Foundation Diploma in Art & Design

  • Duration

    1yr full-time

  • Cost

    No tuition fees for students under 19 on 31st August (for starting in September)

  • Course validator

    UAL - University of the Arts London

Foundation work from the 2024 College Showcase

A vibrant and immersive fully funded one-year programme. Our Foundation Diploma will enable you to explore a wide range of disciplines and workshops to discover your creative style. 

What our students do...

student at a presentation
foundation students at the college showcase

What you will learn

You will engage with five projects across eleven weeks to enable you access to a range of workshops and ways of working.

You will explore longer projects with the freedom to develop your ideas towards the specialism of your choosing while continuing to explore a range of process workshops.

Is an opportunity to combine all your thinking and practice in initiating and developing a final major project within the area of your choice at level 4 (first-year degree level)

Meet the team

I didn’t just want to survive at University, I wanted to thrive! Committing a year to the Foundation Diploma enabled me to do just that.

Theo Taylor-George

Creative Learning

Our College Road Campus and our Folly Lane Campus will be your learning environments where you will be taught through studio-based tasks as well as within workshop environments, including our digital skills centre. Teaching and Learning is a two-way process involving whole group activities such as life drawing, mid-group sized workshops and lectures, small peer group critiques and regular one-2-one tutorial sessions with course tutors. There are also external visiting lecturers and alumni alongside a carousel of HCA degree lecturer input within projects.

Being open-minded and curious are the key ingredients to the development of any skills and creative risk-taking without fear of failure is encouraged. The whole of HCA is a supportive community where you are continually encouraged to seek out your creative voice through activities varied in their content and  timespan, building confidence to be the best version of yourself.

Hereford College of Arts has a diverse mix of students, including people with different learning styles and needs. We have a positive, inclusive atmosphere where all of our students are able to access support for their studies. Find out more here.

The Foundation studios at College Road will enable you to have your own workspace across the length of the course, you will also have access to degree level facilities and technical demonstrators within the workshops of Ceramics, Print, 3D, Textiles, and Photography. Alongside this there is superb access to the new Digital Skills Suite where you will have access to our digital demonstrators teaching across the Adobe software suite. Our impressive specialist library runs an open access policy ensuring access to a wealth of historic and contemporary knowledge.

Why study a Foundation course at Hereford College of Arts? 

Application process

You can apply to study on our Foundation course at any point during the year. You apply directly to HCA using our online portal.

We receive a high number of applications every year areas so we recommend that you make your application as early as possible. Find out more here

  • One A-Level/A2 or Extended Diploma, preferably in a creative subject.
  • Five GCSEs including English and Maths at grade 4/C or above.
  • For our portfolio course we have a minimum age of 21 years, with no upper age limit.

Our Foundation and Portfolio courses attract students from a wide range of backgrounds, and with a range of qualifications. If you have any questions about your qualifications and whether they fit, please contact our Registry team on 01432 273359 or email registry@hca.ac.uk.

 


 

News

Term Dates (FE)

Term Enrolment
Dates (2024 - 2025) Wednesday 28th August - Wednesday 4th September
Term Autumn Term
Dates (2024 - 2025) Thursday 5th September - Friday 20th December
Term Half Term
Dates (2024 - 2025) Monday 28th October - Friday 1st November
Term Spring Term
Dates (2024 - 2025) Tuesday 7th January - Friday 11th April
Term Half Term
Dates (2024 - 2025) Monday 17th February - Friday 21st February
Term Summer Term
Dates (2024 - 2025) Monday 28th April - Friday 4th July
Term Half Term
Dates (2024 - 2025) Monday 26th May - Friday 30th May

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More information

How to apply

Everything you need to know about applying to HCA - and starting the next stage of your journey as an artist

Apply now

Book an open day

Chat to students. Tour the campus. Drop in on some free workshops. Our Open Days are a great way to get a feel for what makes HCA special.

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