Extended Diploma in Creative Media, Production & Technology (UAL Level 3)
What is the Course About?
Department: Art, Design, Media and Music
Faculty: Creative and Leisure Industries
This course is designed to provide you with the knowledge, skills, and understanding necessary to access and progress to degree level study or employment in the media sector.
The course provides an opportunity for you to explore, develop and test your creativity within a qualification structure that is stimulating and demanding and provides a supportive transition from general to more specialised study.
University of the Arts London (UAL) qualifications are only available in colleges where courses are taught by a team of specialist staff who can help you to develop a broad range of skills and identify specialist focus in a range of options, including games design, animation, television, film, radio, and photography.
What subjects/units/modules* will I study?
This course is made up of 11 mandatory and 2 formally graded units.
Year 1 –You will be introduced the principles of art, design and media theory, and the technical and practical skills required for media-related projects. You will explore and experiment in relation to media briefs to help you choose a specialism. There will also be the opportunity to take part in one-week of work experience within the creative media industry, gaining valuable experience and networking with leading Manx companies and specialists. You will finish the year with a self-identified final major project, the result of which will determine your final grade for the year.
Year 2 –You will be stretched and challenged as you extend your knowledge and experience of the disciplines within which you are working. For a week around November you will have the opportunity to go on an educational trip to London. The trip is a chance to visit/explore university options in and around the London area, visit the UCAS fair, along with galleries, museums, media studios, and current major exhibitions. You will prepare for degree level study or employment by becoming increasingly independent.
You will be fully supported by tutors when preparing applications to university or employment, with both interview guidance and by producing a portfolio. Working with subject specialist briefs throughout the year you will produce a final major project which will be exhibited at the end of year exhibition.
Will I need a DBS check for this course?
No
How can I find out more about the course?
If you apply for this course, you will be invited to an Information Sharing Appointment (ISA) when you will be given more detailed information about the course and when you’ll be able to ask any questions you may have.
Will I need any specialist uniform and/or kit?
Starter pack information
It is important that you have the basic media equipment and materials at the beginning of your course to make an immediate start to your work. Suggestion is to clearly mark/label your own equipment with sharpies or nail polish so you don’t lose your kit.
Listed below are the essential requirements for the course in Media. All the items are available in a variety of shops in Douglas or you can buy them on-line.
Suggested local stores are:
WH Smiths (Strand Street), Creative Shop (Strand Street), The Artist (Nelson Street),
Dealz (Strand Street), Bridge Bookshop (Ramsey and Port Erin), Joan’s Wool & Crafts (Onchan), The Stationery Shop (Ramsey).
Online suppliers: www.seawhites.co.ukwww.specialistscrafts.co.ukwww.artistsuppliesdirect.co.ukand www.atlantisart.co.uk
The specialist photography equipment supplier we suggest is ‘Morrison Photos’ located in 3 Tynwald Street, Douglas.
Electronic supplies: Isle of Gadgets (Douglas), Gadget Man (Douglas), PC World.
Basic Media equipment
Essential Equipment
1 Pritt Stick
1 Pencil sharpener
1 Rubber
1 Set of pencils HB-6B
2 Black fineliner pens
2 permanent black markers (Sharpie)
1 A4 logbook /sketchbook (available from College reception)
4 Ilford HP5 135-24 Film
1 Ilford 5” x 7” Multigrade Pearl or Glossy Photographic Paper -100 sheets-DO NOT OPEN IN DAYLIGHT!
1 External Drive of at least 1 TB
4 GB SD digital memory card – for use with College Digital DSLR cameras
1 quality USB card reader (Sandisk imagemate all-in-one is very good)
1 USB pen drive (min 8GB)
Desirable:
Own laptop
Access to adobe creative cloud (student access is fine)
You will also need to bring with you a small box to store your equipment in – preferably with a lock. Lockers are available in College. A small digital camera or camera phone is also very useful for recording.
Wear casual clothes, an old shirt or overalls for messy activities.
When will I get a timetable?
Please see below an example of a previous years timetable. All students will be given their timetables on the first day of the new academic year.
Level 3 Media Example | 9.10-10.40 (break 10.40-11) 11-12 | 1-2.30 (break 2.30-3) 3-4 |
Monday | Directed Study | Directed Study |
Tuesday | Introduction to Professional Practice in Creative Media Production | Introduction to design and research skills |
Wednesday | Investigating Interactive Media Production and Technology | Critical and Contextual Awareness |
Thursday | Introduction to media processes and technical skills & Investigating Audio Production and Technology | Tutorial 1-2 |
Friday | Investigating Visual Production and technology | Directed Study |
Useful links
What happens once I have applied?
We will send you an email to let you know we have received your application. If you are new to the course area you have applied for, you will be invited to an Information Sharing Appointment (ISA) along with all other applicants to the course.
Please note: applicants are invited to ISAs depending on the date the application was received (there is limited capacity for each ISA so you may not be invited to the same one as other applicants who have applied for the same course). You will receive your invitation via email, to the email address you used when setting up your UCM Learner Portal.
Popular Courses
Sometimes we get a high volume of applications for particular courses. If your first choice course is popular, we’ll let you know and ask if you would like us to process your second choice course as well. This doesn’t mean you won’t be considered for your first choice it just provides you with a back-up plan.
International/UK Applicants
If you are an international/UK applicant someone from UCM will contact you remotely. It is essential that you have uploaded copies of your results/ certificates and relevant translations of grades/ certificates. Please note, if you are an international applicant and your application is received later than the end of May (i.e. three months before the start of the academic year) we will not be able to process it as the immigration processes would exceed the timescale required to start in September.
What do I need to know about Information Sharing Appointments (ISAs)?
Do I have to attend an ISA?
If you are invited to an ISA, you must attend!
What happens if I can’t attend the ISA I’m invited to?
Please let us know and we will make sure you are invited to an ISA on a different date.
What happens if I don’t attend an ISA?
If you fail to attend two ISAs without letting us know why, we will assume you don’t want us to continue with your application.
How long will the ISA take?
The ISA will start at 4:30 p.m.
(If parents/carers bring you to the ISA, they can wait in the College’s refectory; there are vending machines available.)
What can I expect at the ISA?
You will be invited in from 4.30pm till approximately 7pm along with 4 other applicants for your course.
The course tutor will speak to you first and tell you more about the course.
There will be opportunity for a one to one discussion in which we will review your portfolio of work. Please bring in your design technology, textiles, graphic communication or art and design work. In addition we would love to see any of your own personal creative work. The work you bring in could be in the form of 2D physical work, photographs of work you are not able to bring in, digital work downloaded.
We will also be asking you to complete some creative tasks so we can gage your interest, knowledge and skills.
You will have lots of opportunity to ask us questions about the course and your suitability for it.
What should I wear?
Casual Clothing
What will I need to bring?
Prior to your ISA (Information Sharing Appointment) please upload to the learner portal 6 images of completed work (drawing, painting, 3D, textiles, fashion, design or photography) and 6 images from your preparatory work (sketchbooks pages or worksheets). If you have digital work please attach a link to where we can view and ensure you change the settings to public. Please note each upload must be under 10MB in size or they will not upload. In addition to this please bring your portfolio and any sketchbooks to your appointment.
Who do I contact if I have mobility or additional educational needs that I would like to discuss before the ISA?
Please email applications@ucm.ac.im
What happens once I’ve attended an ISA?
We will contact you within 5 working days of the ISA to either:
• make you an unconditional offer (i.e. a definite place on the course);
• make you a conditional offer (i.e. a place on the course IF you get the results required in the summer exams);
• suggest you apply for another course because the one you have applied for is not suitable for you (if this is the case it is likely we will have discussed this with you during the ISA).
What happens if I get an unconditional offer?
You will be invited in to enrol, which is when you are given your student card. This may happen in the summer, if not you will be enrolled at the start of your course.
What happens if I get a conditional offer?
If you have applied for an FE course, you will need to upload your results to your UCM Learner Portal, once you get them (e.g. GCSE, BTEC). We will then check to see you have got what is needed for the course and, if you have, we will convert your offer to unconditional, which means you definitely have a place on the course. You will be enrolled at the start of your course (that’s when you get your student card).
If you are unlucky and don’t get what you need for the course you applied for, you will be invited in to find out what else is available to you at UCM.
What are my progression and career options?
You could progress to university, after which there are many career options, which include working in: website design, video and film production, sound design and production, graphic design, photography, games design and animation.
This course is included in the UCAS tariff and attracts tariff points for each final grade: Pass 72, Merit 120 and Distinction 168. You should be advised that some university degree courses require students to have gained GCSEs at C or above in Maths and English, and you may be advised to complete these qualifications to ensure that you have the best possible chance to progress to higher education.
How will I be assessed?
The course is based on continual assessment approximately every six weeks and takes the form of an exhibition of the work completed during this period. At the end of the course, you will produce a final project which will demonstrate the skills and creativity in a chosen specialist discipline. Throughout the course you will also produce a portfolio of work for progression onto a higher education course/university or employment.
All units will be internally assessed and internally verified through your portfolio of evidence and are subject to UAL external quality assurance. The final unit will externally moderated against the assessment and grading criteria for that unit is graded pass, merit or distinction and determines the overall final grade for the qualification.
Entry requirements
• A minimum of four GCSEs at grade C or above (or grades 9-4), at least one of which should be in a Media or Art & Design subject, or an equivalent Level 2 qualification e.g. Art & Design (BTEC or UAL), with a Level 2 profile at merit and distinction grades.
• Suitable evidence of your learning and achievement in the form of a portfolio of Digital Media, Art and Design, or Design Technology work, should be presented during your interview.