Course summary

Our degree courses with Foundation year offer the opportunity to prepare you for advanced study before you progress on to a full honours degree at the University of Westminster. Whether you do not feel ready for degree-level study, don’t have the right qualifications, want to change your subject specialism or return to study after an absence from education, we aim to encourage a broad range of students to undertake our Foundation year in order to progress on to their full honours degree with us. Our Foundation year in Art and Design is designed to provide you with an introduction to our range of subject areas, and to prepare you for the discipline of your choice. It will give you the opportunity to explore new ideas, opening up new perspectives on the key debates within the field. It begins in the first semester with the development of fundamental art and design skills, as well as practical exploration across all of the disciplines in our Art and Design Foundation programme. In the second semester you are encouraged to specialise in your own discipline and are supported at this stage by tutors from your host course. You will also benefit from workshops in our high-end facilities, and from working with leading academics who will encourage you to become a confident and creative thinker. Your practical development is accompanied by modules in both semesters on foundational academic skills – skills that will be essential as you progress to your chosen full degree. On successful completion of the Foundation year, you'll be able to move on to study for the Photography BA Honours degree over a further three years of study. Our Photography BA is a long-established course with an excellent international reputation for academic and practical teaching. The course builds upon the success and legacy of photography as a discipline at Westminster, whilst implementing an updated and innovative curriculum, which explores and productively engages with emerging digital technologies and commercial practices. You’ll explore photography and digital imaging technologies across a wide range of specialisms, critical thinking and partnerships with industry and employers. Upon graduation, as a contemporary image maker, you’ll be equipped with a very attractive profile to compete in a fast-growing creative industry. The course promotes experimentation and invites you to shape your own learning. This will allow you to develop a strong individual creative voice and vision, underpinned by critical and contextual understanding, alongside professional level photographic skills, to produce work that is distinctive and innovative. We provide career enhancement opportunities that will allow you to flourish well beyond graduation, whether that is in the art world, in photographic creative industries, in fashion, digital and virtual environments, or in a commercial setting. You’ll gain practical experience through regular contact with industry professionals, guest talks by industry experts, participation in mentorship programs, and field trips to photography-related spaces. You’ll also have the opportunity to take an optional year-long paid internship or placement between years 2 and 3 of this course. This experience will enable you to develop your professional skills and gain industry exposure well before you graduate.