- Location
- Anniesland Campus
- SCQF Level
- 8
- Start Date
- 25 Aug 2025
- Qualification Type
- HND
- Course Type
- Full-Time
- Duration
- 2 years (August to June)
Applications open 15th January 2025
HND Contemporary Art Practice is an exciting well-established two-year fine art course designed to develop you as a creative practitioner. The course will equip you with the essential skills required to prepare you for Art School or to work as an independent artist. The diversity of the programme will allow you to build on your previous art experience as well as introduce you to more contemporary and exploratory ways of working.
What will I learn?
The HND Contemporary Art Practice course includes:
- 3D art practice: sculpture processes including casting, ceramics, construction, mould making, hand building
- 2D art practice: photography, painting, printmaking, mixed media
- Drawing
- Digital: moving image
- Portfolio building
- Conceptual development
- Contextual studies (modernism to present day)
- Collaborative working
- Studio practice
- Graded Unit 1 and 2
Year one of the HND Contemporary Art Practice course is a broad inter-disciplinary programme of 2D, 3D and intermedia art practice. Delivered via workshops, critiques, group, and individual teaching sessions expanding your knowledge and understanding of contemporary art.
Each lesson is reinforced by the study of contemporary artists and their practice. Art theory and context is taught through visits to exhibitions, museums, guest lectures from visiting artists and art workshops which helps to build your knowledge and understanding of artists and their working practices. Throughout the course you will be given creative project briefs to work from these will encourage you to use your research, reflection, and evaluation to help inform and develop your own practice.
Year two is primarily focused on identifying and developing your own studio practice in preparation for 2nd or 3rd year entry of art school or industry. Delivered through 3 key projects. This is achieved through one-to-one teaching and working within the specialist facilities available in the department.
It may be helpful to have a look at some of our previous student's work
Life drawing is an important additional element and may be offered by the College.
Hear from HND student Chloe.
Entry requirements (minimum)
- One Higher in Art and Design or in a related art subject, band C or above plus a suitable portfolio; or
- A pass from an NQ/NC or UAL (University Arts London) Level 2/3 course plus a small portfolio of work
- Applications are also invited from those without formal qualifications but who have relevant experience with a portfolio of work
- A personal statement is key to supporting a successful application.
Entry requirement equivalency table
If you do not meet the entry criteria for your chosen course, you may be offered an alternative course in the same subject area.
Employer and industry links
In addition to the course, you will have the opportunity to...
- Participate in a two-day workshop with Glasgow Print Studio. Students will have the opportunity to become members of Glasgow Print studio
- Work on live project briefs
- Visits galleries and artists’ studios
- You may have the opportunity to participate in a cultural visit abroad.
Articulation Routes
An articulation agreement is in place with Gray’s School of Art at Robert Gordon University Aberdeen. Successful HND Contemporary Art Practice students can progress to year three of the BA (Hons) Contemporary Art Practice degree programme. Entry will be dependent on.
- Satisfactory completion of the above HND
- Grade A in the Graded Unit
- Attendance at interview
- Portfolio review
Jobs and further study
Students from this programme will have the opportunity to progress to the following institutions to study fine art in a wide range of specialist areas. Applications to year one, two or three will depend on the individual student and their portfolio.
- Edinburgh College of Art
- Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art
- Grays' School of Art
- Glasgow School of Art
- Heriot-Watt University
- Highlands and Islands University
- University of the West of Scotland
- Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Portfolios are suitable for application to all UK art schools.
Take a look at the course progression map for art and design courses.
Making an application
For courses starting in August, you can make up to two applications.
Applications are made to a course and a first choice of campus. If the course is oversubscribed at your first choice you will be automatically considered for alternative sites and may be made an offer without a further application.
I've applied — what happens next?
When you apply
You will receive an automated email confirming that we have received your application (remember to check your SPAM folder).
Your application will be reviewed by the admissions team and you will be asked to submit a small portfolio of your artwork. Information on digital submissions will be sent out to you. An offer will be made based on your portfolio and your application.
You will either be:
- Made a direct offer with the condition that you attend an information session (conditional or unconditional)
- Invited to book an interview session
- Advised that your application is unsuccessful – you have not met the entry requirements for this course and are advised to contact the College Student Advice Centres to discuss alternative options which may be available to you.
- We aim not to reject an application and if you don’t meet the entry requirements you may be referred to a different course or level.
If you are invited to interview, you will be informed of the outcome of your interview by email within 14 working days. The outcome will be one of the following:
- Unconditional offer of a place – you have met all the entry requirements and your place is guaranteed. You will be required to accept this offer to secure your place.
- Conditional offer of a place – your place is secured pending you meeting the entry requirements. This may mean achieving school or college qualifications which you may not be able to provide to us yet. You will be required to accept this offer to secure your conditional place. Once your conditions are met this will change to an unconditional offer of a place which you must accept before you can enrol on the course.
- Waiting list – you have met all entry requirements, and have been interviewed however, the course is now full so you have been placed on a waiting list. If any spaces become available you may be contacted, usually around the course start date. We would advise that you also consider other application options.
- Reserve list – following your interview, you have unfortunately not been successful in this round of recruitment. We have placed your name on a Reserve list and your application may be reconsidered at a later date. This could happen any time up to the start date of the course but it is very possible that you will not be offered a place. We would advise that you also consider other application options.
- Unsuccessful – your interview has been unsuccessful. You may be offered a place on a course at a different level, or advised to contact the College Student Advice Centres to discuss alternative options which may be available to you.
Once an offer is received, you must reply within 14 working days or risk losing your place, as the system will automatically decline your offer after 14 days.
Once you have accepted your offer, you will be sent out instructions about student funding, joining instructions, general course information and your induction date. This will normally be sent out in June/July.
