Program Overview

Got a passion for creative design? Not quite ready to undertake a full honours degree? Solent University’s design foundation programme is perfectly suited to students who may not be from an art- design- or fashion-related background, or whose qualifications do not meet the admissions requirements of their chosen course.

To help get you up to speed, the one-year foundation provides all the creative, technical and study skills needed for entry onto a degree-level art, design or fashion course. Upon completion, you will be able to progress onto the BA (Hons) Prosthetics and Special Effects Design degree.

The design foundation year begins with a five-week group project. This enables students to mix with like-minded peers and helps them to settle in quickly. The following ten weeks are spent introducing students to the world of art, design and fashion. This includes design history, vocabulary, methods and academic foundation. This final project takes place in the last fifteen weeks of the course and is based around the specific discipline the student will go on to study.

Solent's dynamic prosthetics and special effects degree will allow you to push the limits of your creative boundaries. With a hands-on approach to design for a range of contexts, you’ll be supported to develop the skills and experience to enter a range of careers in the creative industries after graduation.

You will be encouraged to take an explorative and technical approach to prosthetics application, use of materials and creative development processes to produce innovative and contemporary special effects design work. This will include sculpting, moulding and casting for character and creature effects, refined application of make-up and hair effects and designing with 2D and 3D modelling.

While the emphasis is on problem solving and critical thinking, you will be encouraged to embrace the breadth of the potential within and beyond the discipline of special effects for TV, theatrical performance and film.

You will be taught by an academic team with excellent reputations as practicing professional designers or researchers, as well as an extensive range of visiting lecturers and international visits to gain vital industry insight.

You will study in our well-equipped studios and workshops, ranging from make-up, hair and special effects studios to photography studios, IT suites and a comprehensive Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to support your learning.

Situated within the Faculty of Creative Industries, Architecture and Engineering, the course also provides you with the opportunity for cross-programme collaborations to help you contextualise your place within the prosthetics and special effects industry, offering you a rich and stimulating education and preparing you for future employment.

In your final year there is the opportunity to work with our professional SFX team at the Prosthetics Event, across a range of national theatre productions or at IMATS in London.