BA Honours Jewellery and Accessories Degree

Overview & facilities

The BA Jewellery and Accessories Degree with Honours at Middlesex University, London is a further exciting development of our well renowned Jewellery course. Our innovative approach to materials and the subject of jewellery has established us as one of the most respected jewellery degree courses in the UK and internationally and has consistently produced the very highest calibre of graduates. We are expanding and developing this course to include the exciting area of accessories and will continue to support thedevelopment of ideas and pieces whichestablish a broader definition of the subject. The course is part of the Fashion group in Art and Design and we welcome and encourage collaboration with students in Fashion and Textiles as well as in other areasof Art, Design and the Performing Arts.

Join us on this exciting BA Jewellery and Accessories Degree and benefit from one of the most innovative and creative courses in this subject in the world, working with internationally renowned teaching staff and having open access to a comprehensive range of digital and traditional workshop facilities.

At the end of your degree you will exhibit your work at the Middlesex University Art and Design Degree Show.  The show is a celebration of the end of your studies and the start of your creative career, it's a great opportunity to show off your talents to friends, family and creative industry employers. 

You might also be interested in the 12-week long Foundation course, which runs three times a year, successful completion of which will guarantee a place on a nominated BA Honours programme:

Foundation in Art and Design, Intensive Short Course

The Grove

From September 2011 this course will be taught at The Grove in Hendon. Click here for your virtual tour.

Content & modules

The course suits those who are interested in what people wear, the manipulation of materials, movement and performance. You will experience the whole creative process; generating and developing ideas through observation and research; workshop practice; refining ideas through analysis and criticism; increasing your awareness of current practice in jewellery and accessories; and making presentations of your work. We do this through organising exhibitions,study trips, live projects in major museums, work placements and presenting student work in public exhibitions. Staff contact is through one to one tutorials, group reviews and seminars. Generic skills and knowledge that underpin professional activity presentation and communication skills; collaboration and group working skills; website design and building are integrated and practiced throughout the course.

The History of Art and Design programme provides a context for contemporary jewellery and accessories practice. Middlesex's excellent open access digital and traditional workshop facilities have specialist workshops in metals, plastics, textiles, wood and ceramics all of which are supported by knowledgeable and helpful technicians. Additionally, there are photographic facilities and digital media workshops. The learning resource centre provides support for all the art and design courses.

Modules

• Year 1

  Design Research and Development (30 Credits) - Compulsory

  This module aims to provide students with the means to: - successfully and coherently develop a design project in response to a given project brief - confidently analyse and describe the processes of design research, experimentation and development - begin to evaluate the appropriate use of materials, processes and techniques in their work - recognise and describe their work in the context of wider ideas, contexts and practices - develop and selectively employ a range of design methods and skills - integrate their knowledge of materials and processes into the development and resolution of a design project

  Introduction to History of Art and Design (30 Credits) - Compulsory

  This module aims to present Design History Visual Culture as diverse and dynamic fields of study. It will introduce students to methodological approaches employed in the critical analysis of the production, representation and consumption of design and material culture, and it will encourage a historically contingent approach to comprehending design and material culture over the past century. The module will enable students to develop critical and descriptive languages of the History of Design. It will also provide the opportunity to question authorised and personal understandings of objects, subjects and environments

  Introduction to Processes and Materials (30 Credits) - Compulsory

  This module aims to provide students with the means to: - recognise the importance of the design process in the development of a project - employ fundamental technical knowledge and workshop skills in design projects - work safely and appropriately with specialist machinery and equipment - broadly understand the properties and qualities of materials and finishes - explore, analyse and test the use of materials in a design project - understand how a design and the design process is informed by different contexts - use and develop IT and CAD skills relevant to a specialist design discipline - develop a range of skills and mediums to assist in the visual communication and presentation of design ideas and thinking - be self-motivated and disciplined and recognise the importance of care, organisation and planning in the design process - understand a range of specific transferable skills that will enable them to engage independently in effective learning and provide a framework for their personal and career development skills

• Year 2

  Process, Production and Presentation (60 Credits) - Compulsory

  This module aims to provide students with the means to: - advance their workshop proficiency through a critical understanding and appropriate use of materials and processes - consolidate an understanding of the integration of research into the design process - develop their capacity for self-directed study and the critical evaluation of their work and performance - advance and acquire further design skills through resolving designs in appropriate materials and to an appropriate standard - acquire and advance further design skills through the process of project management - develop skills in self management and team working in developing a design project - increase skills in the use of IT and CAD in the development and presentation of design projects - extend their awareness of professional practice relevant to their specialism - be confident and ambitious and aspire to professionalism in all aspects of their work, presentation and performance

• Year 3

  Critical and Contextual Proposition (30 Credits) - Compulsory

  This module aims to enable students to identify and deliver a research project that is the product of sustained and creative engagement both with a range of research resources and an area of studio-practice. The module will consolidate skills of project identification, research organisation and development, time management, written and visual analysis and the presentation of a critical argument/thesis. The module further consolidates the development of skills required for autonomous learning.

  Design Proposition: Research and Development (30 Credits) - Compulsory

  This module aims to provide students with the means to: - identify and propose a clear programme of study towards a personal interpretation of their design specialism - evaluate individual development and identify special aptitudes and interests in order to extend research and experimentation of materials and processes relevant to an appropriate application - articulate ideas through the advanced and professional use of visual, written and oral presentations - clearly contextualise their individual practice through awareness of historical and contemporary parallels and precedents - provide the opportunity to demonstrate advanced appropriate technical and materials based skills and the sensitive deployment of these skills to support and reinforce the idea - establish and employ coherent and effective research strategies - demonstrate independent, management and organisational skills

  Final Portfolio and Collection (60 Credits) - Compulsory

  The modules aims to provide the student with the means to: - consolidate a chosen theme or objective and devise and document a clear programme of study and to independently manage a mature, rigorous and effective working practice - consolidate personal research, experimentation and personal innovation with materials and processes - produce and present a coherent body of work that demonstrates an ability and judgement in the initiating, development and realisation of ideas - to communicate ideas/outcomes through a professional portfolio that is relevant to current practice and supports the student s chosen application and future ambitions

Entry & applying

A minimum 220 Ucas tariff points and Foundation Diploma in Art and Design is desirable also GCSE grade C in English Language Applicants will be invited to attend portfolio interview.

Apply now

Qualifications accepted

For a comprehensive list of qualifications accepted by Middlesex, see further information under entry requirements

English language requirements

You must have competence in English language and we normally require Grade C GCSE or an equivalent qualification. The most common English Language requirements for international students are IELTS 6.0 (with minimum 5.5 in all four components) or TOEFL internet based 72 (with at least 17 in listening & writing, 20 in speaking and 18 in reading).

Middlesex also offers an Intensive Academic English course (Pre-Sessional) that ranges from 5-17 weeks depending on your level of English. Successful completion of this course would meet English language entry requirements. For more information on applying for the pre-sessional please email english@mdx.ac.uk.

Entry into year two or three (transfer students)

If you have achieved a qualification such as a foundation degree or HND, or have gained credit at another university, you may be able to enter a Middlesex course in year two or three. For full details of how this works see transfer students

UK/EU applicants with existing higher education qualifications

If you have already been awarded a qualification at the same level as the course you are applying for, you may not be eligible for a tuition fee loan, see fees and funding for more information.

Applying

Applications for UK and EU students should be made to UCAS – the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. The institution code for Middlesex is M80, and the code name is MIDDX. You also need the code for the course you wish to apply for – this is found in the 'at a glance' box above.

International students from outside the EU can make a direct application.  We have a network of regional offices across the world to assist you with your application.  They have worked with people from your region coming to Middlesex before and can help. Read more on international applications

You might also be interested in the 12-week long Foundation course, which runs three times a year, successful completion of which will guarantee a place on a nominated BA Honours programme:

Foundation in Art and Design, Intensive Short Course

Fees & funding

The tuition fee for the 2012/2013 academic year for UK/EU students is £9,000.
The tuition fee for the 2012/2013 academic year for International students is £10,400.

Click here to find out more about fees, funding and our scholarships in 2012.

Careers & placements

Placements

This course offers an optional placement year for the third year.  Work placements are proven to increase your success in the job market – as well as being a fantastic experience.  We encourage as many students as possible to grasp this opportunity. The placement is for a minimum of 26 weeks made up of 20 working days through the year. This will provide you with first-hand experience of working in a jewellery organisation. We have a Placement Office which will support you through the placement process.

Careers

The work of our graduates regularly appears in fashion magazines such as Elle, Italian Vogue, Dazed & Confused and ID.  A considerable number of our graduates make jewellery and accessories for the fashion collections of well-known designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Hussein Chalayan and Vivienne Westwood.  Many celebrities, Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman and Bjork, are seen wearing jewellery and accessories designed by our graduates.

Other graduates demonstrate the transferable skills learnt on the course by their success in a range of Art and Design disciplines; art direction and styling for prestigious magazines like American Vogue; lighting; costumes for the performing arts; fashion illustration and writing books on jewellery.

Middlesex has strong links with art and design employers.  Our industry partners sponser final year students and practitioners of jewellery and accessories give visiting lectures.  Hundreds of art and design agencies, organisations and other employers attend our final year degree show each year.

Our Careers Service offers you a range of support both while you’re studying with us – and after you’ve graduated.

Past students (alumni)

Graduating from this unique and highly respected course will open up many opportunities to build a successful career.  Middlesex graduates have won many prestigious prizes for their work, including the Jerwood Prize for Jewellery which has been won on four occasions by our graduates.  Already in 2010, one of our graduates has been awarded a £10,000 Arts Foundation Award and has been shortlisted for the Jerwood Prize.  Others have pieces in the British Crafts Council collection and exhibitions in the UK and internationally. Our graduates include:

• Lesley Vik’s work with Vivienne Westwood was featured in The Times. Lesley co-owns 'Jewel', a store in Camden Passage, London N1, with fellow graduate Kurt Holmes
• Scott Wilson’s work with Karl Lagerfeld with featured in London’s Time Out magazine
• Hussam El Odeh’s work featured in Italian Vogue and in the New Generation at London Fashion Week.