Craft Practices - Furniture FdA
West Dean College of Arts and Conservation
Key Course Facts
Salary
Salary of all UK Graduates of
| 15 months after graduation | 3 years after graduation | 5 years after graduation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median salary | £19960 | £16432 | £19722 |
| 25-75 percentile range | £17483 - £24077 | £11349 - £21502 | £13684 - £25760 |
All courses in the UK
Course Description
Official Course Title: Foundation Degree Arts – Furniture
Study at a specialist college with the assurance of a university qualification. Develop your passions and reach your potential in a small, welcoming environment within a community of like-minded people.
Why choose West Dean?
An international reputation for excellence in conservation and arts education.
94% of students studying at the College felt the programme had enhanced their skills and abilities (2019 student survey)
A rich arts environment and a focus on craft skills with vocational application.
Be inspired by the unique historic character and beautiful South Downs setting.
Located close to Chichester and the South Coast, with easy access to London.
The Course
The Foundation Degree in Historic Craft Practices is designed to give you well-rounded woodworking theory and skills that will enhance your employment prospects or allow you to continue your studies in higher education.
Furniture making projects become more challenging as the course progresses and may incorporate your own designs. In the second year students may choose to continue to develop their furniture making and finishing proficiency or begin to develop basic skills in furniture restoration/conservation.
You can expect
To develop excellent practical skills
To learn how material properties influence practice and making
To learn historic metalwork techniques
To learn from dedicated and experienced tutors who are practicing professionals and well-connected in the sector
Learning environment
Low student: tutor ratio
Workshop access 8.30am-9pm, 7 days a week
Interdisciplinary environment
Visits from practicing crafts-persons and specialists from the heritage and private sectors
Visits to museums and active links with heritage bodies
Work placements and work-related projects
Exceptional facilities
You will work in our specialist furniture workshop which is equipped with a full range of power and hand tools and individual work spaces. Collaboration with other disciplines (e.g. metals and clocks) makes for a uniquely enriched learning environment. Facilities include:
A dedicated finishing area
Separate machine shop
Analytical laboratory
Photography space
IT suite with specialist databases
On-site Art and Conservation Library with thousands of specialist books and journals
Teaching
You are taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, external trips and visits and workshop practicals. In addition, you have personal tutorials with your subject tutor.
At level 4 you typically have around 18-19 contact hours per week. At level 5 you typically have around 16-17 contact hours per week.
Independent learning
When not attending lectures, seminars and workshop or other timetabled sessions you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library and preparing coursework assignments and presentations.
Overall workload
Level 4: 53% of your time is spent in scheduled teaching and learning activity
Scheduled teaching and learning: 633 hours
Independent learning: 567 hours
Level 5: 50% of your time is spent in scheduled teaching and learning activity
Scheduled teaching and learning: 600 hours
Independent learning: 600 hours
Entry Requirements / Admissions
Costs
Tuition Fees Craft Practices - Furniture FdA
| Ireland | £14280 | year 1 |
|---|---|---|
| EU | £14280 | year 1 |
| International | £14280 | year 1 |
| England UK | £14280 | year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £14280 | year 1 |
| Scotland | £14280 | year 1 |
| Wales | £14280 | year 1 |
| Channel Islands | £14280 | year 1 |
Additional fee information
Course fees are the same for UK and international students
Included is mandatory study trip costs of £400, which typically includes tailored visits to collections/exhibitions of specific interest to the programme of study.
Lunch, accommodation and other living expenses are additional
**
Average student cost of living in the UK
| Rent | £518 |
| Water, gas electricity, internet (at home) | £50 |
| Supermarket shopping | £81 |
| Clothing | £35 |
| Eating out | £33 |
| Alcohol | £27 |
| Takeaways / food deliveries | £30 |
| Going out / entertainment (excl.alcohol, food) | £24 |
| Holidays and weekend trips | £78 |
| Transport within city | £17 |
| Self-care / sports | £20 |
| Stationary / books | £13 |
| Mobile phone / internet | £13 |
| Cable TV / streaming | £7 |
| Insurance | £51 |
| Other | £95 |
| Average student cost of living | £1092 |
London costs approx 34% more than average, mainly due to rent being 67% higher than average of other cities. For students staying in student halls, costs of water, gas, electricity, wifi are generally included in the rental. Students in smaller cities where accommodation is in walking/biking distance transport costs tend to be significantly smaller.
How to apply
Application deadline:
January 1, 2025
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Possible Entry Points:
- year 1 (Default entry point)
About West Dean College of Arts and Conservation
West Dean College of Arts and Conservation is an independent learning centre dedicated to teaching skills related to artistic and artisanal crafts, and can be found on the scenic West Dean Estate, close to the English city of Chichester.
Student composition of West Dean College of Arts and Conservation
-
Total number of students enrolled at West Dean College of Arts and Conservation by level Academic year 2021/22 - Full-time equivalent student enrollments published by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) on February 2022
- undergraduates:
- 170
- postgraduates:
- 25
- Total:
- 195
Where is this programme taught
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Similar courses
| Program | University | Student satisfaction | Unemployed | Dropout | Tuition (UK) | Tuition (International) |  UCAS Tariff |
City | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Furniture: Design and Make (Activate Learning - City of Oxford College) FdA | Oxford Brookes University | - | - | - | £7570 | £9900 | - | Oxford | On campus Full-time |
|
|
Craft Practices - Furniture FdA | West Dean College of Arts and Conservation | - | - | - | £14280 | £14280 | - | Chichester | On campus Full-time |
