Curriculum Information

Document Version

QAA Benchmarks

Educational Aim

Learning Outcomes

Course Structure

Level 4 Modules

Level 5 Modules

Level 6 Modules

Teaching and Assessment

Learning and Teaching Methods

Employer Engagement

Visiting Speakers 

The course has a diverse range of professionals from industry supporting the teaching of full-time members of staff. This format is invaluable at all levels of study, benefitting from specialist discipline input. In addition to this, the Faculty regularly invite speakers from a wide scope of disciplines in the creative industries covering Music Production, Industry and Entrepreneurship as well as speakers from Television, Film and Media. Students are encouraged to also attend cross faculty events where speakers from other specialist areas share their expertise. This encourages building networks within their specialist discipline, the creative industries in general and beyond.

Volunteering

Students are encouraged to engage with opportunities presented throughout their course to help with on the job learning and to expand horizons. The Students’ Union also offers a volunteering service, where students can engage in hobbies or services outside of their course curriculum

Fieldwork

Site visits are an integral part of project work where students survey, document and analyse a building or space, usually along with the client or project representative. This is a valuable chance for discussing and questioning other individuals outside of the university network

Field Trips

Visiting specific places of interest for projects, industry events, as well as international trips presents a good opportunity for the students to show initiative to engage in intellectual discussion with individuals who are there to discuss subjects relative to these spaces.

Work placements

There is ample opportunity presented in the course to prompt work shadowing and experience, as well as formal placements. This is facilitated through externally set briefs, industry guided project work, portfolio reviews and mentor support in year three. We also encourage the students to seek out their own opportunities either through their own contacts or at the networking events organised for them. Where appropriate, we also advise students when positions are available

Work Based Learning

The course includes numerous live briefs, so students will encounter industry contact over the three years.? Design briefs are set relative to live projects working with real organisations and clients to reflect industry processes. Sometimes, these projects work to prompt initial concept ideas for projects to be procured in the future by the client with sometimes further input from students. Students may also pursue additional work-based learning

Sandwich Years

A sandwich year is available between years 2 and 3.

Employer Forums

 Due to the format of the course, we can maintain a continuous and proactive dialogue with industry partners, professional mentors and placement employers. We also engage in wider industry specific events that are at the forefront of the discipline.

Means of Assessment

Practical Written Work

Online Open Book Examination

Report

Research Report

Presentation

Project Output

Portfolio

Production

Oral presentation

Observational Journal

Simulation

Portfolio

Critique

Show

Learning Support

Induction
Induction week is a chance for students to settle into university life, and an opportunity for us to allow students to understand what to expect from the coming year of study. This is especially important in the 1st year of study where many will be familiarising themselves with a new learning environment, as well as the staff, the facilities and city. During a formal session for each year, we’ll provide the necessary information regarding timetabling, use of VLE and an outline of the course year’s content. We’ll also spend time to celebrate any achievements the cohort have made during the summer break.

Also, as part of our induction week activities, we will be running a variety of group activities to get students into the mindset of collaborative working, along with a social activity to promote interaction with peers on courses across the school.

For students who may join the course late, they may miss the timetabled Induction. However, since these numbers are often low, staff have capacity to provide a one-on-one welcome to the course, covering the induction material

Personal Academic Coach
Each student is allocated a Personal Academic Coach from the teaching team, who is on hand to support students with any academic issues relevant to their progress on the course. Faculty guidance on PAC meetings leads how these sessions are conducted in an appropriate manner. A bi-product of these one on one sessions is that teaching staff are also able to signpost to students the best pathway to seek support with any personal matters that may be affecting their studies.

Learner Analytics

Since attendance is monitored using Jisc DataX, early interventions can occur where student engagement falls below expectations. Interventions can occur in a variety of ways, depending on the reasoning for low engagement. In the most extreme cases of disengagement, the Student Engagement team are informed, to assist, and step in, especially for Tier 4 International students.

In-person learning is monitored through a sign-in procedure, and engagement with online learning environments is also monitored.

Office hours
Teaching timetables are arranged in a manner that means for the majority of term time, a member of teaching staff will be on campus between the hours of 09:00 and 18:00 on weekdays. On a case by case basis, students will be informed of any drop-in sessions that will be running if module delivery requires this.

Tutorials
The course specialism and its desired outcomes for assessment requires occasional tutorial input. This encourages independent development guided by 1 to 1 tutorials and small group discussions where appropriate. Due to the nature of the method of study, the format of the tutorials is flexible and tailored to work with each individual’s needs.

Seminars
Seminars as regular group discussions are effective in allowing the students to share their progress and opinions, as well as learn from others’ input. It also encourages involvement from all students, so that they can build confidence in presenting their ideas and working progress.

Formative Assessment
Some assignments and modules will allow for formative assessments at key stages in the project development at proposal and concept stages for example. This allows us to provide valuable feedforward input.

Progress meetings
During projects, there are regular group meetings to discuss general progress, clarify brief aims, achieved outcomes and aspirations of the coursework in process. This is an open discussion to ensure that everyone is clear on the agenda of the project and what needs achieving for the final presentation and assessment hand in. We ensure this happens also to meet the expectations of any external clients or organisations involved. We advocate these meetings both for individual outcomes as well as the group work projects

Research Supervision
Research Supervision is prevalent on the final year Individual Project module, where students are supervised on their dissertations. The contact is through email, discussions, meetings and drop-in sessions, apart from timetabled sessions.

Online Resources
All course resources, learning materials, course handbook and module content are available on Blackboard, the University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). Here, there are also further resource links to relevant information within each module page. There are course Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages that highlight activity and any information about networking events. We inform the students about the use of a number of online journals to support their studies, as well as directing them to links for products and specifiers’ technical information. We also advise on the use of some specific online software tools, such as Lynda.com to help with additional support for software tutorials

Advice Zone
The Student Advice Team are on hand to provide advice and support to students with any issues they may face during their studies, including support for matters surrounding mental health and wellbeing. We actively promote the Student Advice Zone throughout all 3 years of teaching, and highly recommend students engage with study skills and student development workshops where necessary

Disability
The Disability Service is there to provide confidential and tailored support and guidance for students who have disabilities, both seen and unseen, as well as advice on help available for any learning difficulties.

IT/Library
In addition to the resources available at any time via the VLE, we have a great selection of reference material available in the library covering all aspects of the subject area with a fantastic collection of books and journals. Some of these are also available to access online. The course works closely with the librarian to make sure that the content is relevant and as easily accessible as possible for the students. She introduces the library resources in the first few weeks of the year to the new 1st years. Along with their online student account that gives access to Unilearn, email, printing and account activity, the students can use computers and digital equipment available for them in the studio and workshop. These all have industry standard software and also a license to the Autodesk suite to use on their own laptops. They can also access the media loans to borrow any additional IT devices.

Course Exit Points

Progression Route

Industry Pathways

As a series of examples, we have shown our past students have become: Lighting: Designer, Operator, Programmer, System Designer, Lighting crew chief Live Sound: Systems Engineer, FOH mix, Installer, Sound crew chief, Video Engineer: Vision mixer, Camera operator, Guarantee engineer, Steadicam operator, Systems designer, Vision crew chief, Temporary Power: System designer, Electrician, Installer, Generator engineer, Networking: Systems designer, Installer, Event CCTV designer, Rigging: Systems designer, Ground rigger, Top rigger, Automation engineer, Fly person, Testing engineer, Special Effects systems: Designer, Install engineer, Laser safety officer, Pyrotechnician, Project Management: Production manager, short term and long-term projects – technical aspects, Technical Sales: Head of hire, Head of sales, Venue Management: Venue manager, Venue technical manager, Event manager, Site manager, Safety officer, These roles can be either staff, self-employed or business owner. Any or all these roles can be either employed or self-employed/freelance.

For those students who are motivated there is a shortage of highly skilled technical staff at both low and high level – promotion and growth are definite. Educational pathways FBCI offers an MSc Music Engineering and Production course, which may interest a number of graduates wishing to move from live event to recording and producing within Music Engineering.

MA Film (Production Management) and associated courses may also have some draw for those wishing to take a slightly different direction post-graduation. USW as a whole also offers MSc Project Management, and other related courses for those wishing to embark on a management career.

Externally RWCMD and Confetti (Nottingham Trent University) offer Production Management MA and Backstage Academy offer MA Live Event Design and MSc Creative Technologies for Events.

Entry Requirements

Admission to the course is typically through the following qualifications:

The entry criteria below show the qualification range within which the University will make offers. Most offers we make are at the top of the range, but we take all aspects of an application into consideration and applicants receive a personalised offer. Combinations of qualifications are acceptable and other qualifications not listed here may also be acceptable.

Typical A-Level Offer

BCC - CDD to include a relevant art and design subject (this is equivalent to 104-80 UCAS tariff points).

Typical Welsh BACC Offer

Pass the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Diploma with Grade C/D in the Skills Challenge Certificate and BC - CD at A Level with a relevant art and design subject (this is equivalent to 104-80 UCAS tariff points).

Typical BTEC Offer

BTEC Extended Diploma Distinction Merit Merit - Merit Merit Pass in a relevant subject (this is equivalent to 112-80 UCAS tariff points).

Typical IB Offer

Pass the International Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum score of 29 overall including 5 or above in English at standard level

Typical Access to HE Offer

Pass the Access to HE Diploma?with a minimum of 80 UCAS tariff points

Additional Requirements

GCSEs: The University normally requires a minimum 5 GCSEs including Mathematics/Numeracy and English at Grade C or Grade 4 or above, or their equivalent, but consideration is given to individual circumstances.

Inclusive Curriculum Statement

The University of South Wales operates a policy of inclusive learning, teaching and assessment to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to fulfil their educational potential. Course teams will have considered ways of designing out any potentially disadvantageous element of courses during the course design process. However some specific needs may remain, details about how to apply to have your needs assessed can be found at: http://unilife.southwales.ac.uk/pages/3040-disability-and-dyslexia-service/

Addendum for Delivery at a Partner Institution

N/A