BA (Hons) Special Make-up Effects for Film and Television
Award
BA (Hons)
Start Date
To be confirmed
Duration
3 years
Mode
Full-time
Location
University of Greater Manchester
UCAS Code
W710
Are you eager to bring characters to life through make-up, hair and prosthetics? Our BA (Hons) Special Make-up Effects for Film and Television course focuses on helping you develop the specialist and highly requested skills needed to impress decision-makers in make-up for film and television departments. We offer fantastic facilities, experienced staff, and industry guest speakers to prepare you for a career in this highly in-demand creative pathway.
Block Teaching
Course Overview
Many television shows and movies, from biopics to sci-fi, horror, and history, need special make-up effects to enhance their on-screen storytelling. University of Greater Manchester graduates have gone on to build exciting careers across the industry, with recent credits including Amazon Prime’s Rings of Power (Season 2), Ant Man (2023), Napoleon (2023), Ackley Bridge, and Coronation Street. Graduates have also gained valuable experience at world-leading studios such as Pinewood and Leavesden.Our BA (Hons) Special Make-up Effects for Film and Television course will equip you with key practical techniques in both traditional and contemporary methodologies. The course explores digital sculpting, face scanning, hair skills, mouldmaking processes, and prosthetics and make-up application techniques.
You'll gain experience collaborating with other creative subject areas, such as modelmaking and creature effects, film and television production, and photography at the university. You'll also have the opportunity to engage with live briefs and feedback from renowned industry professionals. Additionally, you'll undertake contextual studies relating to special make-up effects in film and television, ensuring you have a critical understanding of this creative industry and are prepared to progress in your future career.
By studying for your degree at the University of Greater Manchester, you can develop essential knowledge and understanding of special make-up effects techniques and practices while experiencing life at our supportive, student-focused, multicultural campus. You'll also benefit from our close proximity to two of the most vibrant cities in England: Manchester and Liverpool.
Highlights
- This stimulating programme will support you in gaining focused knowledge and understanding of special make-up effects, prosthetics, hair, and digital design and realisation. Informed by both research and practice, your studies will meet industry needs.
- The curriculum and practice-based assessments reflect the latest industry trends, ensuring your skills are current. Course assignments and projects mimic industry pipelines and standards, so your experience is a realistic preparation for a career in special make-up effects.
- Our make-up workshops and studios are some of the largest you will see in an education setting. They have been designed to mirror key areas of special make-up effects departments in film and television. Our facilities include a casting and moulding room, a computer suite for digital concepting, sculpting studios, make-up and hair application studios and our own photography area with lighting and backdrops.
- You don’t have to worry about the cost of the make-up and materials needed to complete your studies. We'll provide the necessary materials and resources for you to complete the course modules.
- Neill Gorton, multi-award-winning artist/designer and founder of the world-renowned Millennium FX company, is our Visiting Professor for Film + FX North at the University of Greater Manchester. His astonishing range of professional experience, knowledge of cutting-edge techniques and industry contacts bring enormous benefits.
- BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated prosthetic and make-up effects designer Nick Dudman received a Doctorate of Innovation from the University in 2022. Nick continues to support our course by giving guest talks about his fantastic résumé and offering portfolio and project advice.
- We’re committed to helping you develop your employability and professional network. With Special Make-up Effects for Film and Television being part of Film + FX North, we regularly book guest speakers throughout the academic year bringing in globally recognised industry specialists to share their expertise, demonstrate their work, and offer advice on your creative practice.
Key Features
- This programme is informed by a range of industry professionals to ensure that the content is industry-relevant and includes the latest techniques, materials and innovations.
- The course is part of the University's recognised Film + FX North. You'll learn to work with creative teams from across our subject areas, preparing you for the multi-team collaboration required in make-up effects departments in the film and television world. You'll create portfolio-worthy practical outcomes and build confidence and experience in simulated industry settings.
- Our dedicated staff team have a wide range of professional experience, industry knowledge, technical expertise and academic credentials, offering you a variety of perspectives and broadening your horizons.
- We offer a warm and friendly environment for your studies and ensure you have a personal tutor with whom you can book tutorials to discuss any support you need.
- We prefer to keep practical classes relatively small, so our studios don't feel overcrowded. This ensures you have plenty of opportunities to ask questions, get individual help, and benefit from the ideas and support offered by your classmates.
- By choosing to study with us, you'll have access to one of the UK's largest film and television-producing regions. Cities and towns across the North West are commonly used as filming locations for Netflix, ITV, and the BBC, and many production companies operate in the area.
- As part of Special Make-up Effects in Film + FX North, you’ll also benefit from our affiliation with FilmBuddy, giving you access to an online platform that connects you with industry mentors, resources, and opportunities to support your career development.
Entry Requirements
- Any subjects are acceptable at Level 3. Relevant creative subjects are preferred.
- You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent), including English and Mathematics.
- You'll be required to attend an interview and provide a portfolio of appropriate work. We'll expect you to present your work and demonstrate your experience. This will usually take the form of a portfolio of recent effects-related (or project-based) work. The quality of your portfolio will be judged alongside traditional UCAS point-bearing qualifications to determine the success of your application. Special consideration is given to applicants without the above qualifications who have a strong portfolio.
- If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.
Career Opportunities
Our BA (Hons) Special Make-up Effects for Film and Television programme promotes the knowledge and skills the industry expects from graduates wanting to embark on this highly creative career. Throughout the course, we'll support you in gaining recognised practical skills in make-up effects and highly regarded skills in organisation, communication, and professionalism.
As this creative field continually evolves, we also focus on helping you develop curiosity and lifelong learning skills, preparing you to keep up to date with new and upcoming special make-up effects techniques. We'll ensure you're ready to adapt by exploring many of the strategies you'll need to use in your career journey.
What can I do with this qualification?
You could also find employment working on set within hair, make-up and special make-up effects departments which can include, wrapping hair for wigs or bald cap applications, taking continuity notes, applying prosthetic pieces, touch ups and maintaining make-up designs during filming and assisting with make-up and prosthetic removal.
Alternative career options
Graduates can use this qualification as a stepping-stone into many other careers. Some of these roles may require relevant experience and/or postgraduate study. Possible areas include:
- Medical prosthetics
- Education
- Hair integration systems and wig-making for hair loss
- Digital concepting for clients
- Mannequin making for medical simulation
Fees & Funding
Home/EU Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Greater Manchester’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@greatermanchester.ac.uk for more information.
International Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Greater Manchester’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@greatermanchester.ac.uk for more information.
Bursaries
Important note regarding tuition fees: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.
Home Undergraduate Tuition Fee Adjustment
The tuition fee applicable to the first year of your programme of study is confirmed in your offer letter. The tuition fee set is based on the regulations and guidance in force at the time of offer but remains subject to adjustment in accordance with any government-approved inflationary increase. The University reserves the right to amend tuition fees for all years of study, including the first year, by no more than the maximum increase permitted under legislation and regulatory guidance issued by the UK Government and the Office for Students.
Where such increases are approved, they will not exceed the rate of inflation, as measured by an appropriate index such as the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), or any successor measure specified by government. The University will apply any adjustment consistently across affected student cohorts and will give reasonable notice to students of any confirmed change to the published fee before the start of the relevant academic year.
This approach ensures that tuition fees remain compliant with applicable legislation, proportionate to inflationary changes, and consistent with government policy linking permitted fee uplifts to the maintenance of high-quality education and outcomes. For more information, please refer to the government guidance at: gov.uk – Universities to deliver better outcomes in return for full fees.
Postgraduate and International Tuition Fee Adjustment
The tuition fee applicable to the first year of your programme of study is confirmed in your offer letter. The University reserves the right to amend tuition fees for subsequent years of study in accordance with its Course Fees Policy. Where such increases are approved, they will not exceed the rate of inflation, as measured by an appropriate index such as the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), or any successor measure specified by government. The University will apply any adjustment consistently across affected student cohorts and will give reasonable notice to students of any confirmed change to the published fee before the start of the relevant academic year.
How to apply
Home Applicants
Course application details are unavailable at present
International Applicants
Course application details are unavailable at present
Partner Organisation Applicants
Option currently unavailable.
Teaching & Assessment
We use a wide variety of teaching and learning methods to help you achieve your potential, and you can expect our blended style to include practical demonstrations, lectures, seminars, tutorials, self-directed learning, practical workshops, and online learning.
Lectures introduce the core course content, while seminars allow you to explore subjects in greater detail. Practical skills and techniques are gained through technical introduction and support, workshop sessions, demonstrations, and activity-based assignments. Tutorials allow you to ask questions, ensuring you understand the topics covered in lectures and workshop sessions.
Guest lectures and visits give you opportunities to engage with and learn from respected professionals working in areas within or relating to special make-up effects. Our highly practical and project-based approach promotes active learning, and our specialist facilities create realistic industry-like learning environments. Our project modules encourage you to interact and collaborate with students specialising in both your own and other areas of special and visual effects, as well as film and television production, helping to give you a taste of working on group and multidisciplinary projects.
Personal and independent study is essential, and you should expect to devote a significant amount of time to activities such as project work, background reading, preparation for seminars and tutorials, research, design and creative thought.
In terms of assessment, you can expect practical applications, coursework, portfolios investigating practice, case studies, interviews, and presentations. As far as possible, we set project-based coursework that simulates professional situations. These pieces contribute to your final mark and allow you to demonstrate that you have met the learning outcomes.
Modules
The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.
- Principles of Make-up and Hair Effects
- Introduction to Character Creation for Screen
- Film and Television Contexts
- Digital Principles for Make-up Effects
- Principles of Prosthetic Manufacture
- Film + FX Production Project
- FX Industries Exploration
- Advanced Digital Techniques
- Manufacturing Techniques for Prosthetics and Hair Pieces
- Practical Development for Make-up and Hair
- Finishing Techniques for Character Application
- Professional Identity
- Innovation Skillset
- Industry Project
- Research into Practice
- Major Project
- Professional Practice
Assessment methods
| Level | Assessment method |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Coursework 70% Practical exams 30% |
| Level 2 | Coursework 60% Practical exams 40% |
| Level 3 | Coursework 50% Practical exams 50% |
Learning Activities
| Level | Activity |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Guided independent study 59% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 41% |
| Level 2 | Guided independent study 59% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 41% |
| Level 3 | Guided independent study 68% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 32% |
The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.
Postgraduate Options
Programme Contacts
Disclaimer: The “Greater Manchester Way” represents our preferred teaching and learning approach; however, not all courses follow a block-teaching model. While course structures and delivery patterns may vary to meet Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body (PSRB) requirements, all courses benefit from the GM Way approach to curriculum design and assessment. Applicants and students should refer to individual course specifications for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
