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BA (Hons) Special Make-up Effects for Film and Television with foundation year

BA (Hons) Special Make-up Effects for Film and Television with foundation year

Award

BA (Hons)

Start Date

To be confirmed

Duration

4 years

Mode

Full-time

Location

University of Bolton

UCAS Points

48

UCAS Code

W711

Are you eager to bring characters to life through make-up, hair and prosthetics? Our BA (Hons) Special Make-up Effects for Film and Television with foundation year course focuses on helping you develop the specialist and highly requested skills needed to impress decision-makers in make-up for film and television departments. We offer fantastic facilities, experienced staff, and industry guest speakers to prepare you for a career in this highly in-demand creative pathway.

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Course Overview

Many television shows and movies, from biopics to sci-fi, horror, and history, need special make-up effects to enhance their on-screen storytelling. University of Bolton graduates have gone on to work on an array of films and television series, recently including Ackley Bridge, Coronation Street, Ant Man (2023), and Napoleon (2023).

Our BA (Hons) Special Make-up Effects for Film and Television with foundation year course will equip you with key practical techniques in both traditional and contemporary methodologies. The course explores digital sculpting, face scanning, hair skills, mouldmaking processes, and prosthetics and make-up application techniques.

The foundation year allows you to discover and strengthen research, design, practical and communication skills that are essential for success as you study Special Make-up Effects for Film and Television. You'll explore an array of core techniques relating to the creative arts industries, including drawing, painting, sculpting, and finishing techniques, investigating both traditional and digital technologies. The foundation year also aims to build your confidence in academic skills such as literature searching, academic referencing and written and oral communication techniques.

As you progress through the course, you'll gain experience collaborating with other creative subject areas, such as modelmaking and creature effects, film and television production, and photography at the university. You'll also have the opportunity to engage with live briefs and feedback from renowned industry professionals. Additionally, you'll undertake contextual studies relating to special make-up effects in film and television, ensuring you have a critical understanding of this creative industry and are prepared to progress in your future career.

By studying for your degree at the University of Bolton, you can develop essential knowledge and understanding of special make-up effects techniques and practices while experiencing life at our supportive, student-focused, multicultural campus. You'll also benefit from our close proximity to two of the most vibrant cities in England: Manchester and Liverpool.

Highlights

Key Features

Entry Requirements

Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.

Career Opportunities

The University of Bolton's BA (Hons) Special Make-up Effects for Film and Television with foundation year programme promotes the knowledge and skills the industry expects from graduates wanting to embark on this highly creative career. Throughout the course, we'll support you in gaining recognised practical skills in make-up effects and highly regarded skills in organisation, communication, and professionalism.

As this creative field continually evolves, we also focus on helping you develop curiosity and lifelong learning skills, preparing you to keep up to date with new and upcoming special make-up effects techniques. We'll ensure you're ready to adapt by exploring many of the strategies you'll need to use in your career journey.

What can I do with this qualification?

As a graduate, you may work directly for a production company or be self-employed. You could pursue your career in a workshop-type environment, where for special make-up effects, roles can consist within sculpting, 3D scanning, casting, moulding, silicone repair and hair finishing.

You could also find employment working on set within hair, make-up and special make-up effects departments which can include, wrapping hair for wigs or bald cap applications, taking continuity notes, applying prosthetic pieces, touch ups and maintaining make-up designs during filming and assisting with make-up and prosthetic removal.

Alternative career options

Graduates can use this qualification as a stepping-stone into many other careers. Some of these roles may require relevant experience and/or postgraduate study. Possible areas include:

  • Medical prosthetics
  • Education
  • Hair integration systems and wig-making for hair loss
  • Digital concepting for clients
  • Mannequin making for medical simulation
Fees & Funding

Home/EU Fees

No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.

International Fees

No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.

Bursaries

Click here for more information about the scholarships and bursaries available to University of Bolton students.

Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2025-26 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.

The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.

How to apply

Home Applicants

Course application details are unavailable at present

International Applicants

Course application details are unavailable at present

Partner Organisation Applicants

Option currently unavailable.

Teaching & Assessment

We use a wide variety of teaching and learning methods to help you achieve your potential, and you can expect our blended style to include practical demonstrations, lectures, seminars, tutorials, self-directed learning, practical workshops, and online learning.

Lectures introduce the core course content, while seminars allow you to explore subjects in greater detail. Practical skills and techniques are gained through technical introduction and support, workshop sessions, demonstrations, and activity-based assignments. Tutorials allow you to ask questions, ensuring you understand the topics covered in lectures and workshop sessions.

Guest lectures and visits give you opportunities to engage with and learn from respected professionals working in areas within or relating to special make-up effects. Our highly practical and project-based approach promotes active learning, and our specialist facilities create realistic industry-like learning environments. Our project modules encourage you to interact and collaborate with students specialising in both your own and other areas of special and visual effects, as well as film and television production, helping to give you a taste of working on group and multidisciplinary projects.

Personal and independent study is essential, and you should expect to devote a significant amount of time to activities such as project work, background reading, preparation for seminars and tutorials, research, design and creative thought.

In terms of assessment, you can expect practical applications, coursework, portfolios investigating practice, case studies, interviews, and presentations. As far as possible, we set project-based coursework that simulates professional situations. These pieces contribute to your final mark and allow you to demonstrate that you have met the learning outcomes.

Modules

The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.

  • Materials and Processes
  • Information and Interpretation
  • Digital
  • Creative Project
  • Film and Television Contexts
  • The Principles of Make-up and Hair Effects
  • Hybrid Design in Make-up Effects
  • Screen Industry Careers
  • Digital Design and Production for Prosthetic Application
  • Prosthetics and Hair Integration
  • Research and Planning
  • Industry Project
  • Major Project
  • Professional Practice

Assessment methods

Level Assessment method
Level 0 Coursework 78%
Practical exams 22%
Level 1 Coursework 70%
Practical exams 30%
Level 2 Coursework 60%
Practical exams 30%
Level 3 Coursework 50%
Practical exams 50%

Learning Activities

Level Activity
Level 0 Guided independent study 55%
Scheduled learning and teaching activities 45%
Level 1 Guided independent study 59%
Scheduled learning and teaching activities 41%
Level 2 Guided independent study 59%
Scheduled learning and teaching activities 41%
Level 3 Guided independent study 68%
Scheduled learning and teaching activities 32%

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.

Postgraduate Options

Programme Contacts

Help Centre

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Help Centre

We have the answers to your questions, find all the advice and support in one place.

Part of the University of Bolton Group

Bolton college
Alliance learning
Anderton centre2
QQA Scheme Participant