University of Hertfordshire - BA (Hons) Design Crafts (Jewellery)

University of Hertfordshire

BA (Hons) Design Crafts (Jewellery)

This degree involves a practical workshop programme, establishing and refining your understanding of the tactile qualities and properties of materials and how they can be manipulated to express your ideas. In the First Year you’ll learn contemporary approaches to designing and making across a range of 2D and 3D media. Then, in the Second Year, you’ll focus your interests in order to reach the high level of refinement necessary for the professional marketplace. Our students produce a richly diverse range of artefacts, such as accessories, experimental and fine jewellery, and conceptual pieces for exhibition or commission.

Entry Requirements

UCAS pointsA LevelBTEC
104-112BCC-BBC Including formal or informal qualifications in Art or DesignMMM-DMM

IB requirement: 104-112 UCAS points from a minimum of 2 HL subjects at H4 or above, to include Visual Arts at SL or HL (with the remaining points to come from a combination of HL,  SL and Core).

All students from non-majority English speaking countries require proof of English language proficiency, equivalent to an overall IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each band

Career Prospects

The degree can potentially lead to a wide range of career opportunities, from small business, to design for manufacture, unique artifacts for exhibition and commission, museums and collectors, running workshops, teaching, curating and retail, journalism and styling, as well as postgraduate study.

This course develops your skills for a wide range of career opportunities. As well as marketing your work for retail, exhibition and commission, you could also find yourself running workshops, teaching and curating. Our graduates also land roles as jewellery designers, in retail and styling, and many undertake postgraduate study.

Course Details

The course combines studio projects and practical workshop based sessions, where ideas and making are integrated. Students have a studio, where design development, group tutorials, crits and presentations take place. Modules combine lectures, workshops, seminars, and tutorials, and encourage a high level of debate and interaction. Students are encouraged to see their learning as an interactive experience, in which they play an active part, so that they emerge as resourceful and independent professionals, committed to pursuing their ambitions beyond graduation. The degree is staffed by practicing professionals, and Visiting Lecturers who regularly contribute specialist expertise.

The Design Crafts Jewellery degree at the University of Hertfordshire explores in the First Year approaches to designing and making across a range of two and three-dimensional media in the fields of textiles, jewellery and ceramics and glass. In the Second Year students choose to focus their interests within the jewellery medium and approach, enabling them to reach the high level of refinement necessary for the professional marketplace. We are offering a balance between focused specialist study and experimental mixed media approaches.

This results in the production of a richly diverse range of artifacts - such as experimental and fine jewellery, accessories, objects and conceptual pieces for exhibition or commission. The emphasis is on questioning function and tradition to arrive at fresh, lively alternatives for a sophisticated market.

The workshops are the focus of the student experience our students are using the latest laser cutting and rapid prototyping equipment as well as the traditional equipped workshop to develop their practice. 

With a variety of live projects and competition projects the course provides you with a confident start to your professional career; you will evolve from learning basic skills in your pathway through to a position where you are an independent creative thinker capable of making an effective contribution in the sector as a designer maker.

Year 1

Introduction to core design skills
Introduction to design principles
Professional design studio (1)
Design theory (l4)

Year 2

Core design skills (2)
Professional design studio (2)
Design theory (l5)
Design principles (jewl)
Year abroad
Professional work experience 30: design

Year 3

Sandwich year (creative arts)
Professional design studio (3)
Major degree project (jewl)
The degree essay (l6)
Year abroad

*The information’s are correct at the time of publishing, however it may change if university makes any changes after we have published the information. While we try our best to provide correct information, It is advisable to call us or visit university website for up to date information.

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