BA (Hons) Creative Media Bachelor's degree at the University of Plymouth
BA (Hons) Creative Media at University of Plymouth. You'll build the technical skills and conceptual confidence to find your distinctive voice and challenge conventions in a field that demands innovation.
About this course
BA (Hons) Creative Media gives you the power to create your own unique pathway, preparing you for the ever-changing media and arts industries by empowering you with the skills and confidence to find your own creative voice and push boundaries. From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Creative Media is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at the University of Plymouth, based in University of Plymouth Campus. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Creative arts and design graduates from this provider, 89% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 53% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £22,500. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Art & Design, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Limited evidence Published sample: 25; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 89% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 75% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 5 modules
- Still Image NarrativesCore
Module details
Discover how to tell visual stories through still images. Learn editing, composition, and sequencing techniques while exploring narrative theory and aesthetics. Create your own project and develop a critical understanding of how images communicate meaning.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- Moving Image NarrativesCore
Module details
Explore the power of storytelling through moving images and sound. Get hands-on with every stage of production, from the first spark of an idea to the final edit and bring your vision to life in a short film project. Explore how directing, editing, sound design, and visual storytelling combine to captivate and move audiences.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- Immersive NarrativesCore
Module details
Create innovative immersive stories that invite audiences to be active participants. Experiment with narrative experience design to develop your own original projects that push creative boundaries. Learn through a process of idea generation, research, prototyping, playtesting, feedback and critical reflection.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- From Vision to Exhibition: Creating and Curating for Public AudiencesCore
Module details
Bring your ideas to life by creating a media project around a shared theme and presenting it at a live public event. Learn to develop and showcase your work professionally, experiment with curatorial strategies, and discover how audiences engage with creative media. This hands-on module helps you refine your production skills, develop your creative voice and position your work confidently in real-world contexts.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- Creative Industry CollaborationCore
Module details
Work in teams to tackle a live brief set by a creative industry client or partner. From concept development to final delivery, you'll gain practical experience in collaboration, industry-standard pipelines, project management, and professional communication. Build a project for your portfolio and develop the collaborative skills essential for a creative career.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
Year 2 4 modules
- Creative Experimentation: Developing Your VoiceCore
Module details
Push the boundaries of your creative practice and extend your production skills. Through hands-on projects and workshops, you'll experiment with innovative strategies, materials, techniques, and technologies, exploring bold ideas and processes to build confidence and further develop your unique creative voice.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- Contemporary DialoguesCore
Module details
Engage with contemporary debates and media histories in a lively lecture/seminar programme. You'll explore influential ideas, challenge perspectives, and develop your own critical voice through writing that reflects your creative and professional ambitions.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- Interactive and Spatial StorytellingCore
Module details
Immerse audiences by designing, prototyping and playtesting multisensory interactive stories. Understand different development processes for VR, AR, MR, narrative game, locative, performance, installation, projection and spatial sound projects. Build in-demand professional skills in immersive media production while critically reflecting on the ethical, cultural and artistic aspects of your creative practice.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- Collaborative PracticeCore
Module details
Engage with real-world challenges by collaborating with others on projects linked to UN Sustainable Development Goals. Through interdisciplinary research, exchanging ideas, and working with external individuals, groups, or organisations, you will develop practical skills, deepen your understanding of collaboration, and enhance your professional engagement.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
Final year 4 modules
- Research ProjectCore
Module details
Examine how research underpins creativity and innovation in art and design. Explore key methodologies for creative inquiry, while developing critical thinking, analytical skills, and original exploration. Build confidence in forming research questions, investigating ideas, and articulating findings with clarity and depth.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- Collaborative Media LabCore
Module details
Work with external partners to create a collaborative media project. Learn how to manage real-world briefs, engage with communities, and produce work that has cultural and social impact. Develop professional skills in collaborative working, ethics, planning, and creative problem-solving.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- Final Major Project: Independent Creative PracticeCore
Module details
Bring your ideas to life in a self-directed project that showcases your distinctive creative voice alongside technical skills. With tutorial support, you'll research, develop, and produce a substantial piece of work that reflects your ambitions and prepares you for professional or postgraduate opportunities.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- Professional FuturesCore
Module details
Prepare for life after graduation by refining your portfolio and building your professional profile. Learn how to present your work effectively, connect with industry networks, and develop strategies for employment or further study.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This course empowers you to develop your own creative pathway by building a strong visual and conceptual foundation, then progressing towards specialist practice in media and design. You'll usually start by exploring visual studies, design principles and materials across print, textiles, digital and emerging media, alongside contextual studies that ground your practice in art and design history. In Year 2, you'll develop sustained studio practice through project work, live briefs with real deadlines, and deeper engagement with digital tools and media. You'll then specialise in areas such as graphic design, illustration, fine art, fashion and textiles, or UX and digital practice, culminating in a self-directed final major project exhibited in a degree show. Throughout, the course emphasises finding your own creative voice and the confidence to work independently.
Who it's for
You thrive when given creative autonomy and space to experiment. You're curious about how media shapes culture, and you want to understand both the theory underpinning your practice and the technical tools to realise your ideas. You may be drawn to visual storytelling, digital production, interactive media, or other forms of creative expression, and you're ready to challenge yourself to develop an authentic artistic voice. This course suits people who are energised by making work and reflecting critically on it, not just consuming media, but creating it.
Careers & job market
Across Art & Design nationally, 87% of graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduation, with 55% of those working in highly skilled roles. Starting salaries in the field typically range from £22,000 to £27,000 at the 15-month mark, rising to £20,825–£29,400 after five years. Creative Media graduates pursue careers in broadcast, digital agencies, independent production, arts administration, freelance creative practice, and further study. The sector values a strong portfolio and the self-direction you'll develop here, though competition is steady and career paths are often non-linear.
University & format
University of Plymouth is a university located on its campus in Plymouth. This BA (Hons) Creative Media is a full-time degree programme taught in English, running for 3 years. It is a recognised UK degree-awarding body, so your degree is nationally recognised. The university received a Gold award for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 70% |
| another higher-education qualification | 30% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications and UCAS points. If you're worried about grades, this course has historically taken a wide range, and contextual offers may apply.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at University of Plymouth →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Art & Design graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £22,500 | £19,500 – £25,000 | 25 |
| 3 years after | £19,500 | £14,500 – £24,000 | 335 |
| 5 years after | £24,000 | £19,000 – £29,500 | 345 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 25; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in art & design · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Art & Design nationally
National figures for Art & Design graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 25; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Art & Design courses at the same study level.
Compared with 1,698 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 13% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
- Sales occupationsSOC 2020 71 · 12% of published destinations · ASHE median £15,975
- Artistic, literary and media occupationsSOC 2020 341 · 11% of published destinations · ASHE median £33,824
- Web and Multimedia Design ProfessionalsSOC 2020 214 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £32,574
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 150; response rate: 57%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Art & Design graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Art & Design graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Design studios & agencies
- In-house brand teams
- Games & media companies
- Freelance & self-employed
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Art & Design graduates.
Fine Art TechnicianFirst Choice StaffPharmacy Technician – Brand New State-of-the-Art HospitalCompass AssociatesArtificial Intelligence Engineering ManagerMBN SolutionsArtificial Intelligence EngineerExperis UKDelivery Driver (Part Time 24 hours) - AndoverOcado LogisticsCompliance Business PartnerNashrock Insurance RecruitmentIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
89% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £22,500. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.4 out of 10: NSS 86.7% · in work or study 89% · continued 75%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
University of Plymouth
Design, and creative and performing arts across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around University of Plymouth Campus
3,218 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Art & Design right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to University of Plymouth from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £18,150 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check University of Plymouth’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with University of Plymouth and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at University of Plymouth
Common questions
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