Master of Arts in Art and Design

at University of Bedfordshire - Luton Campus United Kingdom

While teaching you all the essential skills you need to work creatively as an animator - including visual thinking, model-making, 3D design, digital illustration and time-based media – this wide-ranging course also gives you the confidence to respond to briefs, create independent projects and work collaboratively within the creative industries.

Our Animation BA (Hons) is based in narrative and storytelling for short-form film, the moving image industry and communication design. Students work on live briefs, submit for national competitions and work on projects with our expert academic team.

You learn your craft through practical workshop sessions, sustained practice in the studio, some work-related learning opportunities with ‘live briefs’, one-to-one tutorials, seminars, demonstrations and independent research. All your instruction takes into consideration professional and work-related practices.

In the first year, we introduce the key skills in animation, building a close relationship between practice and theory. In your second year, you work more independently, taking ownership of your creativity and its outcomes.

At the end of the course, you take on a creative project of your own, demonstrating your insight into the critical, cultural and professional contexts in which your work is placed.

Why choose this course?

• It enables you to study, develop and apply critical enquiry skills to a wide range of key ideas and contemporary professional practice
• Practical learning activities give you the opportunity to tackle visual problems and explore ideas relevant to animation
• It builds your understanding of animation’s different contexts, and its wider global impact on social, environmental and political issues
• It equips you with the knowledge, experience and understanding of design environments you need to communicate and present ideas and work to audiences in a range of situations
• It gives you the skills to work effectively with others, through collaboration, collective support and negotiation
• It offers insights into professional practice that will prepare you for a future career in the creative industries as well as the world of work generally
• You have the option to take your degree over four years and include a fee-free placement year in industry when you can gain practical experience, build your CV and make valuable contacts

This course will help you understand the changing nature of international tourism as it faces the challenge of rapid growth, emergence of new destinations, climate change, and the ethics of managing a business in which the prime attractions include the natural environment and people’s culture.

You will become a self-directed, self-regulated reflexive learner, using an awareness of opportunities for careers or further study in the event industry.

With a good grounding in business and marketing the course offers students an industry focus in event management with good employment opportunities across a range of roles in both marketing and events e.g. Strategic Event Designer, Trade Show Manager, Events Marketing Communication Managers, Social Media Event Managers, Sporting Events Manager.

This inter-disciplinary course combines key subject areas of business, marketing and event management in a practice-oriented way that allows you to develop a deep theoretical understanding and practical knowledge of events management.

The University of Bedfordshire is a member of The Association for Tourism in Higher Education (ATHE). ATHE is the subject association for tourism in higher education in the UK. It represents universities that are leading providers of tourism programmes.

Why choose this course?

If you’re interested in a career in forensic science, we have a crime scene for you! A unique mix of biosciences and criminal psychology, our degree course offers you the opportunity for practical forensic processing in our crime scene facility.

Technological advances have made the role of the forensic scientist – the expert who collects, preserves and analyses evidence - increasingly important in crime investigation, and also in other fields such as archaeology.

The course starts with an introduction to psychology and the sciences relevant to forensics, followed by more detailed applied forensics including the preparation of evidence for court, pathology, medical physiology and haematology. You’ll also study the most recent advances in DNA analysis, toxicology, criminal psychology, and fire and explosive analysis.

Why choose this course?

• The Forensic Science team includes international experts in the psychology of criminal behaviour and forensics experts from a variety of operational backgrounds
• Our teaching is rated as ‘Excellent’ by the QAA and the team is part of a highly experienced department that has run biological science courses for over 30 years
• You’ll study in a specialist forensic laboratory, with key laboratory skills incorporated into most of the taught units, especially your final-year research project
• You’ll learn the skills and techniques needed to evaluate a real-life crime scene in our scene-of-crime lab, designed to resemble an 'normal' flat
• There’s the option to take the course over four years and include a year’s work placement (see below) to gain experience and industry contacts
• If you’d like to step-up into higher education, you can take an introductory Foundation Year (see below), which guarantees entry to the Undergraduate course

    "Studying forensic science with Bedfordshire has been an awesome, inspiring experience, with lecturers who are specialists with industry experience in the areas they teach. I highly recommend anyone wishing to study this subject with Beds to 'Go 4 it'."

This course offers you the opportunity to develop a particular strength in the management of international business issues, with a particular focus on aviation management.

You will focus on strategic areas of international business, intercultural competencies, financial management aviation strategy and management all framed by the lens of developing patterns of world trade and the global market place.

As the business world morphs to accommodate the dynamic economic environment of today, this course introduces non-specialists to a range of business functional areas so that you become knowledgeable and effective managers.

You'll develop a deep understanding of organisations and their external context. You also learn how to manage yourself, and others, in a supportive and academic environment.

The course focuses on developing an awareness of business operations in an international environment, the aviation strategy and management governing international business and investments, finance and cultural awareness in global contexts.

The international tourism industry continues to grow and flourish increasing the need for senior planners and managers with the skills to tackle a broad range of global management issues.

From heritage, cultural, social, environmental and political matters, to questions concerning strategic management and sustainable development, this course will provide you with a critical overview of the subject.

You will gain the knowledge and skills to understand the role of critical evaluation techniques and decision-making strategies necessary to establish yourself and thrive in a senior management role.

There are six entry points through the year. This allows you to start when it is most suitable.

Why choose this course?

• Study major aspects and developments in international tourism and how these may be positively reflected in management practice
• Explore the interconnectedness of international tourism within its economic, technological, socio-cultural, psychological and political contexts, and deepen your knowledge of the effects of tourism on the environment
• Develop your knowledge of academic frameworks, theories and understandings within the policy and professional practice environment of tourist enterprises and business
• Gain access to high-quality research through our Institute for Tourism Research (INTOUR) and draw on numerous practical projects and case studies from a range of national and international organisations in the commercial, public and third sectors
• Benefit from our extensive links with industry, many of which provide opportunities for internships and possible employment.
• The University of Bedfordshire is a member of The Association for Tourism in Higher Education (ATHE). ATHE is the subject association for tourism in higher education in the UK. It represents universities that are leading providers of tourism programs.

This course gives you the chance to study for a business degree with a potential accreditation* from a leading professional body in marketing.

If you have a committed interest in studying marketing as a major part of your degree experiences and see yourself developing a marketing-oriented career.

It will equip you for a career in marketing management where marketing knowledge combined with general business and soft skills in management are seen as a great advantage, and where your capability will see you comfortable in operating in many different task environments.

Why choose this course?

In order to remain competitive international businesses are looking for graduates who are able to work in a flexible, collaborative way in order to help provide innovative marketing solutions to often complex and open-ended problems.

This course is specifically designed to enable you to develop these skills through an exciting programme that links academic theory and real world business projects in realistic business and marketing settings.

Studying this course will help you to gain an insight into the reality of business and marketing that goes beyond what is discussed in the text books and will help you to engage with potential employers in a much more meaningful way

In today’s visual world, it’s not just actors who perform on screen. Many other professionals are called on to present themselves in front of a camera. This course will build your screen performance skills to make sure you stand out from the competition.

Through a mixture of work-based learning and theory, this postgraduate course develops your communication, presentation and acting skills so you can perform confidently and to a professional standard before the camera.

It is intended for people who may need to perform or present in sectors such as performance, journalism, politics or business, and who might have some previous experience in acting, presenting and public speaking.

Why choose this course?

• Develop your individual performance skills based on up-to-date practices and techniques of working before the camera.
• Gain the confidence to communicate your ideas with clarity and promote your screen performance skills within the media industry enabling you to stand out from the competition
• Build professional contacts from participating in a range of different masterclasses run by experts working within the media industry making you well-placed to take up work placements or employment within established casting/production companies, or to audition for screen-based productions.
• Learn how to operate recording and editing facilities to support the final presentation of your showreel
• Benefit from a course where you graduate with a showreel of a professional standard which showcases your skills and personal approach to screen performance and is tailored to cover a gap in the screen-based media market.

Combining robotic systems with artificial intelligence to produce a new generation of workers and companions is no longer the stuff of science fiction – it’s science reality.

This British Computer Society accredited course brings together these two areas, and offers conceptual grounding in intelligent systems, and the chance to apply theoretical knowledge in a practical setting.

With access to humanoid robots, robotic arms, wheeled platforms and other hi-tech robotic equipment, you will develop the skills demanded by employers in this fast growing area

Why choose this course?

• Learn how artificial intelligence and robotics are playing vital roles in the world’s most advanced technological industries – from medicine to entertainment – and are found at the heart of much of today’s most innovative science
• Study on one of the few UK university courses that offers both areas of study together
• Develop a solid conceptual grounding and apply theoretical knowledge in a practical setting
• Gain the expertise you will need to target a number of industries, including advertising, engineering and computer science
• Explore the use of humanoid robots, robotic arms, wheeled platforms and other hi-tech robotic equipment
• Challenge your technical abilities by using the latest software to control robotic machines
• Benefit from the experience and knowledge of a highly committed team of teaching experts

Models of work are constantly evolving, but one thing does not change: people still need to be recruited, trained, motivated and paid to meet an organisation's requirements. If your interests lie in effective people management, this course puts you on the right path.

You begin your journey with a thorough grounding in business before exploring the many aspects of human resource management (HRM): professional practice; leadership and motivation; creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship; business systems including international business; selection and recruitment; employee relations; and employment law.

Learn from expert tutors as you carry out practical projects that emulate working as a professional manager, and develop your practical experience with an optional year’s paid work placement in a HRM role.

In your final year, study strategic HRM, examining real firms with a view to solving people problems, and carry out an independent research project.

Why choose this course?

• Develop your understanding of how HRM works with other business disciplines, knowledge that will enable you to fit into numerous types of organisation in the future - private, public or not-for-profit
• Learn from experts in their field, active within the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), and in both consultancy and research
• Challenge yourself with an optional sandwich year placement after your second year.
• If you want to step up into higher education, we also offer a degree path with an initial Foundation Year (see below)
• Equip yourself with a range of subject-specific and transferable skills suited to a career in specialist human management roles or professional business and management environments, both national and international

“The University has offered me numerous opportunities to develop my skills and expand my network, and has constantly pushed me outside of my comfort zone, helping me become a real HR professional. My lecturers have always been supportive and understanding, and put great effort into communicating with us. All in all, these have been the most important three years of my life!”