Graduate Diploma Creative Practice
Subject and course type
- Design
- Postgraduate
Keen to progress to a practice-based MA course at Kingston School of Art? If you already have a bachelor’s degree, this Graduate Diploma in Creative Practice will give you the skills and knowledge you need to take your studies to the next level.
You’ll build a strong portfolio of project work to demonstrate your intellectual and practical strengths. Through work on live projects, you’ll develop creative, flexible thinking and a wide range of technical skills.
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Accelerate your creativity
During the course, you’ll specialise in Fashion, Graphic Design, Interior & Product Design or Illustration Animation.
Studying this Creative Practice Graduate Diploma at Kingston University will give you a strong foundation to progress onto a practice-based masters course. It’s also a great way to prepare for roles in design, publishing, media, film, fashion, advertising agencies and more.
You’ll study in Kingston upon Thames – just a 30-minute train journey from central London’s world-famous museums and galleries.
When you complete the course, you’ll feel confident approaching subjects and briefs in a variety of ways and you'll be equipped for further study or employment.
The Graduate Diploma Creative Practice course gave me the opportunity to examine my practice, explore my creative voice and get to grips with key skills necessary for a career as an illustrator. My background is in textiles, so illustration was a new discipline for me. I got to know a great bunch of home and international students in an open, nurturing environment, with the support of friendly course tutors and knowledgeable technical staff in the workshops.
Student work - Graphic Design pathway
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Yaqi Liu
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Isha Sayed
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Jae Hee Jeong
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Jae Hee Jeong
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Mingjie Tang
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Haolang Wu
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Ruilin Du
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Xinyan Liu
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Martin Kaltenbo
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Martin Kaltenbo
Why choose this course
While you study, you’ll benefit from top quality teaching at Kingston University. Not only are we ranked Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework, we’re also No.1 in the UK for Interior Design and No.2 in the UK for Fashion and Textiles (Guardian University Guide league tables 2023).
University museums and galleries
Kingston University has two on-site galleries, which offer exciting opportunities for career progression. Grade II-listed Dorich House is the former home of the sculptor Dora Gordine, while the Stanley Picker Gallery is one of the UK’s leading university galleries. Our Knights Park campus also has a bookable project space for large-scale exhibitions.
Workshops and studios
Explore, collaborate and share ideas in our state-of-the-art workshop facilities, designed by Stirling Prize-winning studio, Haworth Tompkins. Facilities are open to all Kingston University students, and include:
- 3D workshops, with spaces for ceramics, concrete, resin-casting, plastics, metalwork, woodwork, bronze-casting foundry, set design and large scale model making
- Animation and post-production studios
- A digital media workshop
- Knitting and sewing workshops with digital and analogue facilities, plus a working dress archive including from 1750 to the present day
- A HackSpace for collaborative, creative, solutions-focused projects
- A letterpress and printmaking workshop
- A moving image workshop, with studios, an editing suite and industry-standard equipment
- A fully-equipped photography workshop
Kingston is No.1 in the UK for Interior Design (Guardian University Guide league tables 2023).
Kingston is No.2 in the UK for Fashion and Textiles (Guardian University Guide league tables 2023).
The Art School Experience
As part of Kingston School of Art, students on this course benefit from joining a creative community where we encourage collaborative working and critical practice.
Our workshops and studios are open to all disciplines, enabling students and staff to work together, share ideas and explore multi-disciplinary making.
Student work - Interior & Product Design pathway
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Kingston 2050 by Ong Chulanuka
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Kingston 2050 by Ong Chulanuka
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Kingston 2050 by Ong Chulanuka
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Flourishing Places by Huang Minghui
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Flourishing Places by Huang Minghui
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Huang Minghui
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Huang Minghui
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Politeness Glove by Howard Wang
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Concept Watch by Howard Wang
Course content
The learning experience of this course will be tailored to your subject area (which you should indicate when you apply) by the relevant postgraduate course teams. You can choose pathways from Fashion, Graphic Design, Illustration Animation and Interior & Product Design.
You will work within your subject-specific course peer group and alongside other postgraduate students, building up a strong portfolio of relevant project work that clearly demonstrates your creative strengths. Projects are designed to help you develop creative and flexible thinking, sound technical skills, and an understanding of the need for a variety of approaches to any given subject or brief.
You'll be expected to complete two 30-credit modules and one 60-credit module, totalling 120 credits. These modules run sequentially in teaching blocks 1 and 2 and are underpinned by a learning agreement specific to your course subject area.
Modules
Core modules
30 credits
This module supports students who may be transitioning from non-creative subjects or enhancing their portfolios in preparation for progression onto the MA programme, with an emphasis on global practices, and the principles of diversity and inclusivity. It encourages students to explore and experiment taking inspiration from the world of art and design.
It is delivered across Graduate Diploma Creative Practice's various subject pathways in Teaching Block 1 and offers a contemporary discipline-focused learning experience for students in The Design School. Whilst generic aims and definitive learning outcomes are shared across the Design School, the curriculum content of this module is determined by the Departments and formally agreed through Learning Agreements between the individual student, the Course Leader and the Head of School.
Through academic guidance and tutoring, students will participate in specific teaching and learning activities aligned to their creative ambitions. The module seeks to identify, enhance and realise cognitive skills, creativity, and discipline-centric knowledge, bringing their own insights and interests to projects creating a more diverse community of practice. This module offers a supportive learning environment for the individual's creative growth alongside the potential for collaborative project-based work that fosters interdisciplinary relationships with students from other subject pathways.
Formative assessment takes place throughout the module and students are provided with continuous feedback regarding their design practice. For summative assessment students submit a portfolio of collected works built up over the duration of the module, reflecting the taught and self-directed activities undertaken. This would include, but is not limited to research, conceptual and iterative development, practical visual and physical work, presentations, visual and material studies.
30 credits
Discipline and Autonomy provides a discipline-focused learning experience for students in The Design School. It serves to equip students with the discipline-based techniques, skills and knowledge they require, fostering the autonomy so essential for postgraduate study. This module supports design students in their preparation for progression to Level 7.
The module is delivered across the Graduate Diploma Creative Practice's various subject pathways in Teaching Block 1. Whilst generic aims and definitive learning outcomes are shared across the Design School, the curriculum content of this module is determined by the Departments and formally agreed through Learning Agreements between the individual student, the Course Leader and the Head of School. With the support, guidance and training from the pathway team the students will gain practical skills and an introduction to research skills, critical thinking and ethical awareness. The module will foster a sense of autonomy, empowering students with a sense of responsibility for their transition to masters-level study.
Formative assessment takes place throughout the module and students are provided with continuous feedback from staff and peers regarding their academic progress. The module is summatively assessed through a portfolio built up over the duration of the module. The portfolio is used to enable Level 6 Design students to show evidence of knowledge and understanding of the broad critical and contextual dimensions of their discipline.
60 credits
This module is delivered in Teaching Block 2 and builds upon your creative experience, practice and skills. Whilst working toward a generic set of aims and learning outcomes, the content of this module will be to a large extent determined by your own interests and ambitions, and in response to the learning and work undertaken in Teaching Block 1.
Through academic guidance and tutoring, you will join in a range of teaching and learning activities best suited to your own creative experience, practice and skills, but will be expected to establish your own individual mode of creative practice.
The module seeks to develop and hone your specific areas of intellectual, creative and practical skills in explicit preparation for further specialist study at masters level (Level 7). Once again, formative assessment takes place throughout the module and you are provided with ongoing feedback on your work.
The module is again summatively assessed through a portfolio of work undertaken throughout the module, and it is through this body of work that you will be required to critically reflect upon your own practice and to situate this within disciplinary and/or subject specialist approaches. This module therefore supports a synthetic approach to developing your own creative practice and constitutes a 'capstone' outcome of your work on the course.
Career opportunities
You’ll complete this course with the creative skills you need to progress to a practice-based masters course. Previous graduates have also gone on to work for design offices, publishing houses, interactive media, film and television companies, fashion houses and advertising agencies worldwide.
Teaching and assessment
When not attending timetabled sessions, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. This typically involves reading and analysing articles, regulations, policy documents and key texts, documenting individual projects, preparing coursework assignments and completing your PEDRs, etc.
Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities including online resources, the library and CANVAS, the University's online virtual learning platform.
As a student at Kingston University, we will make sure you have access to appropriate advice regarding your academic development. You will also be able to use the University's support services.
We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 20 working days.
Student work - Illustration Animation pathway
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Yahan Wang
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Fang Fang Han
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Rebecca Choi
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Liv Ye
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Cecilia Liu
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Jingchen Quan
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Alice Li
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Siman Guo
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Ying Chieh Lee
Fees and funding
| Fee Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| Home (UK students) | Full Time £11,400 |
| International | Full Time £20,700 |
| Fee Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| Home (UK students) | Full Time £10,900 |
| International | Full Time £19,900 |
Additional course costs
Some courses may require additional costs beyond tuition fees. When planning your studies, you’ll want to consider tuition fees, living costs, and any extra costs that might relate to your area of study.
Your tuition fees include costs for teaching, assessment and university facilities. So your access to libraries, shared IT resources and various student support services are all covered. Accommodation and general living expenses are not covered by these fees.
Where applicable, additional expenses for your course may include:
Our libraries have an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as open-access computers and laptops available to rent. However, you may want to buy your own computer or personal copies of key textbooks. Textbooks may range from £50 to £250 per year. And a personal computer can range from £100 to £3,000 depending on your course requirements.
While most coursework is submitted online, some modules may require printed copies. You may want to allocate up to £100 per year for hard-copies of your coursework. It’s worth noting that 3D printing is never compulsory. So if you choose to use our 3D printers, you’ll need to pay for the material. This ranges from 3p per gram to 40p per gram.
Kingston University will pay for all compulsory field trips. Fees for optional trips can range from £30 to £350 per trip.
Your tuition fees don’t cover travel costs. To save on travel costs, you can use our free intersite bus service. This route links the campuses and halls of residence with local train stations - Surbiton, Kingston upon Thames, and Norbiton.
Student work - Fashion pathway
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Ziyuan Huang
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Xuti Zhou
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Yu-Chu Chang
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Yu-Chu Chang
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Zhen Tian
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Yaojing Teng
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Yushi Bai
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Xianzi Yang
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Xianzi Yang
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Tingfei Ding
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Shangjie Yu
How to apply
Before you apply
Please read the entry criteria carefully to make sure you meet all requirements before applying.
How to apply online
Use the course selector drop down at the top of this page to choose your preferred course, start date and mode, then click 'Apply now'. You will be taken to our Online Student Information System (OSIS) where you will complete your application.
If you’re starting a new application, you’ll need to select ‘new user’ and set up a username and password. This will allow you to save and return to your application.
Application deadlines
We encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Applications will close when the course is full.
Information required
If English is not your first language, you’ll need to provide proof of your proficiency. This is usually either an IELTS or TOEFL test certificate. If you don’t have a formal English language qualification, please let us know how you have acquired your proficiency in written and spoken English.
All communications should include your full name and Kingston University ID number. You can find this in your offer letter.
After you apply
If the admission tutor wants to see your portfolio, we will email asking you to upload your zipped portfolio to the OSIS portal within three weeks. If we need more information or want to invite you for an interview, we will be in touch directly. After that you will then hear whether your application has been successful.
Course changes and regulations
The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course. Find out more about course changes
Programme Specifications for the course are published ahead of each academic year.
Regulations governing this course can be found on our website.
What our students and graduates say
It was a fantastic year, learning and creating artworks with talented peers in such an inspiring environment. The most charming thing about the course is that we all came from different backgrounds (fashion, illustration, graphic design etc). This meant our work always came out surprisingly different, even though we were working from the same brief.
Since studying the course, my whole perception of what graphic design is has really changed. I see the environment around me differently now. I also approach design projects in a different way by using conceptual designs to strengthen my approach. I've also learned to really enjoy my design work through using different methods such as drawing, scribbling and writing to enhance my creativity. I feel as though my personal style has developed more, and I now work as a freelancer to use these developed skills.
