Program Overview

The course is the first of its kind in the UK. The Creature Design aspects open career opportunities in film, game and comic industries as well as work supporting scientific research, such as visualizing prehistoric life or paleo reconstruction, evolution, and life on other planets, known as speculative biology. The Worldbuilding aspect invites students to create richly-detailed cultural, historical, and futuristic worlds for careers in the entertainment industry, production, and research.

Candidates are encouraged to position their work within a professional context to help inform the visual output and appropriate production method. There may be opportunities for cross-disciplinary influences and peer review.

The course provides the critical and progressive space to explore the processes and contexts to visualize and build immersive, believable and sustainable new worlds and creatures.

Developing a body of self-negotiated work, you will be supported by a team with diverse research and practical interests and work closely with visiting industry professionals.

The course provides formal opportunities where you will be taught with students from other postgraduate courses. This rich transdisciplinary approach is practice-research led and uses a range of research methods to expand your critical thinking, helping you to deliver innovative creative outcomes. The shared entrepreneurial modules aim to enhance your analytic and presentational skills, giving you the opportunity to position yourself professionally to a range of audiences. 

When and how you will study

Our postgraduate courses are transdisciplinary and underpinned by independent learning. You will be supported with a variety of teaching and learning methods, including individual supervision, group tutorials, live briefs and project proposals, as well as being encouraged to collaborate with students from other postgraduate courses.

Our academic staff are engaged in contemporary practice in their specialism and will support, encourage and challenge you during your studies. You will be taught in a vibrant and bespoke postgraduate suite. All postgraduate students are taught together in research methods and business-related modules.

Postgraduate courses can be studied either full-time over 36 weeks or part-time over 72 weeks. Teaching is broken down into three teaching blocks per year, each comprising 12 weeks.

Students are able to access a range of specialist facilities aligned to their research interests.