Course summary
The Graduate Diploma Arts: Conservation provides an opportunity for you to build on your existing skills and knowledge and gain the skill-set and knowledge-base required to undertake our MA Conservation. It’s ideal if you are moving from another specialist area to the conservation of historic objects or books and paper, or have had a significant gap since your previous studies, and it is equivalent to the final year of our BA (Hons) Conservation (Level 6). On the course, your learning will be supported in a number of ways through lectures, tutorials, seminars, field trips, workshops, demonstrations and group critiques as well as individual supervision of projects. You will be encouraged and supported to develop your research and practice skills and to develop communication skills to articulate your ideas and document your work through writing, verbal presentations, and visual recording. When completed, this Graduate Diploma Arts course will equip you with the skills and confidence to pursue postgraduate study through our MA Conservation. The Graduate Diploma Arts: Conservation is delivered full-time across one academic year or part-time across two academic years. If you are not able to complete the course and need to leave after successfully completing the first unit, you may be awarded a Graduate Certificate. The Graduate Diploma Arts: Conservation is divided into two parts. The first part focuses on skills development and will give you the opportunity to gather the skills and experience necessary to complement your pre-existing skill-set, supporting you to access postgraduate level study on our MA Conservation course. The second part centres around developing your portfolio, enabling you to synthesise pre-existing and newly acquired skills, knowledge and understanding. UNIT ONE – SKILLS DEVELOPMENT Working with our specialist tutors to analyse your existing skills and knowledge and identify areas that require development, you will form an agreed study plan. Your study plan will include a range of projects from our BA programme combined with your specific tasks and goals. Tutorials provide opportunities to reflect on and review your progress towards your goals. Throughout your learning programme you will maintain a Personal Development Archive, which will record and reflect upon your research findings and skills development. You will present your work as a project portfolio for assessment and your work will be assessed as equivalent to Level 6 or third year BA. Your programme will be delivered by specialist tutors from our Conservation Department and you will learn alongside students studying on the BA(Hons) Conservation courses, specialising in either 3D objects made from stone, wood and the treatment of decorative surfaces, or books and paper. You’ll learn through a range of methods including workshops, seminars, lectures, 1 to 1 tutorials, group critiques, self-directed study and work on live projects. The standard assessment requirements for this unit will include a portfolio of project work, your Personal Development Archive and an illustrated self-evaluation report of 500-750 words. UNIT TWO – PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT Following feedback and discussion of the outcomes of the assessment of the Skills Development unit, you will propose the next phase of your study plan by selecting relevant taught sessions and projects from the BA courses. Whilst being supported by regular meetings with your tutor, this unit requires you to take increasing responsibility for the direction of your work. The main focus of the unit is to enable you to develop a strong portfolio that evidences the range and depth of the knowledge and skills you have acquired and/or further developed through the course. Your project work should therefore be sufficiently ambitious to ensure that you can demonstrate the necessary depth of understanding and technical proficiency required to tackle the challenges of postgraduate study in the conservation.
Entry requirements
The Graduate Diploma Arts: Conservation course is suitable for applicants who can meet the entry requirements that are detailed below, and who are highly motivated to develop and enhance the knowledge and skills needed to undertake the conservation of three dimensional cultural artefacts and go on to study at postgraduate level. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS All applicants have to meet the minimum entry requirements for admittance to the course, including the English Language Requirements (If you do not speak English as a first language) though there are three different ways of doing so: 1. Standard Educational Applicants who have achieved a BA (Hons) Degree. 2. International Educational Applicants who have achieved an international qualification equivalent to a BA (Hons) Degree. 3. Other experiential Applicants who can demonstrate equivalent prior practice and experience, such as extensive work in administration; or perhaps minimal GCSE qualifications plus a number of years working in a Conservation context. Using a process called Recognition /Accreditation of Prior Learning (R/APL), Art School Admissions Tutors consider how various work-life and (in)formal educational experiences meet the educational level of the entry requirements. Please see our Recognition/ Accreditation of Prior Learning Policy here. ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS All applicants who do not speak English as a first language are required to provide evidence of their English language skills. The Art School cannot accept any applicant who scores lower than the equivalent of Level 6.5 on the standard English language tests (SELT) which can be taken with one of the recognised providers: with a minimum of 5.5 for listening, reading, writing, and speaking. If you do not require a Student visa and wish to take The Cambridge English Exams, your score requires to be in the range of 176–184 or higher. SELECTION CRITERIA FOR CONSERVATION At interview we are seeking to determine the extent to which an applicant can: · Demonstrate commitment, motivation for the course; · evidence practical and theoretical knowledge of the subject; · gather, research and synthesise information; · critically evaluate your own achievements and recognise areas for development; · evidence an interest in and knowledge of cultural objects and their historical context; · demonstrate a range of hand skills and technical abilities; · plan and prioritise your own time and set achievable goals; · communicate ideas verbally and in writing; · self-direct and evaluate your own work. We are also looking for evidence of: · manual dexterity; · observational skills; · an informed approach to problem solving and project management; · an appetite to research objects, materials and their behaviour; · patience and attention to detail.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| EU | £9850 | Year 1 |
| England | £5050 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £5050 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £5050 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £5050 | Year 1 |
| Channel Islands | £5050 | Year 1 |
| International | £9850 | Year 1 |
Additional fee information
Successful Application Processing Fee and deposit
A non-refundable Successful Application Processing Fee (SAPF) of £225 (Home) /£325 (International) is charged on acceptance of a place.
A deposit of £500 is also charged on acceptance of a place but forms part-payment of your fees.
SAPFs and deposits are paid on acceptance of a place but should you change your mind before the course commences, deposits may be refundable. Application processing fees are non-refundable.
Material expenses
For each course you will be required to purchase a number of materials, for information on material and study visit costs please visit the course page that you are interested in. The Art School also provide a number of basic materials for each student and there is an on-site Art School shop selling art materials.
Provider information
City & Guilds of London Art School
124 Kennington Park Road
Lambeth
SE11 4DJ