Integrated Foundation Year
Our four-year Integrated Foundation Degrees allow students who may be returning to education after a break or perhaps without formal qualifications to gain the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to succeed on an undergraduate course.
The Integrated Foundation will provide you with a preparatory year that will support your creative development, through a broad range of art, design and media skills, as the basis for continued study in your chosen specialist degree. Learning through experimentation, exploration and discovery, successfully completing this year allows automatic progression to your chosen degree at Arts University Plymouth.
<p>*This course was previously titled Extended BA. This course has been renamed in line with the university's ongoing commitment to offer courses that accurately reflect the needs of students</p>
<ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Route: Integrated Foundation (Year 1 of a 4-year degree)</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">Availability: All 3-year undergraduate degrees are offered as a 4-year Integrated Foundation (see course page for UCAS code)</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">UCAS code: See individual course page</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr">UCAS points: 104–120</p></li></ul>
<p dir="ltr">The Integrated Foundation experience offers an exploratory year, where you’ll develop a broad understanding of art, design, and media skills and approaches. The environment is dynamic and supportive, helping you discover your own particular passions and strengths within the creative arts, while building academic confidence, purpose and direction<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr">During this year, you will produce a body of work that will start to reveal your personal identity and approach to your chosen programme of study.<br /></p>
I started the course wanting to be an artist. I left the course as an artist. This has been the most amazing formative year of my creative journey so far, I wish I had done it sooner.
Joanne Nudd, BA (Hons) Textile Design with Integrated Foundation (previously Extended BA) graduate
<p>Our Integrated Foundation year is intensive and challenging, taught through lectures, workshops and practical studio sessions, seminars and tutorials.<br /><br />You will have the freedom to take creative risks, generate ideas, experiment and develop a breadth of approaches to problem-solving. You will experiment with materials, processes, methodologies and practices.</p>
The time I spent on the [Integrated Foundation Year] is time that I wish I could repeat again and again. To say that the year was transformative is a considerable understatement. I came onto the course feeling slightly imposter-like and I left the course an artist, excited for my future.
Michele Azzopardi, BA (Hons) Craft & Material Practices with Integrated Foundation (previously Extended BA) graduate
<p dir="ltr">You’ll develop a range of critical skills relevant to degree-level study, while broadening your use of drawing, visual research, contextual studies, digital imaging and art and design methods.</p>
<p dir="ltr">This year primes you to become a confident, independent and creative artist, designer or maker, setting you on the path to excel in higher-level degree studies.<br /></p>
<p>The course attracts a diverse age range, from school leavers to creative and experienced mature individuals. Some are returning to education after a break, while others are looking for a career change.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Immerse yourself in experimental and intense learning experiences that open up new avenues of exploration and discovery. This is done through research, making practical work, lively discussion and self-reflection.</p>
<p dir="ltr">You will embark on a challenging, creative, academic and practical journey giving you the freedom to take risks, generate ideas and experiment with a variety of analogue and digital methods and materials.</p>
<p dir="ltr">A transformative and exploratory year that increases knowledge, curiosity and confidence and is fantastic preparation for the following three years of degree-level study.<br /></p>
“This course is an excellent chance to experiment with everything the university has to offer. The support from staff and use of the facilities helped me to determine the direction in which I wanted to take my career, as well as giving me a broad knowledge of art across a wide range of practices.”
Taylor Harford, BA (Hons) Commercial Photography with Integrated Foundation (previously Extended BA) graduate
Student work by Max Wilson
<p>It’s a four-year undergraduate degree course that includes a preparatory year supporting your creative development through a broad range of art, design and media skills, as the basis for continued study in your chosen specialist subject.</p>
<p>It is for students who may be returning to education after a break or perhaps without formal qualifications to gain the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to succeed on an undergraduate course.<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr">Yes. All 3-year undergraduate degrees are offered as a 4-year Integrated Foundation, and you should see the individual course page for the UCAS code.<br /></p>
<p>You’ll develop a broad understanding of art, design and media skills and approaches, and produce a body of work that starts to reveal your personal identity and approach to your chosen programme of study.</p>
<p>The Integrated Foundation Year is intensive and challenging, taught through lectures, workshops and practical studio sessions, seminars and tutorials.</p>
<p>You’ll develop critical skills relevant to degree-level study while broadening your use of drawing, visual research, contextual studies, digital imaging and art and design methods.</p>
<p>Yes. Successfully completing the Integrated Foundation year allows automatic progression to your chosen degree at Arts University Plymouth.</p>
Students exhibit their work in their annual end of year show.
Every single person you rub shoulders with is a creative, whether it's students, staff, housekeeping, front of house, everyone is here for one reason and one reason only, to make Arts University Plymouth a family community where you can truly be yourself, find your artistic voice, and become the artist that you had only dreamed about before. Arts University Plymouth genuinely makes dreams come true, it has for me!
Michele Azzopardi, BA (Hons) Craft & Material Practices with Integrated Foundation (previously Extended BA) graduate
<p>If you're applying to study an Integrated Foundation with us, please visit UCAS and refer to the codes below. For more information or support with your application please contact <strong><a href="mailto:admissions@aup.ac.uk?subject=Ext%20BA%20enquiry">admissions@aup.ac.uk</a></strong><br /></p>
COURSE | UCAS CODE |
| BA (Hons) Content Creation with Integrated Foundation | 7PW5 |
BA (Hons) Costume Production with Integrated Foundation | W451 |
BA (Hons) Craft & Material Practices with Integrated Foundation | 69K5 |
BA (Hons) Fashion Design with Integrated Foundation | W234 |
BA (Hons) Fashion Media & Marketing with Integrated Foundation | 7BD5 |
BA (Hons) Film & Screen Arts with Integrated Foundation | P311 |
BA (Hons) Fine Art with Integrated Foundation | W103 |
BA (Hons) Game Arts & Animation with Integrated Foundation | W618 |
BA (Hons) Graphic Design with Integrated Foundation | W211 |
BA (Hons) Illustration with Integrated Foundation | W221 |
BA (Hons) Interior Design & Styling with Integrated Foundation | B68G |
BA (Hons) Painting, Drawing & Printmaking with Integrated Foundation | W102 |
BA (Hons) Photography with Integrated Foundation | W600 |
BA (Hons) Textile Design with Integrated Foundation | J400 |
<p>All students at Arts University Plymouth can access specialist support via our Student Support Team. Our trained advisers offer information and guidance on student finance and funding, disability support, counselling and more.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/disability-support-and-reasonable-adjustments" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><br />Click here</a> to read more about the support we offer.</p>
<ul><li><strong>E</strong><strong>mail: </strong><a href="mailto:admissions@aup.ac.uk">admissions@aup.ac.uk</a></li><li><strong>Tel:</strong> +44 (0)1752 203434</li></ul>
