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Undergraduate

BSc (Hons) Creative Computing

Colourful LED screens stacked on top of each other in a pile
Courtesy UAL,
2019
College
UAL Creative Computing Institute UCAS code
W29F/W299 Start date
September 2023 Course length
3 / 4 years (with optional Foundation Year)

The BSc Creative Computing is an exciting mix of computing and creative practice set in the context of a world-renowned creative university. You will learn to code, build apps, craft digital experiences, explore machine intelligence and more.

Apply to start in September 2023 

This course has places available. Read our Guide to applying for a course starting this September through UCAS Extra. For a full list of UAL courses open for 2023/24 entry, visit the Courses with places available page.

About this course

An exciting chance to develop and apply contemporary computational skills for the digital creative industries. Throughout the course you will acquire a contemporary set of applied computing skills covering the dominant coding languages and workflows that support innovation in the digital technology sector and creative practice. You'll build apps, craft digital experiences, explore machine intelligence and more. Through exposure to a variety of computational technologies and a set of computing and coding skills – much in demand across the digital sector, you'll be equipped to work in a variety of roles within the digital and development industry.

Great reasons to apply:

  • Learn the skills sought after in industry: Creative Developers are sought after in industry with their ability to both translate creative direction into code and deliver creative direction themselves.
  • Additional year in industry: between years two and three of study you'll have the opportunity to pursue an industry placement.
  • Critical engagement with technology: engagement with creative practice will also build your ability to self-reflect and think critically about your role in shaping the world.
  • A material understanding of computational technologies: through creative practice, you will also develop your ability to innovate, enabling you to understand and explore the cultural agency of computational technology.

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Course overview

The BSc Creative Computing is an exciting mix of computing and creative practice set in the context of a world-renowned creative university. You will lean to code, build apps, craft digital experiences, explore machine intelligence and more. You will acquire a contemporary set of applied computing skills covering the dominant coding languages and workflows that support innovation in the digital technology sector and creative practice. Building on these skills, and through creative practice, you will also develop your ability to innovate. This will enable you to understand and explore the cultural agency of computational technology. Engagement with creative practice also builds your ability to self-reflect and think critically about your role in shaping the world. This integration of computational and creative practice will ensure you have the opportunity to build a successful career in creative practice, the creative industries or within the digital technology sector more broadly.

Contact us

Register your interest to receive information and updates about studying at UAL.

Contact us to make an enquiry.

Course units

Year 0

Unit summary:

This optional year introduces you to a foundational understanding of creative computing including creative practice and digital production.

  • Introducing Creativity (20 Credits)
  • Foundational Methods for Creative Computing One (20 Credits)
  • Foundational Methods for Creative Computing Two (20 Credits)
  • Computational Practices: Digital Production (20 Credits)
  • Introducing Computational Practice (20 Credits)
  • Introducing Creative Practice (20 Credits)

Year 1

Unit summary:

You will begin to broaden your computational skill set with an underpinning in coding – covering an introduction and building to include Data, Maths and Methods. Skills will be applied to creative making and computational practices encompassing sound and image processing as well as experience and physical computing.

  • Coding One: Introduction to Creative Computing and Coding Practice (20 Credits)
  • Coding Two: Data, Maths and Methods (20 Credits)
  • Critical Studies: A History of Computing and Computational Creativity (20 Credits)
  • Creative Making: Design and Coding Visuals (20 Credits)
  • Computational Practices: Sound and Image Processing (20 Credits)
  • Creative Making: Experience and Physical Computing (20 Credits)

Year 2

Unit summary:

As you develop your computational understanding you’ll progress into digital making involving both Experimental Human Computer Interaction and explore Social Platforms.

  • Coding Three: Web Development Studio (20 Credits)
  • Coding Four: Collaborative App Development Studio (20 Credits)
  • Critical Studies: Network Thinking (20 Credits)
  • Computational Practices: Visualisation and Sensing (20 Credits)
  • Creative Making: Experimental Human Computer Interaction (20 Credits)
  • Creative Making: Big Data, The Self and Social Platforms (20 Credits)

Year 3 (Optional Year in Industry)

Unit summary:

The Diploma in Professional Studies is an optional placement year in industry between the second and third year of the course. It is a managed year of professional experience, largely undertaken in the design profession in a variety of national and international locations.

Successful candidates are selected on a competitive basis from academic performance and studentship, successful completion of the DPS bridging studies and by portfolio and proposal.

Year 3 / 4

Unit summary:

In your final year you will explore computational approaches to machine intelligence and the ethical implications of such technologies. Alongside this you will develop creative project work using machine intelligence frameworks and have the opportunity to develop a self directed graduation project that brings together the skills and expertise you have gained throughout the course.

  • Coding Five: Approaches to Machine Intelligence (20 Credits)
  • Critical Studies: Computational Ethics (20 Credits)
  • Creative Making: Art and Artificial Intelligence (20 Credits)
  • Coding Six: Computational Communities and Professional Platforms (20 Credits)
  • Creative Making: Graduation Project (40 Credits)

Learning and teaching methods

The course delivered through a series of lectures introducing core topics, providing context and explaining the purpose of tasks. In labs, students will work both individually and in groups to develop knowledge through a series of practical and creative exercises, undertaken throughout the course. Students will work in a programming environment suitable for the creation of real-time, interactive software. In creative making units’ subjects will be introduced through a range of studio-based workshops and assignments supported where appropriate by lectures, seminars, critiques and visits. Independent creative practice is also required.

The UAL Creative Computing Institute is located within the new building at UAL Camberwell. As well as the purpose built facilities for the Institute, students have access to the existing Camberwell facilities including a newly built library, canteen and campus shop.

Staff

Fees and funding

Home fee

£9,250 per year

This fee is correct for 2023/24 entry and is subject to change for 2024/25 entry.

Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students.

Home fees are currently charged to UK nationals and UK residents who meet the rules. However, the rules are complex. Find out more about our tuition fees and determining your fee status.

International fee

£25,970 per year

This fee is correct for 2023/24 entry and is subject to change for 2024/25 entry.

Tuition fees for international students may increase by up to 5% in each future year of your course.

Students from countries outside of the UK will generally be charged international fees. The rules are complex so read more about tuition fees and determining your fee status.

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Entry requirements

The standard entry requirements for this course are as follows:

For Year 1 entry:

  • Grades BCC or above at A-level
  • Merit Merit Merit (MMM) at BTEC Extended Diploma (preferred subjects include Computer Science and ICT, or Design and Technology, or Art and Design)
  • Access to Higher Education Diploma with 104 UCAS tariff points (preferred subjects include Computer Science and ICT, or Design and Technology, or Art and Design)
  • Pass at Foundation Diploma in Art & Design (Level 3 or 4) and 1 A Level at Grade C or above
  • Equivalent EU/International qualifications, such as International Baccalaureate Diploma.

For Year 0 entry:

  • Grades CC or above at A-level
  • Merit Pass Pass (MPP) at BTEC Extended Diploma (preferred subjects include Computer Science and ICT, or Design and Technology, or Art and Design)
  • Access to Higher Education Diploma with 64 UCAS tariff points (preferred subjects include Computer Science and ICT, or Design and Technology, or Art and Design)
  • Equivalent EU/International qualifications, such as International Baccalaureate Diploma.

And three GCSE passes at grade 4 or above (grade A*-C).

Additional Requirements

If students do not have a Science or Mathematics-based A-level, they should normally have at least Grade B/Grade 6 at GCSE Mathematics.

Entry to this course will also be determined by assessment of your personal statement.

English Language Requirements

If English is not your first language, IELTS 6.0 (or equivalent) is required, with a minimum of 5.5 in reading, writing, listening and speaking. For more details, please check our main English Language requirements webpage.

APEL - Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning

Exceptionally applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered. The course team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:

  • Related academic or work experience
  • The quality of the personal statement
  • A strong academic or other professional reference
  • OR a combination of these factors

Each application will be considered on its own merit but we cannot guarantee an offer in each case.

Selection criteria

We select applicants who can demonstrate current ability and potential to:

  • Engage with ideas of creative computing
  • Show imagination and ambition in proposals for their work;

Demonstrate a range of skills and technical abilities:

  • Show experience of experimenting with code
  • Demonstrate engagement and improvement in a recently learned technical skill;
  • Demonstrate an awareness of planning and time management skills;
  • Provide evidence of intellectual enquiry within their work;

Demonstrate relevant research skills:

  • Evidence your ability to critically reflect on and evaluate your achievements;

Demonstrate cultural awareness and/or contextual framework of their work:

  • Identify social and/or cultural influences on their work;

Articulate and communicate intentions clearly:

  • Discuss their work in individual and group situations;
  • Present their work appropriately and effectively;

Demonstrate commitment and motivation in relation to the subject and the course:

  • Develop their own ideas and address both set and personal project briefs;
  • Show willingness to collaborate;
  • Show initiative.

Apply now

Home International

Places available 2023/24 

This course has places available for 2023/24 entry. Applications for 2024/25 entry will open in Autumn 2023.

Apply for this course though Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), where you'll need to provide the following information:

University code:U65
Course code (with Foundation year, YEAR 0): W29F
Course code (without Foundation year, YEAR 1): W299

UAL Creative Computing Institute courses are listed under University of the Arts London.

Transfers

If you are currently studying somewhere else on a course in an equivalent subject area and would like to transfer to this course, you can transfer to:

Year 2, if you’ve completed 120 credits in Year 1

Year 3, if you’ve completely 240 credits in Years 1 and 2

Apply via UCAS and choose Year 2 or 3 for your POE (Point of Entry). Please check our Student Transfer Policy for more important information and be ready to provide us with your current course handbook and Year 1/Year 2 unit transcripts.

Please be ready to provide an official document (translated into English) from your current university, explaining the learning outcomes of the units you have completed.

Deferred Entry

This course allows offer holders to defer. If you have an offer of a place, but you would like to defer starting for a year, please contact our Admissions Service as soon as possible via your UAL Portal. Make sure you check our Admissions Policy before requesting a deferral.

Application deadline

We recommend you apply by 26 January 2022 for equal consideration. However, this course will consider applications after that date, subject to places being available.

Communicating with you

After you have successfully submitted your application, you will receive an email confirming we have successfully received your application and providing you with your login details for the UAL Portal.  We will request any additional information from you, including inviting you to upload documents / portfolio / book an interview, through the portal. You should check your UAL Portal regularly for any important updates and requests.

Please consider altering your spam or junk mail filter to ensure that emails from @arts.ac.uk get through to you.

Erasmus

For further information on Erasmus and Non-Erasmus Exchanges and UAL exchange schemes, please visit the Erasmus section on the UAL website.

Places available 2023/24 

This course has places available for 2023/24 entry. Applications for 2024/25 entry will open in Autumn 2023.

There are two ways international students can apply to an undergraduate course at UAL:

You can only apply to the same course once per year.

When applying via UCAS you will need the following information:

University code:          U65

Course code (with Foundation year, YEAR 0): W29F

Course code (without Foundation year, YEAR 1): W299

Transfers

If you are currently studying somewhere else on a course in an equivalent subject area and would like to transfer to this course, you can transfer to:

Year 2, if you’ve completed 120 credits in Year 1

Year 3, if you’ve completely 240 credits in Years 1 and 2

Apply via UCAS and choose Year 2 or 3 for your POE (Point of Entry). Please check our Student Transfer Policy for more important information and be ready to provide us with your current course handbook and Year 1/Year 2 unit transcripts.

Please be ready to provide an official document (translated into English) from your current university, explaining the learning outcomes of the units you have completed.

Visas

Read our visit our immigration and visa advice page to find out whether you need a visa to study.

Deferred Entry

This course allows offer holders to defer. If you have an offer of a place, but you would like to defer starting for a year, please contact our Admissions Service as soon as possible via your UAL Portal. Make sure you check our Admissions Policy before requesting a deferral.

Application deadline

We recommend you apply by 26 January 2022 for equal consideration. However this course will consider applications after that date, subject to places being available.

Immigration history check

You will be asked to complete an immigration history check to establish whether you are eligible to study at UAL. We will not be able to proceed with your application until you have submitted your completed Immigration History Form.

Communicating with you

After you have successfully submitted your application, you will receive an email confirming we have successfully received your application and providing you with your login details for the UAL Portal. We will request any additional information from you, including inviting you to upload documents / portfolio / book an interview, through the portal. You should check your UAL Portal regularly for any important updates and requests.

Please consider altering your spam or junk mail filter to ensure that emails from @arts.ac.uk get through to you.

After you apply

How we notify you of the outcome of your application

You will receive the final outcome of your application through UCAS track or through your portal.

Careers

Developing your skills

Graduates of BSc Creative Computing will possess a material understanding of computational technologies and a set of computing and coding skills much in demand across the digital sector.

Career paths

Graduates will be well paced to work in the following roles:

  • Creative Technologist
  • Creative Developer
  • Web Developer
  • UX Developer
  • iOS App Developer
  • Software Developer
  • IoT / Smart Products Developer
  • Front – End Developer
  • Digital Strategist
  • Live Events Technologist
  • Technology Researcher
  • Machine Intelligence Developer
  • Broadcast Technologist
  • IT Specialist
  • Digital Project Manager
  • Digital Entrepreneur
  • Digital Creative
  • Interactive Designer

UAL Creative Computing Institute

Contact

Telephone

+44 (0)20 7514 8001
Address
UAL Creative Computing Institute
45–65 Peckham Road
London
SE5 8UF