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Specialist Make-up Design

Course details
  • Foundation Degree in Arts
  • 2 Years
  • Full-Time
  • September 2027
  • Undergraduate
Course location
University Centre WISE (UCWISE)
Awarded by:
University of Gloucestershire

Course summary

FdA in Specialist Make-up Design prepares you for working within the television, film and wider creative industries as Make-up & Hair Artists. The term Specialist Make-up encompasses those elements of the industry using media make-up and hairstyling techniques, along with specialist make-up effects such as prosthetics. Contextual studies, creative skills, business practice and industry knowledge will be developed alongside practical studies.

The course encourages and enables you to identify and realise your own personal creative potential and your individual aspirations, within a range of personal, social, community and commercial contexts. Skills developed will be critical reflection, effective communication skills within make-up design contexts, and those skills supporting theory and practice across a range of two and three-dimensional media, materials and processes.

The course aims to build your knowledge and understanding of traditional, historical and contemporary industry led make-up and hair design practice within media, TV and film contexts. Evaluation via critical discussion will identify the roles of the Make-up Artist and Designer within the many industry contexts, introduce the development of new and emerging technologies and explore their place in relation to the wider creative industries.

You will demonstrate personal and professional skills including competent application of specialist make-up, hair and postiche. You will develop creative, intellectual, personal and practical transferable skills, and gain knowledge and experience of industry relevant processes and materials, documented through building your portfolio of specialist make-up and hair design practice, covering a range of cognitive and practical skills and your individual creative identity, in order to be able to pursue future creative practice either in a professional environment or by progression to further study.

You will be required to buy a hair and Make-up kit for this course or Top up your existing kit.

There may be an allocated visit as part of your study funded via your paid course fees– the course tutor will advise you of this trip and dates. Additional trips and visits to enrich your course will be at additional cost (not included in any college fees).

Part time routes are available. For more information, please email HEadmissions@sgscol.ac.uk

You can leave this course after successfully achieving year 1 and you will be awarded a Certificate of Higher Education in this subject.

Open Days
Why not visit our one of Campuses at an Open Day. You will have the opportunity to meet tutors and Student Ambassadors. To register interest please go to our website: https://uni.sgscol.ac.uk/open-events

If you are interested in playing for one of our academies, please contact HEAdmissions@sgscol.ac.uk and we will put you in contact with the relevant coach

GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES:
• Media Make-up Artist
• Make-up Designer
• Prosthetics Make-up Artist
• Wigmaker
• Freelance Artist or a career within the ever-expanding creative industry sector
• Progression to BA (Hons) Specialist Make-up Design Top up Level 6

Modules

Course Modules

  • Level 4

  • Media Make-up and Hair Design

  • Creative Practice

  • Contextual Studies

  • Fashion, Editorial and Body Art

  • Preparation for Employment,

  • Level 5

  • Advanced Media Make-up

  • Creative Practice for Media and Prosthetic Make-up

  • Historical Hair and Contextual Studies

  • Prosthetics and Special Effects Make-up Design

  • Major Design Project and Showcase

For more modular information visit: FdA Specialist Make-up Design | University Centre SGS

https://uni.sgscol.ac.uk/course/fda-specialist-make-up

Assessment method

Coursework, Creative Portfolios, Practical work outcomes, individual presentations, and written assignments/critical reviews.

How to apply

Apply by
13 January 2027

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.

Application codes

Course code:
W454
Institution code:
S55
Campus name:
University Centre WISE (UCWISE)

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1
  • Year 2

Entry requirements

Typical qualification requirements

Additional entry requirements

Portfolio
You will be asked for a portfolio on application to be submitted within 2 weeks of instruction. Offers are usually made from portfolio.

English language requirements

We welcome applications from international and EU students, and accept a range of international qualifications. You will need to take the following English qualification as part of the Visa process: IELTS (Academic) - Overall score of 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in each component. If you are travelling from and English speaking country this may not be required.

International entry requirements

International Applicants from a non English speaking will need to undertake an IELTS for UKVI Purposes to apply for a visa. You will need to achieve an overall score of 6.0 with a minimum score of 5.5 in each skill.
You will have to pay 50% of the fee before a Confirmation of Study (CAS) is issued and if you are applying from a country that is not on the UK Government Exempt countries https://www.gov.uk/student-visa/money will have to provide bank statements showing that you have held at least £10, 539 (£1,171 per month for up to 9 months) for 28 consecutive days before we can issue the CAS and The end date of the 28-day period must be within 31 days of the date you apply for your visa. For support with your application please contact HEAdmissions@sgscol.ac.uk https://www.gov.uk/student-visa

Historical entry grades data

This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course with (learn more).

It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place.

Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.

Not enough data available

We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Per year tuition fees

LocationFeeYear
England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands & Republic of Ireland£9500*
EU & International£13750*

* This is a provisional fee and subject to change.

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.

Additional fee information

No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.

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