Course summary

Develop your skills by entering the creative industries on an Integrated Foundation Year degree. If you’re interested in taking on a new subject that you’ve not had the opportunity to study in depth before, or have been out of education for a while, then our Integrated Foundation Year courses might be for you. These four-year courses include an introductory year to help you build the core skills needed for specialist degree-level study. This is a chance for you to let your imagination run wild and explore your creativity, expand your professional skills and develop enhanced subject knowledge in the domain you want to study. We’ll help nurture your expertise in problem solving, risk-taking, designing and making as you develop your abilities through five core modules. After your foundation year, you’ll have a deeper knowledge of your subject, a clear understanding of your strengths, a developed practical and technical skill set and the confidence to excel in your chosen degree subject when you join other students for the rest of your course. Create sustainable textiles using innovative and traditional techniques. Join a new era in textile design, where the thread of sustainability runs through the creation of contemporary fabrics for fashion, interiors and art. You’ll master traditional and digital processes as you innovate with weave, print and mixed media techniques, from 3D construction and natural dyeing to exquisite hand-embellishment with beading and embroidery. Based in lively, industry-linked studios and supported by professional designers and makers, you’ll develop confidence, technical expertise and critical judgment evidenced through your original and environmentally conscious designs. You will: Develop technical, design thinking and production skills in your chosen specialism. Learn teamwork, leadership and project management skills through a variety of learning environments. Develop critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills through the development of unique and innovative projects. Complete your chosen degree over a four-year period. Learn essential skills for woven, printed and mixed-media textiles, with sustainability embedded throughout Work in fantastic facilities, using industry-standard kit such as industrial sewing machines, screen printing workshops, digital embroidery machines and weaving looms Have opportunities to collaborate with degree students in areas such as fashion design, fashion marketing and interior design, across a range of projects Take on live briefs set by companies such as The Natural Fibre Company, to boost your professional portfolio Embrace artisanal, traditional craft methods – such as hand-dyeing using plants from our Dye Garden – alongside the latest mechanical and digital production techniques mirroring industry practice Study at one of only six universities supported by the Worshipful Company of Weavers, which offers individual scholarships and educational grants Have the chance to travel to events such as Première Vision, the international textile and trend forecasting show in Paris