University of Bedfordshire
Media Make-up and Character Design FdA
University of Bedfordshire

Key Course Facts

Salary

Salary of all UK Graduates of

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £20794 £17765 £21480
25-75 percentile range £17806 - £24845 £12452 - £22317 £15570 - £27037

Course Description

The course develops diverse skills in the world of make-up and hair to produce flexible, creative make-up artists able to work in a variety of areas of the industry, from special effects to fashion and from live events to film, TV and stage productions. This course prepares you for a career as a make-up artist in television, film, theatre, prosthetics, advertising and fashion, with a special focus on creating convincing and realistic special effects. It gives you the techniques, craft skills and specialist knowledge employers are looking for. You learn to research and realise characters through hair and wig setting; postiche; costume; prop design; prosthetics; and designing effects make-up. You benefit from working within our high-spec media facilities alongside student actors, producers, scriptwriters and presenters as well as collaborating with local theatres, TV productions and performances at the University’s professional theatre.

Why choose this course?

  • Explore character creation with an emphasis on prosthetics and special-effects make-up as well as high fashion, advertising/editorial and period make-up
  • Practise drawing from life to identify the body’s reactions and their visual impact
  • Learn how anatomy and physiology affect make-up design
  • Gain specialist knowledge and expertise in preparing performers for the stage, catwalk or screen
  • Study relevant regulations and develop the entrepreneurial skills to establish yourself as a freelance make-up artist
  • Develop academic skills to undertake research into the field of make-up which you can then use to create your characters
  • Build up your portfolio and prepare for freelance work in performing arts, events, and the media, TV and film industries
  • You can progress to BA (Hons) Media Performance for Film, TV and Theatre on completing this Foundation Degree
  • Work experience with professional experts and companies

Grading & Study Time

Entry Requirements / Admissions

Qualification requirements

Access to HE Diploma

Applicants with other qualifications will be considered. If you would like to check that your qualifications will be accepted please contact the university.

Requirements for international students / English requirements

IELTS academic test score (similar tests may be accepted as well)

    • 5.0
    • Foundation / Pathway Courses
    • 6.0
    • Graduate Degrees
    • 6.0
    • Undergraduate Degrees
Get advice on which foundation courses are best for you to still study Media Make-up and Character Design, FdA, if you do not meet the minimum requirements in terms of UCAS score, A levels, or English language requirements.

Costs

Average student cost of living in the UK

Rent £518
Water, gas electricity, internet (at home) £50
Supermarket shopping £81
Clothing £35
Eating out £33
Alcohol £27
Takeaways / food deliveries £30
Going out / entertainment (excl.alcohol, food) £24
Holidays and weekend trips £78
Transport within city £17
Self-care / sports £20
Stationary / books £13
Mobile phone / internet £13
Cable TV / streaming £7
Insurance £51
Other £95
  
Average student cost of living £1092

London costs approx 34% more than average, mainly due to rent being 67% higher than average of other cities. For students staying in student halls, costs of water, gas, electricity, wifi are generally included in the rental. Students in smaller cities where accommodation is in walking/biking distance transport costs tend to be significantly smaller.

How to apply

Application deadline:

January 1, 2025

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Possible Entry Points:

  • year 1 (Default entry point)
  • year 2

University Rankings

Positions of University of Bedfordshire in top UK and global rankings.

See all 16 university rankings of University of Bedfordshire

About University of Bedfordshire

The University of Bedfordshire is a publicly funded university located in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, England. One of the main campuses, in Luton, is home to the university’s Business, Media, Art & Design, Science, Computing, Law, Psychology, and Social Sciences schools. The Bedford campus is just a twenty minute walk from the town centre, and is home to the Primary Education, Secondary Education, Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences, and Tourism schools.

List of 306 Bachelor and Master Courses from University of Bedfordshire - Course Catalogue

Student composition of University of Bedfordshire

undergraduates:
10090
postgraduates:
3170
Total:
13260
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Where is this programme taught

Luton Campus
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Media Make-up and Character Design FdA University of Bedfordshire - - - - - - Luton On campus Full-time