School/College leavers must have reached the age of 18 years on admission. All applications will be individually considered. Successful applicants must have normally reached their 18th birthday by 31 August in the year of entry and have studied at level 3 or above for a minimum of two years. Applicants should possess a minimum of five GCSEs grades A, B, C that should include English and Maths or other equivalent qualifications in addition to one of the following*:

• successful completion of an advanced diploma;
• successful completion of a Level BTEC National diploma in a related subject; successful completion of Level 3 Cambridge Technical Diploma in a related subject;
• successful completion of A-level study with a minimum of two subjects passed;
• equivalent qualifications such as Scottish certificate of education or international baccalaureate, a European baccalaureate, Irish leaving certificate with grade C or above in four subjects at higher level;
• qualifications deemed equivalent to the above;
• a UCAS tariff score of 40 or above is desired for entry to this program entry can also be made from national certificate/diploma, HE access, NVQ’s or by the colleges policy relating to APEL.

due to the highly creative nature of the discipline, students with exceptional portfolios of work that demonstrate competency and natural creativity will also be considered on individual merit.

Individuals with a relevant HNC qualification may be considered for direct entry to Year 2

*In the event of over subscription entry criteria may be enhanced. Refer to general entry requirements.

Where an applicant does not hold the formal academic requirements for entry to the programme but can demonstrate relevant experiential learning across a range of industries, they may apply for admission through the College Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) process. In such cases, contact the Course Director for the programme who will advise further.

Course International Entry Requirements:

Any applicant whose first language is not English or who has not achieved a grade C in a recent GCSE in English Language should demonstrate their competence in written and spoken English at IELTS – Academic 6.0, with minimum 5.5 in all four elements of the test.

Students, for whom English is not their first language, must demonstrate their competence in written and spoken English at IELTS – Academic 6.0, with minimum 5.5 in all four elements of the test.

Assessment will consist of portfolio-based development projects with a significant emphasis made on practical skills and creating digital assets. Associated documentation and understanding of core visual media practices will also be assessed through written reports, audio visual commentaries, presentations etc., including placement as part of the Work Based Learning module in Year 2

Successful Learners may progress directly into creative careers, or onto the BA (Hons) Degree in Visual Media Arts - (1 year Top-up) (Validated by The Open University) at South West College or to other universities to undertake further studies at Masters degree level or similar. Entry requirements and conditions vary according to each institution.

Please see link to OU Regulations for validated awards of the Open University hereDownload the full programme specification here
Teaching Delivery Statement
The teaching and learning strategy within this programme will comprise of a range of delivery methods such as face to face, online and blended. All methods used have the full agreement of students, external examiners and awarding body partners *The fees quoted are payable for each year.

Tuition Fees:

2023/24 fees

£2,700 full time p.a.

£265 per 20 credit module

£530 for 40-credit Work Based Learning Module

For 2024/25 fees, please refer to our Fees and Charges Policy on the College website.

Other fees associated with the course:

During your course you may be required to purchase course textbooks and incur additional costs for printing, photocopying and binding. The overall costs incurred to support your studies may be in the region of £250 per year.