Pearson BTEC HNC in Art and Design - Digital Design

This full-time 1 year course has an emphasis on learning skills current to the visual arts industry with the aim of increasing your employability and potential progression. We mainly work as a project-based course for students who wish to develop skills in the visual arts. The course is highly practical, but it also demands academic ability. We use Project Based Learning (PBL) approaches which give you industry relevant learning, mimicking industry style briefs and projects. This will help prepare you for employment in the creative arts industries. The outcomes on this course are developed with the student groups in mind and are tailored to meet the interests and requirements of each group, your work will be largely driven by your own focus and interests and pitching these to meet the briefs. You will study a wide range of digital and production skills on the course which will include digital drawing, software use, photography, contextual studies, and animation. This will all be delivered by an experienced team of lecturers who have worked in the industry and are current practitioners in their areas. You will benefit from time with staff & technician support who can help you discover your path into your chosen industry and will be supported with access to industry standard equipment and softwares.



Academic Year: 2023/24

Course Code: 11043

Campus: Bangor

Study Type: Full-Time

Education Level Higher Education

Sessions

The following sessions are open for application on this course:

Campus & Course Type Start
Full-Time
Bangor
11/09/2023

Course Structure

Level 4

  • Core unit Mandatory - 1 Professional Development
  • Core unit Mandatory - 2 Contextual Studies
  • Core unit Mandatory – 3 Individual Project – Pearson set
  • Core unit Mandatory – 4 Techniques and Processes
  • Specialist unit Mandatory – 12 screen-based Practices
  • Specialist unit Mandatory – 18 Digital design Practices

Additional units of study (2 of the following)

  • 24 Visual Merchandising
  • 29 Workflows
  • 30 surface design
  • 31 Visual Narratives

The units will be delivered through a series of assignments that will be carried out either individually or in small groups.

Most of the studio practice is usually completed individually due to the nature of contemporary art and design practice.

The practical work is supported by contextual and theoretical studies which helps put your practice into context.

Contact Hours

15 hours contact time to include practical classes, lectures, workshops or tutorials.

Mandatory Additional Study

Maximum of 3 hours per week average over the academic year.

Personal Study

20 hours maximum studying and preparing assessments in your own time per week, and use of online material

Entry Requirements
  • GCSE A minimum of 4 GCSEs Grade C or above (or Level 2 Essential Skills) GCSE English GCSE English Language Grade C or above OR Pass in Level 2 Essential Skills Literacy  
  • UCAS A minimum of 32 UCAS points including:
  • An A Level OR Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, Merit Level 3 Technical Diploma in Art and Design, Merit/Merit

Access Diploma

  • Access Diploma in Foundation Studies with overall average of 58%+

International Requirements

  • Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) level B2
  • PTE 51 IELTS 6.0 (minimum of 5.5 in all skills) Or equivalent (examples of equivalent qualifications would be GCSE in English, Level 3 Programmes, Essential Skills in Literacy - Level 2, ESOL Level 2 or another qualification gained at an institution within the UK).

Admissions

Successful completion of the Admissions Process. Additional Skills Interview: Suitable applicants will be required to attend a formal interview with the course leader - either in person or online.

Portfolio

Applicants are required to submit a creative portfolio of their own work. The purpose of the portfolio is to evaluate your development as a creator and assess your ability to succeed on the course. We look for evidence of the basic technical and cognitive skills you will need to succeed.

How will I be assessed and given feedback?

Students are assessed using a range of different methods.

These may include examinations, coursework, project-based learning, presentations, practical, posters, leaflets, and case studies. 

This is dependent on the requirements of each unit of study. 

Oral, written and online feedback will be provided during your course to help improve and monitor performance.

Where will it take me?

The course will prepare you with a portfolio of work that demonstrates a range of practical, professional skills that can be used to seek employment opportunities in the creative industries or for further study at higher education level.

Students can progress onto the HND 2nd year at SERC after this course to achieve a Level 5 qualification and then in some cases on to a 'top up' degree.

The specific vocational content of this course, along with access to a state-of-the-art software and equipment provide an invaluable pre-requisite to employment in all aspects of the creative digital art & design industry.  

How will it make me more employable?
  • Gaining a vocational qualification demonstrating your technical competence.
  • Gaining a Personal Development qualification demonstrating your employability skills (communication, teamwork, critical thinking).
  • Gaining hands on experience through Industry Projects (PBL). 
  • Getting involved in activities such as the SERC Volunteer Programme and SERC Student Companies.
  • Strengthening your ability to be self-reliant and self-motivated.  

As well as gaining a recognised qualification you will take part in employability skills workshops and gain skills in teamwork, commitment, IT and problem solving. You will also have the opportunity to work with our student companies to get a taste for the industry itself.

Additional Costs

Field trips are not compulsory, however there are occasions when lecturers will organise  talks or trips off campus which the teaching team deem supportive to the students' studies. 

The department recognises the importance of providing students with the opportunity to see professional environments, both locally and internationally. 

Field trips do not have a direct impact on individual academic success.  Costings for field trips are based on the confirmed total number of students wishing to partake and costs are kept to a minimum

A standard kit of art materials such as sketch books, paints, brushes, pencils, pens. Approx. £100

A digital SLR camera. Approx. £150 upwards

A portfolio case with sleeves A3 or above dependent on own practice. Approx. £40-£60

A memory cards for both video and audio files approx. £25.  

. Students are asked to budget approx.

 

Accreditation
Course and Provider regulated by Pearson.

Course Modules

Level 4

Core unit Mandatory - 1 Professional Development

Core unit Mandatory - 2 Contextual Studies

Core unit Mandatory – 3 Individual Project – Pearson set

Core unit Mandatory – 4 Techniques and Processes

Specialist unit Mandatory – 12 screen-based Practices

Specialist unit Mandatory – 18 Digital design Practices

 

Additional units of study (2 of the following)

24 Visual Merchandising

29 Workflows

30 surface design

31 Visual Narratives

Terms & Conditions

Students will be required to comply with SERC's Terms & Conditions of study.

We strive to ensure the description of courses on SERC's website and in publications is accurate. However, for various reasons there may be occasions when the College may need to change arrangements or be unable to deliver classes due to circumstances such as reduced funding. If there are insufficient numbers applying for a course it may not be viable to deliver the class.

Available Sessions Summary

The following sessions are open for application on this course:

Campus & Course Type Start
Full-Time
Bangor
11/09/2023

Enquiries Information

For more information or help with this course send us an enquiry and a member of our team will get back in touch.

Higher Education

Higher Education

If you have just completed your A-Levels, Higher Education is most likely the option for you. HE usually covers HNC, HND & Foundation Degree level of courses including our Higher Level Apprenticeships.

Explore Higher Education
Available Sessions

The following sessions are available to apply for:

Course Type Title Campus Start Spaces Fee Apply or get more information
FT
HE
Pearson BTEC HNC in Art and Design - Digital Design
Y11043BF1A

Bangor

11/09/2023

14

£2700.00

Please select a campus from the list above to view the available sessions.

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