Creative Media BA (Hons)
What makes Creative Media at Worcester special?
Creative Media BA Hons (formerly Creative Digital Media) is an innovative new course, noted for its breadth of study, excellent employability aspects, opportunities to try new and emerging fields and the encouragement to experiment. With digital media driving how we interact with each other and the world, expertise in digital design has never been so highly sought after; the creative industries generate £9.6 million every hour for the UK economy.
This is a course designed by professionals to produce professionals in the fields of creative direction, visual effects and motion graphics, photography, film, sound, animation, graphic and web design. At Worcester, we don’t just want to teach you how to use a camera or design a magazine page, we support your development as a multi-skilled digital creative design professional. Alongside your exploration of a range of established and emerging media, you will build innovative insights that will help inform and drive your creative skills, as well as the real-world industry experience and diverse portfolio you will need to launch your career.
Key features
- State-of-the-art facilities including the Digital Arts Centre with broadcast standard film and sound studios, as well as photography studios with green screen and industry standard mac computer suites
- Extensive industry links, including live professional briefs run in collaboration with major national organisations, expert guest lecturers and our own highly commercially experienced staff team
- With modules in visual effects and motion graphics, photography, film, sound design, innovation, graphic and web design, you can develop the multi-disciplinary expertise required in this rapidly evolving sector
- Showcase your talent with our final year Degree Show - a prestigious private view opens the exhibition, your chance to share your work with top industry professionals for employment opportunities
It's not too late to apply!
Entry requirements
What qualifications will you need?
104
UCAS tariff points
Entry requirements
104 UCAS tariff points.
Shortlisted applicants are invited to attend for interview and to provide a portfolio for consideration.
Other information
If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the Admissions Office on 01905 855111 or email admissions@worc.ac.uk for advice.
Further information about the UCAS Tariff can be obtained from http://www.ucas.com
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Book your placeCourse content
What will you study?
Here is an overview of current modules available on this course. Regular updates may mean that exact module titles may differ.
Year 1 |
Mandatory
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Optional
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Year 2 |
Mandatory
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Optional
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Year 3 |
Mandatory
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Optional
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Case study
Georgi Chalakov
I have always aimed, from an early age, to have a successful career and be prepared for it. The University of Worcester certainly is what shaped my path to achieve my goal. I have spent three years with some of the most inspiring people and lecturers. People who aim to do and be more, therefore motivate you to develop. I was expected to use many different devices and techniques, and to think creatively. One of the most important things for me was the diverse range of modules you can study. Undoubtedly, this played a major role in my first year as I could pick what I enjoyed doing the most and shape it into a career in the following two years. One of the biggest opportunities you have is the Degree Show at the end of the course. Being able to showcase your work in front of many people and companies is key to a potential career. An industry creative spotted my work at the Show and now I am a Junior Designer at the Midlands’ biggest digital agency.
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Case study
Sophie Smith
The staff are amazing, each individual specialising in their subject area, making learning opportunities endless. The course has helped me to pursue my own business venture. Since leaving University, myself and a fellow graduate Sophie Knight have set up a wedding photography and film business - the course not only helped me to develop my skill set and knowledge, but also taught me to design our business identity and professional practice. The whole experience at the University of Worcester is amazing, from the community, to the staff, to the facilities. I cannot thank the University enough for how its prepared me for the future.
Teaching and Assessment
How will you be taught?
The University places emphasis on enabling students to develop the independent learning capabilities that will equip you for lifelong learning and future employment, as well as academic achievement. A mixture of independent study, teaching and academic support through the personal academic tutoring system enables you to reflect on progress and build up a profile of skills, achievements and experiences that will enable you to flourish and be successful.
Teaching
You are taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials and individual research activities.
The subject of Creative Media lends itself to a wide range of assessment methods, many of which help prepare for employment. These include lectures, seminars, practical workshops, tutorial activities, group work, independent individual research, digital media artefact analyses, report writing, portfolios, independent and group presentations, blogs and learning journals.
Studio workshops take a variety of formats and are intended to enable the application of learning through discussion and small group activities. Seminars enable the discussion and development of understanding of topics covered in lectures, and studio software practicals are focused on developing subject specific skills.
In addition, meetings with personal academic tutors are scheduled on at least 4 occasions in the first year and three occasions in each of the other years of a course. You have an opportunity to undertake live industry projects.
You use industry-standard design software and have access to state-of-the-art mac studio facilities throughout the course.
Contact time
In a typical week you will have around 12 contact hours of teaching. The precise contact hours will depend on the optional modules selected and in the final year you will normally have slightly less contact time in order to do more independent study.
Typically, during each of the four sessions, contact time will be structured around:
- 1 hour of whole group lectures
- 1 hour of group work or seminar discussion
- 1 hour of practical workshops
followed by 1 hour of tutorial-based activities
Independent self-study
In addition to the contact time, you are expected to undertake around 24 hours of personal self-study per week. Typically, this will involve designing and developing practical work, reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group project briefs, undertaking research in the library and online, preparing coursework and presentations.
Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, The Digital Arts Centre, the Printing Room, the Hive and library resources, the virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources.
Assessment
The course provides opportunities to test understanding and learning informally through the completion of practice or ‘formative’ assignments. Each module has one or more formal or ‘summative’ assessments which are graded and count towards the overall module grade.
Assessment methods include:
- Practical media output
- Presentations to the module tutor or group
- Pre-production and production
- Online blogs
- Written learning journal
- Learning reports or reflective critical evaluation.
The precise assessment requirements for an individual student in an academic year will vary according to the mandatory and optional modules taken, but a typical formal summative assessment pattern for each year of the course is:
Year 1
- No exams
- 6 x practical media pieces with blog / learning journal
- 6 x Learning reports / reflective critical analyses
- 2 Presentations
Year 2
- No exams
- 4-6 x practical media pieces with blog / learning journal
- 8 Learning reports / reflective critical analyses
- 1 Presentation
Year 3
- No exams
- 3 x practical media pieces with blog / learning journal
- 4 Learning reports / reflective critical analyses
- 1 Group Practical
- 1 Group Presentation
- 1 Degree Show
- Major Independent Study Practical with 3000 word learning report
Feedback
You will receive feedback on practice assessments and on formal assessments undertaken by coursework. Feedback is also given on a regular basis during sessions. Feedback is intended to support learning and you are encouraged to discuss further with personal academic tutors and module tutors as appropriate, and we welcome requests for one-to-one tutorials.
Peer assessment is carried out in small teams to inform you of peer feedback prior to formal hand in of each module.
We aim to provide you with feedback on formal course work assessments within 20 working days of hand-in.
Meet the team
You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. The team includes senior academics, academic staff who are also current professional practitioners with industry experience, technical demonstrators and a technical support team.
Teaching is informed by the research and consultancy, and all permanent course lecturers have a higher education teaching qualification or are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy.
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Helen Holmes
Helen is the Course Leader for Creative Media, and your first point of contact. She graduated from De Montfort University with a degree in Graphic Design and has extensive professional industry experience in design for the community, corporate identity, advertising, branding, web design, print and - her speciality - typography. She has a PGCHE and is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Helen teaches Live Briefs, Industry Collaboration and Professional Practice for third years, and helps students to prepare for their final year Degree Show to optimize employability.
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Paul Hazell
Before becoming a full-time academic, Paul worked as a freelance multimedia designer while lecturing part-time at Falmouth School of Art and Design. Paul’s research interests also include aspects of pedagogy in applied media education. Paul has a PhD in Design History: Properties, functions and value complexes: exploring critical factors in the emergence of the utility Land Rover as an ‘automotive icon'. Paul teaches Photography and is the Design Research Co-ordinator for the Digital Arts.
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Steve Waldron
Steve studied Motion Design at University before working in the video production industry for several years. Specialising in moving image, Steve has worked with clients from the world of education, healthcare, telecommunications and business startups, to help them to communicate with prospective customers. Steve is on hand to assist with all manner of moving image projects, from filming and editing, to motion graphics and visual effects and teaches in the first year.
Final Year Art Shows
Visit the websiteThe Worcester Degree Shows are the culmination of work from students on the University of Worcester's arts courses.
Careers
Where could it take you?
Employability
Our interdisciplinary approach gives flexibility and a wider view of the world, which is attractive to employers. Employability is at the heart of our course, with extensive industry links and live professional projects in collaboration with national organisations, expert guest speakers, and a commercially-experienced staff team. The media industries demand innovative creative practitioners withmulti-disciplinary skills, and the ability to think strategically. Our course has been designed to nurture graduates who can fulfil this requirement, as well as shape the future of the industry.
This course also provides an ideal base from which to go on to postgraduate study.
Graduates have succeeded in a variety of careers that include:
Creative Direction
Digital Design in motion graphics and
visual effects
Graphic Design
Web Design
Animation
Video production
Teacher Training
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Case study
Sophie Knight
While studying at the University of Worcester, I have learnt various new skill sets which have enabled me to pursue my own career in the digital arts. The constant help and support of fellow tutors has driven me to accomplish my goals, achieve new learning outcomes and experience many different mediums available within such a flexible and broad course.
There are so many opportunities available throughout this course, each tutor there to push you throughout the three years to become a successful individual in your own creative field. Due to this, myself and another peer Sophie Smith have built our own wedding photography and videography business which wouldn't have been possible without the support of fellow tutors, helping to push our brand identity into a competitive market and adapt into creative individuals.
My time at the university studying this course has been nothing but positive, I have learnt so many new skills and have opened my mind to the various opportunities this course offers. The high standard of lecturers, classes, facilities and scope has made my experience something I will never forget, the support received has helped prepare me for a bright future within the creative field.
Costs
How much will it cost?
Full-time tuition fees |
UK and EU studentsThe standard tuition fee for full-time UK and EU students registering in the academic year 2018/19 will be £9,250 per year. For more details, please visit our course fees page. |
International studentsThe standard tuition fee for full-time international (non-EU) students registering in the academic year 2018/19 will be £12,100 per year. For more details, please visit our course fees page. |
Part-time tuition fees |
UK and EU studentsThe standard tuition fees for part-time UK and EU students registering on this course in the academic year 2018/19 will be £1,156 per 15-credit module, £1,542 per 20 credit module and £2,313 per 30-credit module. For more details, please visit our course fees page. |
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Additional costs |
Every course has day-to-day costs for basic books, stationery, printing and photocopying. The amounts vary between courses. If your course offers a placement opportunity, you may need to pay for a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check. |
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Accommodation |
Finding the right accommodation is paramount to your university experience, and our welcoming student communities are great places to live and study. We have over 1,000 rooms across our halls of residence. With rooms to suit every budget and need, from our 'Traditional Hall' at £98 per week to 'En-suite Extra' at £159 per week. For full details visit our accommodation page. |
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Apply
How do you apply?
Applying through UCAS
Single Honours:
Creative Media BA - W212 BA/CDM
Joint Honours:
See our Creative Media degrees page for Joint Honours options.
UCAS is the central organisation through which applications are processed for entry onto full-time undergraduate courses in Higher Education in the UK.
Read our How to apply pages for more information on applying and to find out what happens to your application.
Get in touch
If you have any questions, please get in touch. We're here to help you every step of the way.
Admissions office
01905 855111
admissions@worc.ac.uk
Course leader
Helen Holmes
01905 85 5496
h.holmes@worc.ac.uk
