FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Please feel free to contact us if we have not managed to answer your question, or for any further information. Please don't hesitate to contact us at any time.
1. How exactly do you operate?
2. Do I have to attend in person?
3. Can I study with you even if I am overseas?
4. Will I need to attend any classroom courses?
5. Can I start this course straight away?
6. How long does it take to complete a course?
7. What if I need more time?
8. Are students overseas allowed extra time to complete their course?
9. How does Home Study work?
10. Are your courses accredited?
11. Are you an academic college?
12. How is work sent and critiqued?
13. How long does it take for my tutor to deal with my work?
14. Can I electronically submit my assignments?
15. Is it safe to post my art work?
16. Is work returned?
17. Do I need any qualifications before I enrol?
18. What qualifications will I receive upon course completion?
19. What is the difference between a Diploma or Certificate course?
20. Are there exams or is it based on coursework?
21. After my course, will I be able to start a degree?
22. I draw/ paint for pleasure, with no interest in selling. Are your courses too commercial for me?
23. Do you ask permission before exhibiting student artwork on the Website and Blog?
24. I've read the details on the website, however I'm not certain which course is right for me?
25. Do you only offer Distance Learning courses?
26. Who offers advice and guidance when I need it?
27. I haven't studied for years! Will I be able to cope?
28. Are there any other costs associated with the courses?
29. Will I need any computer software?
30. Can I order Online?
31. Does the college set a timetable for studies and the submission of work?
32. How do you recognise the achievements of your students on their various courses?
33. If I pay in instalments, will I be sent the whole course at once or will I get the content as I pay my instalments?
34. If I start the course and decide its not suitable for me could I stop paying the instalments?
35. What is a diploma?
1. How exactly do you operate?
Courses can be started at any time. When you enrol, you will receive an email with your login details for 'The Art Room'. This is where you can find the online version of the course and the submission area for coursework. The courses are broken into progressive study units. At various points you are asked to submit assignments which will enable your course tutor to assess your progress. They will provide you with a personal critique following each submission and is available between assignments to give help, advice and guidance as needed. You normally keep the same course tutor throughout your programme. The length of time each course takes varies according to how much time you have available. An average student working 4-6 hours a week will finish a Diploma course in around twelve months and a Certificate course in half this time, but we allow all students up to two years to complete their studies. Assignments can be submitted electronically, using scans or photographs, or through the post.
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2. Do I have to attend in person?
No. All of our art courses are home study. You can study in the leisure of your own home at your own pace.
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3. Can I study with you even if I am outside the UK?
Yes! We currently have a significant number of overseas students enrolled with us. The complete written course is available to view and download online. Assignments and critiques can be submitted electronically as photographs or scans.
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4. Will I need to attend any classroom courses?
No. There are no face to face sessions and the College Diploma (which we have been awarding since 1931) is based on evaluation of your submitted work. This can be sent electronically or by post.
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5. Can I start the Course Straight Away?
Yes. You can start as soon as you enrol and receive your login details for the course which is available to view/ download within the Art Room.
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6. How long does it take to complete a course?
Most of our students study with us part-time. We believe that the average student working 4-6 hours a week can expect to complete a certificate course in around six months and a diploma course in twelve. We allow all students up to two years to complete their studies and a course extension of an additional year can be purchased if required.
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7. What if I need more time?
Obviously the college needs to plan the allocation of work to our course tutors carefully to ensure they are able to give each student personal attention and support. If students enrol and then "disappear" for a long period, it can cause problems when they suddenly reappear - sometimes years later. For this reason we do ask students to keep in touch when, for whatever reason, they need to take a break from their studies. The college allows up to 2 years for the completion of the course. If more time is required a course extension of an additional year can be purchased.
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8. Are students overseas allowed extra time to complete their course?
We strongly recommend that overseas students use the Art Room to submit their coursework as this will remove delays from postage. As we give up to two years to complete all the courses no extra time should be required, but an additional year of tuition can be purchased if required.
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9. How does Home Study work?
Our carefully written courses cover much the same areas as might be covered by your local college. However, unlike your local college, home study means that you work entirely from home, completely in your own time and without ever having to attend classes or lectures. Each course is supplied complete in itself.
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10. Are your courses accredited?
The courses are not accredited. The college holds accreditation from BSI for the provision of distance learning art courses, but the courses themselves do not carry any academic credits. The courses are designed for students who are seeking personal development rather than academic qualifications.
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11. Are you an academic college?
We are a vocational, not an academic college.
Our courses are primarily intended for the
enjoyment and personal enrichment of our students, rather than for pursuing
formal academic qualifications. While we do welcome students of all ages and
backgrounds, it's important to understand that our programs do not lead to
traditional academic credits or formal certifications. Instead, they offer a
creative and fulfilling experience that allows individuals to explore their
interests and passions in a relaxed and enjoyable learning environment. We
believe in the value of learning for the sake of personal growth and
fulfillment, and our courses are designed with this philosophy in mind.
12. How is work sent and critiqued?
Each course is divided into progressive study units and at various points students are asked to submit coursework to their tutor to consider and critique. The critiques are produced individually in response to each submission. Thus the student builds up a reference library of their original study units, their tutor's critiques and a growing portfolio of their own work.
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13. How long does it take for my tutor to deal with my work?
Our tutors are often professional artists as well as qualified teachers. They lead busy lives and cannot always respond immediately to work when it is received. The tutors to endeavour to send students their critiques within 28 days, but usually the critique will be sent back within a couple of weeks and sometimes much faster. There will be times in holiday periods or when services are disrupted for other reasons when it may take longer, but even then it would be very unusual if it exceeded a month. Where there have been delays for reasons outside the student's control, the college will always grant the student an extension of time to complete their studies.
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14. Can I electronically submit my assignments?
On enrolment you will be issued login information for your own student area where you will find a downloadable version of the course and the area to upload your coursework to the tutor. This can be done using scans or digital photographs. We have help files on how to do this.
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15. Is it safe to post my work?
We have worked with tens of thousands of students over the years, from all parts of the world. In our experience the post is still a very reliable method for moving artwork between student and college and vice versa. It is very unusual indeed for work to go missing, but if you are concerned about this please upload your coursework to us using your student account.
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16. Is posted coursework returned?
Yes, all work is returned.
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17. Do I need any qualifications before I enrol?
No previous experience or qualifications are required. However, many students really improve their confidence with either the ‘Beginners Drawing’ or ‘Beginners Painting’ before going onto other courses, when they might otherwise have struggled initially.
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18. What Qualifications will I receive once I have completed my course?
We are a vocational not an academic college and therefore the course does not carry academic credits. The courses will teach you the basic principles and will encourage you to develop a personal style of working which can be helpful in helping you stand out from the crowd. You will be encouraged to develop a portfolio of work that should be useful later. You do not need any qualifications to enrol.
19. What is the difference between a Diploma or a Certificate course?
Diploma courses cover subjects in greater depth and usually in a broader way, they normally take about 12 months to complete. Certificate courses tend to be more specialised covering a tighter syllabus and can normally be completed in a bit over 6 months.
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20. Are there any Exams or is it based on coursework?
There are no exams. The courses are very hands on and you will be encouraged to produce plenty of artwork for a portfolio which will be useful for any further courses or career development.
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21. After my course, will I be able to start a degree?
Your course does not carry academic credits but while on the course you will be encouraged to develop a portfolio of work that could be built upon for further courses. Discuss your aims with your tutor as soon as possible for guidance. We also advise talking to the establishment you wish to undertake the degree with about the value they place on a portfolio.
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22. I draw and paint for pleasure. I have no interest in selling my work or services. Are your courses too commercial for me?
We recognise today that many people are leisure artists gaining the rewards they need from simply producing good work for their own pleasure. We are very happy to include leisure artists on any of our courses. Everyone wants to improve as an artist and many of our courses are very well suited to help students develop as artists irrespective of whether or not they want ultimately to make money from their art. Our tutors are very experienced to help students identify what they want as individuals from their chosen course. Our programmes are very flexible and the tutor can help students maximise the benefits to be obtained.
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23. Do you ask permission before exhibiting student artwork on the Website and Blog?
We find students are very happy to see examples of their work featured on our web site for short periods and we have never had a complaint on this subject. We would of course, respect the wishes of any student who told us they do not want their work recognised in this way.
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24. I've read the details on the website, however I'm still not certain about which course is right for me?
If you have any queries please telephone us on Freephone (in the UK) 0800 3280 465 for a friendly and relaxed discussion about your requirements. From outside the UK you can contact us on +44 1905770832.
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25. Do you only offer Distance Learning courses?
Yes. Since it was founded in 1931 the London Art College has specialised in producing carefully constructed written art courses, fully illustrated, for Home Study. We were the first UK dedicated art college of our type and we have a reputation for excellence that we are justly proud of. Our courses have helped students around the world to improve as artists, cartoonists and illustrators. We have a strong vocational approach to assist those students who want to turn their artistic ability into a source of income, to succeed. Courses are carefully constructed using the most modern methods of teaching and are supported by tutors chosen for their competence as artists as well as their undoubted ability as communicators.
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26. Who offers me advice, help and guidance when I need it?
Our carefully written courses cover much the same areas as might be covered by your local college. However, unlike your local college, home study means that you work entirely from home, completely in your own time and without ever having to attend classes or lectures. Each course is supplied complete in itself. Each student is allocated a course tutor who normally looks after them throughout the time they are studying with the college. Your course tutor will respond to questions between assignments and will send a personal critique each time you send in coursework.
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27. I haven't studied for years! Will I be able to cope?
Distance learning allows you to study your course without being tied down to fixed terms, time limits and attending college. Study when and where it suits you. This flexibility means that there is no pressure to meet deadlines and allows you to progress at your own pace. Many of our students are returning to art as a hobby and find the courses a good fit for their lifestyles as they fit easily around other commitments.
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28. Are there any other costs associated with the course?
The cost of the courses covers all monies due to the college, but excludes art materials, paper etc... which should be available locally at relatively modest cost.
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29. Will I need any specific computer software on any of the courses?
The courses themselves do not need specific software, except for the Digital Illustration course and both of the programmes required for that are Freeware; gimp and inkscape.
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30. Can I order online?
Yes! We use a fully secure online enrolment form which uses secure sockets layer (SSL), a combination of public and private key encryption. This provides a highly secure as well as fast means of both encryption and authentication. However, if you'd prefer not to enrol online, it's just as easy to enrol over the phone. Please see our course pages for more details. Once you have enrolled with us you receive your course login details by email within 1 working day
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31. Does the college set a timetable for studies and the submission of work?
Not normally. We recognise that individual students have their own priorities and differing demands on their time. We recommend that students try to establish a set way of working that suits them personally and that they set themselves targets for the submission of work. However the college does not insist that students work to a preset timetable.
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32. How do you recognise the achievements of your students on their various courses?
The college was established in 1931 and has always issued it's own prestigious Diplomas/ Certificates to recognise performance on our programmes. Awards are made at three levels; Pass; Pass with Merit; Pass with Distinction. We are a vocational, not an academic college, but the value of our Letter of Completion/Certificates and Diplomas in the wider world is supported by our Accreditation by the British Standards Institute (BSi).
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33. If I pay in instalments, will I be sent the whole course at once or will I get the content as I pay my instalments?
When someone enrols, we give access to the complete course. The student then has fourteen days to decide if the course is suitable. During this period it can be returned for a full refund of the fee paid so long as the course materials are not damaged.
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34. If I start the course and decide its not suitable for me could I stop paying the instalments?
After enrolment you have fourteen days to decide if the course is suitable. During this period it can be returned for a full refund of the fee paid so long as the course materials are not damaged. After the fourteen days, there is a legal obligation to continue the monthly payments until full payment is made. Obviously if there are special reasons why a person needs to drop out, we may waive our rights to further payments, but this is at our discretion.
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35. What is a diploma?
For our international students who are unfamiliar with these, a diploma is a qualification similar to a certificate. Our courses are not academic qualifications but are London Art College awards, showing completion of the courses to a particular standard.
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