Master of Science in Strength and Conditioning

at University of Bolton United Kingdom

Photographs are the most exciting and important visual form of global communication, forming a significant part of everyday life. It’s estimated that 4.2 billion people now use the internet and that around 1.2 trillion photos were taken last year*. The image has become the most widely used international language, and the ability to communicate concise visual statements that engage audiences is at the heart of our course and teaching.

Our broad-based degree offers you a unique pathway of visual self-discovery. You’ll benefit from the freedom to pursue your own interests while receiving expert support from our industry-experienced tutors, developed with help from a panel of industry professionals. We offer a supportive market-aware environment, in which you can explore a variety of photographic genres such as documentary, fashion, editorial, photojournalism, commercial advertising, portraiture, architectural, wildlife, landscape and fine art.

We’ll invite industry experts to share their knowledge during guest lectures, and offer you opportunities to work on placements, ‘live briefs’ and commissions. Our industry links will help to enrich your learning experience and provide you with invaluable ‘insider’ information and possible employment opportunities. You can be part of this fully integrated programme of practical and theoretical knowledge, building your confidence and skills ready for a career in this dynamic industry.

Highlights

• Our team of highly knowledgeable and enthusiastic photography lecturers offer face-to-face sessions and one-to-one support, ensuring you can access help and advice when you need it.
• Based on your interests and strengths, our experienced team will work to help you identify a potential career path and plan your future professional development based on your individual needs. We want to support you as you establish the foundation of your career in your chosen area of the photography industry.
• Exhibition and display are key themes in the final year, and we’ll offer you the opportunity to present your work in an external exhibition as well as during Bolton School of the Arts’ Creative Showcase.
• We offer opportunities for you to participate in foreign study trips, as well as visit collections and current exhibitions at galleries, museums and arts centres around the UK. In recent years, visits to major cities such as New York, Paris, London and Toronto have proved valuable learning opportunities for our students.
• You’ll also have the opportunity to progress seamlessly onto our Master of Arts Photography programme.

Key Features

• Our custom-designed photography department offers outstanding facilities including darkrooms, a dedicated computer suite with a high output printing facility and four studios with specialist lighting.
• Practical knowledge, such as studio lighting and location techniques, combined with research and critique help you learn to develop your ideas and produce innovative research-led work.
• You’ll have access to a rich visiting speaker programme, providing insight into industry experts’ professional practice and up-to-the-minute developments in the sector.
• The programme offers work placements, internships, masterclasses, awards, competitions and open calls, such as the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition.
• Our specialist tutors and technical support staff have professional experience and industry connections.
• As a graduate, you’ll have a wide range of independent, specialist photographic styles based on your own planning and development.

Of all the great computing degree options available at Bolton, this is the most flexible. It draws on key elements from other study pathways to give you a wide-ranging and industry-informed programme. As you progress, you’ll have the opportunity to ‘zoom in’ on aspects of the subject you have personal interest and strengths in, or that support your career or further study goals.

The department’s strong links with business mean you’ll have the chance to work on ‘live briefs’ in your coursework assignments, so you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy real-world context and application for the skills and knowledge we’ll help you develop.

With intentionally small class sizes, we can offer you more meaningful and personalised interaction with our dedicated and enthusiastic lecturers – many of whom are active researchers and come with extensive industry insights and experience. Meanwhile, guest speakers and lecturers give you access to highly relevant and up-to-date input from industry settings.

All of this is backed by our well-equipped IT suites, where you’ll get to apply and develop your learning individually and in groups, with expert guidance and support.

Highlights

• Your teaching and tutorial team brings an impressive range of professional experience and technical prowess to the course, so you’ll have the chance to explore and evaluate a range of perspectives relating to your studies.
• We continually monitor and update the course to reflect current and ever-changing issues in computing, and to keep your learning in line with technological advances and innovations.
• A big part of our commitment to your progress is helping you develop your employability and industry networks. So we’ll encourage you to attend guest lectures that give your learning context, offer industry contact, and contribute to your underlying professional development.
• By structuring our module content, assignments and projects to mimic industry processes and standards, we aim to provide an industry-relevant education that leads you towards a successful career.

Key Features

• The department – and the wider University – provides 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’ll focus on your individual needs, and provide personalised support to help find the learning strategies that best support your learning and ultimate success.
• Our dedicated laboratories, servers and end-hosts feature high-specification hardware and the latest software, so you’ll have industry-equivalent hands-on experience.
• You’ll also get to experience the latest technologies, such as OpenStack – developed by Rackspace and NASA.
• As you’d expect, many of our computing facilities are accessible online, so you can work on your assignments wherever you are, and whenever inspiration kicks in.
• We’ll help you build a portfolio of work that demonstrates your skills in developing content for a range of different target devices. This can put you in an advantageous position when you come to approach potential employers.

The University of Bolton’s MSc Physiotherapy (Pre-registration) degree focuses on supporting you to develop the core expertise, knowledge and skills demanded of physiotherapy professionals in a number of different clinical settings and environments. The global demand for qualified physiotherapists means that career opportunities are excellent in the UK and further afield.

You’ll spend a total of 1000 hours of your time in physiotherapy practice-based learning environments across the primary care, private and voluntary sectors, helping to prepare you for the changing environments you’ll encounter during your career. The rest of your studies will be based at the University, increasing your theoretical understanding and practical knowledge in a way that complements and enhances your learning in the workplace.

We’ll support you as you learn about the structure and function of the human body in the context of health, disease, disorder and dysfunction, across the lifespan. With our expert guidance, you’ll explore the theories and physiotherapy approaches that can be applied to enhance movement and minimise loss of function, focusing on the musculoskeletal, neurological, cardiovascular and respiratory systems. We’ll also consider developing areas of physiotherapy such as the principles of management for women’s health, amputees and palliative care. We’ll help you develop knowledge of the biomedical, physical, clinical and behavioural science that underpins physiotherapy practice, and gain skills in physical assessment, treatment and evaluation. We'll support you to develop interpersonal and communication skills, such as respecting and prioritising the needs and choices of individual service users, their carers and families. We’ll also focus on helping you gain an understanding of the political, social and economic factors that are influencing the current and future delivery of physiotherapy, health and social care services.

Together with our partners, we’ll work to prepare you to become a confident, professional physiotherapist, able use a range of physical and psychological treatment approaches to help individuals develop, maintain and regain mobility within an ever-changing health and social care environment. On successful completion of the Physiotherapy qualification, you’ll possess the knowledge and skills you need to practise as an autonomous, independent practitioner who can be trusted to maintain professional standards while working to improve the health and wellbeing of service users through your individual and team-working actions.

This programme is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and accredited by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP).

Highlights

• The University of Bolton’s MSc Physiotherapy (Pre-registration) is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and accredited by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP). On successful completion of the course, you’ll be eligible to apply to the HCPC for registration as a physiotherapist in the UK and for full membership of the CSP.
• The University hosts world-class facilities in Bolton One for clinical and laboratory teaching. As part of the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, the MSc Physiotherapy (Pre-registration) benefits from strong links with the NHS and private healthcare providers, and our experienced staff team offer expertise and knowledge across all subject disciplines.
• You’ll have access to our state-of-the-art Clinical Simulation Suites, Athlete Development Centre and Sports & Spinal Injuries Clinic. These provide outstanding learning environments where you can practice skills and develop knowledge under the supervision of our team of experienced researchers and practitioners. You’ll also have access to a range of learning and exercise specific resources such as online learning software, Vicon motion capture, Delsys/Trigno wireless electromyography, Alter-G treadmill, isokinetic dynamometer and hydrotherapy pool.
• Our professional expert academic tutors come from a wide range of professional and academic backgrounds, including physiotherapy, the allied health professions, sports rehabilitation and exercise science. They weave essential knowledge of inter-professional and multi-agency working into their delivery of the theory elements of the course, helping prepare you to work effectively with colleagues from a variety of other professions and agencies.
• You’ll gain first-hand work experience and have the opportunity to develop an invaluable network of professional contacts during your work placements. You’ll undertake a total of 1000 practice-based learning hours during your studies and you’ll have the opportunity to negotiate an elective practice-based learning experience of your choosing.
• Key skills such as leadership, teamwork and professional communication are essential elements of the course, and we’ll foster your commitment to lifelong learning helping you to ensure your knowledge and skills remain current as you progress through your career.

Key Features

• The teaching and learning on the programme will have a particular emphasis on woman’s health and paediatrics, preparing graduates with the skills, knowledge and behaviours necessary to work in this rewarding and highly sought-after workforce.
• Throughout the course, specialists in the field of physiotherapy, the health professions and rehabilitation therapists will be invited to join us as guest speakers. You can also expect to meet service users with direct experience of using physiotherapy services and benefit from their unique and valuable perspectives on the role of physiotherapists in practice.
• Our dedicated team will guide you as you develop critical thinking and research evaluation skills and apply these during your master’s-level project, which gives you the choice between either a scientific or a work-based enquiry. This experience will support your on-going professional development in future and help you evaluate evidence to inform your practice and decision-making in the field.
• Physiotherapy can be very demanding and carries a lot of responsibility so we’ll support you to learn strategies and techniques that can help you to build your professional and emotional resilience to successfully manage the situations you face.
• In preparation for a career in this dynamic, evolving profession we aim to expose you to many of the different clinical settings, sectors and industries in which physiotherapists are currently finding employment. These may include emerging areas such as the third and voluntary sectors, first-contact practitioners and the Ministry of Defence.
• On successful completion of this programme, you’ll be awarded the MSc Physiotherapy (Pre-registration) from the University of Bolton.

Professional recognition
The University of Bolton’s MSc Physiotherapy is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). On successful completion of the course, you’ll be eligible to apply to the HCPC for registration to practise as a physiotherapist in the UK.

The programme is also accredited by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP).

Accountancy can trace its history back to the beginnings of civilisation. The necessity to keep track of goods and produce led to the development of writing, and this ancient profession is a global necessity in the 21st century. Fundamental to planning and forecasting, budgeting and control, taxation and decision making, competent and resourceful accountants are essential to success in business and commerce, as well as the smooth running of government and public services.

Our BA (Hons) Accountancy is designed to give you the strong academic and vocational background for a professional career in accountancy. It will also support your career development if you are considering a broader management role, as it offers the financial knowledge that is central to many private and public sector careers.

The course draws on the latest practices and theories of accounting and covers the two key areas of management accounting and financial accounting and reporting, as well as offering a number of optional modules that may be selected for study in your final year.

Alongside developing your professional accountancy-related knowledge, we want to help you develop lifelong learning skills so that you can reflect on, articulate, transfer and take ownership of the development of your skills in to the future, maximising your potential for success.

Highlights

• Our accounting and finance courses are ranked second in the UK for student satisfaction, according to The Complete University Guide 2020.
• The course is accredited by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), and Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS).
• We offer an enviable range of exemptions from professional accountancy body examinations including ACCA, ICAEW, ICAS, CIMA and CIPFA, so once you have graduated you can join their professional development programmes at an advanced stage.
• Our graduates are also entitled to exemptions from the Association of International Accountants (AIA) papers and are eligible to apply for associate membership of the AIA and the Institute of Financial Accountants (IFA).
• We are an ICAEW accredited HEPiL (Higher Education Partner in Learning) and have links with AIA, IFA and CPA Australia.
• Many of our graduates go onto study for the final year ACCA examinations at Bolton. The University is a Gold partner provider of this programme and regularly exceeds the global pass rate targets set by the professional body.

Key Features

• Our tutors are all qualified accountants with experience of working in the profession and of teaching undergraduate, postgraduate and professional accountancy qualifications.
• We’ll encourage you to use mathematical and statistical techniques to solve general business and accountancy related problems – learning from case studies will give you a good grounding in real business situations.
• We use small group and tutorial teaching so that 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 to share their experience with our students, so you can benefit from their knowledge and advice.
• We enjoy excellent support from local employers and the Bolton Society of Chartered Accountants, maximising industry-related opportunities.
• We offer two full-time undergraduate Accountancy degrees. The three-year BA (Hons) Accountancy course is for people who will achieve 104 UCAS points (for instance BCC at A-level). Alternatively, our four-year BA (Hons) Accountancy with foundation year programme is for students who will benefit from a period of extra preparatory study and support before making the transition to degree-level study.

Professional recognition

The course is accredited by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).

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 (Supply Chain) Top-up graduate. You can study advanced aspects of business management, supply and logistics, enhance your professional skills, and boost your employability.

Building on your prior studies, we’ll guide you as you explore advanced topics including logistics and operations, supply chain and information 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 Supply Chain, choose the core Business Management route, or select one of our other specialist pathways in Enterprise, People Management, Law, 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).

Professional recognition
Graduates of our BSc (Hons) Business Management (Supply Chain) Top-up course will receive a Level 5 Award in Leadership and Management from the CMI (Chartered Management Institute).

Literature is an extraordinary resource for broadening your intellectual understanding. It’s one of the most powerful ways we can experience others’ lives, enjoy worlds we’ve never visited, and develop our appreciation for the sheer power of words in expressing ideas and emotions. Through in-depth study and analysis of a range of texts and formats – including prose, poetry and plays – you’ll have the chance to hone your critical skills and develop your prowess as a creative communicator.

We’ll guide and support you through a rich course of study that should help you extend your understanding of language and how it can inform, persuade, shock and delight. Join us on a journey into the world of literature, where we’ll help you develop a deeper understanding of the social, political, historical and cultural contexts, and the impact of literary texts.

Our experienced and highly qualified team offers you a supportive environment in which to explore the central role of language in the creation of meaning. Through research, discussion, argument and analysis, you’ll have opportunities to learn 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’ll get the opportunity to 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.
• To give you publishing experience, we encourage you to submit your work to our literary magazine The Bolton Review.
• Our dedicated and enthusiastic lecturers are professional writers and researchers whose work is published or produced on stage, screen or radio.
• We have excellent industry contacts and strong links to external creative organisations such as publishers, production companies, theatres, libraries, art galleries, schools, funding bodies and arts development agencies – so we can offer you work experience in a wide variety of settings.

Key Features

• We offer popular options in women’s writing, Gothic fiction, children’s literature, film adaptation and contemporary poetry, as well as a range of creative writing workshops in poetry, fiction and drama.
• You can benefit from the latest thinking and discoveries, as our course tutors are active researchers in poetry, prose and drama, and feed their knowledge back into the curriculum.
• We’ll help you develop a range of skills highly valued by employers, such as written and verbal communication, presenting information and ideas, argument and persuasion, working to tight deadlines, and research and critical analysis.
• You can attend guest lectures from literary scholars, and hear contemporary writers’ work at the University’s regular literature events.

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.

Elite sports people need an elite support team – and expert strength and conditioning coaches are in demand world-wide to promote and guide the physical development of athletes and sports teams. Aimed at graduates with relevant academic and vocational experience, this course is designed to build on your existing knowledge, opening doors to higher levels of responsibility and professional accreditation in strength and conditioning.

Based in Bolton One, the University of Bolton’s specially designed sports and health teaching and research centre, this practically-focused Master’s degree aims to help you gain the academic and theoretical knowledge (for evidence-based practice), and professional, vocational and practical skills needed for success in this competitive industry. Our dedicated team of experienced academic practitioners, who have worked at all levels of elite and professional sport, will guide you in an exploration of the science and coaching of strength and conditioning.

We’ll support you to advance your understanding and make strong links between theory and practice in areas such as biomechanics, physiology, nutrition, coaching and leadership. Our commitment is to helping you develop as a practitioner, informed by the latest research and on-going developments in the sciences of sports and human performance, so that you can become a leader in the field of strength and conditioning.

Highlights

• Specialist facilities in Bolton One include a dedicated strength and conditioning suite, sport and exercise laboratories focusing on physiology and biomechanics, fully equipped teaching clinics, a rehabilitation and exercise suite, a multi-use sports hall and climbing wall, our Sports and Spinal Injuries Clinic, and much more.
• Bolton One is also home to our Athlete Development Centre (ADC), offering you opportunities to work alongside our professional practitioners helping athletes, sports teams and coaches at all levels improve their performance. The ADC currently has a client base that includes professional football and rugby league, GB Weightlifting, Triathlon England, Triathlon Australia, England Athletics, and professional combat sport athletes.
• Professional experience is an essential element of the course that gives valuable, hands-on, real-life experience in a professional sports setting. Our extensive network of sports industry contacts and partners means we can offer a wide variety of placements.
• Guest lecturers with a strong background in applied strength and conditioning contribute to the course, and have included coaches to elite athletes, book authors, internationally recognised researchers, NGB coaches, and internationally recognised strength and conditioning specialists.
• The UK Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA) does not accredit any university degrees. However, we believe this course exceeds the academic requirements detailed in their Accredited Strength and Conditioning Coach (ASCC) Competency Document, as well as the requirements to become a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) in the USA, meaning you can focus on meeting their experiential requirements.

Key Features

• Our highly-qualified lecturers and staff are also experienced existing practitioners, offering strong links with industry, and expertise and applied experience in areas such as strength and conditioning, physiological testing, sport and performance psychology, biomechanics, physiotherapy and sport rehabilitation.
• One of the longest-standing Strength & Conditioning MSc programmes in the UK, this course has a proven track record of producing graduates who are highly employable and are now leading the way across the industry; for instance, our alumni have senior roles at Premier League football clubs, Super League clubs, and in International Rugby Union, International Cricket and Boxing.
• We’re committed to helping you develop your employability and career network. You’ll be encouraged to attend relevant masterclasses, external courses and events that enhance your learning; helping you to make contacts in the industry and contributing to your professional development.
• Alongside specialist strength and conditioning knowledge, you’ll have the chance to further develop your skills in research, data collection and evaluation, critical reasoning and analysis, as well as in areas such as communication, presentation, team working and problem solving.
• We offer a warm and friendly environment for your studies, with relatively small class sizes, specialist sports teaching facilities in Bolton One, and excellent IT and library services. You’ll also be able to access a great range of recreational sport and exercise facilities for when you need to exercise your body instead of your mind.

If you’re looking for a postgraduate course that exactly matches your strengths and ambitions then your search is over. The University of Bolton's MA/MSc Professional Practice (Specialism): Extended allows you to design your own master’s degree. We’ll help you personalise your postgraduate education by combining the disciplines that matter for your future. This bespoke course will support you to gain a combination of academic, analytical, and employment-focused skills that will prepare you for a career in your chosen professional area, as well as provide a sound basis for doctoral-level study.

Supporting your choices
Working with our expert tutors, you can choose two modules from across the whole spectrum of master’s level modules available at the University of Bolton. You’ll also be supported to devise a master’s-level dissertation or major project that develops your research and critical thinking skills and allows you to demonstrate your expertise. We’ll counsel you as you make these choices to ensure you create a coherent programme of study – one that is achievable and that will support you to develop the skills and knowledge you seek. We offer a wide range of subjects and you can choose modules from a single area or from two different disciplines, depending on your interests, prior qualifications and experience.

Capture essential employability, transferable and business skills
Alongside your subject-specific studies, you’ll have the opportunity to build the essential employability, transferable and business skills you need to compete with confidence for your dream job or build your own successful business from the ground up. You’ll focus on developing the skills that are most valuable to you as an individual, as shaped by your prior learning and future plans. We’ll guide you to explore areas such as influence and impact, self-management, creativity and innovation, and professional identity, bringing in business and psychological concepts to enhance your development as a professional.

Focusing on your future
We want to help you gain the skills and self-belief to showcase your worth in your chosen field. We’ll guide you to explore and understand the postgraduate labour market in the sector you wish to join, preparing you to apply your new knowledge, attributes and experiences so that you can satisfy and impress your stakeholders (such as employers, clients, commissioners and funding bodies). We’ll help you learn about the recruitment methods used by different types of organisations in your field, explore your personal brand and self-positioning, and prepare for recruitment and selection or self-employment. In addition, we’ll support you to develop skills in commercial ability and acumen, networking and professional relationship management, as well as strategies for career maintenance and growth.

Tried and tested research-informed coaching
Throughout the programme, we’ll use tried and tested, research-informed coaching and training methods to support your development. These will range from postgraduate-level skills in research, critique, problem-solving, professional presentation and synthesis to interpersonal and business-relevant skills such as innovative thinking, team working and project management, the effective use of technology, public speaking and professionalism. All this knowledge will be tailored to your chosen employment context to help you achieve your vision for your future.

An ideal course for graduates and professionals in a wide range of areas
This course should appeal to (but isn’t limited to) graduates and professionals in areas such as art and design, accountancy, science, engineering, business management, film FX, performing arts, community development and youth, computing, games, construction, law, crime and criminal justice, early years, education, English and creative writing, mathematics, nursing and the caring professions, media, psychology, the humanities and sport.

Would you prefer to complete your course over a different timeframe?
We also offer this course full-time over 12 months or part-time over 24 months. For details of the 12-month course, please visit our full-time MA/MSc Professional Practice (Specialism) course search web page. Alternatively, to find out more and apply for the 24-month course, please visit our part-time MA/MSc Professional Practice (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.
• This course allows you to focus on one subject or to combine two areas of interest to follow an interdisciplinary route. When you successfully complete the master's, your degree title will be chosen to reflect the focus of your studies.
• Our highly qualified and professionally experienced staff have strong links with many economic sectors, offering opportunities for industry masterclasses and lectures, joint projects, and networking.
• The University of Bolton offers a host of world-class facilities across our campus and faculties. Depending on your choice of modules, you'll be able to make use of our specialist facilities to support your studies.
• This MA/MSc is part of the University of Bolton’s ‘Career Development Masters’ suite, which offers shared modules designed to give you a wider business perspective, including tax self-assessment, invoicing, intellectual property and risk assessments, as well as knowing how to start a business and to take advantage of opportunities for enterprise development.

Key Features

• Teaching and supervision are delivered by dedicated staff chosen for their expertise and experience in fields relevant to your areas of study and professional development needs.
• We offer an engaging programme of visiting speakers and practitioners that gives you opportunities to network with and learn from industry professionals.
• We'll offer you opportunities for interdisciplinary work and collaboration.
• 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 as well as forming an ideal preparation for doctoral-level studies should you to wish to pursue a PhD.
• Your final master’s degree title will reflect your specialist areas of study (please note that the final award title will be selected in agreement with the University within the parameters specified in programme documentation). If you have chosen two specialist subject areas with equal weighting, the title will reflect both specialist subject areas; for instance, MA Professional Practice Creative Writing and Computing. If one of your specialist subject areas has a greater weighting than the other, the word ‘with’ will be used instead of ‘and’ between the two subject areas; for example, MA Professional Practice Creative Writing with Computing.

You are unique and we want to help you gain the skills and self-belief to showcase your worth and realise your potential. The University of Bolton's MA (Specialist Title) for Creative Industries: Extended course focuses on helping you learn to compete with confidence for your dream job or build your own successful business from the ground up. We’ll guide you as you gain a strategic blend of academic, analytical, creative and professional skills. As a graduate of this course, you’ll possess an impressive all-round combination of creative practice, commercial awareness and business-relevant knowledge. Overall, this course offers you the opportunity to develop projects in your specialist area of creative practice coupled with essential skills development for business and leadership that will take your CV to the next level.

Gain the skills and confidence to achieve your career ideals
The creative industries are highly competitive so we want to help you stand head and shoulders above the crowd. Throughout the programme, we’ll use tried and tested, research-informed coaching and training methods to support your development of key skills that are highly relevant to the creative industries. These will range from postgraduate-level skills in research, problem-solving, professional presentation and synthesis to interpersonal and business-relevant skills such as innovative thinking, collaboration, leadership and project management, the effective use of technology, public speaking and professionalism. Together, these will help you to develop your profile in your chosen creative industry and ensure your work reaches your desired audience.

Pursue your own creative practice
Our expert team will support you to develop your unique body of creative work, express your creative style and refine your practice. We’ll support you as you learn to design, plan and deliver projects that are as individual as you are. We’ll guide you as you set and achieve your own personal, academic and professional goals, helping you to develop and demonstrate an original and distinctive approach to your specialised creative area. We’ll work to stimulate your creative thinking and enhance your professional practice through a challenging programme of study which promotes critical self-awareness.

Strengthen your understanding of context
To use your knowledge to best effect, you need a sound understanding of context. To inform your creative practice, you’ll explore historical and contemporary concepts and theories relevant to the creative industries and artistic practice during this course. In addition, you’ll also need an in-depth understanding of the commercial and professional creative industries environment you wish to join. This course will help you identify the creative practice, employability and transferable skills you’ll need to gain entry to your chosen field and support you to develop those very skills.

Mastering your vision
You’ll have the opportunity to independently plan and deliver a professionally relevant project at master’s level. This is known as the Professional Dissertation and may take a variety of forms such as a large-scale technical or creative project that results in an online or physical exhibition, a live project working with industry or in the community, an event or a publication. For many students, this is the most exciting element of the course and the culmination of their studies. It will allow you to demonstrate the full range of your skills and knowledge and impress potential employers, clients or collaborators.

An ideal course for graduates and professionals of creative industries
This course should appeal to (but is not limited to) graduates and professionals in areas such as Animation, Art and Design, Creative Writing, Dance, Fashion, Fine Art, Games Art and Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Media, Performance, Photography, Special and Visual Effects, Textiles and Surface Design.

Would you prefer to complete your course over a different timeframe?
We also offer this course full-time over 12 months or part-time over 24 months. For details of the 12-month course, please visit our full-time MA (Specialist Title) for Creative Industries course search web page. Alternatively, to find out more and apply for the 24-month course, please visit our part-time MA (Specialist Title) for Creative Industries 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.
• You may choose to focus on a single discipline or combine several areas of practice to follow an interdisciplinary route. When you successfully complete the master's, your degree title will be chosen to reflect the focus of your studies.
• Our industry?engaged staff are practising artists, writers and performers. You'll benefit from our strong industry links with a range of arts, cultural and creative organisations across Greater Manchester and the North West region, offering opportunities for industry masterclasses and lectures, joint projects, and networking.
• You'll be able to make use of industry-standard specialist facilities across the University of Bolton's Faculty of Engineering, Arts and Creative Technologies to develop high-quality creative outputs.
• This MA is part of the University of Bolton’s ‘Career Development Masters’ suite, which offers shared modules designed to give you a wider business perspective, including tax self-assessment, invoicing, intellectual property and risk assessments, as well as knowing how to start a business and to take advantage of opportunities for enterprise development.

Key Features

• Teaching and supervision are delivered by dedicated staff chosen for their expertise and experience in fields relevant to your creative practice and professional development needs.
• We offer an engaging programme of visiting speakers and practitioners that gives you opportunities to network with and learn from successful professionals working in the creative industries.
• We'll offer you opportunities for interdisciplinary work and collaboration, to take part in live projects and to showcase your work to the public and potential employers or clients.
• You'll benefit from our strong industry links with local and regional arts, culture and trade organisations, studios, galleries, games and film FX companies, publishers, manufacturers and companies specialising in creative art and design practice.
• Your final master’s degree title will reflect your specialist area(s) of practice (please note that the final award title will be selected in agreement with the University within the parameters specified in programme documentation). For example, if your specialist area of practice is Media Production, you could graduate with a degree called MA Media Production for Creative Industries.