University Level
BA (Hons) Creative Practice (Top-up)
The BA (Hons) Top-Up in Photography, Media and Graphic Design offers a dynamic opportunity to refine your creative identity and develop the professional, technical, and theoretical skills needed to succeed in today’s competitive creative industries.
This one-year course enables students from a Foundation Degree or equivalent Level 5 qualification to achieve a full Honours degree. You’ll specialise in one of three creative pathways — Photography, Media, or Graphic Design — while engaging with a shared curriculum designed to strengthen your critical understanding, creative practice, and professional development.
The programme combines conceptual thinking with practical application, preparing you for a successful career in the creative sector or for postgraduate study.
Validated by Sheffield Hallam University, this is an exciting course that prepares you for employment or postgraduate study within a wide, creative field. Studying alongside students from a range of disciplines you will have the opportunity to develop a final major project which will help to define you as a creative practitioner.
You will, with staff and professional support, draw upon thinking which underpins credible and robust academic and professional practices. You may study on placements or internships and have opportunities to market your emerging talent in the professional and academic communities.
You will benefit from one to one tuition from a range of specialist staff and excellent, purpose made facilities. You will develop your emerging practice and position yourself in your specialist field underpinned by theoretical, critical and contextual understanding of where your practice is positioned in the wider academic, cultural and creative world.
You will undertake modules of minor and major practical projects underpinned by critical and contextual theory. As a student on the course you will:
engage with contemporary thinking in the creative field
undertake a practical industry based creative project which may involve work-based learning, exhibiting work, business start-ups, self-promotion or internships
write research proposals for specialist projects you plan to undertake
keep an academic journal as a record of critical thinking which informs your practical projects
work towards the completion of a personal major practical project
professionally present your work in an end of year exhibition inviting industry guests
Although it is not an assessed requirement for the module, students are strongly encouraged to seek and take up any opportunities for internships, work experience or Work Based Learning.
About the course
Pathways:
Graphic Design
Media
Photography
Key Units:
Critical Studies
This module encourages you to explore the theoretical and cultural frameworks that underpin contemporary creative practice. You’ll critically engage with key debates, movements, and methodologies within photography, media, and design, developing a deeper understanding of how social, political, and technological contexts shape visual communication. Through essays, presentations, and research projects, you’ll strengthen your ability to analyse creative work and articulate informed, original perspectives on your chosen field.
Creative Practice
Creative Practice allows you to experiment, innovate, and refine your artistic and technical skills within your chosen pathway. You will produce a series of exploratory projects that push your creative boundaries, exploring advanced techniques, media, and processes relevant to your specialism. This module supports the development of your personal style and visual language, encouraging conceptual depth and professional-level outcomes that demonstrate your readiness for industry or further study.
Professional Development
This module focuses on preparing you for your future career.
Planning for Major Project
Major Project
Applicants are expected to have successfully completed a Foundation Degree or HE Diploma equivalent to 96 tariff points and provide a supportive reference GCSE English Language at grade C/4 (or above) or NQF L2 equivalent are required (please note that the minimum level of English Language is IELTS Level 6 with minimum score of 5.5 in all skills areas).
All pathways on the BA (Hons) in Creative Practice encourage widening participation. A place would be offered where you meet the required entry criteria and it is felt that you can cope with the demands of the course and benefit from the experiences that it offers.
External applicants will need to attend an interview and portfolio review. References, alternative experience and skills will be taken into account.
Methods of assessment and feedback, including moderation/internal and external verification and the requirements for progression through the programme, are explained during induction. They will be reinforced at all module briefings and at relevant times during the course.
Successful students may wish to consider progression onto postgraduate study at Sheffield Hallam University or elsewhere.
How to apply
Please note that applications for this course should be made through UCAS.
Course application code: P3A4
College institution code: S22
Course handbooks
Please click on a link below to download the course handbook for this qualification and other associated documents.
Course Handbook
Programme Specification
Assessment Schedule
Additional Info
The Sheffield College is a registered provider with the Office for Students.
Terms and Conditions
You can find details of all of our higher education policies, procedures and T&Cs on our UC Sheffield website.
Residential study visits
Field trips are desirable but not a compulsory part of the course and will not be assessed and students who do not undertake a particular field trip will be provided with (and supported in) alternative learning opportunities. Students in financial hardship may be eligible to apply to the HE Student Support Fund.
Equipment and Learning Resources
In addition some students choose to purchase computing or photographic equipment but these are not essential and the College does have excellent resources.There are printing costs of approximately £120 - £200 depending on which specialism students chose to study.
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Employed in 2026 across Sheffield
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Average salary
Similar Courses
Click here to apply through UCAS
Key Information
Course Code
P00192
Subject Area
Media
Campus
Hillsborough Campus