Digital Art and Illustration Extended Diploma Level 3

Please ensure your application includes correct contact information e.g. mobile number and personal email address.

You can apply for up to two courses (except A Level subjects where you must select a minimum of three).

You will only be invited to book an interview for your 1st choice course initially.

During this two-year course, students study the UAL Level 3 Applied General Extended Diploma in Art and Design. The course is designed to provide post-16 students with the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to progress into further, higher education and training or employment. The Extended Diploma are graded at Pass, High Pass, Merit, High Merit or Distinction, with the Distinction grade being worth 168 UCAS points (equivalent to 3 full A Levels at A* grade).

This is a broad and diverse, hand-on practical course. The course mixes digital, online training, with 'off-line' and analogue art-studio materials and processes. The course helps you explore all kinds of drawing and image-making, including magazine and book illustrations, comics, graphic novels, and mixed media. You will get to sketch, draw, and create eye-catching images while learning how to interpret briefs, experiment with styles, and express ideas in your own unique way. You'll develop problem-solving skills, learn to tell stories through visuals, and improve your ability to research and create illustrations for different purposes.

You will be encouraged to think outside the box and push the boundaries of Digital Arts, Graphics and Illustration, both online and offline. With support from expert tutors, you'll gain the confidence to work independently and prepare for a creative career in visual storytelling.

Assessment is the process of measuring students’ skills, knowledge and understanding against the standards set in a qualification.

The assessment for the first year consists of one type of assessment:

"external assessment – tasks are set, assessed and graded by UAL Awarding Body and taken under controlled conditions. This first year assessment is worth 50% of overall grade for the two year course."

The assessment for the UAL Level 3 Applied General Extended Diploma in Art & Design consists of:

"internal assessment – students produce a portfolio of evidence which is assessed and graded by centre staff and externally moderated by UAL Awarding Body at the end of your second year of study."

Achieve 4 GCSE's at grade 4 or above, including English Language and Art & Design (or an art related subject). Students will be required to attend and interview and portfolio review as part of the selection process for the course.

Course Progression

These qualifications carry UCAS points and are recognised by higher education providers as meeting the admission requirements for many relevant courses, such as:

BA (Hons) Product Design

BA (Hons) Fine Art

BA (Hons) Fashion Design

BA (Hons) Graphic Design

BA (Hons) Photography

BA (Hons) Games Design.

Students should always check the entry requirements for degree programmes with specific higher education providers.

We also run our Media Learning Company and Access to HE Creative Arts for students wanting an extra year at college to prepare for the demands of university level study or support their career into the creative industries.

The skills developed throughout these qualifications may support students to progress into appropriate entry level roles, training programmes or Level 3 or higher apprenticeships in the creative sector.

Where Your Course Can Take You

City College Norwich is a member of the University of the Arts London Progression Partnership to promote the recruitment of talented, creative students from high quality further education institutions to UAL higher education degree level courses. The course team also work with local and national higher education providers such as NUA and UAL colleges to ensure that our students are ready and prepared for their next step. We also work collaboratively with local, national and international artists and creative agencies to provide fantastic experience of work for our students and also to ensure that our courses prepare students well for their future careers in the industry. City College Norwich also has an outstanding Apprenticeship team who can provide advice and guidance for students wishing to follow an Apprenticeship route into the industry.

For those students who choose not to pursue careers within the creative industries the course provides fantastic opportunities to develop collaborative working skills, problem-solving, creative and the higher order evaluative skills demanded by universities and employers.

For those students who choose not to pursue careers within the creative industries, the course provides fantastic opportunities to develop collaborative working skills, problem-solving, creative and the higher order evaluative skills demanded by universities and employers.