Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design with Foundation Year

at Middlesex University London United Kingdom

Theatre and the creative industries are one of the fastest-growing sectors in the UK and the theatre industry is changing rapidly. Our innovative degree will allow you to gain the skills you need to build a portfolio career in the arts. You'll have many opportunities to collaborate and work within the industry while exploring a range of diverse specialisms that will place you at the forefront of emerging design practices.

This course has been designed to develop your skills and talents as a designer while equipping you with a wide range of theatre-making and production skills that give you the ability to put your creative ideas into action. We have a long-held reputation in industry for producing innovative, highly-skilled and thoughtful graduates who go on to challenge conventions and re-shape how theatre is made and seen.

As well as scenographic and technical training with leading practitioners, you'll discover a range of production skills essential to making theatre, allowing you to build a wide portfolio of skills and specialisms that will make you highly employable and enable you to build a career in the arts.

If you’re wondering whether to choose a university course or a drama school, Middlesex offers the best of both worlds by combining highly practical teaching and a wide range of production opportunities with the chance to closely examine why and how theatre is made, giving you the freedom to pursue your interests and discover what makes you unique as a designer and practitioner.

Course highlights

• Learn all the practical and critical skills needed to produce innovative, cutting-edge theatre for contemporary audiences
• Design and produce work in our five on-campus theatre venues, and at partner venues across London and internationally
• Opportunities to collaborate with students, professionals and partner organizations are embedded in every part of your program
• All students have the opportunity to participate in a work placement or a professional case study
• Option to specialize in directing and opt onto the BA Theatre Directing and Production exit award in your final year.

You enrol on a four-year course, which includes the one-year foundation course. If you complete this year successfully you progress directly onto one of our three-year degree courses in these subject areas. The number of students who progress to degree study are very high - in fact some of these students have gone on to become some of our most successful graduates.

BA Criminology (Criminal Justice)

Our criminal justice degree approaches the subject from a theoretical, research-informed, and practice-based perspective. This means that during your time studying you’ll gain an understanding of the criminal justice system, including an introduction to law and legal justice and the different career paths you might want to pursue after graduation. This could be joining the police or opting to work for support services and charities that focus on policy and reform. As you progress into the second and third year, there is a choice of lots of option modules and you can shape your own degree.

Computer Science influences every aspect of modern life and is one of the fastest-moving academic disciplines and has a huge impact on both economic competitiveness and human wellbeing. This course will equip you with the skills and expertise required to forge a successful career in a wide range of industries.

This course not only offers a balance between advanced computer science theory and practical experience, but has a very strong focus on contemporary research. Practical work is an important part of every module and the School of Science and Technology has strong links within the industry, including company giants such as Microsoft and Siemens.

The university is very active in the exploration of a number of key areas within computer Science which you will have the opportunity to focus upon during your studies and individual research project. These include, but are not limited to interaction design, data visualisation, artificial intelligence, ubiquitous computing, cyber-security, algorithmic design, and blockchain engineering.

This course is designed for those students who have previously studied computing at university level and are looking to develop an advanced mastery of the subject.

Our games design course is designed to give you a skill set that’s resilient to the rapid changes in an expanding and evolving industry. You’ll gain hands-on experience that will help you build your portfolio and develop your experience in a wide range of design skills that will open up career opportunities in a broad range of creative industries.

The games industry is  complex and diverse industry that spans a variety of old and new technologies fm print to computer software to 3D printed game pieces. Our BA/BSc in games design gives you the transferable skills and knowledge you need to become a successful games designer in this industry. Led by academic staff experienced in AAA, indie, tabletop and mobile gaming, you'll develop your technology and story development skills, as well as enhancing your game-play design expertise.

Depending on your interests, you will work on the technical side of games design and testing in the BSc, while the BA is focused on experience design and using scripting and games engines to produce satisfying gameplay experiences.

Build your hands-on games design skills

• We’ve got state-of-the-art facilities that give you access to over 30 workstations that are equipped with the latest software. Learning the essential skills you need to start your game design career, you’ll get to grips with the latest software, including Unity, Processing, OpenFrameworks, Maya,Z-Brush, After Effects, Flash, Final Cut Pro and Photoshop. You’ll also develop your skills with our Vicon Motion Capture and Green screen facility.
• You’ll get plenty of hands-on experience collaborating with students from our 3D animation, art and design, computing and graphics departments as part of our coordinated workshops. Developing your career ambitions, you'll have a range of industry work placements in gaming companies.
• You’ll develop your employability skills and industry connections with a range of work placements and internship opportunities. Our links with industry partners also give you access to live briefs, guest lecturers, and potential employers.

Our international tourism course covers all the essential knowledge to give you a solid foundation from which to pursue your interests. You’ll be equipped with knowledge about tourism in relation to sustainable economic development and civil society. In addition to this, you’ll have the flexibility to take on optional modules and take part in practice-based learning opportunities. The diverse style of learning will develop your skills and increase your prospects of employment once you graduate.

The events management module will give you a great understanding of the events industry and everything that goes into planning memorable ones. You’ll cover planning, strategy, and management while analysing festivals and the requirements of different event types. You’ll also develop your own event concept and produce a portfolio to show your understanding of planning specific events.

Our graduates have gone on to work for Marriot, Thomas Cook, Etihad, and many more. The course opens doors to many different industries too, including tourist boards, local authorities, airports, hotels, and museums.

How you’ll apply your new skills

• You’ll practice applying your newly learned skills in different situations to get you ready for the world of work. The programme places a strong emphasis on experiential learning, and every year you’ll take part in a range of physical and/or virtual field trips.
• You’ll also have plenty of opportunities to plan your career far ahead of graduation. A designated team will be on hand to help and you’ll be engaged in industry networking events and careers fairs.

Combining theory with active learning in a studio environment, our 3D animation course gives you the practical skills needed to start your career in the animation or games industry.

3D Animation is the future

With more than 2000 active games and animation studios in the UK, has there ever been a better time to enter the British gaming industry and take part in a game design course? As part of our 3D design course module you'll gain the knowledge and space to develop as an artist working with 3D software. You'll cover the key areas within the industry: character art, environment art, character animation, rendering and dynamics, virtual reality design, Z-Brush sculpting, 3D printing and a host of others. All this builds your confidence and equips you for a career in the industry.

A studio environment helps build your skills
You'll perfect your skills in a live studio environment working on the latest industry-standard software and techniques, mirroring exactly how animators and game designers work daily.

You'll learn through discussions, demonstrations, seminars, presentations and practical work, as well as intensive workshops combining individual and group work. All of these support you as you learn all about contemporary workflows in commercial animation and games studio pipelines.

Our studio facilities are second to none and you'll work on industry-standard software such as Maya and Z-Brush. The studio also hosts high-spec, overclocked workstations, 20 VR devices, a motion capture studio, green screen and a state-of-the-art 3D printing and scanning studio.

Take that first step towards an animation career

Our course also allows you to build your professional network - beyond your day-to-day learning, you’ll also have the opportunity to attend guest lectures and masterclasses from animation professionals to interview them and learn more about their work. Previous lecturers have included Sydney Padua, senior animator on Clash of the Titans and Jungle Book, and Alex Robinson and Daniel Boyle of the award winning Treat studio. During your course, you’ll even have the chance to gain work experience in a studio, as you complete a four week live project responding to a brief set by industry practitioners that reflect the most emergent and contemporary practices in the industry.

You also get the support you need to succeed. From your Personal Tutor to your Graduate Academic Assistant, each one has studied your subject and will provide the support you need based on their own experience. If you need a little help with writing, numeracy or library skills, we can help with that too. We also offer support from specialised technicians with professional experience in your field. They support you in the studio and in workshops, as well as during your projects.

We have strong links with art and design employers to help you find the career of your dreams. Graduates have gone on to work with game studios like Rockstar and Cloud Imperium Games, as well as animation boutiques like Treat Studios and Blue Zoo. A degree in 3D animation and games is the first step for a career as an artist in the games and animation industries.

On our course you will develop as an artist working with 3D software. The course framework includes project based collaborations and integrated workshops that are designed to develop observational drawing and technological skills essential to 3D computer animation production and computer games. This interdisciplinary approach combines a critical arts education with specialist knowledge in 3D technology and workflows.

In the first year you will attend lectures and workshops in the fundamental principles of animation and storytelling, alongside intensive workshops in Environment and Character design, Virtual Reality design, Z-Brush sculpting and even 3-D printing.

The second year uses this interdisciplinary foundation to explore specialist workflows while retaining an experimental, playful and collaborative atmosphere. This includes a series of short intensive projects where you will be introduced to the latest industry standard techniques (e.g. modern asset workflows, Physically Based Shading, GPU Rendering, Dynamics). Briefs are studio orientated and supported by both your lecturers and specialist technical tutors. This practical curriculum is interwoven with lectures and seminars that address the historical and cultural background to animation, games and digital culture.

In the final year of study, students are given the opportunity to specialise in a wide variety of disciplines such as Character Art, Environment Art, Game Development, 3D Character Animation, Rigging, Lighting / Rendering and Concept Art . There is a strong focus on producing an outstanding portfolio of work, tailored to your individual strengths and artistic temperament.

The finance and wealth management industry has become increasingly globalised, complex and reliant on information technology to create and manage financial asset portfolios, private equity, and hedge funds. This course provides you with the theoretical and practical knowledge of corporate and investment finance to prepare you for the practical requirements of your profession and increase your career opportunities.

This course allows you to explore corporate and entrepreneurial finance as well as financial and managerial accounting, portfolio theory, and investment analysis and management. You will be enabled to create and manage your own investment portfolios as well as effectively manage clients’ portfolios or wealth funds.

There will also be an international focus on risk management, treasury, investment and private banking and you will gain advanced skills in financial modelling, econometrics, and quantitative risk management.

The year-long module will help to improve your learning and enhance your assimilation of complex subjects in a rewarding and beneficial manner.

Course Highlights

• Benefit from unlimited access to the Financial Markets Lab, where you can set up or simulate your trades in FX, equity and derivatives markets
• You'll use specialist industry standard databases such as Bloomberg and Datastream, as well as software packages including Stata
• There is a strong emphasis on practical application of theory to ensure you are ready for the working world.

Computer Systems Engineering gives you the specialist skills, knowledge and hands-on experience you need to achieve your career ambitions. In today’s technically advancing world, improvements in electronics, computing and communications has a significant impact on every aspect of our modern lives. With our programme, you will gain the skills necessary to design the computer systems that shape the way we live.

This programme combines Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, by introducing you to the design, implementation and maintenance of software and hardware components of modern computing systems as well as networks of intelligent devices.

The course content reflects the importance of developments in the area of computer systems engineering, by providing a strong foundation in science, technology and application development, principles, and the development of practical skills in key areas needed by the industry.

The programme focuses on

• Theoretical knowledge skills, provided by a solid background into the theories and principles of computing, mathematics, science and engineering
• Building practical skills by applying these theories and principles in solving real-world technical engineering problems that reflect industry-practice
• Engaging students in the process of learning through various practical project-led learning activities that will stimulate their creativity and the development of leadership, project management, decision making, communication, team working, and critical thinking skills

You enrol on a four-year course, which includes the one-year foundation course. If you complete this year successfully you progress directly onto one of our three-year degree courses in these subject areas. The number of students who progress to degree study are very high - in fact some of these students have gone on to become some of our most successful graduates.

BA Sociology with Criminology

Our Sociology with Criminology degree is designed to give you a grounding in sociological and criminological thinking, research methods and key skills to articulate new and emerging social and criminological issues. You'll focus on how society responds to crime, its causes and consequences, and investigating how we do and should respond to criminal behaviour in all its forms.

Our visual effects course gives you access to some of the best VFX facilities, studios and workshops in the country. Led by our team of experienced VFX professionals who’ve worked professionally on films including Avatar, Planet of the Apes and Happy Feet, you’ll learn the practical skills you need to succeed in the industry.

• You’ll master the professional-standard software and equipment – and put your skills into practice with a variety of hands-on experiences. You’ll collaborate with students from our Film, TV Production and 3D Animation courses to see how visual effects plays a key role across a variety of platforms. You can also enhance your employability skills with a range of work placements opportunities. VFX graduates have gone on to secure roles as matchmove artists, rotoscope artists, modellers, texture artists, and junior compositors.

Build your hands-on visual effects skills

• We’ve got some of the best facilities, studios and workshops available. You’ll learn to use professional-standard equipment in our digital media, VFX and motion capture studios, and have access to the latest computer hardware and software, including professional level graphics workstations.
• During lock-down conditions students will be able to access school computers using remote desktop software from home. All you will need is a computer with an internet connection.  Students without computers at home may borrow laptops from the university.
• Our industry guest lecturers, networking opportunities, and client-designed briefs allow you to learn how to enter the field and work experience placements.
• You’ll have the option to spend your third year building your hands-on experience as part of an industry placement. Students must seek out and secure their own placements. You’ll also receive credit that reflects your ability in the field to give you a competitive edge. Our VFX graduates have pursued exciting careers with television companies, broadcasting organisations, film studios, independent production houses, online streaming services and specialist VFX studios.