A Sussex college is offering its first degree course.

Students studying art and design at Hastings College will be able to opt for a one-year course to turn their Higher National Diploma (HND) qualifications into a Bachelor of Arts degree.

The move came after inspectors from the University of Brighton approved the college as a degree centre.

Conceptual artists and Turner Prize nominees Jake and Dinos Chapman both passed through the college as did Sam Taylor-Wood.

Andrew Aloof, head of art and design at the college, said: "This is a brilliant opportunity for our talented students.

"It says something about the calibre of teaching that we have plenty of students keen to sign up."

Lisa Green, who finished her HND this year, will be in the first crop of students to return in July 2004 to study for her degree.

She said: "I'm very excited about the course, it's a great opportunity for me and something I couldn't have done before. A lot of people will welcome a local degree course."

Friday August 29, 2003