Online Fine Art Course| Foundation Diploma

Our Fine Art Diploma has a strong practical focus. Students will develop skills, knowledge, understanding of cultures, design and design theory, as well as the development of challenging ideas.

Students are taught to become aware of historical and contemporary practice within the visual arts and are encouraged to respond to critical thinking and popular culture of our time. We help our students to develop their own creative process and to express themselves through original thought-provoking art work.

The Fine Art Foundation Diploma is a pre-degree level qualification designed to prepare students for careers in art and further study at university. Successful graduates earn a Foundation Diploma qualification that is equal to 2 or 3 A Levels, depending on final grade, and is nationally accredited by one of the UK’s largest vocational awarding bodies, SEG ABC Awards.

Throughout the course, students will build a specialist portfolio that expresses their personal artistic style, their ideas, and skills, enabling them to access top universities and employment as a professional qualified artist.

Entry Requirements

In order to complete our online Foundation Fine Art course, students must meet the following requirements:

Be aged 16 years or over
Hold 5 GCSEs / IGCSEs including Maths, English and Art or Photography (or equivalent international qualifications), or have a strong portfolio
Mature students do not need to have an exam qualification. You will need some ability to draw and paint, and have a desire to succeed. Please send an example of your work if unsure of the level.

Our Foundation Fine Art is an online course. You must have access to a good internet connection as well as basic art supplies in order to complete the course.

Study Options

Pursue your passion and study Fine Art in a way that suits you. We have part-time and full-time courses available:

Part-time programmes (2 years): available all year around – enrolling now
Full-time programmes (1 year): start December to January and September to October. Exceptions may apply.

Accreditations and UCAS Points

Our online Foundation Fine Art course is fully accredited by one of the nation’s leading education awards. Meaning graduates will complete the course with a recognised Fine Art qualification.

Accreditation: SEG ABC Awards
OFQUAL Regulated: Yes (Ofqual number 500/8476/8)
UCAS Tariff: up to 112 points – equivalent to two A Levels at A* grade – university entry requires 80 -100 UCAS points
UCAS application supported: Yes

Additional Course Information

Portfolio support: Yes
Tuition: Face to face, one to one – unlimited
Progression: to any University / BA Honours Degree

Level 3 or Level 4?

The qualification that students will receive is a Level 3 Diploma. Level 3 qualifications are FE (further education) and prepare for University. LEAs fund students up to this level and the qualification carries UCAS points for entry into HE (higher education).

There is a final graded unit which is actually a Level 4 unit, which helps students prepare for HE, as it gives experience at this slightly higher level. This unit shows on your transcript for the qualification (the sheet that breaks down all units, credits and grade) as a Level 4 unit. However, the qualification is awarded as a Level 3 qualification overall.

The exam board do offer a Level 4 foundation diploma, but it does not carry any UCAS points whatsoever, so it is unlikely to be useful to any of our students. (This is because Level 4 is seen as HE and not FE.) If students want to go for a Level 4 version of the course, they can, but this is to be discussed once enrolled, as it will mean no UCAS points! The degree that students go on to study will be level 4+, so there is no need to gain a Level 4 qualification at this stage.

Students receive access to their own online studio where they can work through their Fine Art course and access course materials. Units and assignments are listed along with supporting resources, video tutorials for skills development, step-by-step guides and more developmental resources.

Students will upload photographs of their completed work to their e-portfolio for assessment. Our qualified and industry experienced tutors will provide constructive feedback and advice on how to progress. Additionally, students are invited to discuss, with an experienced and qualified personal tutor, their progress and receive face to face verbal feedback, encouragement, and support. Students may also benefit from relationships with their fellow online students as they can view profiles and comment on each other's artwork if they wish.

This online Fine art foundation course comprises three distinct stages; Exploratory stage, Pathway stage and finally Confirmatory stage. Each stage is 12 to 24 weeks in duration depending on whether you study full-time or part-time. These can be extended if required.

The Exploratory stage

This is the first stage of the course and, as the title suggests, it gives you the opportunity to understand at a deeper level what art and design is, and to experience working in a number of disciplines.

Within each discipline, you will use a range of materials and processes and learn the value of drawing and photography as a starting point.

You are offered a range of projects from which you study 3.

Photography (mandatory)

Fine Art

Graphic Design and Illustration

3D (Architecture, 3D Design, Sculpture)

Fashion and Textiles

Animation

The Pathway stage

This is where you choose which pathway/discipline you wish to explore further and at a greater depth. Your tutors will review with you your work from the exploratory phase and this will inform your decision. The final decision is of course yours.

The Confirmatory stage

This is the final stage of the foundation diploma and the only stage that will decide your final grade.

You will be asked to write a statement of intent with the support of your tutor. This document will outline your chosen final major project.

Your final major project is practical and you continue with your chosen specialism developed in the Pathway Stage.