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Foundation Year in 3D Design

Designed to help you transition to your BA degree, this specialist course will build your confidence and give you the opportunity to explore different design pathways
Code
See How to apply tab
Start
September 2024
Duration
1 year full-time
+ 3 years full-time
Attendance
Full-time
Fees
£9,250 (UK) *
£16,600 (INT) *
Course leader
Bev Speight

This specially designed course enables you to make an informed choice about which design subject you wish to study at degree level, giving successful students the opportunity for guaranteed progression onto a named BA programme at Middlesex University.

Why choose Foundation Year in 3D Design at Middlesex?

Passionate about art and design but not sure which path to follow? This specially designed flexible course, taught by industry-based academics, will help you choose a visual arts pathway, paving the way to a BA degree at Middlesex. You will have the opportunity to experience different career directions in Interior Design or Interior Architecture. After successfully completing the course, you are guaranteed entry on to one of our design BA courses.

What will you gain?

With the support of teachers who are experts in their fields, by the end of this course you will have had the chance to explore and develop your design skills, and create an extensive portfolio, before exhibiting your work at the end-of-year show.

After successfully completing the course, you'll be ready to progress on to a full-time bachelor's degree such as BA Interior Architecture or BA Interior Design.

We have 145 years of experience delivering professional, creative and technical education that prepares students – like you – for success in global careers.

3 great reasons to pick this course

  • Expert guidance
    Join our specialist observational and life-drawing team for weekly creative sessions designed to develop your traditional, experimental and technical approaches to drawing
  • Portfolio enhancement
    Build an exciting, creative and varied portfolio of work developing your own independent thinking and aesthetic style showcased at the final exhibition
  • World-class facilities
    Access to our world-class facilities including photography studios, 3D, print and ceramics workshops all supported by expert technical staff guiding you through your projects.

What you will learn

The Foundation Year in 3D Design is a creative and inspiring multidisciplinary course designed to encourage you to explore different aspects of design.

It will build your confidence and help you identify your strengths and develop skills and techniques. The course explores different creative pathways and clarifies industry specialisms to help you choose a career path in the creative industries.

In the first part of the course, you'll experiment and explore techniques and develop skills within 3D Design, tackle specialist projects, then specialise and work towards your final portfolio of creative work and exhibition. Alongside this, you'll have the opportunity to explore London as an inspirational creative centre of design and visual arts through galleries and museums visits, and reflect on your experiences.

By joining us on this course, you'll have the opportunity to:

  • Learn from an experienced and supportive team of tutors and technicians who also work in the creative industries
  • Receive support from a specialist observational and life-drawing team offering traditional, experimental and technical approaches to drawing
  • Get guidance from a contextual studies team with diverse knowledge covering different art, design and cultural areas
  • Build an exciting and varied portfolio of design works
  • Exhibit your work at the end of the year
  • Receive regular one-to-one feedback all projects and written assessments on modules.

How to apply

If you are interested in studying the Foundation Year in 3D Design you must apply to one of our four-year degree courses. Please have a look at the How to apply tab for further information. Successful completion of the foundation year guarantees entry onto your chosen design degree.

We offer the following courses:

Course Title

UCAS Code

BA Interior Architecture with Foundation Year

KF12

BA Interior Design with Foundation Year

WF23


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The foundation year is an intensive experience which will enhance your creativity and introduce you to the broad and diverse world of design, visual arts and creative industries.

You will focus on learning specialist techniques and be introduced to new workshop skills, develop your knowledge in research and writing, and compile a creative portfolio. We encourage you to expand your own processes and make your own decisions, enabling you to develop your design practise and encourage independent thinking and aesthetic style. You'll be asked to interpret industry style briefs and expand your individual research study, allowing you to develop your creative identity for your portfolio.

At the end of your foundation year, you will have developed a strong portfolio that will showcase your work and reflect your future professional direction.

Modules

  • Core modules

    • Stage 1: Exploration and Diagnostics (30 credits)

      This module encourages you to explore and experiment with new techniques and media through practical workshop inductions. You will develop and expand your research skills by making full use of the resources available at Middlesex University, revealing how research can inform and enrich your design practice. You will acquire a breadth of practical skills and research capabilities that will enable you to develop your ideas.

    • Stage 2: Creative Specialism (30 credits)

      The module will develop experimentation and encourage exploration to widen and inspire your creative practice and conceptual thinking. From master-class sessions you will gain valuable knowledge of and insight into the creative industries, to clarify and develop a greater understanding of the variety of design specialisms, and begin to identify future career opportunities and directions after study. This module aims to build your subject knowledge through experimentation and increasing awareness to a level to be able to make a design subject choice.

    • Stage 3: Major Project Portfolio and Exhibition (30 credits)

      The module gives you the opportunity to create your own individual 3D Design portfolio to showcase your originality and professionalism, and to be the final presentation of your extensive and varied creative work.

      You will have the opportunity to take your specialist choice to another level by working on an intensive six week major project in your chosen subject area. By this stage , with support of you foundation tutors, you will have a clear view on  your progression pathway.

      You will develop your portfolio to support and define a proposed area of further study and industry employment. You will select and present your finished work for exhibition..

  • Contextual modules

    • Creative London (30 credits)

      This is an introduction to a broad and exciting selection of London’s finest art galleries and museums covering all the specialist areas. The contextual studies team will share their expert knowledge as part of informative field trips and talks. These experiences will provide basic knowledge of contexts and issues that will inform and inspire your developing practice. There is a focus on developing confidence in using academic English language skills in the specific context of the creative industries. You will be asked to produce a reflective visual diary including 1500 words. This module runs parallel with the above modules finishing in Week 19.

To find out more about this course, please download the Foundation Year in 3D Design specification (PDF).

  1. Teaching and independent learning
  2. Coursework and assessment

The facilities, studios and workshops at our £80 million purpose-built Art and Design School on campus in North London are recognised as among the best in country. With a wide range of specialist workshops, digital media, equipment, software and library facilities on-site you'll benefit from unique levels of access to both the latest forms of technology and traditional tools with expert support to help you develop your work.

Student support

We offer lots of support to help you while you're studying including financial advice, wellbeing, mental health and disability support.

Additional needs

We'll support you if you have additional needs such as sensory impairment or dyslexia. And if you want to find out whether Middlesex is the right place for you before you apply, get in touch with our Disability and Dyslexia team.

Wellness

Our specialist teams will support your mental health. We have free individual counselling sessions, workshops, support groups and useful guides.

Work while you study

Our Middlesex Unitemps branch will help you find work that fits around uni and your other commitments. We have hundreds of student jobs on campus that pay the London Living Wage and above. Visit the Middlesex Unitemps page.

Financial support

You can apply for scholarships and bursaries and our MDX Student Starter Kit to help with up to £1,000 of goods, including a new laptop or iPad.

We have also reduced the costs of studying with free laptop loans, free learning resources and discounts to save money on everyday things. Check out our guide to student life on a budget.

Academic support

Our excellent teaching and support teams will help you develop your skills from research and practical skills to critical thinking. Our Sheppard Library is open 24 hours a day during term time. And we offer free 24-hour laptop loans with full desktop software, free printing and Wi-Fi to use on or off campus.

Our careers and employability service, MDXworks will launch you into the world of work from the beginning of your course, with placements, projects and networking opportunities through our 1000+ links with industry and big-name employers in London and globally.

Our dedicated lifetime career support, like our business start-up support programme and funding for entrepreneurs, has been recognized with the following awards:

  • The top 20 UK universities for business leaders and entrepreneurs – Business Money, 2023
  • A top 10 university for producing CEOs – Novuana, 2023.

Global network

You’ll study with students from 122 countries who’ll hopefully become part of your global network. And after you graduate, we'll still support you through our alumni network to help you progress in your chosen career.

  1. UK entry
  2. International entry
  3. Interview and portfolio
  4. How to apply

The fees below are for the 2024/25 academic year:

UK students1

Full-time: £9,250

Part-time: £77 per taught credit

International students2

Full-time students: £16,600

Part-time students: £138 per taught credit

Additional costs

The following study tools are included in your fees:

  • Free access to resources, learning materials and software you need to succeed on your course
  • Free laptop loans for up to 24 hours
  • Free specialist software for your course
  • Free printing for academic paperwork
  • Free online training with LinkedIn Learning.

Scholarships and bursaries

To help make uni affordable, we do everything we can to support you including our:

  • MDX Excellence Scholarship offers grants of up to £2,000 per year for UK students
  • Regional or International Merit Awards which reward International students with up to £2,000 towards course fees
  • Our MDX Student Starter Kit to help with up to £1,000 of goods, including a new laptop or iPad.

Find out more about undergraduate funding and all of our scholarships and bursaries.

Fees disclaimers

1. UK fees: The university reserves the right to increase undergraduate tuition fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation and any government guidance or decisions. The tuition fees for part-time UK study are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

2. International fees. Tuition fees are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

Any annual increase in tuition fees as provided for above will be notified to students at the earliest opportunity in advance of the academic year to which any applicable inflationary rise may apply.

  • Priyanka Mehla

    3D Design Foundation Year BA

    I’m definitely happy I’ve done the course. I feel better prepared and more knowledgeable after receiving lots of guidance. Seeing other people’s work has also been really encouraging.

    Priyanka completed the foundation year and is now studying BA Interior Architecture at Middlesex.

  • Elizabeth Fadairo

    3D Design Foundation Year BA

    The course has made me come out of my comfort zone, grow in confidence and analyse more. I’ve learned such a lot from others, particularly the fine art students and the first year students. I’ve realised that as a future interior designer, I can be influenced by all things. Comparing my first project to the last one, there’s a massive difference - I’ve seen it, everyone has seen it.

    Elizabeth complete the foundation year and is now studying BA Interior Architecture at Middlesex.

  • Julia Jablonska

    3D Design Foundation Year BA

    I’ve enjoyed all the different workshops and working with people from my subject area and watching how they approach things. I’ve surprised myself in how I approach things now. I like challenge and learning new things.

    Julia completed the foundation year and is now studying BA Interior Design at Middlesex.


We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.

Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.

Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.

At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.

Other courses

Interior Design BA Honours

Start: September 2024

Duration: 3 years full-time

Code: W251

Interior Architecture BA Honours

Start: September 2024

Duration: 3 years full-time

Code: K120

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