Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Creative Writing

at University of Bolton United Kingdom

From alien spaceships to samurai swords, and body parts to ancient statues, special and visual effects uses physical artefacts to inject reality into computer generated action, as well as provide a sense of place, time and atmosphere for actors and audiences. Our Special Effects Modelmaking for Film and Television degree is designed to train the talented artists and craftspeople this highly creative industry needs. We focus on preparing you for a career as a skilled artisan, creating visually stunning pieces that help bring on-screen productions to life.

We offer an intensely practical education in special effects modelmaking. We’ll encourage you to experiment with materials and tools, and practice contemporary and long-established modelmaking techniques. We’ll support you as you learn the principles of scale representation and how to create bigatures. We’ll lead you in an exploration of how models and props can combine with 3D computer graphics to create spectacular on-screen environments.

This highly creative industry demands transferable skills too – communication, project and time management, team-working and entrepreneurship are all needed for success in this often freelance profession. We aim to support you to develop these attributes, alongside the imagination, flair and curiosity that will enable you to help make the unbelievable, believable.

Highlights

• You don’t have to worry about the cost of the tools and materials needed to complete your studies – we provide these for you. This means you can concentrate on learning how to use expensive industry-standard materials, like silicones and resins, rather than worrying about how you are going to pay for them!
• Neill Gorton, multi-award winning artist/designer and founder of the world-renowned Millennium FX Company, is our Visiting Professor of Special Effects. His astonishing range of professional experience, knowledge of cutting-edge techniques and industry contacts brings enormous benefits.
• You’ll have your own personal bench space and locker in our dedicated special effects studio, providing a secure base for your studies. You’ll also have access to our fantastic range of facilities, including our casting and moulding room, boutique film studio, 3D workshop, heavy engineering and woodworking facilities, and composites laboratories.
• We’re committed to helping develop your employability and career network. You’ll be encouraged to attend guest lectures that enhance your learning and help you make contacts in the industry. For instance, the modelmaking masters Artem have recently shared their expertise with students on our SVFX courses.
• Alongside your special effects modelmaking skills and knowledge, we’ll support you to develop a broader understanding of production design, including concepting, cinematography and composition. This will help you appreciate the roles, skills and expectations of other professionals working in the industry.
• We’ll encourage you to research, analyse, design and develop modelmaking techniques so that you can take an idea from a brief or script scene and find the most time-efficient, cost-effective and visually impressive way to turn that vision into reality.

Key Features

• The course is designed in collaboration with professional special effects modelmaking designers and artists. This ensures that the content is industry-relevant and includes the latest techniques, materials and innovations.
• We’ll help and support you to develop a portfolio of work/show reel that demonstrates your skills in readiness to impress potential employers.
• Course assignments and projects mimic industry pipelines and standards so your experience is a realistic preparation for a career in special effects modelmaking.
• Our dedicated staff team have a wide range of professional experience, industry knowledge, technical expertise and academic credentials, offering you a variety of perspectives and broadening your horizons.
• We offer a warm and friendly environment for your studies, with relatively small class sizes, purpose-built teaching facilities, and excellent student support and library services.
• We prefer to keep lecture and practical classes relatively small, so that you have plenty of opportunities to us ask questions and get individual help, as well as benefit from the ideas and support offered by your classmates.

Over the next decade, information and communication technology (ICT), including fifth-generation (5G) mobile and the Internet of Things (IoT), will have a significant bearing on how we go about our daily lives. Our MSc ROBUST focuses on preparing you for industry. It’s designed to take you from your bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronic engineering, computer science or mechatronics to a role in advanced engineering and technology. Our dedicated, knowledgeable team will cover the key areas needed to make you stand out to employers.

We are now entering an information society, where technology-assisted living permeates our environment. Smart cities, towns and villages throughout the world are embracing technologies for a more connected and sustainable way of life and agri-tech has the potential to make farming more efficient through the use of wireless sensors, satellite earth imagery and drones. Additionally, all-electric autonomous vehicles are set to create a new, environmentally friendly travel experience and factories will make greater use of robotics and IoT to become fully automated, under what is known as Industry 4.0. These are exciting times for the technology sector, with significant opportunities for challenging and rewarding careers throughout the world.

Highlights

• The MSc ROBUST course provides a unique blend of modules, delivered by experienced and knowledgeable academic staff.
• Key enabling technologies are introduced through dedicated 20-credit modules, which deal with the principles of mobile communications, satellite communications and applications, wireless sensors and the Internet of Things, autonomous systems and robotics.
• The technical modules are supported by a module addressing research skills and methods, which provides a solid platform for a 60-credit ROBUST project, culminating in a dissertation in one of the subjects covered by the course.

Key Features

• The MSc ROBUST course has been carefully designed to address the worldwide demand for top technology talent.
• The course follows the University’s ethos of being teaching intensive, research informed (TIRI).
• The course is designed to meet professional institution standards in the UK and Europe.
• This course is based at the University of Bolton’s campus in Greater Manchester, which is home to one of the fastest-growing digital technology sectors in Europe and boasts the largest number of digital workers in the UK outside of London. In particular, the University is only a short distance from MediaCity:UK, which hosts some the UK’s leading technology organisations, including Vodafone and its 5G testbed, Smart Cities Catapult, and Huawei. (Reference: http://mediacityuk.co.uk/newsroom/huawei-opens-new-office-in-mediacityuk/ accessed on 2 March 2020)

The University of Bolton’s MSc Social Care, Health and Wellbeing is designed to prepare future leaders for the health and social care sector. The social, cultural and political climate has an enormous impact on the lives of vulnerable people in our society, influencing the care they receive and the life chances they experience. This postgraduate course is designed to develop your awareness and understanding of these factors while cultivating your leadership, critical analysis and communication skills. We focus on supporting you to integrate these ideas with your knowledge of social care, health and wellbeing, helping you to achieve career success and champion the uniqueness of individuals, carers and their families.

The aim of this course is to extend your already considerable professional skills and knowledge with specialist modules that deepen your understanding of areas such as equality and diversity, integration and collaboration in health and social care, and the importance of engaging with service users. Our expert team will help you gain critical reflection, analysis and evaluation skills that support your ability to determine the impact of professional interventions in social care and health services.

Combining this knowledge with the principles and techniques of academic research and investigation will help develop your evidence-based practice, and grow your skills in evaluating options and formulating creative solutions to complex problems. Studying leadership and management styles, theories and frameworks will support you to become more actively involved in the planning, delivery and transformation of social care and health services.

Overall, our aim is to help you gain the professional and transferable skills to move forward in your career, improving the services you provide to individuals and their communities.

Highlights

• Our students are drawn from a wide variety of backgrounds – sharing the individual and unique educational insights and perspectives of your peers helps to enrich your learning experience.
• We promote research and critical enquiry helping you learn to make sound, evidence-based independent judgements.
• We have an excellent record of working with NHS, social care and community-based services, enabling us to offer postgraduate programmes that are responsive to employer and service user needs.
• Modules on this programme combine concepts and knowledge from across the divisions of health, community and early years, fostering a dynamic multi-professional approach.
• On successful completion of this course you’ll be awarded an MSc Social Care, Health and Wellbeing from the University of Bolton.

Key Features

• Face-to-face sessions and one-to-one support is offered by our team of highly experienced, enthusiastic and dedicated experts.
• Staff and students from across our Faculty of Health and Wellbeing work closely together. By studying alongside people from related specialisms and sectors, such as youth, community and early years, you can benefit from a wider range of knowledge and experience that supports cross-disciplinary thinking and inter-professional working.
• Our academic team is actively involved in social care, health and wellbeing research, helping you to explore issues from a robust research-informed knowledge base.
• Specialists in the field of social care and health will be invited to join us as guest speakers and lecturers, offering you first-hand live examples of current practice.
• Our highly experienced team will support you as you develop critical thinking and research evaluation skills and apply these during your independent master’s-level project.

Supply chain and logistics is an under-resourced business sector and graduates with expertise in this area are increasingly in demand. This course is designed to help you achieve the transferable skills and knowledge necessary for a career within logistics and supply chain. You’ll cover subjects like global trade and requirements of the industry, risk mitigation, sustainable business operations and the role of information within supply networks, with the aim of gaining a comprehensive overview of the industry and related elements.

You’ll have the opportunity to explore and apply methods and techniques for business improvement in response to environmental, operational and ethical issues, both current and emerging, to build awareness of the industry and its different facets, including logistics, operations, strategy and information technology.

Created with more than a decade’s industry experience delivering supply chain programmes with partners in Malaysia, Botswana, Zambia and Malawi, the MSc Logistics and Supply Chain Management course has a strong international focus to help prepare students for the needs of the global marketplace.

Highlights

• Established in response to the shortage of qualified supply chain professionals, this programme is tailor-made to provide you with the opportunity to build skills relevant to the current and emerging needs of the industry.
• The programme has been developed in compliance with Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply and the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport professional body requirements.
• There is a strong international flavour to the programme, enabling you to enhance your knowledge and understanding of today’s global market.
• Our scholarly activity, research and well-established links with industry professional bodies, help to make sure our course content is industry-relevant and introduces you to the latest thinking and innovations.
• On successful completion of this course, you will be awarded an MSc in Logistics and Supply Chain Management and will have the opportunity for further study up to PhD level.

Key Features

• The MSc Logistics and Supply Chain Management course is designed for the modern, global industry and covers all relevant elements, from sustainability and aggressive marketing of goods and services to the importance of risk mitigation.
• You’ll have the option to take a study skills module at the beginning of the programme in preparation for Master’s level study.
• At the end of the course, you’ll be able to apply your knowledge and skills in practice by preparing a dissertation that covers a specific area of the logistics and supply chain management discipline.
• We’re committed to helping you develop your employability and career network. You’ll be encouraged to attend guest lectures that enhance your learning, help you make contacts in industry and contribute to your professional development.
• Our dedicated staff team have a wide range of professional experience, industry knowledge, technical expertise and academic credentials, offering you a variety of perspectives and broadening your horizons.

Business management qualifications open doors and are considered essential whether you’re looking to pursue a career in business, or achieve higher levels of responsibility in your current work. We’ll support you to enhance your existing Foundation Degree or HND-level knowledge and skills, ready to achieve the status of BSc (Hons) Business Management (Marketing) Top-up graduate. You can study advanced aspects of business, management and marketing, enhance your professional skills, and boost your employability.

Building on your prior studies, we’ll guide you as you explore specialist areas including digital marketing strategy, marketing for E-commerce and global consumer behaviour. This Honours-level programme will also support you to gain knowledge of strategic management, and develop critical inquiry and research skills to improve your work and enhance its quality. When you successfully complete the course, you’ll also receive the CMI Level 5 Award in Leadership and Management and exemptions for some CIM professional qualifications.

Developing your employability is a key focus of this dynamic and flexible programme. Real-life case studies, guest speakers and industry visits are designed to help you to understand the business environment and the needs of employers in local, national and international contexts. We’ll support you to develop sought-after skills such as communication, data analysis, time management, team working and problem solving.

We also aim to help you develop lifelong learning skills so that you can take ownership of your professional development for the future, maximising your potential for success.

Highlights

• The Institute of Management Greater Manchester – and the wider University – provide a warm and friendly environment for your studies, with relatively small class sizes, purpose-built teaching facilities, and excellent student support and library services.
• On successful completion of this dual award course you’ll receive both an academic degree and a professionally-recognised management qualification – the CMI Level 5 Award in Leadership and Management. You don’t need to take extra exams or coursework to achieve the Award – we combine our degree module and CMI assessments streamlining your route to both qualifications.
• On the Business Management (Marketing) Top-up pathway you’ll also have the opportunity to gain exemptions from professional qualifications offered by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).
• This course is part of our Business Management suite of degrees. At Honours level, depending on your prior studies, you can follow this specialist pathway in Marketing, choose the core Business Management route, or select one of our other specialist pathways in Enterprise, People Management, Supply Chain, Law, Finance or Retail.
• Face-to-face sessions and one-to-one support is offered by our team of highly experienced and enthusiastic lecturers who have worked in a wide range of businesses ranging from multinational organisation to SMEs.
• We’ll introduce you to your course and new study environment through a bespoke induction programme focused on helping you transition smoothly and effectively to Honours-level study.

Key Features

• This course is offered within our vibrant Institute of Management environment in Bolton town centre.
• We use small group and tutorial teaching, so you have the opportunity to benefit from the excellent support offered by our teaching staff.
• We regularly invite guest speakers who hold senior positions in industry and practice, enabling you to benefit from their knowledge and advice.
• Course materials are available online, allowing you to prepare work at home and make the most of the highly interactive in-class tuition.
• Contemporary research findings are woven into our teaching. We offer a robust academic underpinning to your studies of business management.
• Our dedicated team will support you as you develop critical thinking and research skills and apply these during your final year dissertation or work-based project (if you’re in suitable employment).

Professional recognition

• Graduates of our BSc (Hons) Business Management (Marketing) Top-up course will receive a Level 5 Award in Leadership and Management from the CMI (Chartered Management Institute).
• Additionally, graduates of the BSc (Hons) Business Management (Marketing) Top-up pathway will also be eligible for exemptions from the following CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing) qualifications: CIM Certificate in Professional Marketing and CIM Diploma in Professional Marketing.

The power of arts and culture to effect positive change to communities, social regeneration, and health and wellbeing is increasingly being recognised by central and local government agencies. If you have a passion for helping arts and cultural organisations to engage their communities more effectively, this master’s degree offers you a route into a rewarding career in applied and community arts. Whether you are progressing straight from undergraduate study, or are already working in the sector, this programme aims to prepare you to work in partnership with a range of arts and cultural organisations to undertake projects that have tangible social, educational and cultural benefits.

Our dedicated team will support you as you investigate the current arts landscape to develop your understanding of the social, political and cultural contexts for the arts, examining growth areas such as arts and wellbeing, social prescribing, social engagement and regeneration. The applications for arts in the community are varied and you’ll have the opportunity to explore areas such as youth work, arts in prisons and the probation service, and arts for health and wellbeing.

Your studies will focus on key aspects of applied and community arts practice, including facilitation, project management and leadership. Audience engagement and impact evaluation will also form key cornerstones of your learning. You’ll have the opportunity to work with a number of arts and cultural organisations via live briefs and work-based learning, as well as gain additional qualifications such as safeguarding, health and safety in the workplace, and first aid to further strengthen your professional profile. Our aim is to support you to develop the real-world skills that will enable you to work freelance, on contracted roles within existing organisations, or to set up your own company.

Highlights

• This MA offers opportunities for you to work with a range of arts and cultural organisations across Greater Manchester and the North West region on live projects.
• Our industry-engaged staff are experienced in developing and leading applied and community arts projects, so are well-versed in the skills and knowledge needed for success in the field.
• We’ll focus on helping you develop the practical, real-world applied and community arts skills you’ll need to work as a freelance arts practitioner with a focus on funding applications, project design and planning, self-employment and enterprise.
• We'll help you learn about tax self-assessment, invoicing, intellectual property and risk assessments, as well as offer business start-up sessions to prepare you to take advantage of opportunities for enterprise development.
• We’ll support you as you learn to reflect on your professional persona and delivery style and adapt your delivery and approach to the requirements and challenges of different groups.

Key Features

• Teaching and supervision are delivered by our dedicated team of experienced and well-qualified staff who are engaged in applied and community arts practice and research.
• We offer an engaging programme of visiting speakers and practitioners that gives you opportunities to network with and learn from industry professionals.
• You’ll have opportunities to gain additional qualifications such as safeguarding, health and safety in the workplace, and first aid, alongside your master’s degree to ensure you achieve a strong professional profile in preparation for employment.
• This MA has strong theoretical underpinnings and a key focus on research-led practice.

Our Masters in Civil Engineering is aimed at engineers who want to broaden and deepen their technical knowledge of specialised civil engineering areas and develop a wider perspective on the issues facing the civil engineering industry. The part-time programme is designed to build on the knowledge and skills already developed, introducing advanced concepts and theories to challenge your problem solving and critical evaluation capabilities.

This course explores the complex roles and responsibilities of civil engineers in relation to social, natural and built environments, assessing how economic constraints can influence project management and decision making.

Research and design also play key parts in this comprehensive course, which will challenge you to design creatively and apply engineering modelling and analysis methods to projects. You’ll have the opportunity to grow your skillset by linking theory with practice in a variety of assignments, reports and design processes, enhancing your literacy and risk management abilities along the way.

Highlights

• Build on your existing engineering knowledge with a series of modules designed to challenge and stimulate your abilities with rich and varied content.
• Benefit from the University’s longstanding and excellent reputation for civil engineering postgraduate and professional development courses.
• On successful completion of this course you will receive an MSc in Civil Engineering.

Key Features

• Our programme has been expertly developed to give a broad overview of the advanced civil engineering discipline, including influencing issues and challenges, such as economic constraints and professional and ethical responsibilities.
• Lessons are taught in small groups, maximising opportunities for personal tuition and contact with staff.
• As well as small group learning and support, the University has excellent libraries, 24/7 IT facilities and campus-wide WiFi for all students.
• English language support will be provided via a dedicated module that focuses on improving students’ English language skills, especially in relation to engineering.

If you’re seeking to accelerate your career in an area where you can make a real difference to people’s lives, the University of Bolton's MSc Human Society (with specialism) should be of interest to you. This course offers you professionally-relevant training for practice in your specialist area (chosen from Early Childhood studies, Community Development and Youth Studies or Social Care, Health and Wellbeing), coupled with essential skills development for business and leadership that will take your CV to the next level.

An ideal course for graduates and professionals from a wide range of backgrounds
Whether you’re a recent graduate or a professional seeking a change of direction or to increase your credibility in practice, this course offers you the opportunity to study cultures, communities and society in readiness for a career working to improve the lives of vulnerable people, children, families and young people in the community. Our expert team will support you to develop postgraduate-level expertise ready for professional practice in the human services, along with the high-level transferable skills and self-belief you need for leadership roles, teaching or further research. This master’s degree should appeal to (but isn’t limited to) graduates and professionals in areas such as Community Development and Youth Studies; Crime and Criminal Justice; Early Years and Childhood Studies; Education; Law; Nursing; Psychology; Social Care, Health and Wellbeing; Social Work; and Sports Development.

Study a master’s that matters
This course takes a holistic view of social justice, equality and inequality in society so that you can develop a broad appreciation of the interconnected nature and need for multi-disciplinary work in the human services. Armed with this overview, we’ll support you to explore your chosen specialist area in greater depth, preparing you for professional practice in this field. You can specialise in Early Childhood Studies, Community Development and Youth Studies or Social Care, Health and Wellbeing and you do not need to have worked or studied specifically in these areas before. To support your leadership aspirations, we’ll also use tried-and-tested coaching techniques to help you master skills such as problem-solving, collaboration and team working, using your initiative and decision-making.

Experts in the field
Our multi-disciplinary team of experienced academics and practitioners are able to help you forge the necessary links between theory and practice. We’ll support you to develop your knowledge and understanding of human society, focusing on your chosen specialist area. You’ll explore the forms of diversity and challenges to professional practice in the human services. You’ll also learn about the health and wellbeing of individuals and groups in society and how this is related to policy and the professional landscape. Your studies will culminate in your Professional Dissertation, an independent and substantial piece of research that will further your knowledge and practice. This will demonstrate your mastery of an aspect of your field, showcasing your expert knowledge to employers.

Ensuring your learning is contemporary, relevant and industry-informed
We have a well-established network of employers and organisations within our local community that gives us essential insights into the needs of organisations and the individuals they support. We also have significant links with national networks in each specialist area. Our partners span the human services sector and provide up-to-date experience and expertise in practice and policy so you can rest assured that your learning will be contemporary, relevant and industry-informed.

Reach your potential
Our passionate team want to help you make a real difference in society and enjoy a rewarding career. As well as building your knowledge of human society and professional practice, we’ll support you to identify and develop the personal and business skills that are most highly valued in the human services sector. Not only will this help you get established early on in your career, but you’ll also be primed to take on leadership roles. You’ll have the lifelong learning, problem-solving and decision-making skills needed to adapt to the challenges you face throughout your career.

Would you prefer to complete your course over a longer time? We also offer this course with a duration of 18 months full-time or 24 months part-time. For full-time study, please visit our MSc Human Society (with specialism): Extended course search web page for details and to apply. Alternatively, for part-time study, please visit our MSc Human Society (with specialism) course search web page.

Highlights

• Dr Selva Pankaj, the author of ‘Thinking into Character – A Proven Methodology for the Creation of Success & Self-Fulfilment’, is a valued partner of the University whose work will support you in the development of business and career planning, confidence and knowledge.
• When you successfully complete the master's, your degree title will be chosen to reflect the focus of your studies. Degree titles include MSc Human Society (Social Care, Health and Wellbeing), MSc Human Society (Community Development and Youth Studies) and MSc Human Society (Early Years and Childhood Studies).
• The University of Bolton’s strong and growing links with human services organisations and employers across the North West offers excellent opportunities for coaching, networking and joint projects with experienced professional practitioners.
• This MSc is part of the University of Bolton’s ‘Career Development Masters’ suite, offering shared modules that give you a wider business perspective. Inspired by the graduate training programmes of major companies, these modules will help you develop high-level employability and transferable skills and apply them to your chosen specialism.

Key Features

• Teaching and supervision are delivered by dedicated staff chosen for their expertise and experience in fields relevant to your professional practice and professional development needs.
• We offer an engaging programme of visiting speakers and practitioners so you can enjoy masterclasses with industry professionals, gaining insights into contemporary issues, developments and practice in the human services field.
• We'll offer you opportunities for interdisciplinary work and collaboration that will help to develop your understanding of the interconnections between policy and practice.

Our BA (Hons) Creative Writing degree explores ‘how to put the best possible words in the best possible order’. Your imagination is boundless and we’ll help you to focus and control your ideas to give them shape, energy and structure. Our dedicated team of professional writers and lecturers will guide you on a journey through the worlds of prose, poetry and drama, and contemporary creative practice.

We’ll nurture and support you in exploring the rich, expressive potential of the English language and your development of the crafts of writing. Alongside this, we’ll examine, from a writer’s point of view, a wide range of creative work in various forms. Small group teaching and one-to-one support are central to our approach, allowing our expert team to offer personalised guidance that’s tailored specifically for you.

You’ll have opportunities to refine and develop your skills at every stage, from initial concept, through planning, background research and first drafts, to editing, re-writing and self-critique. The final year combines the creative, the critical and the practical. You’ll write a significant piece of creative work: a calling card script, collection of poetry or an extended piece of fiction; you’ll research and analyse a chosen area of creative practice; and you’ll undertake a work placement in an area associated with your individual career goals. Throughout the course, you’ll gain confidence, skills and knowledge, preparing you for a successful career in a multitude of industries.

Highlights

• The Guardian University Guide 2020 ranks the University of Bolton as second in the UK for the study of English and Creative Writing.
• Also, our Creative Writing courses are top in the North West and second in the UK for student satisfaction according to The Complete University Guide 2020.
• Our dedicated lecturers are active professional writers and researchers whose work continues to be published, or produced on stage, screen or radio. They bring this wealth of expertise and practical knowledge to their teaching.
• We have excellent industry contacts and strong links with external creative organisations such as publishers, production companies, theatres, libraries, art galleries, schools, funding bodies and arts development agencies that allow us to offer work experience placements in a wide variety of settings.
• In particular, our partnership with the nationally acclaimed Octagon Theatre, Bolton means you have opportunities for privileged access to rehearsals, dress rehearsals, professional actors and directors, and discounted tickets for productions.
• In your final year, you’ll have the opportunity to enter the Octagon Student Prize. Awarded annually for outstanding achievement in writing drama, the winning piece is given a professional presentation with practitioners.
• We’ll encourage you to submit your work to our ISSN recognised literary magazine ‘The Bolton Review’, and to our annual poetry competition.
• The annual New Writing Showcase offers you a chance to perform your work at the Bolton Octagon Studio or similar venue.
• As a Creative Writing student, you'll be eligible to enter work for the Carcanet Poetry Prize and for the And Other Stories Fiction Prize.

Key Features

• All our lecturers are professional writers and researchers who’ve produced and continue to publish poetry, prose, plays and papers with national and international periodicals and imprints.
• Experimentation is encouraged and you’ll be introduced to many different types of writing, from creative to critical, to help you develop your voice and gain awareness of the enormous variety of careers that creative writing skills support.
• We offer a friendly and supportive intellectual community. You’ll be encouraged to get to know your peers from other subjects such as English, Theatre and Media, Writing and Production, with whom you’ll be participating in a variety of external creative events and/or collaborative projects.
• There’ll be guest lectures from professionals from all aspects of the writing industry: producers, scriptwriters, poets, novelists, agents, publishers, promoters, and directors. Names you may recognise such as Sally Wainwright, Patrick Ness and Jenn Ashworth have given presentations in recent years.
• ‘Live Literature’ is our well-established, vibrant series of readings from published poets, fiction writers and playwrights, held in conjunction with Bolton Library and Museum Services.
• We’ll work to help you develop a range of skills alongside your writing that are highly valued by employers, such as creative thinking, problem-solving, communication, team working, time management, research and critical analysis, IT, cultural awareness and lifelong learning.

Professional recognition

• The University of Bolton is linked via creative partnerships with Bolton’s own Octagon Theatre and Carcanet, a leading and prize-winning poetry publisher based in Manchester. The university is currently fostering links with South Yorkshire’s leading literary development organisation, The Poetry Business.
• Writers and lecturers who teach on the course have established links with a variety of media and organisations, including The Guardian, The Poetry Society, NAWE, The British Council and Arts Council England.

At the University of Bolton, we believe that making the link between your course content and real life situations is crucial to your understanding of early childhood studies. Our BA (Hons) Early Years and Childhood Studies degree is a great qualification if you are looking for a career working with pre-primary school children and need to develop the necessary work experience, or if you are already working in the early years’ sector and would like the chance to obtain a formal qualification to support your career development.

Using their wealth of experience from a wide range of settings, our highly-qualified professional tutors will guide you through the theories and research that underpin early years practice and legislation. The work-based element of the course will then help bring your learning to life and give you experience using your new knowledge and skills in the workplace.

In some modules, you may be taught alongside professionals who work in related services and professions. Such connections help promote the multi-agency team approach that is such an important part of the early years childhood agenda. Overall, our supportive team will guide and encourage you, helping you to develop into a confident, capable early years professional.

Highlights

• This is a time of expansion for the early years’ sector with more funding available and further settings needed. Patrick Hayes, Director of the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), said in 2016: ‘It is therefore realistic to expect, that at least 500 new nurseries will open in England, to cope with the need for extra places’.
• Our staff members have a range of specialist areas, such as the teaching of English as an additional language in primary education and the improvement of children’s experience of schooling, particularly for those from migrant backgrounds.
• The course covers leadership and management in the early years, aimed at preparing you for additional responsibilities such as team leading or management roles in the sector.
• Our close links and regular engagement with early years’ providers, employers and practitioners ensures our course delivery and content are up-to-date and in line with government policy and guidance.

Key Features

• Combining theory with practical skills, the course is designed to prepare you for a career in early years, or give you a formal qualification with a possible option of progression into primary school education.
• Strong partnership links with local employers in the sector mean there are opportunities for you to undertake work placements, providing meaningful experience to put on your CV.
• Guest lectures from practitioners in the sector provide additional knowledge and alternative viewpoints. Specialist tutors in Health and Community Studies also provide another dimension to your learning. This ensures the course offers a true multi-agency approach.
• In the final year, you’ll have the chance to undertake a small-scale research project focusing on an area of early years and childhood that is particularly interesting to you.
• You’ll have opportunities to learn through role play, which is a great way to develop and practice your skills and understanding.