UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma in Creative Practice Art, Design and Communication: Photography

If you enjoy creating photographic images, then this course will stretch and challenge you by providing opportunities to engage in projects that encourage creativity, investigation, analysis and experimentation as a means of developing technical and expressive skills in photography.

Duration 2 years
Qualification Extended Diploma
Start Date Thursday 3rd September 2026
Course Code FDPHOTO26T
Students working at computers with large notebooks open in front of them.

top course highlights

  • Futureproof creative skills
  • Excellent academic & technical support
  • Traditional & digital facilities

future in creative industry

This course is designed to give you every possible chance to develop the skills, competencies and knowledge that will lead to a successful future in the creative industries, or the many industries that require creative talent to support their business or enterprises.

Creative and reflective approach

Whether developing a response to a client brief or finding your independent creative voice, the course will allow you to research, develop and learn by constantly trying out new ideas, solutions, and applications for your skills.

friendly and dedicated staff

The Photography team is friendly, supportive, and well-qualified; they offer high level pastoral, academic and technical support to help you realise your creative potential.

WHY CHOOSE THIS COURSE?

This exciting qualification is for students looking to pursue a specialist career in the creative industries. It provides the necessary industry relevant skills, knowledge and understanding to access appropriate entry level roles, training programmes or apprenticeships in the creative sector, or apply for progression to related HE education courses. This course will help develop the skills and competencies demanded by employers in the creative industries. Through your studies you will learn to be a collaborative team player, a confident communicator, creative and innovative, an entrepreneurial problem solver, adaptable in the face of change, develop high-level technical skills (traditional and digital) and be motivated and self-directed.

WHAT WILL I LEARN?

The Photography course provides an opportunity for you to explore, develop and test your creativity within a qualification structure that is stimulating and demanding. You will have the opportunity to develop transferable skills along with a rich contextual knowledge and understanding of your developing creative practice in image making.

The UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma Photography course contains the following six mandatory units:

> Unit 1 The Creative Process > Unit 2 Developing Creative Practice > Unit 3 Responding to a set Brief > Unit 4 Researching a Specialist Industry Practice > Unit 5 Specialist Technical Skills Development     > Unit 6 Specialist Creative Outcome

At the end of both years of study, you undertake a Final Major Project designed to assess your ability to apply your learning throughout the qualification to a set assignment (Unit 03) or a self‑initiated project (Unit 06).

Ultimately, the course is designed to support you to develop a portfolio of work which will assist you in making applications to appropriate HE courses, entry level roles, training programmes, apprenticeships and self‑employment.

WHERE WILL IT TAKE ME?

This qualification will support you to progress to a range of further and higher education courses such as, UAL Level 4 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design or a creative arts degree in photography. It will unlock employment opportunities in areas such as photography / lens-based media, publishing, curation and exhibition management, advertising & marketing and graphic communication.

Internally assessed and internally verified portfolio of evidence (Units 01, 02, 04, 05), which are subject to quality assurance by UAL Awarding Body. Internally assessed and externally verified assignment projects (Unit 03 and Unit 06) which are graded by the centre and externally moderated by UAL Awarding Body.

Course code: FDPHOTO26T
Duration 2 years
Qualification Extended Diploma