Art and Design (With Foundation Year) Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

This popular course gives you the knowledge and practical skills you need to become an art and design professional while studying in a supportive, collaborative studio environment. Working with live briefs, public projects and industry partners, you learn to present work to professional standards, including project production, and develop the skills needed to network, exhibit and build relationships in the creative community.

Foundation Year\
In the Foundation year, you will study three days per week. The focus will be on academic writing skills and numeracy, plus subject-specific content to fully prepare you for entry to an Undergraduate degree. The course has been designed to develop your skills and to prepare you for entry onto the first year of your chosen course. It provides a balance between content related to your chosen subject and the range of wider skills required for undergraduate study. This is an integrated four-year degree, with the foundation year as a key part of the course. You will be required to pass the foundation year in order to progress to the first year of your BA (Hons) degree. This course is ideal for those who do not meet our standard entry requirements or those with a non-standard educational background. It will allow you to graduate with a full undergraduate degree in your chosen subject in four years.

Facilities and specialist equipment

* Spacious studios set in a creative environment, studying alongside students from other creative disciplines.

* 3D workshop complete with a laser cutter; 3D printer; digital pattern cutter; CNC machine; and a variety of drills, saws and other tools.

* Print room with extensive screen-printing equipment, large-format fine art printing (up to A0); textile printing and risograph printing.

* Industry-relevant software, including an Adobe package with Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator, provided free of charge.

Career-powered links

Students work with our media, interiors, photography and graphics courses. You also benefit from regular, on-going involvement with our partners, Luton Culture Trust and The Hat Factory Arts Centre, offering opportunities for work experience, live projects, on-campus visits and more.

Your student experience

Learn from a staff team that includes internationally exhibiting artists, designers and photographers educated at top art schools including Central Saint Martins, Glasgow School of Art, Chelsea and Goldsmiths.

Work the way you would in the creative industry, collaborating in teams across disciplines in a studio environment, developing your wider creative thinking.

Gain real work experience through projects for the University, our sector partners and local businesses; we offer a volunteer programme that allows you to gain experience in your field while studying.

Extend your learning with talks from a different industry professional every week, mapping their journey from study to employment.

Benefit from regular, industry-relevant field trips and collaborations with local museums, arts centres and galleries such as Luton’s Hat Factory, Wardown Park Museum and Stockwood Discovery Centre.

Visit artist and design studios, galleries, museums and exhibitions throughout the UK. Study trips have included Tate Modern, the Royal Academy and Gagosian.

Our graduates have worked with Adidas; Stormzy; Sam Fender; U DOX Creative agency; The Design Museum; MK Gallery; Concordia University, Montreal; Estonian Academy of Arts; The Culture Trust; Arts Council; and Whitstable Biennale.

They have gone on to study at Goldsmiths, the Royal College, the Royal Academy and overseas institutions.