Program Overview

Prosthetics for Screen and Stage

Overview

The Prosthetics for Screen and Stage degree programme offers hands-on skills, industry insights, and the power to engage audiences, opening doors to a diverse career in film, TV, theatre, and other sectors within the entertainment industry.

Course Breakdown

• Year 1
  • Visual Culture and Context: This module underpins knowledge and understanding of industry developments to contextualise and inform your own practices.
  • Character Illustration and Design: In this module, you will be introduced to creating characters and conceptualising ideas for a specific cinematic genre.
  • Realistic Sculpture: This module will introduce you to using sculpture techniques with focus on proportion and anatomy of humans and animals.
  • Flatbed Moulding and Prosthetics Application Techniques: You will learn how to create high-quality flat moulds, which are essential for producing prosthetic appliances to fit a diverse and inclusive range of performers.
  • The Prosthetic Material Toolkit: This fundamental module is designed to provide you with in-depth knowledge and theoretical underpinning of a wide range of prosthetic materials and tools and their suitability for different prosthetic making applications.
  • Professional Image Construction: This module introduces you to the importance of professional presentation to meet employer and audience needs.
• Year 2
  • Mask Manufacture: You will build upon your design, sculpting, and painting skills introduced at level 4 to develop a fully finished character in the form of a wearable mask.
  • Contoured Moulding and Casting Skills: You will be introduced into creating moulds and casting prosthetic pieces to fit performers with seamless precision.
  • 3D Digital Sculpting: ZBrush is a digital sculpting software widely recognised and used in the entertainment industry.
  • Holistic Character Creation: Developing upon skills learnt in professional image construction at level 4, along with prosthetic design and manufacturing skills, you will design a prosthetic character to a set literary text and produce a holistic character which includes postiche and/or fur and hair additions.
  • Collaborative Practice: This module emphasises collaborative skills and interdisciplinary knowledge essential in the prosthetics industry sectors such as theatre, film, television, events, and simulations.
  • Entrepreneurial Skills, Industry Research and Ethics: Through a combination of theoretical insights, case studies, and research methodologies, you will develop a deep understanding of entrepreneurial mindsets, business modelling, marketing, and management strategies.
• Year 3
  • Sustainable and Resourceful Practice: This module will develop your critical understanding of professional, resourceful, and sustainable practice within the prosthetics workplace.
  • The Hybrid Technician: This module will advance upon 3D digital design skills at level 5 and will explore the combination and integration of traditional practical techniques such as sculpting and moulding with digital tools such as 3D scanning and printing.
  • Hyper-Realistic Simulation: As technology advances, the demand for hyper-realistic prosthetic technicians in the events and entertainment industries continues to rise.
  • Professional Creative Showcase: This module aims to develop your experience in events management through investigative research of creative events and event personnel.
  • Final Major Prosthetics Project: The Final Major Prosthetics Project (FMPP) module is a self-directed project, which requires you to define your own topic that builds upon the strengths of your previous work to achieve an outcome to increase employment opportunities within the industry.

Entry Requirements

• Prosthetics for Screen and Stage BA (Hons)
  • A-levels: an A-level grade profile of CCC, Including a C in Art and Design.
  • T-levels: a T-level graded pass in a related subject with a core component of grade C.
  • BTEC: a BTEC grade profile of MMM in a related subject area.
  • Tariff: other Level 3 qualifications are accepted for entry. A minimum of 96 UCAS Tariff points will be required.
  • Access to Higher Education Diploma: 96 UCAS Tariff points including a minimum of 15 Level 3 credits at distinction in a related subject area.
  • GCSEs: GCSE/IGCSE maths grades 9-4/A*-C or equivalent.
• Prosthetics for Screen and Stage FdA
  • A-levels: An A-level grade profile of DD, including a D in Art and Design.
  • T-levels: A T-level graded Pass in a related subject with a core component profile less than C.
  • BTEC: A BTEC grade profile of PPP in a related subject area.
  • Advanced Apprenticeship (Level 3) in a related subject area.
  • Access to Higher Education Diploma: 48 UCAS Tariff points in a related subject area.
  • Tariff: Other Level 3 qualifications are accepted for entry. A minimum of 48 UCAS Tariff points will be required.
  • Non-tariff: Non-UCAS Tariff-based Level 3 qualifications are also considered for entry.
  • GCSEs: GCSE/IGCSE maths grades 9-4/A*-C or equivalent.

Key Information

• Teaching and Assessment
  • Teaching: The programme will be delivered using a variety of methods including theory lectures, demonstrations, practical activities, and reflective learning.
  • Assessment: You will be assessed by a range of methods to encourage the development of a portfolio of work showcasing technical and transferable skills.
• Timetable
  • We understand that you need to balance study with work, so wherever possible lessons will be timetabled into 2-3 days a week, although you may wish to attend independent workshops across the week.
• Tuition Fees for Home Students
  • If you are a home student enrolling on a bachelor's or foundation degree course at University College Birmingham, the 2024/2025 academic year tuition fee for full-time study is £9,250. For part-time study, the fee is £4,625.
• Tuition Fees for International Students
  • If you are an international student (or have been fee assessed as an international fee payer) and are enrolling on a full-time bachelor's degree course in 2024/2025, the fee for the academic year will be £14,000. If you complete a placement year, there will be an administration fee of £500 for a full year or £250 for a half-year placement.
• Uniform and Kit Costs
  • This course requires a uniform and kit costing approximately £500, depending on the items you purchase.
• Kick-Start Scheme
  • As a new student studying this course full-time, you will receive £300 per year through our Kick-Start Scheme (UK students only, eligibility criteria applies).

Career Opportunities

• Prosthetics Technician: Variable
• Artwork Technician: Average Salary: £28,500
• 3D Printing Engineer: Average Salary: £38,468
• Prosthetics Consultant: Average Salary: £40,000

Meet Your Lecturers

• Chelsey Mallett: Head of Department for Creative Industries
• Alexandra Massie: Senior Lecturer
• Michelle Beddall: Interim Senior Lecturer
• Sian Thornton: Senior Curriculum Leader
• Chloe Bee: Lecturer
• Dan Frye: Lecturer
• Hernam Najran: Lecturer in Hair, Make-up and Prosthetics
• Stacey Hall: Lecturer