Course units
Year 1
Unit 1: Introduction to Costume for Theatre and Screen
This unit is an introduction to your course, the College and the University.
Unit 2: Designing and making
This unit explores the practical and theoretical methods for contemporary and sustainable costume design. Through a series of projects, you will learn different pattern-cutting approaches and experiment with dye and print methods. Lectures on costume theory will introduce a contextual understanding of dress and its impact on society.
Unit 3: Exploring ideas
This unit will develop your understanding of key technical processes, concepts and critical approaches to costume design. Projects will support a clear design or interpretation focus to allow you to begin to explore your specialist choice. Verbal and written presentations will help you clearly articulate your design ideas and processes.
Unit 4: Who are you? Establishing practice
In this unit you will work collaboratively in groups to develop, design and produce a fully realised wearable costume. You will work with a set text and broadly explore time, place and context in relation to your costume design. Tutorials and technical workshops will support your practical learning. You will showcase your outcome during a performance for an invited audience.
Year 2
Unit 5: Collaborative and collective practices
You will be introduced to different ways in which collaborative working can help you to focus and enhance your own creative strengths. You will have the chance to work with fellow students and creative communities.
Unit 6: Practice as laboratory
This unit will build upon the knowledge and skills that you established in your first year. You will work on a challenging project within your chosen costume specialism, experimenting with advanced skills and working methods. You will also continue to develop your reflective journal. This will help you establish your professional practice.
Unit 7: Where in the world? Part 1
In this unit, you will focus on a studio project specific to your specialism. You will research broader concepts and themes such as body, gender, movement and audience. Using this knowledge, you will design and construct your first fully wearable costume. You will also apply for work placements that will be undertaken in unit 8.
Unit 8: Where in the world? Part 2
This unit has 2 components: a self-directed project and a work placement. The project gives you the opportunity to select what and how you want to learn. The placement will give you insight into the diverse career opportunities available in costume.
Year 3
Unit 9: Professional futures
This unit aims to address the 3Es: employability, enterprise and entrepreneurship. You will reflect on your learning and skills across the entirety of your study. You will have an opportunity to showcase your outcomes and intentions. You will consider your next steps as you enter industry or continue with your education.
Unit 10: Finding your voice - Research portfolio
Your final year project will be self-directed and involve 3 extended pieces of work to submit within a research portfolio which is a visual and reflective project that demonstrates your research voice within your practical work.
Unit 11: Show your work: independent practice
This final unit enables you bring together all the ideas and learning from the course. You will continue your self-directed programme of practice and related research. You will also prepare your portfolio to help you enter the costume industry. To finish your course, you will present your best work at the College show.
Optional Diploma between Years 2 and 3
Between Years 2 and 3 of the course you will also have the opportunity to undertake one of the following additional UAL qualifications:
Diploma in Professional Studies (DPS)
This optional diploma can be taken between years 2 and 3. With support from your tutors, you will undertake an industry placement for a minimum of 100 days/20 weeks. As well as developing industry skills, you will gain an additional qualification upon successful completion.
Diploma in Creative Computing
Between years 2 and 3, you can undertake the year-long Diploma in Creative Computing. This will develop your skills in creative computing alongside your degree. After successfully completing the diploma and your undergraduate course, you will graduate with an enhanced degree: BA (Hons) Costume for Theatre and Screen (with Creative Computing).
Diploma in Apple Development
This optional diploma can be taken between years 2 and 3. Over the extra year you will become an Apple developer, undertaking a learning programme which includes content from Apple’s official 'Develop in Swift' curriculum. After successfully completing the diploma and your undergraduate degree, you will graduate with an enhanced degree: BA (Hons) Costume for Theatre and Screen (with Apple Development).