Level 2 Art and Design

Course Overview

Are you creative? Do you enjoy drawing, designing, or making things? Would you like to develop and expand your skills across a variety of specialist areas?

If so, this course is perfect for you! Through practical, hands-on learning, you will enhance your skills using a range of traditional and digital materials, techniques, and processes while exploring the work of artists, craftspeople, and designers. Through challenging projects, you will refine your creativity and bring your ideas to life, preparing you for further study in art and design.

Entry Requirements

New Students

4 GCSEs at Grade 3 or above. It is beneficial to have studied Art and Design or a related subject, such as Textiles, Graphic Design, or Photography, at GCSE level.*

As part of the ‘Meet the Tutor’ session, you will be required to bring a portfolio, which might include GCSE sketchbooks, a digital presentation, or artwork created in your own time.

*The College reserves the right to request a school reference if necessary.

Progressing Students

UAL Level One Diploma in Art, Design and Media, with a minimum of a Merit grade. You must also provide a satisfactory tutor reference for attitude, behaviour, and punctuality, and maintain a minimum attendance of 85%.

What the course covers

The UAL Level Two Diploma in Art and Design is a one-year qualification with no exams, consisting of eight units. Throughout the year, you will complete a series of projects across various specialist areas, including fashion and textiles, sculpture and 3D design, graphic design, and animation – all underpinned by drawing.

This course allows you to explore new techniques and ideas while developing your technical skills in specialist areas of art and design that you may not have studied at school. You will gain experience in traditional techniques, such as printmaking and fabric manipulation, as well as digital skills using the Adobe Creative Suite.

Teaching is delivered by subject specialists through workshops, one-to-one tutorials, lectures, and group work. You will be taught in dedicated art studios, including the print room, sculpture studio, digital suite, and spacious, well-lit studios.

Throughout the course, you will be introduced to key principles of art and design, including researching artists and designers, idea generation and development, creative thinking, and self-reflection. These principles will help you develop both creative and practical skills, along with confidence in communication and problem-solving. You will compile both traditional and digital sketchbooks to document the development of your ideas, practical work, and supporting written content.

At the end of the course, you will complete a final major project within your specialist area, culminating in a public exhibition.

Programme of Study:

Your main course is part of an individually tailored study programme, which includes taught sessions, studio time, and tutorials. As part of your course, you will also gain work experience through a live project brief, a Fashion Show, and the End-of-Year Exhibition. If you have not yet achieved a Grade 4 or above in English and/or Maths at Level 2, these subjects will also be incorporated into your study programme.

Fees and funding

Please note:

• Students aged 16 to 18, or those aged 16 to 24 who have a valid EHCP, and are studying Further Education courses are not normally charged course fees
• Adults may need to pay a fee depending on their personal circumstances. This will be assessed against the relevant Funding Body eligibility criteria at point of enrolment
• A studio fee is payable upon successful enrolment, which covers the majority of materials. However, additional costs may apply for specialist materials, trips, and visits throughout the course. Further details will be provided by the course tutors during enrolment.
  
  

If you don’t qualify for fee remission, the fees for 2026/27 will be:

£1,380 (plus registration fee to be advised at enrolment)

Fees are for 2026/27 entry and apply to students eligible for home fee status enrolling to funded programmes. The fees quoted are subject to personal circumstances and will be confirmed at the time of your enrolment, depending on eligibility criteria. For more information about financial support for students, please click here or email studentfinance@nescot.ac.uk