BA Hons Design Practice (Top-Up)
Start Date: 7th September 2026
- Length 1 year
- Study Full-Time
- Location Rye Hill Campus
More about the course
If you are looking for a degree where you can design your own future, this is the course for you. During the degree you will develop your own unique professional practice, pursuing an individual pathway into the industry. Learning from industry-experienced tutors, you will research and design your own project brief, linked closely to your career aspirations and the needs of the industry. You will have the opportunity to undertake work experience with businesses such as Stretch and Burn, Apricot Official, and Darkus Magazine. You will have access to specialist industry equipment throughout your design degree, including an industrial sewing room, digital and traditional print room, 3D workshops and Adobe Suite programmes.
Get In Touch
Meet our staff and students
Ellie Chambers
FdA Fashion Retail and Enterprise"By studying my degree course, I gained more experience, found projects I enjoyed and realised how many opportunities there were to improve my skills, which really helped me figure out my passions within the fashion sector. Thanks to the course practicality, I've already developed my own brand as a stylist - it's really been quite fun!"
Art and Design at Newcastle College
What can I do with a qualification in Art and Design?
Daily tasks:
- Produces works on commission basis for clients.
- Markets and sells finished work directly to customers.
- Liaises with writers and publishers to produce book illustrations.
- Uses artistic skills to restore damaged artworks.
- Approaches managers of galleries and exhibitions in order to get finished work displayed.
- Builds up composition into finished work by carving, sculpting, etching, painting, engraving, drawing, etc..
- Prepares sketches, scale drawings or colour schemes.
- Selects appropriate materials, medium and method.
- Onceives and develops ideas and ways of working for artistic composition.
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Daily tasks:
- Observes and manages intellectual property issues.
- Specifies materials, production method and finish for aesthetic or functional effect, and oversees production of sample and/or finished product.
- Submits design to management, sales department or client for approval, communicates design rationale and makes any necessary alterations.
- Prepares sketches, designs, mock-ups and storyboards for consideration by theatre/film director or client.
- Prepares sketches, designs, patterns or prototypes for textiles, clothing, footwear, jewellery, fashion accessories, set props, wigs, ceramics, plastics, motor vehicles, domestic appliances and engineering products.
- Undertakes research to determine market trends, production requirements, availability of resources and formulates design concepts.
- Liaises with client to determine the purpose, cost, technical specification and potential uses/users of product.
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Daily tasks:
- Manages health and safety and carries out design stage risk assessments.
- Evaluates and advises on refurbishment, recycling and deconstruction of buildings.
- Administers contracts and certification and manages project handover.
- Monitors compliance with design, statutory and professional requirements, undertakes stage inspections.
- Prepares and presents design proposals and manages and coordinates design team.
- Advises on environmental, regulatory and legal requirements and assesses environmental impact.
- Advises clients on methods of project procurement and forms of contract.
- Develops construction project briefs and design programmes.
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Daily tasks:
- Writes reports for funding bids and planning authorities and acts as expert witness.
- Examines accident 'backspots' to improve road safety.
- Assesses schemes to manage traffic such as congestion charging and parking controls.
- Forecasts the impact on traffic and transport of new developments (e.g. shopping centre).
- Records, monitors and reports progress.
- Identifies defects in work and proposes corrections.
- Regularly inspects and monitors progress and quality of work, ensures legal requirements are met.
- Hires and may supervise site staff, establishes temporary site offices, takes delivery of materials.
- Plans work schedules for construction projects based on prior discussion with architects, surveyors etc..
- Assembles information for invoicing at the end of projects.
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Daily tasks:
- Checks that completed work conforms to specifications.
- Issues development permits as authorised.
- Surveys land and property uses and prepares report for planning authority.
- Liaises with engineers and building contractors regarding technical construction problems and attends site meetings on behalf of architect.
- Prepares building plans, drawings and specifications for use by contractors.
- Investigates proposed design with regard to practicality, cost and use.
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Daily tasks:
- Measures, cuts, pins, sews and trims fabrics to make curtains, cushions, loose covers and similar soft furnishings.
- Replaces covering, padding, webbing or springs to repair upholstered furniture.
- Encases bed springs and padding with selected covering material by hand or machine stitching and fits castors where required.
- Operates machine to compress padded spring assemblies and inserts them into mattress covers.
- Pins sections of coverings together, joins by sewing and inserts trims, braids and buttons as required and fits upholstery unit to frame.
- Pads springs and secures padding by stitching, stapling, tacking, etc..
- Tacks and staples or otherwise secures webbing to furniture frame.
- Measures frame to be covered or examines drawings or other specifications and cuts material with shears, knife or scissors.
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What can I do with a qualification in Art and Design?
Artists
Daily tasks:
- Produces works on commission basis for clients.
- Markets and sells finished work directly to customers.
- Liaises with writers and publishers to produce book illustrations.
- Uses artistic skills to restore damaged artworks.
- Approaches managers of galleries and exhibitions in order to get finished work displayed.
- Builds up composition into finished work by carving, sculpting, etching, painting, engraving, drawing, etc..
- Prepares sketches, scale drawings or colour schemes.
- Selects appropriate materials, medium and method.
- Onceives and develops ideas and ways of working for artistic composition.
Powered by EMSI
Product, clothing and related designers
Daily tasks:
- Observes and manages intellectual property issues.
- Specifies materials, production method and finish for aesthetic or functional effect, and oversees production of sample and/or finished product.
- Submits design to management, sales department or client for approval, communicates design rationale and makes any necessary alterations.
- Prepares sketches, designs, mock-ups and storyboards for consideration by theatre/film director or client.
- Prepares sketches, designs, patterns or prototypes for textiles, clothing, footwear, jewellery, fashion accessories, set props, wigs, ceramics, plastics, motor vehicles, domestic appliances and engineering products.
- Undertakes research to determine market trends, production requirements, availability of resources and formulates design concepts.
- Liaises with client to determine the purpose, cost, technical specification and potential uses/users of product.
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Chartered Architectural Technologists
Daily tasks:
- Manages health and safety and carries out design stage risk assessments.
- Evaluates and advises on refurbishment, recycling and deconstruction of buildings.
- Administers contracts and certification and manages project handover.
- Monitors compliance with design, statutory and professional requirements, undertakes stage inspections.
- Prepares and presents design proposals and manages and coordinates design team.
- Advises on environmental, regulatory and legal requirements and assesses environmental impact.
- Advises clients on methods of project procurement and forms of contract.
- Develops construction project briefs and design programmes.
Powered by EMSI
Construction Project Managers and Related Professionals
Daily tasks:
- Writes reports for funding bids and planning authorities and acts as expert witness.
- Examines accident 'backspots' to improve road safety.
- Assesses schemes to manage traffic such as congestion charging and parking controls.
- Forecasts the impact on traffic and transport of new developments (e.g. shopping centre).
- Records, monitors and reports progress.
- Identifies defects in work and proposes corrections.
- Regularly inspects and monitors progress and quality of work, ensures legal requirements are met.
- Hires and may supervise site staff, establishes temporary site offices, takes delivery of materials.
- Plans work schedules for construction projects based on prior discussion with architects, surveyors etc..
- Assembles information for invoicing at the end of projects.
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Architectural and Town Planning Technicians
Daily tasks:
- Checks that completed work conforms to specifications.
- Issues development permits as authorised.
- Surveys land and property uses and prepares report for planning authority.
- Liaises with engineers and building contractors regarding technical construction problems and attends site meetings on behalf of architect.
- Prepares building plans, drawings and specifications for use by contractors.
- Investigates proposed design with regard to practicality, cost and use.
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Upholsterers
Daily tasks:
- Measures, cuts, pins, sews and trims fabrics to make curtains, cushions, loose covers and similar soft furnishings.
- Replaces covering, padding, webbing or springs to repair upholstered furniture.
- Encases bed springs and padding with selected covering material by hand or machine stitching and fits castors where required.
- Operates machine to compress padded spring assemblies and inserts them into mattress covers.
- Pins sections of coverings together, joins by sewing and inserts trims, braids and buttons as required and fits upholstery unit to frame.
- Pads springs and secures padding by stitching, stapling, tacking, etc..
- Tacks and staples or otherwise secures webbing to furniture frame.
- Measures frame to be covered or examines drawings or other specifications and cuts material with shears, knife or scissors.
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Good to know
Levels Explained
What's happening?
December Open Event
Rye Hill Campus
Wednesday 3rd December 2025
5:00pm - 7:00pm
Newcastle College University Centre Open Event
Rye Hill Campus
Saturday 6th December 2025
9:00am - 1:00pm
Newcastle College University Centre Virtual Degree Event
Rye Hill Campus
Tuesday 9th December 2025
6:00pm - 7:00pm
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- The level required to start the course
- The level rewarded when completing the course
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