student painting, with blue overlay

Creative Practice

MA

Study Creative Practice at University Centre Leeds

Take your creative skills to the next level with our MA Creative Practice. The Creative industry continues to grow in the UK, adding new posts at twice the rate of the rest of the economy. This degree will help to hone your creative skills to become part of the growing and rewarding creative industry.

  • Starts:
  • Duration: 1 year full-time | 2 years part-time
  • Venue: Quarry Hill Campus or Harrogate College
  • Fee: £8,745 Full Time or £4,372 Part Time (per academic year for UK students)
     
    International Fee: £15,000 full-time (per academic year) £3,000 Scholarship available
  • UCAS Course Code(s): TBC
  • UCAS Institution Code: L21
  • Study Mode: Full Time / Part Time
  • Validated By: The Open University

Entry Requirements

TYPICAL OFFER

BSc (Hons) degree: 2:2 or better BA (Hons) in Creative subject.

IELTS: IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any component.

International qualifications: International qualifications will be assessed against these criteria.

Mature applicants: We welcome applications from candidates who may not precisely match the academic criteria but can demonstrate experience in their chosen field as well as academic achievement at level 5. Candidates in this category will be interviewed to assess their
suitability for the course and asked to provide a portfolio of evidence to support their application.

*21 years and over at the start of the course

RPL Claims: The course structure actively supports claims for Recognition of Prior Certified Learning (RPCL) or Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL).

Interview/Portfolio Review: Candidates will be interviewed to assess their suitability for the course and will be asked to provide a portfolio of creative work to support their application.

art student painting

Creative Practice

The Masters in Creative Practice is a practice-led modular programme designed for creative graduates from a range of disciplines to enhance their knowledge and skills.

On this programme you will develop specialist practical skills while refining your practice and enhancing your employability skills. You’ll build a professional creative network to support your career in the Creative industry.

You are supported throughout the programme to critically engage with your creative practice and to refine your creative identity. You will develop your ability to attain work as a creative freelancer, to work for creative agencies and employers, or to progress to further study.

We welcome applications from a range of creative disciplines including Art, Graphic Design, Film, Make-up and Photography. The programme is designed for students with strong technical skills in their specialist practice, but you will work in a multidisciplinary environment, enhancing the potential for cross-subject work and reflecting the collaborative nature of the creative industry.

This course is validated by The Open University

The open university logo

BLANK_ working Art Gallery

Set in the HE Creative Arts block at Quarry Hill Campus, is a working Art Gallery. BLANK_ is a project space with an accompanying publication that showcases new contemporary creative practice in Leeds. There are plenty of opportunities for students to be involved, including assisting artists and technicians with installation, open events and invigilation. 

Find out more about BLANK_ here https://www.blank.org.uk/

How To Apply

If you're interested in applying to study Full-time, these applications must be submitted directly through our website.

Full Time University Centre Leeds - Direct Application Form

Full Time Harrogate College - Direct Application Form

If you're interested in applying to study part-time, these applications must be submitted directly through our website.

Part Time University Centre Leeds - Direct Application Form

Part Time Harrogate College - Direct Application Form

Course Information

Modules may include:

Exploratory Research Practices (30 credits) – The Exploratory Research Practices Module invites students to critically engage with their own creative practice and to situate their work within the creative and cultural industries. In this module students will consider the relationship between their creative practice, critical debate and other contemporary practitioners to demonstrate the breadth of practical investigations.

Industry Project (30 credits) – Students will have the opportunity to develop a rigorous understanding of current issues or problems within a given industry context by working on a live brief with a company/employer. They will have the opportunity to experience the complexities of working as part of a creative team whilst also engaging with the focus and priorities of industry professionals, companies or employers.

Contemporary Cultural Studies (30 credits)  – Contemporary Cultural Studies is a forward-thinking module that provides graduates with the opportunity to position themselves, and their practice, within contemporary culture. Students will be encouraged to make creative connections between contemporary culture, its historical foundations, conflicts, and contingencies, allowing students to develop projects vertically and laterally across and between traditional subject boundaries.

Collaborative Practice (30 credits)  – Collaborative practice within creative arts is wide and diverse in its approaches and there is a broad range of creative and professional opportunities within the creative fields. This module allows students to strengthen their collaborative skills in reaching an agreed creative outcome. The Collaborative Practice Module invites students to critically engage with their own creative practice and to navigate their work within other areas of the creative industries.

Major Project (60 credits) – Whether working in a cultural or commercial context, as a creative practitioner you will create large scale projects that need to engage an audience. The Major Project module provides the opportunity for students to create an ambitious extended practical project for public display that reflects the students’ individual creative practice, critical concerns, and professional identity.

You will develop the following skills:

Specialist creative and technical skills 

  • Critical thinking, study skills, academic writing and time management strategies
  • Entrepreneurial skills

Plus, you’ll have the benefits of:

  • Working in a multidisciplinary collaborative environment on live work-based projects
  • Working with creative professionals
  • The opportunity to showcase your work to the public
  • Enhanced of employability and career prospects within the Creative industry
  • Opportunities for networking and industry links

This is a practical programme and the majority of the assessments are practical submissions, either through the submission of a portfolio or via an exhibition. Throughout the programme you will be asked to produce presentations and written tasks.

TYPICAL OFFER

BSc (Hons) degree: 2:2 or better BA (Hons) in Creative subject.

IELTS: IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any component.

International qualifications: International qualifications will be assessed against these criteria.

Mature applicants: We welcome applications from candidates who may not precisely match the academic criteria but can demonstrate experience in their chosen field as well as academic achievement at level 5. Candidates in this category will be interviewed to assess their
suitability for the course and asked to provide a portfolio of evidence to support their application.

*21 years and over at the start of the course

RPL Claims: The course structure actively supports claims for Recognition of Prior Certified Learning (RPCL) or Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL).

Interview/Portfolio Review: Candidates will be interviewed to assess their suitability for the course and will be asked to provide a portfolio of creative work to support their application.

Following this programme you can progress into a career in the Creative industry or further study.

Job opportunities may include:

  • Artist
  • Media make-up artist
  • Filmmaker
  • Photographer
  • Graphic designer
  • Illustrator
  • Editor
  • Fashion designer
  • Community artist

For the latest version of the programme specifications for this course please click here.

For the latest version of the course handbook please click here.

For the latest version of The Open University regulations please click here.

You will have access to Quarry Hill Campus, which was newly built in 2019 and houses a range of specialist physical resources. The campus has outstanding facilities including a television studio, theatre, studio spaces, workshop spaces, exhibition spaces, photography studios and make-up studios. All of these have been designed according to industry standards to promote a realistic work environment. A lecture theatre is used to deliver course lectures and guest speaker sessions.

You will have access to a Creative Arts library on campus, where specialist literature and journals are found. Our academic librarian can support you with your academic and research skills. There’s also a Creative Arts exhibition space, that’s used by local artists to exhibit their work. This space is used for launch nights and networking events, allowing you to work alongside contemporary artists while learning the process of exhibiting. This will enable you to expand your network in Leeds’ creative community and to exhibit your own work.

Materials for resources and trips

You will attend an interview and will have a portfolio review.


Information for International Students

To apply directly to study at University Centre Leeds as an international applicant, please see the direct apply link further up this page or visit our 'How to apply' page and complete the steps.

You can also apply through UCAS.

For more information please visit our 'How to apply' page.

Course fees for Undergraduates are £15,000 (GBP)

Scholarship available £3,000 (GBP) all courses.

For more information about fees and scholarships, please click here.

Please see our entry requirements page for additional requirements as an international student

International students will study 5 additional hours on top of the regular timetable.

  • 1 hour cultural studies
  • 2 hours academic study skills
  • 2 hours English studies

For more information about visa and immigration, please click here.

View our Creative Arts Instagram

Open Days

  • Book on our current open events
  • Register your interest in upcoming open events

Our online and in-person Open Events give you a chance to hear from tutors, discover the range of student support available, and find out for yourself why University Centre Leeds has the highest rating for student satisfaction in the city (NSS 2024).

Open Days

Creative Practice - Students and Work

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