Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Business Economics (with Placement Year)

at De Montfort University United Kingdom

This course is for students with a product, furniture or a directly-related 3D design degree who wish to build on their expertise, specialist knowledge and employability. You will develop an advanced understanding of design practice, learn about research methodologies, explore service design and the ways that emerging digital technologies can enhance your work. The flexibility of the curriculum allows you to create a distinct programme of learning that is focused on your individual interests and ambitions, and equip you with the practical commercial skills for a successful career in the creative industries.

Within the course, you can choose from two specialisms. On the Design Practice specialism, you will explore design innovation and the creation of innovative products that fulfil the users’ wants and needs. Alternatively, our Design and Business specialism focuses on commercial practice, research methods and product design – all valuable skills that you would need to forge a career as a creative entrepreneur.

Your studies will culminate in a self-directed design project, during which you will explore real world product design processes such as external validation, prototyping, testing, technical definition and specification.

In all your designs and processes we will empower you to experiment boldly and encourage you to take risks. We aim to develop independent learners who can take their own personal and critical approach to tackling complex design challenges. Access to our sophisticated facilities, including industry-standard vector-based and three-dimensional modelling packages, will enable you to push design boundaries and realise your creative visions.

The future of the design industry lies in advancing technology and emerging digital techniques. Whether your creative specialism lies in media, products, interiors, exhibitions, fashion or branding and marketing, on this course you will explore and embrace digital and design related technologies in your field.

You can specialise in technologies such as user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design, mobile app design, e-learning, virtual and augmented reality, 2D and 3D animation, 3D digital printing, digital display and projection design, visual and special effects for TV and film, interactive kiosk and installation design, wearable devices and smart clothing. The course is designed for students with a good working knowledge of multimedia software tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator Flash, Dreamweaver and After Effects, and 3D software such as Autodesk MAYA or 3DMax, providing an opportunity to develop these technical skills to an advanced level.

You will examine the practical skills and the academic theories surrounding digital design methods. We will take you all the way from concept development and prototyping to production techniques and testing. In-depth insight into each stage of the creative production process will be supported by training in project management. This broad base of specialised skills will equip you for wide-ranging creative careers as digital designers, web and app developers, and multimedia production directors, while the understanding you will build of business planning and web presence management will teach you the key skills needed to launch a freelance career.

With us, you will gain real-world experience through live design projects, with the opportunity to collaborate with students from other disciplines. Through your major project (either creative practice based or research focused) you will have the freedom to draw on your learning and respond creatively to your chosen specialism.

Throughout the course we will empower and support you to challenge conventions, experiment boldly, and take risks. Prepare to embrace new ways of thinking and innovative approaches to contemporary design challenges, with a sophisticated suite of devices and industry software and hardware  for you to realise your creative visions.

The Graphic Design (Illustration) degree is taught in alliance with the Graphic Design degree, with module-specific teaching to develop a more personal visual language.

Graphic designers and illustrators need to be curious innovators and follow a reflective and explorative design process. They need to understand and engage audience. The Graphic Design (Illustration) course will build both your Graphic Design industry skills and develop your own personal visual style. You will be taught how to interpret briefs, identify and solve problems to create innovative design illustration solutions.

On the Graphic Design (Illustration) course you will have the opportunity to explore and experiment with an extensive range of media and craft skills, taught by expert practitioners. Working on projects that will allow your creativity and talent to thrive over all print, digital and analogue media, platforms.

Though our close relationships with industry you will be set live projects giving enabling you to have work selected and published.

The course will prepare you in all aspects of graphic design and illustration to prosper in the exciting, everchanging creative industry. You will work towards building a professional creative portfolio that will showcase your unique visual voice.

Fashion buying requires both strong commercial understanding as well as theoretical knowledge. After looking at the roles and responsibilities of buyers – from design concept to point of sale – you’ll focus on the business side of fashion, building your knowledge of planning, branding, public relations/communications and social media platforms.

You will study computer-aided design (CAD) to ensure that your design and marketing concepts can be presented and communicated in a professional, and industry-recognised, style. You will also cover report writing, data selection, presentation and critical analysis.

Develop the practical skills needed to take on the challenges of our rapidly evolving industry, focusing on the shift in consumer demand from high street to online shopping. With an emphasis on sustainability and social responsibility, we aim to give you the tools you will need to drive innovation at all stages of the buying process.

Kick-start your professional accounting career on a course that is designed to develop industry-ready graduates, with a number of exemptions from professional body exams to speed up the process to become a qualified accountant.

Gain core knowledge and skills, with a huge range of modules covering topics such as Financial Accounting, where you will explore relevant procedures and techniques. As you progress, Management and Strategy will come into play, introducing the theory and practical aspects of managing organisations and the people who work for them. Other modules include Forensic Accounting, Advanced Corporate Finance and Advanced Decision Management.

The language you speak shapes the world you see. This degree helps you understand both better, and to make connections between what you study and what goes on in the world beyond the classroom.

You will develop skills in linguistic analysis and your own abilities to use language adeptly and appropriately in any potential context. You will also acquire a range of key transferrable skills including, among others, textual analysis, synthesis, writing and general presentation skills, which will equip you for a wide range of careers.

We live in a world governed and connected by technology. At DMU we believe that you should study the nature of the 'wired' environment and how it influences who you are. As part of our approach to digital humanities, you will have the opportunity to see how communication and language operate on web-based platforms, and how the application of digital tools and methods can deepen the knowledge of your chosen subject area.

The modules on this course have been carefully designed to provide a fully integrated program of study. Applied Computing BSc (Hons) is a practical, vocationally oriented course providing students with knowledge and skills for the modern, computer-driven workplace. The course is a contemporary mix of traditional computing subjects with professional and work-related skills.

The core modules include Introduction to Computing, Computer Ethics, Data Analytics, Information and Database Design, Programming in Python, Project Management, Human-Computer Interaction, Programming with APIs and Frameworks, Mobile Application Design and Development, and Artificial Intelligence. In addition to the core modules, there are a number of optional modules for students to choose from including Information and Communication Technologies for Development, Information Security Management and Governance, Internet of Things, and Advanced Database Management and Programming, so you can tailor your learning to your areas of interest.

In your final year, you will select from a range of specialist options and also complete a computing project.

On this course, you will explore a range of contemporary performance practices and related contexts, developing your creative skills and deepening your understanding of critical theory and research. You will engage with topics such as the body in performance, audiences, spaces, narrative, digital technologies, devising and collaboration, enabling you to gain new insights and to build on existing knowledge. The programme has a particular emphasis on supporting innovative practice that is responsive to the interests of a contemporary audience and our lived reality. It is structured to offer a blend of taught content and negotiated study, giving you the freedom to develop your own areas of interest as an emerging practitioner and scholar.

You will develop an advanced understanding of performance aligned to current real-world thinking, with teaching covering new theoretical and practical perspectives from our energetic, research-active academics with international profiles in their fields.

Specialist areas include performance practices and theory, live art, immersive, interactive and participatory theatre, writing for performance, psychophysical performance, improvisation, digital technologies, and solo and collaborative performance making. The course is further enhanced by our links with local and national organisations, artists and leading researchers.

The course is designed to develop independent artists, researchers and reflective practitioners. It is also ideal for professional artists and educators who wish to reinvigorate their practices.

Quantity Surveying and Construction focuses on controlling and managing the costs of construction projects; you could be involved with any stage of a project, from feasibility, design and construction, through to extension, refurbishment, maintenance and even demolition.

Our course will help you gain an understanding of the technical aspects of construction over the whole life of a building or facility. You will learn to understand contracts, budgets, quantities, measurements and sustainability to achieve the best quality and value within the project’s specifications. You are likely to be involved in a range of services, from cost consultancy to contract management.

This program focuses on detailed decisions about the design and construction of buildings and their immediate surroundings. Architectural Technology is concerned with new and existing buildings and examines how detail relates to the design concept. This field is also central to the communication of design decisions to members of the construction team and vital to ensuring that work is carried out in the correct manner.  

Our course will help you evolve the knowledge and skills required in understanding, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation relative to design, technology, management, and practice. It will also help advance your architectural management proficiency by bringing together all aspects of the design process, from concept through to completion. 

In addition, this degree examines design strategies to promote and encourage sustainability. You will explore methods of sustainability to inform architectural design, and develop an awareness of ecological footprints, materials, and embodied energy along with processes of achieving sustainable design.