Make the most of these extraordinary times and gain a nationally-recognised qualification. A short online course is a significant first step to improving your skills and achieving your career goals.
Level 3
Furniture Design and Making – Level 3 Diploma
COURSE OVERVIEW
The furniture team welcomes you to join a department that sits amongst the best in the country. A centre of excellence designed around one objective: to bring out the very best you can be.
What will you achieve?
You will develop your knowledge, practical skills and experience to achieve an exemplary standard of craftsmanship. You will plan and manage your own projects, from design concept through to production, with a focus on commercial viability, and in a workshop environment that has been designed to emulate industry as closely as possible. You will achieve the ability to plan and manage a small production project in teams. A core component of the course involves building complex jigs and advanced construction techniques.
How will you achieve this?
You will complete three projects throughout the year, all of which will challenge your ability to achieve high quality, intricate work at different scales. The first project involves a brief which will introduce you to the design process. In the second and third project you will produce designs that you will prototype, evaluate and realise. One project will involve batch production and the other project will be guided by you. This will develop your organisational, problem-solving and teamwork abilities.
FURTHER INFORMATION
You are not required to have any prior furniture qualifications.
GCSEs: You will need a minimum of 5 GCSEs between 9 – 4 (or A* -; C). This must include GCSE (or equivalent) English and Mathematics with grade 4 or higher in each (or grade C or better).
You will be interviewed by a member of the furniture team and we may ask you to share with us a portfolio that can be used as a discussion point at interview to assess your suitability for the course.
Admissions enquiries
If you have any questions about the entry requirements or the application process, please contact us on admissions@chichester.ac.uk.
Our focus is to prepare and support you as you advance into a career within the furniture industry.
You may want to progress onto our level four foundation degree in furniture manufacturing.
This level three course provides an excellent foundation for entering product design courses at higher education institutions.
You will complete several units that are assessed throughout the year.
- A design portfolio for each of the three projects
- A prototyping portfolio and project
- A production planning assignment
- Complex clamping and finishing
- Design history
Course Costs
You will be advised on how to source the necessary materials and fittings required for each project.
You will be supplied with safety glasses, gloves, a face mask and ear-plugs at the beginning of the course. This Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) will require a small one-off payment from you at enrolment and will be valid for the entire year.
Course Fees
If you are a home student and are under 19 at the beginning of your course, you do not have to pay tuition or exam fees for the majority of courses. If you are 19 or over when you start your course, you will have to contribute to your course fees in line with government guidelines.
For further information about course fees, please visit: https://www.chichester.ac.uk/college-life/financial-support/course-fee-information.
Financial Support
We understand that financial matters are an important consideration for our students and that everyone’;s circumstances are different. Please visit our financial support page for further information on what support is available: https://www.chichester.ac.uk/college-life/financial-support
If you have any questions regarding student finance, please email studentfinance@chigroup.ac.uk and one of our team will be in touch to help.
The third year course involves a teaching style that focusses on enabling you to develop your independence as a furniture maker.
You will have freedom in your choice of design and the autonomy to explore and develop cutting edge craft techniques, such as laminating and steam bending, whilst being supported by an expert team of professionals, all of which have spent time working in industry themselves.
Each year learners can enter a range of competitions at a regional, national and international level. We have trained students to successfully progress from national competitions in their first year to compete for gold medals at international competition in their subsequent years with us.
Each year we host an End of Year show. This is a fantastic opportunity to display your work, to celebrate your new skills, cement friendships that you have forged during the year and meet with top industry employers.
*FREE* Online short courses
Financial support
The applicable fees for this course, including any available discounts, will be listed in the information above.
How to apply
Once you have created an account, you can easily apply to your chosen course and track the status of your application at any time.
HOW THE APPLICATION PROCESS WORKS
Step 1
Set Up Your Account
You’ll be prompted to create an account which will allow you to log in to our Application Tracker website whenever you wish. This will provide you with important information and you can also track the progress of your application.
Step 2
Apply
Complete each step of the application form and then submit your completed form. We’ll let you know when we’ve safely received it with an acknowledgement email.
Step 3
Application Review Meeting
Before offering you a place at college, we’ll meet with you (either in person, by telephone or online). We’ll send you a link to our booking page where you can select a time that’s convenient for you.
Step 4
Accept Your Place
Offers will be sent to you via the email address you have provided. The offer will be conditional, based on predicted GCSE grades. You’ll need to accept your offer within 14 days to secure your place.
Step 5
What next?
Once you receive your GCSE results, you’ll need to get in touch with the college to inform us of them and start your enrolment process.
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