BA (Hons) Modelmaking and Creature Effects

• 104 UCAS points. We accept a full range of qualifications that carry UCAS points, including A-levels, BTECs and T-levels. Please see our guide to the UCAS Tariff for examples of how to achieve these points. For most courses, we are also able to consider non-tariffable qualifications.
• Any subjects are acceptable at Level 3. Relevant creative/design subjects are preferred.
• You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent), including English and Mathematics.
• You'll be required to attend an interview and provide a portfolio of appropriate work. We'll expect you to present your work and demonstrate your experience. This will usually take the form of a portfolio of recent effects-related (or project-based) work. The quality of your portfolio will be judged alongside traditional UCAS point-bearing qualifications to determine the success of your application. Special consideration is given to applicants without the above qualifications who have a strong portfolio.
• If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.

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.

Television shows, films, digital content, live events and theatre productions all rely on the magic of modelmaking and creature effects to enhance their storytelling. Our BA (Hons) Modelmaking and Creature Effects course is ideal if you wish to combine design creativity, physical model-making skills, cutting-edge digital technology, and prototyping to create models and creature effects for any of these platforms.

This programme also develops transferable skills such as communication, project and time management, teamwork, and entrepreneurship, which are all needed for success in any profession. We aim to support you in developing these attributes alongside the imagination, flair, and curiosity that will enable you to help make the unbelievable believable.

What can I do with this qualification?

Alternative career options

You can also use this qualification as a stepping-stone into various other careers. Some of these roles may require relevant experience and/or further study. Some possibilities include the following:

• Theatre and live events
• Advertising and marketing, including retail
• Animation
• Product design
• Teaching
• Manufacturing
• Games design and production
• Museums and galleries
• Medical prosthetics and manufacture
• Architectural modelmaking

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.

In this innovative BA (Hons) Modelmaking and Creature Effects programme, you can expect a blended teaching style that includes a mix of practical workshops, lectures, seminars, tutorials, self-directed learning, e-learning, and studio sessions. Our approach focuses on both the theoretical and practical aspects of the design and creation of models and creatures. We'll encourage you to experiment with materials and tools, and practice contemporary and long-established techniques and processes. We'll support you as you learn to apply key principles and how theoretical underpinning improves your practice.

The programme is practice-based, encouraging active learning with a focus on practical, project-based work. You'll collaborate with peers on group and multidisciplinary projects, simulating professional work environments. Workshop inductions, demonstrations, activity-based assignments, and specialist technical support will help you gain hands-on practical skills and techniques. Regular guest lectures and industry events provide opportunities to engage with and learn from respected professionals in the modelmaking and special/creature effects fields, giving you insights into real-world applications of your learning.

The course is designed to prepare you for work in an industry where drive and self-determination are key, so we place a significant emphasis on personal and independent study. Activities such as project work, background reading, research, and creative thinking are essential.

When it comes to assessment, the programme uses various methods to evaluate your understanding and skills. These include practical assignments, projects, case studies, written assessments, interviews, and presentations. Most importantly, the coursework aims to simulate the professional situations you'll encounter in the industry alongside more academic studies.

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.

• Film and Television Contexts
• Workshop Skills
• Sculptural Design Practice
• Digital Processes
• Movement, Mechanisms and Structures
• Screen Industry Careers
• Construction for Performance
• Digital Manufacture
• Production Design
• Storytelling through Design
• Research and Planning
• Industry Project
• Major Project
• Professional Practice

Assessment methods

Level	Assessment method
Level 1	Coursework 38% Practical exams 62%
Level 2	Coursework 48% Practical exams 52%
Level 3	Coursework 50% Practical exams 50%

Learning Activities

Level	Activity
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.