Free Level 3 Art and Design Course in Wolverhampton

CostFREE
Duration2 years
LevelLevel 3
DeliveryClassroom based
Start7 Sep 2026
Study modeFull-time
AttendanceDaytime
Awarding bodyUAL Awarding Body

About this course

Free Level 3 Art and Design Course in Wolverhampton. Classes run at City of Wolverhampton College, full-time during the day. The course covers photography, digital print, image-making, and graphic arts, building both technical and conceptual skills. You'll explore contemporary and historical photography alongside projects that develop transferable creative skills. Entry requires four or more GCSEs at grade C or 4 and above (including English or maths), or a Level 2 qualification in a related area such as art and design, media, or photography. You'll also attend an interview and bring a selection of work. The course runs over two years.

Who this course is for

The course will introduce new photographers and digital print artists to the potential of the photographic medium, support you in your progress and development as image-makers by instilling strong technical, conceptual and visual skills and expand your knowledge of both contemporary and historical photography and graphic artists.

Alongside specialist photography and digital imaging topics you will also work on projects that develop transferable skills that are relevant to all areas of creative arts and will prepare you for the next career step. Our tutors are practicing photographers and artists and bring current industry practice to the classroom.

To enable you to put the skills you learn on the course into practice, you will be expected to complete 30 hours of work experience. Students are expected to find their own work placements, however will be provided with support and guidance from teaching staff to find these. We have a small range of WEx opportunities available for over 18s including work experience in Florence Italy through the Turing scheme, and local collaboration with music venue employers for gig/events photography.

The course is taught through a range of approaches designed to provide you with the opportunity to develop your technical and conceptual skills.

We aim to provide you with an experience that balances the development of creativity with the technical skills involved in the creation of pieces of photographic and digital print work. Through our experienced tutors you will receive extensive guidance for application to higher level courses together with help to build a varied portfolio of work enable you to progress successfully.

Entry requirements

To access this course you are required to:

Have four or more GCSEs at Grade C / 4 or above including English or maths OR Level 2 qualification in a related area, such as art and design, media or photography Have an interview and show a selection of work to demonstrate your suitability for the course

What you will learn

  • You'll develop technical skills in photography and digital imaging.
  • You'll build conceptual and visual skills as an image-maker.
  • You'll explore the history and context of photography and graphic arts.
  • You'll work with digital print processes and photographic media.
  • You'll complete projects that develop transferable creative skills across art and design disciplines.
  • You'll build a portfolio of work to demonstrate your creative development.

How you will learn

You'll learn through studio-based and classroom sessions at the college. Assessment is through practical projects, a portfolio of creative work, and coursework. You'll attend an interview before the course starts and show a selection of existing work. Teaching covers both specialist photography and digital imaging topics and broader creative practice projects.

What you will need to bring

The centre will provide most materials. City of Wolverhampton College will confirm anything else you need before you start.

Where next

Jobs you could do

  • Photographer: working in commercial, editorial, or portrait photography.
  • Graphic designer: creating visual content for print and digital media.
  • Digital imaging technician: retouching and processing images for clients.
  • Illustrator: producing artwork for publishing, advertising, or media.
  • Art and design assistant: supporting creative teams in studios or agencies.
  • Visual content creator: producing images and graphics for brands or campaigns.

What you could study next

A University of the Arts London Diploma is a strong foundation for degree-level study. Many graduates progress to a BA (Hons) in Photography, Graphic Design, Fine Art, or Illustration at a UK university. You could also consider a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Art and Design as a shorter higher-education route. Some learners move into specialist professional qualifications depending on their chosen creative field.

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