Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Textiles and Surface Design

at University of Bolton United Kingdom

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 (Finance) Top-up graduate. You can study advanced aspects of business, management and finance, enhance your professional skills, and boost your employability.

Building on your prior studies, we’ll guide you as you explore specialist areas including financial reporting for management, the practice and regulation of financial accounting, and the role of the finance manager. 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 benefit from exemptions from the ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) Diploma in Business and Accounting.

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 (Finance) Top-up pathway you’ll also have the opportunity to gain exemptions from the ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) Diploma in Business and Accounting.
• 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 Finance, choose the core Business Management route, or select one of our other specialist pathways in Enterprise, People Management, Supply Chain, Law, Marketing 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 (Finance) Top-up course will receive the Level 5 Award in Leadership and Management from the CMI (Chartered Management Institute).
• Additionally, graduates of the BSc (Hons) Business Management (Finance) Top-up pathway will benefit from exemptions from the ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) Diploma in Business and Accounting.

Whatever sector you currently work in, this MBA is a full-time career development programme designed to help you develop the strategic thinking skills needed in today’s global economy.

The course covers vital skills and knowledge that can be applied in almost any organisation, such as developing awareness of management and leadership practices, developing creative and systematic approaches to underlying business issues, and understanding how business and management practices can be improved.

Over the course of one year, the programme seeks to cultivate key intellectual capabilities of research, critique, synthesis and innovation, culminating in a Master’s level dissertation.

We aim to optimise learning by employing a variety of teaching methods, including lectures, workshops, group tutorials, individual tuition and guest speakers. By tutoring you in strategic thinking skills, the course will give you the opportunity to develop the sought-after analytical and critical competencies that prestigious employers in today’s global economy value so highly.

Highlights

• This MBA course offers you the chance to join a well-established postgraduate community and study alongside fellow professionals aiming for a senior career in management.
• Teaching and supervision is delivered by a dedicated team of experienced and well-qualified staff drawn from business and academia.
• The University’s excellent libraries, 24/7 IT facilities, WiFi and learning areas are freely available for your use.
• You’ll be given access to a research and study skills module which will assist in your studies.
• You’ll have opportunities to work with experienced academics to undertake your own research and develop your own areas of expertise.
• We offer opportunities for you to engage directly with local and regional organisations, many with internationally significant presence, as part of the learning process.

Key Features

• This course aims to develop your critical knowledge of organisations, their management and the complex business issues they face.
• You’ll have the chance to apply research and analysis skills, culminating in a Master’s level dissertation.
• A Research and Study Skills module is available to all students on the full-time MBA programme. This module is designed to provide a strong base upon which to develop the academic skills required for study.
• Teaching is conducted by a highly-dedicated team, with specialist knowledge in a wide range of subject areas and close links to business and industry.
• Course materials are available online, allowing you to prepare work at home and ensuring in-class learning is highly interactive.

Professional recognition

• After successfully completing your MBA programme you may apply for membership of the Chartered Management Institute. Please note that terms and conditions apply. More details are available from http://www.managers.org.uk/

The study of literature is the study of the representation of life, a metaphor for understanding how the world works. Our BA in English aims to broaden your life experience, by introducing you to a wide variety of literary texts – fiction, non-fiction, drama, poetry, historical, contemporary, from near and far. Through close study, you’ll develop your critical skills, and learn to consider texts from many different perspectives.

We want foremost to expand your understanding of literature and its relation to society – how books have informed, persuaded, shocked and delighted their readers over the centuries and up to the modern day. We’ll support you as you develop your written, oral and critical abilities in a challenging and supportive study environment.

We offer small classes full of big ideas. Our lecturers are renowned scholars and award-winning teachers, who will work to meet your individual learning needs. Through research, discussion, argument and analysis, we offer opportunities for you to learn about the workings of the world around you and to use language effectively and powerfully to achieve your goals.

Highlights

• Our English and Creative Writing courses are ranked second in the UK by the Guardian University Guide 2020.
• The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020 also ranks our English subject area as top in the UK for student experience and second in the UK for teaching quality.
• You can benefit from our strong links with external creative organisations, including the nationally acclaimed Octagon Theatre, Bolton, where you can gain behind-the-scenes access and workshop experience.
• You’ll have access to reduced-price tickets for Octagon performances and other events related to your course, including poetry readings.
• We’ll encourage you to submit your work to our recognised literary magazine The Bolton Review so you can gain publishing experience.

Key Features

• We offer popular options in women’s writing, Gothic fiction, children’s literature, film adaptation and contemporary poetry, in addition to a range of exciting core modules that build on our close links with the Creative Writing team.
• Our English tutors actively research the three core areas of poetry, prose and drama, feeding their knowledge back into the curriculum so you can benefit from the latest thinking and discoveries.
• We work to help you develop a range of skills that are highly valued by employers, such as written and verbal communication, presenting information and ideas, argument and persuasion, working to deadlines, research and critical analysis, listening, IT, cultural awareness, and lifelong learning.
• You’ll be encouraged to attend guest lectures from literary scholars, and to hear contemporary writers read at the University’s regular, well-established “Live Literature” events.

In our ever-changing world, novel ideas can create new businesses, help them grow faster than ever and develop new industries overnight. We aim to prepare you to lead these changes. The University of Bolton’s MSc in Entrepreneurship and Innovation will build your knowledge in the three key areas of entrepreneurship, innovation and business development and help you gain the skills and self-confidence to showcase your worth. Our expert team will work to nurture your entrepreneurial mindset so you can realise your entrepreneurial potential.

Innovation for everyone
Entrepreneurship and innovation play vital roles in knowledge creation and exploitation to generate value and drive sustainable economic, social and organisational development. Organisations are increasingly seeking people with the ability to spot and take advantage of new opportunities so entrepreneurial and innovation skills are highly sought after. It doesn’t matter what your background or area of expertise is, this course is open to everyone with entrepreneurial drive and the desire to innovate.

Be the change
The need for professionals who can create and grow innovative companies and sustainable social enterprises has never been greater. We also want to prepare you to bring innovative insights into existing organisations so they can better respond to the complex challenges facing our society. Many business executives link the success of their businesses to innovation and as a result, put a lot of emphasis on it. Not only does it allow organisations to stay relevant in the competitive marketplace, but it also plays an important role in economic growth. Our MSc in Entrepreneurship and Innovation is designed to help you develop the high-level skills and critical competencies you’ll need to become a successful innovator and an entrepreneur who can build ethical and sustainable businesses.

Study in one of the most innovative regions in the UK
The North West of England was a powerhouse of the industrial revolution, and Greater Manchester remains at the heart of innovation in the UK today. MediaCityUK is an international hub for innovation, technology, and creativity and has been chosen as a base by over 250 media and digital businesses. Moreover, industry heavyweights like Google, Amazon, Freshfields, LLP, the BBC and Microsoft have opened offices in the Manchester area. Overall, the diverse industry base and the region’s growing population offer rich opportunities for those with innovative ideas coupled with the skills, knowledge and self-belief needed to build a new business from the ground up. As a graduate of this master’s degree, you’ll be well placed to thrive in this environment.

Supporting you to become the ‘complete package’
To succeed as an entrepreneur, you’ll need a combination of high-level business development expertise coupled with essential interpersonal and thinking skills, such as persuasion, negotiation, critical thinking, collaborative working and problem-solving. We draw expertise from across the University to ensure you gain the vital mix of hard and soft skills necessary for career success. In addition, our extensive links with regional and national employers offer opportunities for masterclasses, networking and individual industry-based projects. Overall, this course supports you to develop extensive knowledge of innovation and entrepreneurship, coupled with essential skills for business and leadership. Together these attributes will take your CV to the next level.

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 Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Extended course search web page for details and to apply. Alternatively, for part-time study, please visit our MSc Entrepreneurship and Innovation 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.
• We use small group and tutorial teaching, so you have the opportunity to benefit from the excellent and often personalised support offered by our teaching staff.
• Contemporary research findings are woven into our teaching and this is supplemented by colleagues from our enterprise lab who are on hand to offer practical support throughout the programme.
• Our industry?engaged staff have strong links with organisations across the range of public, commercial and industrial sectors, offering opportunities for industry masterclasses and lectures, joint projects, and networking.
• This MSc is part of the University of Bolton’s ‘Career Development Masters’ suite, offering shared modules that give you a wide 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 in your career.

Key Features

• Course materials are available online, allowing you to prepare work at home and make the most of the highly interactive in-class tuition.
• Teaching and supervision are delivered by dedicated staff chosen for their expertise and experience in fields relevant to entrepreneurship, innovation and your professional development needs.
• We regularly invite guest speakers with varied and extensive experiences in industry and practice, enabling you to benefit from their knowledge and mentorship.
• You’ll benefit from opportunities for interdisciplinary learning and network building with students from our other Career Development Master’s degrees, including the Human Society, Data Analytics and Technologies, Professional Practice and Creative Industries courses.

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.

Aligned to the Final Year ACCA programme, our MSc in Accountancy and Financial Management is designed to support your career development in business, accounting and financial management roles. It offers the finance, accountancy and broader management knowledge that can be central to success in many private and public sector industries.

Our dedicated, highly qualified and experienced team will lead you in an exploration of the principles and practice of financial management and accounting, the context in which they operate, and how they are managed. We’ll support you to learn the applied skills involved in financial reporting and financial management, as well as wider management issues such as corporate and social responsibility, business ethics, risk and business strategy, financial performance, and taxation/auditing.

You’ll be encouraged to explore research methods, giving you the chance to gain an understanding of a range of research tools and analytical techniques. This knowledge will be of value when you undertake your Master’s dissertation – carrying out a substantial piece of research on an accountancy or financial management issue will enhance your critical and investigative skills, and could benefit your professional practice, too.

Highlights

• You’ll have the opportunity to focus on the global competitive environment, with topics including performance management, ethics, social responsibility, and strategic management accounting.
• Students with a good honours degree in business or accountancy can enrol in optional modules that could enhance your employment prospects.
• You’ll be encouraged to develop a critical awareness of the principles and techniques needed for effective financial decision making.
• Your studies will provide you with the opportunity to evaluate existing empirical research, evaluate and apply theoretical concepts, and think critically and creatively.

Key Features

• Our small class sizes – up to a maximum of around 20 students – give you the chance to benefit from direct and personal guidance from our experienced teaching staff.
• By learning from case studies, and being encouraged to use mathematical and statistical techniques to solve business and accountancy problems, you could benefit in professional situations.
• All our tutors have a masters, PhD or professional accountancy qualifications, as well as considerable teaching and professional experience.

The global games industry continues to grow. Worth over $137 billion in 2018, this value is predicted to rise to over $180 billion by the end of 2021*. Games offers lucrative careers at the cutting-edge of technology and talented games programmers are always in demand in the UK, Europe and the USA.

Offering a broad education in games programming, design, development and technology, our Games Programming degree emphasises the technical aspects of game production. We aim for you to become a skilled programmer and you’ll use C++, the principal programming language in the games industry, at each stage of the course. We assume no prior knowledge of programming but a good knowledge of mathematics, especially algebra, will help you succeed on the course. We’ll guide and support you throughout your studies to help you master object orientated programming and design techniques and learn about advanced programming data structures and algorithms for game development.

Games and interactive applications are becoming more cinematic in look and feel so we teach maths and physics in a very practical way to help you learn to create 2D and 3D environments where behaviour and movement looks realistic. You’ll also have opportunities to gain experience of multi-platform programming and artificial intelligence techniques used in the development of efficient and robust games.

Highlights

• University of Bolton games graduates have been enjoying careers in the games industry for longer than most – we were one of the first UK universities to offer games courses.
• We’ll help and support you to develop a portfolio of work that demonstrates your skills in readiness to impress potential employers.
• Team working skills are essential so you’ll have opportunities to work with students from our Games Design and Games Art courses on projects that mimic the multi-disciplinary teams found in the industry.
• Our Game Jams are great opportunities to build your social network and practice your programming and problem solving skills.
• We collaborate with games development companies on beta testing, offering you the chance to test upcoming games before they go to market. Previously, students have even got their names mentioned in game credits.
• Industry experts from the leading games studios in the UK, along with Bolton graduates now successful in the sector, are regularly invited to give guest lectures on aspects of games development.

Key Features

• Teaching staff on the games courses have a vast range of industry experience and an extensive network of contacts in the games industry.
• The course covers both 2D and 3D game environments and game engines for traditional gaming (PC and console), mobile gaming (cloud, social and casual) and virtual reality gaming, along with game play analysis and hardware specification.
• We organise studio visits and field trips to games development companies, and will encourage and support you to undertake work experience and industrial placements.
• We design the course assignments and projects so that they mimic industry pipelines and standards to give you a real feel for a career in the games sector.
• Our dedicated games labs feature high-specification hardware and industry-standard software.

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.

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 (Enterprise) Top-up graduate. You can study advanced aspects of business management, law and marketing, enhance your professional skills, and boost your employability.

Building on your prior studies, we’ll guide you as you explore specialist areas vital for entrepreneurship, such as e-commerce and marketing, company law, and financial reporting for management. 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. As a graduate, you’ll also receive the CMI Level 5 Award in Leadership and Management, helping you stand out to employers.

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.
• 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 Enterprise, choose the core Business Management route, or select one of our other specialist pathways in Law, People Management, Supply Chain, Finance, Marketing 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).

There are over 2250 active games companies in the UK, with over 95 in the Manchester area alone*. Our Games Art degree was designed after consultation with industry experts from a number of these companies and aims to prepare you for a career creating interactive worlds and charismatic characters for the games industry.

Taking an intensely practical approach that is designed to mimic the working environment found in the games industry, we’ll work to develop your understanding of the creative and technical possibilities of games art. Our studio-based course will guide you from the basics of digital art, through character and environment modelling, texturing, lighting, level design and concept art, to the latest technologies in traditional and handheld game art.

We share your passion for games and offer a supportive atmosphere where you can show your work and respond to critiques, which may come from staff, your peers or guest experts from industry. These sessions help you learn to develop your ideas and improve your presentation and communication skills ready for a career in this ever-growing industry.

*Ukie, June 2018, UK Games Map - http://ukie.org.uk/research/ accessed on 22 August 2019

Highlights

• Interdisciplinary projects with students from our other games courses give you opportunities to learn the vocabulary, production pipelines and work cultures of these disciplines along with valuable team working skills.
• We collaborate with games development companies on games usability testing, and offer you the opportunity to test these upcoming games before they go to market. Previous students have even had their names mentioned in the game credits.
• Our dedicated games labs feature high-specification hardware and industry-standard software, including Wacom Cintiq drawing screens, Pixologic Zbrush, Autodesk Maya, and Substance Painter/Designer.
• Our Game Jams are great opportunities to build your social network and practice your team working, problem solving and project management skills.
• In our portfolio modules, you can focus your project on the area of games art in which you wish to specialise, giving you the chance to create a large portfolio piece for your showreel.
• During your final year, you’ll work with students from our other games courses to produce a complete game demo that will be available for industry employers to view at the end-of-year degree show.

Key Features

• University of Bolton games graduates have been enjoying careers in the games industry for longer than most – we were one of the first UK universities to offer games courses.
• Our dedicated games tutors have a vast range of industry experience and an extensive network of contacts in the games industry. Members of our team have worked in AAA studios, run their own studios, authored books and are actively conducting research.
• Team working and collaboration are essential for games industry success, so we encourage you to work on games projects in interdisciplinary teams with students from our other games courses.
• We organise studio visits and field trips to games development companies, and will encourage and support you to undertake work experience and industrial placements with relevant studios.
• Industry experts from the leading games studios in the UK, along with Bolton graduates now successful in the sector, are regularly invited to give guest lectures on aspects of games development.
• We’ll help and support you to develop a portfolio of work that demonstrates your skills in readiness to impress potential employers.