16Nov
UndergraduateDe Montfort University has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
Open days
Course summary
On this hands-on and multi-disciplinary course, you will explore both traditional hand skills and emerging technologies while working with a wide range of materials such as hot and cold glass, clay, paper, fine metals, plastics, resin, wood and textiles. You will select a specialism and determine your own direction according to your interests and aspirations, establishing your personal creative voice. You will have the freedom to explore different processes to create objects for domestic use, interior spaces, exterior spaces or to be worn on the body and these can be hand-held or large-scale pieces, whether that be vessels, tiles, stoneware, glassware, jewellery, tableware or sculptural pieces to name just a few examples. You will develop an understanding of craft contexts and markets alongside environmental and ethical issues surrounding the practice of craft. Professional and entrepreneurial skills are a key focus of the course and we aim to nurture you to become an industry-ready and adaptable creative professional with a clear sense of your own practice. Key features
- Work on live projects with industry experts to gain valuable skills and experience. Recent briefs have been set by Sainsbury’s Home, Argos, Sue Pryke Ceramics, Goldsmiths Company, the Leathersellers’ Company and Contemporary British Silversmiths.
- Explore a huge range of designing and making opportunities with access to outstanding facilities in our award-winning Vijay Patel Building. We have superb workshops and industry-standard equipment including glassblowing, slip casting, potter's wheels, kilns, casting in precious metals, enamelling, digital printing, laser cutting, embroidery machines, looms and lathes.
- Professional skills are embedded throughout the course to prepare you for a range of careers within the creative industries, whether that be as a craftsperson, jeweller, ceramicist, textile artist, designer-maker, glass artist, designer, researcher, consultant, curator, buyer, stylist or educator.
- You will have the flexibility to produce a wide range of objects, including individual artefacts for galleries and to commission, small batches of similar items, limited editions, public installations and designs for industry.
- Establish yourself by entering national and international competitions. DMU graduates have won many accolades, including the Goldsmiths’ Precious Metal award, and have exhibited at prestigious events such as New Designers and One Year In.
- Learn from highly-experienced academic and technical staff and hear from guest speakers from across the creative industries to help you to determine your future career path.
- Benefit from block teaching, where most students study one subject at a time. A simple timetable will allow you to really engage with your learning, receive regular feedback and assessments, get to know your course mates and enjoy a better study-life balance.
Modules
First year Block 1: Craft Skills Block 2: Design and Make Block 3: Craft Projects Block 4: Craft in Context Second year Block 1: Live Projects Block 2: Craft Skills 2 Block 3: Craft Cultures Block 4: Creative Practice Third year Blocks 1 and 2: Craft Practice Blocks 1 and 2: Craft Connections Block 3: Design Crafts Projects Block 4: Personal Projects
Assessment method
We want to ensure you have the best learning experience possible and a supportive and nurturing learning community. That’s why we’re introducing a new block model for delivering the majority of our courses, known as Education 2030. This means a more simplified timetable where you will study one subject at a time instead of several at once. You will have more time to engage with your learning and get to know the teaching team and course mates. You will receive faster feedback through more regular assessment, and have a better study-life balance to enjoy other important aspects of university life. Structure You will learn in regular timetabled practical workshops, inductions, lectures, seminars, group tutorials, one-to-one tutorials, practical and theoretical talks. Each module has a brief that challenges you to respond creatively, enabling you to develop a range of skills which enhance your personal development. By the final year you will propose your own direction of study and final project. You will receive ongoing feedback in tutorials, seminars, workshops and more formal written feedback. We assess your progress and achievement throughout the course, formally through presentations and the display of coursework. Typically we assess your work in sketchbooks, design sheets, physical objects, maquettes, models and samples, portfolios and log books. We assess a small amount of written work in the form of technical notes, reports and essays. We ask you to evaluate your own achievements and comment on your own progress. There are opportunities throughout the course for placements in galleries, small workshops, Sainsbury’s, Hand & Lock, and for exchanges, working collaboratively and working on live briefs and with external clients. DMU is involved in the Crafts Council’s Firing Up scheme where you can volunteer to work with clay in local schools. Our graduates have won many recent awards and prizes including The Enameller’s Guild Bursary, the Embroiderers' Guild Scholar 18-30, The Worshipful Company of Goldsmith’s Precious Metal Bursary, The Creative Business Award and the Silver Award in Craft and Design Magazine’s Selected Maker Awards, The Young Silversmith’s Award. One of our recent graduates Alice Funge was personally selected by New Designers sponsor Sainsbury’s to show their work alongside a display of the supermarket giant’s own homewares in a prime spot near the entrance of the hall at the Business Design Centre. The Design Crafts lecturers are all practising designers and makers, from a wide range of arts and crafts disciplines. We are also proud to have numerous visiting speakers which have included ceramicists, jewellery designers, sculptors, textile artists, enamellers, furniture and product designers and illustrators. Contact hours In your first year you will normally attend around 24 hours of timetabled taught sessions each week, and we expect you to undertake at least 19 further hours of independent study to complete project work and research.
How to apply
29Jan
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application codes
- Course code:
- W200
- Institution code:
- D26
- Campus name:
- Leicester Campus
- Campus code:
- Y
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
- Year 2
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff - 112 points
A level
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) - DMM
Access to HE Diploma - M: 30 credits
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme - 26 points
T Level - M
Additional entry requirements
Portfolio
In your portfolio we will be looking for: • A Creative enquiry into a theme or subject of interest. • Evidence of a curiosity in materials/media • Evidence of creative process and making skills.
Student Outcomes
Operated by the Office for Students
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
Go onto work and study
The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| England | £9250 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £9250 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £9250 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £9250 | Year 1 |
| International | £16250 | Year 1 |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
Please note that fees are subject to an annual review. Any increase in fees for Home students would be based upon a review of our provision and in line with the fee cap set by the government.
For Overseas students such reviews will be based on a market assessment and communicated to students at least 6-months before any programme commencing. Please visit the tuition fees pages of our website for further information: dmu.ac.uk/funding
Provider information
De Montfort University
The Gateway
Leicester
LE1 9BH