BTEC Extended Diploma in Art & Design

Overview
This is a course which gives students a wide experience of art and design and which prepares them for application to degree and other higher level courses in all aspects of the subject .

Course Outline
Students take 18 units in total. This is equivalent to 3 A Levels.
Core units include:
Unit 1: Visual Recording
Unit 2: Materials, Techniques and Processes
Unit 3: Ideas and Concepts
Unit 4: Communication through Art & Design
Unit 5: Contextual Influences
Unit 6: Application, Exploration and Realisation
Unit 10: Personal and Professional Development
Unit 12: Computers in Art & Design 

Then another nine units from areas such as:
• Video
• Photography
• Painting
• Multi-disciplinary

The course programme uses projects to complete the required number of units according to the specialist areas that each student chooses to follow.

Assessment
Coursework (100%)
Final Major Project Included
Examining Board – BTEC.

Special Entry Requirements
Most students will have a GCSE pass (A-C) in Art, Graphics, Textiles or Design and Technology. It is essential that you are prepared to work hard and have a passion for this subject. A personal approach is encouraged throughout the course and it is expected that students will work in their own time to independently develop their projects.

Prohibited Options
The qualification is equivalent to three A Levels; although a few students take an extra AS alongside the BTEC course. Currently there is a Life Drawing course run alongside BTEC Art & Design .

Career and Progression Opportunities
The majority of our students progress into all aspects of Art and Design at a Higher level. Completing a BTEC National Diploma course allows students to apply directly to art and design degree courses, without taking a one-year full-time Art Foundation course. Students proceed to University to study courses ranging from Fine Art to Digital Animation and from Textiles and Fashion to 3-Dimensional Design.

Cost Implications
The College supplies most art materials that you will need. Students can buy sketchbooks, folders and brushes from the Department at reduced prices. There are also a number of trips out of College.

Other Information
If you are seriously considering a career in art or design, the BTEC National Diploma will prepare you for a degree course more thoroughly than taking a combination of A Levels. It will allow you to try different areas of the subject in order to select which specialism to apply for. It will also give you the time and opportunity to develop your art and design skills to a level where you can successfully achieve a place on a degree course. Students take a wide range of units (see above), but in the second year they specialise in one area of art or design in order to produce a portfolio of work for application to their chosen degree course.

This information is correct for September 2012 entry.