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University of the West of Scotland


Courses

Creative Media Practice

Creativity and culture and the consolidation of the digital and knowledge economies have been identified by government as essential to Scotland’s global development.

The MA Creative Media Practice is a new and innovative programme focusing on the development of your knowledge, understanding and creative and technical skills in the fast-moving areas of screen and broadcast, digital content creation and the wider creative industries. Aimed at graduates from a wide range of disciplines, as well as industry professionals seeking to enhance or diversify their skills, the programme has been designed with industry input, including consultation with Scottish Screen and Skillset.

The programme aims to appeal to students with a wide range of career aspirations – whether your interests lie in developing a career in post-production/editing; working as an independent producer; film/TV scriptwriter; director; development producer for television; documentary maker; writer and producer/developer for digital media; motion graphics/ production designer; or film-maker/motion graphics designer.

The programme’s flexibility enables you to combine study of core modules with option modules relevant to your career aspirations, and to select from a number of professional creative workshops and intensive courses that will broaden and deepen your existing knowledge and abilities.

Informed by research excellence and expert professional practice, the programme is designed to bring out your individual potential, guiding
you towards the achievement of excellence in a range of current creative media practice, while gaining the critical focus which will enable you to develop, respond flexibly to new opportunities, and sustain your career in the longer term.

There will be regular contact with a wide range of industry experts and specialist industry mentors will work directly with students. This input will help meet the needs of individual students, assist new entrants to the industries to gain a credible foothold, and allow those who need to adapt to the demands of new times and new technologies to do so with confidence.


The project-focused nature of much of the assessment ensures that “live” projects are encouraged, giving you the chance to develop your professional career alongside your studies.

Creative Media Practice graduates will have developed –
• advanced skills and knowledge
• a sound critical awareness of this rapidly developing area
• a developed understanding of their own practice areas
• an effective portfolio of creative project work and production credits
• a valuable network of creative and professional contacts

Course Contents

There are three stages to the programme. You can exit with the Postgraduate Certificate in Creative Media Practice (60 credits), the Postgraduate Diploma in Creative Media Practice (120 credits) or the MA in Creative Media Practice (180 credits including Masters project).

Postgraduate Certificate

Core modules (20 credits each at SCQF 11 unless otherwise noted) include:
• Creative Skills 1
• Critical Media Contexts

Students also choose one of a range of options including:
• Creative Media Practice
• Motion Graphics (SCQF 10)
• Producing for Film & Television (SCQF 10)
• Producing Factual Formats (SCQF 10)

Postgraduate Diploma

• Creative Skills 2
• Collaborative Project (interdisciplinary project)
• Research: Critical Development

MA

• Masters Creative Project (60 credits) - you will carry out a substantial practice-led research project, for example, a feature screenplay or a documentary or digital media project, with written contextualisation. >

Career Prospects

The range of careers in the screen and broadcast industries which students go into will be partly determined by their own interests before they come onto the course and as they develop on the course. You might specialise in post-production/editing; work as an independent producer, film and television scriptwriter, director, development producer for television, documentary maker, writer and producer/developer for digital media; or specialise in motion graphics/production design. The programme will also appeal to those involved in design for the moving image and can prepare people for a career as an artist filmmaker/motion graphics designer.

Professional Recognition

Accreditation from Skillset is currently being sought.

Funding Studies

Under a new Government initiative launched in 2009, a number of funded places for part-time Diploma study of the programme were offered to candidates meeting SAAS (Student Awards Agency for Scotland) eligibility criteria. For details of possible funding for 2010 entry contact University Direct on 0800 027 1000 or email uni-direct@uws.ac.uk

CAMPUS

  • Ayr

QUALIFICATION & DURATION

  • MA - Full-time/part-time 12-16 months/2-3 years
  • PG Diploma - Full-time/part-time 9 months/2 years

LINKS

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

  • Entry to the MA is open to those possessing an Honours degree (minimum lower second) or equivalent. Students possessing an Ordinary degree (with a mark average of 50%) or equivalent, can apply to enrol on the Postgraduate Diploma and, on successful completion, transfer to the MA programme. Applicants with relevant equivalent qualifications and/or professional experience will also be considered.

CONTACT

FURTHER INFORMATION