open to all disciplines, enabling students and staff to work together, share ideas and explore multi-disciplinary making.
You’ll also use our dedicated Foundation studio spaces and facilities to explore ways to push project boundaries and open discourse across disciplines. Your tutors will encourage you to experiment with different materials, processes and ideas.
The Art School Experience
As part of Kingston School of Art, students benefit from joining a creative community where we encourage collaborative working and critical practice.
Our workshops and labs are open to all disciplines, enabling students and staff to work together, share ideas and explore multi-disciplinary making.
Course content
The Foundation Diploma in Art & Design course focuses on four main areas:
- Visual Communication - graphic design, illustration, animation, filmmaking, photography, art direction and fashion communication.
- 3D Design - product design, furniture design, architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, prop and set design.
- Fashion & Fabrication - menswear, womenswear, costume, textile design, pattern cutting and fashion marketing.
- Fine Art - painting, printmaking, installation, audiovisual, sculpture, performance and photography.
Please note
Places are limited and the number of applicants is extremely high. We expect applicants to have attended one of our Open Days. You'll hear more about the course, meet staff, visit the ground-breaking workshops and studio spaces at our Knights Park campus, where many art and design courses are based, and receive guidelines about how to apply and what to include in your portfolio.
Course content
The course runs from September to June and is divided into three parts.
Part 1 - Core skills + rotation
The course begins by introducing fundamental principles, techniques & skills important to all specialism pathways. This is followed by a 4-week rotation which gives you the opportunity to experience each of the four specialism areas helping you to make an informed choice about the area you will choose.
Part 2 - Specialism
During specialism you'll explore your subject choice in detail and broaden your technical and conceptual skills. You'll also prepare your portfolio for degree-level application, with support from your specialism tutors.
Part 3 - Final Major Project
In the final term you will complete an extended self-directed project using the knowledge, skills and confidence you have acquired. The project culminates with a public exhibition and end of course celebration.
This Pearson BTEC Foundation Diploma in Art, Design & Media Practice is split into the Exploratory Phase (Rotation and Specialism) and Confirmatory Phase (Final Major Project), which share the same assessment criteria. All students will be provided with the Foundation Student Dictionary, which contains clear details of the course structure and its assessment criteria.
Core stages
Exploratory stage
0 credits
Broadening your creative skillset through a mixture of independent and collaborative workshops, briefs, lectures and presentations.
0 credits
Supporting you to identify your aims, ambitions and strengths in order to make informed decisions about your creative practice and future.
0 credits
Gaining industry specific knowledge and confidence in the creative field you wish to study.
0 credits
Building an exciting portfolio for University applications that showcases your best work and personality. Tutors share their expertise to help you make progression choices that are right for you.
0 credits
You will have two formative assessments during the Exploratory stage to discuss your work with your tutors, identify strengths and areas of development.
Confirmatory stage
0 credits
In the final term you will complete an extended self-directed project using the knowledge, skills and confidence you have acquired.
0 credits
Your Final Major Project culminates with a public exhibition and end of course celebration.
0 credits
Summative assessment takes place at the end of the Confirmatory stage.
With every project you find yourself researching things you’d never thought about before, and then you have an end result that you never could have imagined just two weeks before. It really built up my confidence in my own practice.
What career opportunities does this course offer?
You’ll complete this course with the skills, confidence and direction needed to progress to further study. Recent graduates have gone on to courses such as architecture, fine art, graphic design, illustration animation, fashion, costume, filmmaking, photography, product and furniture design and interior design. Many choose to stay at Kingston University.
I loved the shared space and collective work ethic, we all worked together, shared ideas and inspirations! Constantly interrogating our ideas with our classmates, always having someone around to give a new perspective on my work and introduce new concepts to me that I would have never considered before.
Future Skills
Our Future Skills programme is embedded within all our undergraduate courses and throughout the whole Kingston experience. These skills will help you to become a future-proof graduate by equipping you with the skills most valued by employers, such as problem-solving, digital competency and adaptability.
As you progress through your degree, you'll learn to navigate, explore and apply these graduate skills. You’ll also understand how to demonstrate and articulate to employers how these future skills give you the edge.
Teaching and assessment
Scheduled learning and teaching on this course includes timetabled activities including lectures, seminars and small group tutorials.
It may also include critiques, project work, studio practice and performance, digital labs, workshops, and placements.
Outside the scheduled learning and teaching hours, you will learn independently through self-study which will involve reading articles and books, working on projects, undertaking research, preparing for and completing your work for assessments. Some independent study work may need to be completed on-campus, as you may need to access campus-based facilities such as studios and labs.
Our academic support team here at Kingston University provides help in a range of areas.
Your personal tutor will be a member of the Foundation team who will provide academic guidance and support throughout your time at Kingston and show you how to make the best use of all the help and resources that we offer at Kingston University.
Foundation is made up of two distinct stages. The Exploratory Stage is where you will be introduced to a wide range of creative skills both practical and conceptual that will help you to identify the creative area you want to pursue. This stage also includes University applications and portfolio building. By the end of the Exploratory Stage you will be confident in your creative voice and technical ability. Two Formative Assessments during this stage will help you to identify strengths and areas of development guided by Foundation tutors.
The Confirmatory Stage is where you'll write and complete your most ambitious and extensive assignment in the form of the Final Major Project. The Confirmatory Stage ends with a Summative Assessment after which you will receive you final foundation grade.
The exact balance between scheduled learning and teaching and guided independent study will be informed by the modules you take.
Your course will primarily be delivered in person. It may include delivery of some activities online, either in real time or recorded.
Types of assessment:
- Formative assessment: provides detailed feedback to guide your ongoing development, through discussion and written feedback.
- Summative assessment: the assessment that will contribute to your overall qualification grade.
We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 20 working days.
Your detailed and individualised timetable is provided at the beginning of each term.
On Foundation I loved the energy and care that the tutors ran the course with. I will miss being around such a focused and fun group of people, all working on the same projects at the same time. Be ready and open for your work to be pushed in lots of different, exciting, unexpected directions!
Fees and funding
Home students
Students aged under 19 on 31 August of the year of entry will not be charged a tuition fee. (Please note: this fee waiver does not apply to students from the Channel Islands, who will have to pay the fee below).
Students aged 19 or over on 31 August of the year of entry will have to pay a tuition fee for the year. The fee for 2027/28 is to be confirmed. You must make sure you are able to support yourself through the academic year and be able to pay the tuition fees.
Home applicants should note that this course is a further education course so student loans (for tuition and living costs) are not available for this course.
International students
You will normally be charged the appropriate international fee which for 2027/28 is to be confirmed for the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design.
Home students
Students aged under 19 on 31 August of the year of entry will not be charged a tuition fee. (Please note: this fee waiver does not apply to students from the Channel Islands, who will have to pay the fee below).
Students aged 19 or over on 31 August of the year of entry will have to pay a tuition fee for the year. The fee for 2026/27 is £7,400. You must make sure you are able to support yourself through the academic year and be able to pay tuition fees of £7,400 per annum.
Home applicants should note that this course is a further education course so student loans (for tuition and living costs) are not available for this course.
International students
You will normally be charged the appropriate international fee which for 2026/27 is £18,200 for the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design.
Home students
Students aged under 19 on 31 August of the year of entry will not be charged a tuition fee. (Please note: this fee waiver does not apply to students from the Channel Islands, who will have to pay the fee below).
Students aged 19 or over on 31 August of the year of entry will have to pay a tuition fee for the year. The fee for 2025/26 is £7,200. You must make sure you are able to support yourself through the academic year and be able to pay tuition fees of £7,200 per annum.
Home applicants should note that this course is a further education course so student loans (for tuition and living costs) are not available for this course.
International students
You will normally be charged the appropriate international fee which for 2025/26 is £16,500 for the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design.
Additional course costs
Some courses may require additional costs beyond tuition fees. When planning your studies, you’ll want to consider tuition fees, living costs, and any extra costs that might relate to your area of study.
Your tuition fees include costs for teaching, assessment and university facilities. So your access to libraries, shared IT resources and various student support services are all covered. Accommodation and general living expenses are not covered by these fees.
Where applicable, additional expenses for your course may include:
Our libraries have an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as open-access computers and laptops available to rent. However, you may want to buy your own computer or personal copies of key textbooks. Textbooks may range from £50 to £250 per year. And a personal computer can range from £100 to £3,000 depending on your course requirements.
While most coursework is submitted online, some modules may require printed copies. You may want to allocate up to £100 per year for hard-copies of your coursework. It’s worth noting that 3D printing is never compulsory. So if you choose to use our 3D printers, you’ll need to pay for the material. This ranges from 3p per gram to 40p per gram.
On Foundation you will have the chance to visit museums, galleries, artists studios and site-specific locations. We take every opportunity to ensure these are as inexpensive and accessible as possible.
When you accept your offer, you’ll need to pay a £280 materials fee. This is a contribution towards paper, specialist & project specific materials.
Your tuition fees don’t cover travel costs. To save on travel costs, you can use our intersite bus service. This route links the campuses and halls of residence with local train stations - Surbiton, Kingston upon Thames, and Norbiton.
Student work
-
Fine Art specialism
-
Fine Art specialism
-
Fine Art specialism
-
Visual Communication and 3D Design specialisms show
-
Visual Communication specialism
-
Visual Communication specialism
-
Visual Communication specialism
Course changes and regulations
The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course. Find out more about course changes
Programme Specifications for the course are published ahead of each academic year.
Regulations governing this course can be found on our website.
