UAL Level 3 Diploma and Extended Diploma in Creative Practice: Art, Design and Communication (Photography Pathway)
Course level: 3
Course code: CP0016
07/09/2026
Is this course right for me?
Start your creative career in photography!
The UAL Level 3 Diploma and Extended Diploma in Creative Practice: Art, Design and Communication (Photography Pathway) at City of Wolverhampton College is the ideal course for school leavers passionate about photography. You’ll gain the technical, creative and visual skills to develop as an image-maker, while exploring both contemporary and historical photography.
Taught by practicing photographers and artists, the course combines creativity with technical training in photography and digital print. You’ll also work on projects that build transferable skills and prepare you for higher-level study, apprenticeships or a career in the creative industries.
You’ll develop a varied portfolio of work and benefit from expert guidance on your next steps.
Work Experience
As part of the course, you’ll complete 30 hours of work experience, with support from tutors to find placements. Opportunities include:
Overseas work experience in Florence, Italy through the Turing Scheme (for over 18s).
Local collaborations with music venues for gig and events photography.
City of Wolverhampton College is an approved centre for UAL Awarding Body Level 3 Diploma and Extended Diploma in Creative Practice: Art, Design and Communication (Photography Pathway)
Course details
Entry Requirements:
To access this course you are required to:
- Have four or more GCSEs at Grade C / 4 or above (ideally including English and maths)* or a Level 2 qualification in a related area, such as art and design, media or photography
- Have an interview and show a selection of work to demonstrate your suitability for the course
*If you do not have a Grade C/4 in English and maths, you will attend lessons to achieve these qualifications alongside your Level 3 qualification
What will I learn?
What skills will I gain?
By studying this course you will:
- Develop your creative potential while improving your understanding of visual communication
- Learn how to use a wide range of artist and studio equipment, software and cameras
- Gain skills that can be applied in the industry, and learn what industry opportunities are available
- Gain valuable team working and communication skills
- Improve your employability skills
How will I be assessed?
The course is mainly project/assignment based, however there are exams in year 1 that are externally assessed. In year 2 there are no exams, and work is internally assessed and external moderated.
Throughout the course you will be continually assessed and it will culminate in a final project which will be graded as a pass, high pass, merit, high merit or distinction.
What can I do next?
The skills you will learn from this course will enable you to:
- Progress to Further Education including our HND in Art and Design (Photography) Level 5 course.
- Pursue an apprenticeship in photography, media production, or digital arts.
- Potential career paths include:
- Professional Photographer (Portrait, Wedding, Fashion, Product, Event)
- Photojournalist (Documentary, News, Editorial)
- Studio Assistant (Supporting roles in professional studios)
- Photography Assistant (On-location and in-studio support for professional photographers)
- Photo Editor (Working for magazines, media outlets, or agencies)
- Digital Retoucher (Enhancing and manipulating images for print or online use)
- Visual Content Creator (Creating imagery for social media, blogs, websites, and online platforms)
- E-commerce Photographer (Capturing high-quality product images for online retail)
- Videographer/Content Producer (Expanding into video and multimedia content creation)
- Social Media Manager (Creating and curating visual content for online brands)
- Advertising & Marketing Creative (Working on campaigns with strong visual elements)
Future careers
Undecided on your future?
Our Future Finder tool can help you explore options and match them to our courses. City of Wolverhampton College partners with employers and leading universities, ensuring our qualifications are relevant and designed to help you succeed.
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