Level 3 Fashion National Extended Diploma in Art and Design

Course Code

Fashion Design

Course Duration

2 years

Location

Central Campus

Start Date

1 September, 2025
Sandwell College Fashion student with sewing machine

The BTEC National Extended Diploma is an ideal programme for school leavers and adults. This Level 3 Fashion National Extended Diploma in Art and Design is a two-year full-time course designed to encourage you to develop the creative personal skills and qualities you need for work, learning and to help you achieve your full potential. If you are looking for a career in the fashion industry then this is ideal as it provides you with specialist studies directly relevant to the fashion and clothing professions, and a practical understanding of the skills required.

 

 

Five GCSEs at Grade 4/C or above, including English, and/or a Level 2 qualification or equivalent.

In your first year, you will gain a 90 Credit Diploma and in the second an Extended Diploma, which is the equivalent of 3 A Levels.

You will study many aspects of fashion and clothing including:

  • Experimenting with Drawing, Materials and Creative Processes
  • Researching Artists and Fashion Designers for Historical and Cultural Influences
  • Production and Promotion of your Creative Design Work
  • Designing and Styling your Own Fashion Collections
  • Producing your Final Major Project, which will be showcased in the college Fashion Show

Functional Skills at an appropriate level will also form an integral part of the course.

Facilities:

Students on this course benefit from state-of-the-art facilities including:

  • Fablab: 3-D printing, laser cutting, sublimation printing
  • Fine art facilities including use of the studios where you can work on sculpting, print-making, casting, batik and many more.
  • Access to the Adobe Suite programmes within dedicated state-of-the-art digital media facilities and also full, free access from home.
  • A wide range of professional-grade Photography facilities, including lighting rig, studio lights and dark room traditional printing facilities, including access to a broad range of film and digital cameras
  • Dedicated exhibition spaces

Employers:

We’re proud to work with several employers so our students can leave with real-world experience. Some of the employers we work with include:

  • Sandwell Council
  • Powered by CAN
  • Multistory
  • Create Britain
  • ERIC Creative Careers

Students have a range of enrichment opportunities on our course including:

  • Visits to museums and galleries, locally and nationally.
  • Engage in college-wide activities, eg. running art workshops for other cohorts to showcase and develop your skills of working with others.
  • Experience gallery tasters, tours and workshops with local artists to broaden your experiences in preparation to progress onto one of our Level 3 Art and Design pathways.
  • Take part in art competitions
  • Exhibit your work in our annual ‘Festival of Arts’

 

When you’re not studying, there’s a wide range of enrichment activities to get involved in – perfect for making new friends, building confidence, and gaining experiences that will boost your CV or university application.

Through the Student Union and college committees, you can take part in everything from sports teams, enterprise and volunteering projects to fundraising campaigns and even the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

There’s something for everyone – from joining a debating society, to attending inclusive cultural events and festivals, or enjoying one of our regular film nights and theatre trips.

The BTEC National Extended Diploma Level 3 units are assessed through exciting and creative project and assignment work. Each core unit and specialist unit is graded Pass, Merit or Distinction and an overall grade is awarded on successful completion of the course.

Functional Skills form an integral part of the programme and are assessed through a combination of coursework/portfolio work or external examination. Your progress on the course will be regularly reviewed through individual tutorials.

On successful completion of this Level 3 Fashion National Extended Diploma in Art and Design, you can progress to a degree or HND programme in the fashion, clothing and textiles subject area or employment within many areas of the fashion industry.

Recent students have progressed to degree programmes at Birmingham City, Coventry, De Montfort, Derby, Manchester, Nottingham Trent and Wolverhampton universities.

Your potential career could be a designer, buyer, stylist or teacher.

Course Details

Qualification

Exam Board

Study Mode

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