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Special Make-up Effects for Film and TV

  • BDes (Hon)
  • 3 Years
  • Full-time
  • 22 September 2025
  • Undergraduate
University of Greater Manchester Main Site, Bolton
More about University of Greater Manchester

Course options

2025-2026
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Course summary

Want to turn movie stars into monsters? Our Special Make-up Effects for Film and TV degree course focuses on helping you develop specialist skills and creative know-how. We offer fantastic facilities and industry-experienced staff dedicated to preparing you for a career in this ground-breaking creative industry.

From superheroes to sci-fi, and horror to history, many TV shows and movies need special effects make-up to enhance their on-screen storytelling. Actors can be utterly transformed into aliens, zombies, pirates and vampires, while more subtle make-up effects convince us of injuries, scars, tattoos or wrinkles. All these special effects are created by dedicated and highly-skilled make-up artists and our BDes (Hons) Special Make-up Effects for Film and TV course focuses on preparing you for a career creating these illusions.

We offer an intensely practical education in special effects make-up. We’ll lead you in an exploration of prosthetics and changing physical appearances, including aspects such as life-casting, clay sculpting, creating silicone masks, applying prosthetics, adding hair and colouring techniques. We’ll encourage you to experiment with materials, tools and techniques, and discover how prosthetics and make-up can combine with 3D computer graphics to create even more spectacular on-screen transformations.

This highly creative industry demands transferable skills too – communication, project and time management, team-working and entrepreneurship are all needed for success in this largely freelance profession. We aim to support you to develop these attributes, alongside the imagination, flair and curiosity that will enable you to push the boundaries of special effects make-up.

Modules

Information about the modules offered as part of this course is available on the University of Bolton’s website.

Assessment method

Details of the learning activities and assessment methods for this course are available on the University of Bolton’s website.

Ways to study this course

Campuses

  • University of Greater Manchester Main Site, Bolton

Study options

  • BDes (Hon) • Full-time • 3 Years

Start dates

  • 22 September 2025

Apply by
29 January

This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.

Application codes

Course code:
W610
Institution code:
B44
Campus name:
University of Greater Manchester Main Site, Bolton
Campus Code:
-
Points of Entry:
Foundation, 1, 2, 3

University of Greater Manchester has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?

How to apply

Apply by
29 January

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:
W610
Institution code:
B44
Campus name:
University of Greater Manchester Main Site, Bolton
Campus Code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Foundation
  • Year 1
  • Year 2
  • Year 3

Open days

Entry requirements

UCAS Tariff
104 points

Any subjects are acceptable at Level 3. Relevant creative 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 for interview and to provide a portfolio of appropriate work. You'll be expected 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.

Find out more about qualification requirements for this course.

Additional entry requirements

Interview
Portfolio

English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)6If 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.https://www.bolton.ac.uk/international/international-general-entry-requirements/

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

* 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.

Related courses

At University of Greater Manchester

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