MA Jewellery and Related Products

at Birmingham City University

COURSE IN DEPTH

Modules
 

In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 160 credits):

Research and Applied Practice
60 credits

The purpose of this module is to introduce you to some of the key methods and approaches of arts enquiry. You will be guided through the process of developing your proposal, and encouraged to engage with a range of methods for testing ideas, exploring materials and process and taking creative risks. You will be supported to develop skills in articulating your ideas in a range of forms: visual, verbal and written.

Creative Exploration
40 credits

This module provides the framework to explore your initial ideas in greater depth and with a higher level of intellectual engagement. Creative risk taking will be at the core of your enquiry and a rigorous approach to identifying and solving problems will be a continuous threat throughout your investigation. You will conclude the module by collating this body of work as a portfolio of evidence, illustrating the breadth of your enquiry via practical, visual and written investigations.

Major Project
60 credits

The purpose of the module is to enable you to undertake a sustained, in-depth and theoretically informed research project exploring an area that is of personal interest to you. It is important that we can support you appropriately, so you will be guided towards choosing a research topic which is relevant to your discipline and in which your lecturers have expertise. The outcome may take the form of a written dissertation or a practical outcome with accompanying reflective, critical and contextual material. The main consideration when choosing your topic is that it must be relevant to your programme and you should consider the relevance of this topic to your future academic or professional development.

In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete at least 20 credits from the following indicative list of OPTIONAL modules.

Specialist Research Enquiry
20 credits

This module will introduce you to a range of discipline-specific approaches to research, and guide you through the process of exploring an aspect of your practice in a systematic way, bringing both theory and practice into play. You will be supported to select and apply an appropriate methodology, manage the project, analyse the results, and critically reflect on the insights gained.

Work Placement
20 credits

The purpose of this module is to enable you to develop professional attributes and subject skills through experience in the work place, and to critically reflect upon your learning in that context. You will normally be expected to arrange your own placement, with support from academic staff and BCU Careers. It is also possible to fulfil this module via a shorter placement duration and a linked ‘live’ project set by the employer.

Core modules are guaranteed to run. Optional modules will vary from year to year and the published list is indicative only.

Enhancing your employability skills

Our course philosophy encourages your individual enquiry and innovation. Modules are structured to enable progressive identification of assessable outcomes throughout, and require research based engagement with creative practice to enable you to make choices, solve problems and define your individual direction.  This practice progressively leads to ownership, independence and employability. We incorporate activities, which involve you as active learner.

We embrace a high, professional level of excellence appropriate to the industry and area of focus for each student. Excellence is demonstrated in artistic integrity, a self-directed and ambitious design project at Master of Art level. Professional practice and employability skills are demonstrated in team projects and by accessing external audience appreciation. In all of our activities we celebrate and foster innovation and entrepreneurial enterprise in an international context.

MA Jewellery and Related Products graduate outcomes are of high profile and are leading in the field, as is widely evidenced in the successes our graduates. They represent Birmingham City University’s graduate qualities of being professional and work ready, they are creative problem solvers, enterprising and have a global outlook.

Links to industry

The MA in Jewellery and Related Products course has built particularly strong links to galleries, arts agencies and professional bodies, which support the creative industries and provide relevant real world experience, support and advice.

The course is proud to have professional links which include: Craftspace Birmingham, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG), Midland’s Art Centre (mac), Jewellery Quarter Museum, British Crafts Council, AXIS, The South Square Trust, Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, Handwerkskammer Munich, Germany, and the international e-platforms and web-hubs: Klimt04 (Spain), Kitandcaboodle (Germany), Crafthaus (USA), Art Jewelry Forum (USA).

The cost of studying at Birmingham City University varies largely depending on the type of university and the degree chosen. More often than not, humanities, arts, and education courses are less expensive than degrees in medical, engineering, or management. Furthermore, students who choose to study at the postgraduate level typically pay higher tuition fees, which again vary depending on the programme chosen.

Most universities provide scholarships or financial aid to students in order to help them offset their tuition costs. Students should be aware that additional course fees and incidental expenses may not be included in tuition. On average, international students can expect to pay £16,300 annually, to study in Birmingham City University.