Art, Media & Design
Foundation Course
Course overview
The Foundation Diploma in Art & Design Foundation Studies prepares you for the progression from diploma to degree.
At CAA you’ll spend the year exploring a range of creative subjects, giving you the time and creative inspiration to decide which area of art and design you’d like to specialise in when you come to choose your undergraduate degree.
As a foundation student at CAA, you’ll be working on campus with your own dedicated studio space.
You’ll have access to the facilities at CAA and will be supported by teams of subject specialist lecturers / most lecturers are active within their own fields as professional designers, artists and researchers.
Working in and amongst our undergraduate and postgraduate students as part of our uniquely creative community, you’ll be able to observe first-hand the range of degree options available to you.
What you'll study
The first part of your year will be spent investigating different areas of art and design, identifying your strengths and personal interests to help you grow as an artist or designer.
As the year progresses, you’ll have more freedom to specialise and direct your route through the course, resulting in an exhibition of your artwork at the end of the year and the creation of a unique and varied portfolio, ready for your undergraduate degree.
On completion of this course, you will be awarded a Level 3/4 Foundation Diploma in Art & Design.
The content of the course may be subject to change. Curriculum content is provided as a guide.
Short project assignments and workshops will introduce you to the specialist Art, Media and design pathways we offer and help to develop a wide range of transferable art and design skills, techniques and processes. At the end of this stage all your work will be assessed by your tutor to decide which specialist pathway best suits you.
The pathways of study may include (depending on year/cohort):
- Fine Art (incl. Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture)
- Animation
- Graphic Design (incl. Moving Image & Motion Graphics)
- Illustration
- Fashion (incl. Textiles, Imaging, Styling)
- Photography
- Film
- Architecture (incl. Interior Design, Interior Architecture)
- Industrial & Product Design
- Theatre Design
- Sound
Having selected a specialist Art and Design pathway you will begin to develop your skills and understanding of your chosen Specialist pathway in greater depth. You will build an Art, Media and Design portfolio that will enable you to both fulfill the pathway units and apply for more advanced courses. An increasing level of independence and maturity of approach is expected at this stage of the course.
The pathways of study may include (depending on year/cohort):
- Fine Art (incl. Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture)
- Animation
- Graphic Design (incl. Moving Image & Motion Graphics)
- Illustration
- Fashion (incl. Textiles, Imaging, Styling)
- Photography
- Film
- Architecture (incl. Interior Design, Interior Architecture)
- Industrial & Product Design
- Theatre Design
- Sound
Stage three allows the opportunity to consolidate the experiences of the previous two terms. Students will undertake a self initiated final major project (FMP) which culminates in an exhibition at the end of the course. At this stage the work is externally assessed.
Historical and Contextual studies run alongside studio practice during the exploratory stage and educational visits, and lectures are organised to support both the contextual studies programme and the drawing programme.
Student experience
Discover what our Foundation Course students have to say about their experience studying at CAA.
Facilities
Our specialist facilities include Stop Motion Studios with Dragonframe capture software and motion control rigs, Canon DSLRs and professional camera stands, and stages pre-rigged with grips, stands and lights that are controllable via Dragonframe.
The main design studio features individual workstations, traditional light boxes, Wacom Cintiq’s & Wacom tablets, line testers & batch scanners and PC / iMac computers throughout.
Our dedicated computer Lab has both PC and Mac Workstations with dual monitors and either a Wacom Cintiq or a Wacom Tablet on each device. All computers have the full Adobe Creative Suite as well as Toon Boom Harmony, Autodesk Maya & Davinci Resolve, while there’s also sound and editing equipment and a dedicated render farm on campus.
Entry requirements
As Cyprus’s only specialist Art, Media & Design Higher Education provider, we want to attract the best and most creative minds, so we take a balanced approach to candidate assessment, taking both individual portfolios and exam results into account.
That’s why your portfolio is an especially important part of your application to study with us; and we can help.
Our academics can offer you expert advice on how to showcase your creative work and build a portfolio that will make your application stand out.
Along with your portfolio, the standard entry requirements for this course are:
- 112 UCAS tariff points from accepted qualifications
or - Pass at Foundation Diploma in Art & Design (Level 3 or 4)
or - Distinction, Merit, Merit at BTEC Extended Diploma
or - Merit at UAL Extended Diploma
or - 112 UCAS tariff points from an accredited Access to Higher Education Diploma in appropriate subject.
- Secondary School leaving Certificate e.g. Apolytirion.
And four GCSE (or equivalent) passes at grade A*-C and/or grade 4-9 including English (or Functional Skills English/Key Skills Communication Level 2).
Other relevant and equivalent level 3 UK and international qualifications are considered on an individual basis, and we encourage students from diverse educational backgrounds apply.
If your first language is not English, you will need an IELTS score of 6.0 or equivalent.Â
Apply Now
For further info. on Student Visa’s, how to Apply or any other queries you may have regarding CAA please call our Admissions Team on +357 7000 52 50 or fill in the contact form below and a member of staff will contact you as soon as possible.