Architectural Design and Technology with Art & Design Foundation Year BA (Hons)

The Art and Design Foundation Year builds the fundamental skills, behaviours, and creative confidence needed for successful progression into higher-level study or early-stage industry engagement. Through a practice-led curriculum, you will learn to generate ideas, experiment across a range of media, and communicate visually through a developing portfolio- key expectations within creative professions. Youll also learn to interpret contextual research, reflect on your practice, and engage constructively with peers and tutors, mirroring industry processes of collaboration, critique, and iteration.

Youll be supported to develop resilience, adaptability, and self-awareness and by the end of the year, you will have a portfolio demonstrating creative progression, an understanding of how research informs experimentation, and the confidence to participate in a creative community. These foundations position you strongly for degree-level study and for exploring future opportunities within the creative industries.

Most students progress from the foundation year into their chosen creative degree, leading to careers in areas such as fine art, photography, graphic design, illustration, interiors, fashion, make-up and prosthetics, and related creative industries. However, the course also develops strong transferable and employability skills, including creativity, adaptability, communication, problem-solving, and teamwork.

Who this course is for

This course is ideal for students who are interested in creative study but may be unsure of their chosen pathway or need additional preparation before starting a degree. It suits applicants from a wide range of educational backgrounds, including those returning to education or lacking confidence, who want to develop practical skills, build a portfolio, and explore creative disciplines in a supportive university environment.

Don't wait for the future. Build it. At Solent, every module is built around real-world learning, so you graduate with practical skills, confidence and experience — not just theory.

Our career-ready revolution is transforming the way every course is designed, taught and connected to the world of work, to ensure your degree prepares you for the career you want. This isn't a tweak. It’s s a complete shake-up of what your university experience should be, using five key elements: learning by doing from day one, a timetable that fits real life, strong links to industry, an outstanding student learning experience, and careers support for life.

Our world-class facilities are also built with your future career in mind, and include the renowned Warsash Maritime School, Solent Sports Complex with advanced science labs, animation and 3D modelling studios, plus applied mechanics and composites labs.

And when you're not in class? Southampton has it all — shopping, culture, live music, football, cricket, festivals and markets, plus tiny Thai cafes, ghost walks and record fairs. It's friendly, walkable, and one of the most affordable student cities in the UK. With a diverse community and societies for every interest, you'll find your tribe here too.

Register your interest now and join the career-ready revolution.