Location

Farnham

Start date

Sept 2026, Sept 2027

Duration

3 years full-time

UCAS logo

UCAS codes

Course: W440
Institution: C93

+1

Foundation year

Optional extra year of study

+1

Placement year

Optional extra year of study

Entry requirements

Check qualifications

Design for Theatre & Screen at UCA

Design the worlds where stories are told – for stage, screen, and everything in between on our exciting BA (Hons) Design for Theatre & Screen degree course at UCA Farnham.

The full picture

Work across set, props, costume, puppetry, stop motion, and digital environments throughout your three years – developing real depth in the area that inspired you, while understanding how every part of performance and production design connects. When you step onto a professional set for the first time, you’ll feel comfortable and confident among your peers.

From sketch to full scale

Your days are spent in studios and workshops alongside technicians who know their materials inside out, and the rhythm of the course means you're always moving between designing and making – so your ideas are constantly tested against real materials and real space.

Industry woven in

Students have showcased at the National Theatre and visited working sets of huge productions, while placements at Apple have turned into graduate jobs. Guest creatives – from the likes of Marvel, the Royal Ballet, and Bristol Old Vic – have brought the working world into our studios throughout the year.

Something to show for it

By graduation, you'll have taken a piece of work – a model box, a full-scale costume, a digital environment, a VR walkthrough – all the way from first sketch to final realisation, giving you something resolved and complete to carry straight into interviews, competitions, or applications.

Accreditations, partners and industry connections

National Theatre Logo

National Theatre

The National Theatre has been sharing unforgettable stories for more than 50 years. In its role as the leader of theatre in the UK, it works tirelessly to bring theatre to audiences around the world and encourages the art of theatre through commissioned work, learning programmes and strategic partnerships.

Shakespere's Globe

Shakespeare’s Globe

Shakespeare’s Globe is a world-renowned theatre, education centre, and cultural landmark. Inspired and informed by the unique historic playing conditions of two beautiful iconic theatres, our diverse programme of work harnesses the power of performance, cultivates intellectual curiosity, and excites learning to make Shakespeare accessible for all.

British Film Institute logo

British Film Institute (BFI)

The BFI is a charity and the UK’s leading organisation for film and moving image. It promotes and supports British film from newcomers to established makers, and cares for the BFI National Archive, the world’s largest film and television archive.

Equity logo

Equity UK

Equity is the UK’s performing arts and entertainment trade union, representing more than 47,000 performers and creative practitioners across the country, for more than 100 years.

The Herds logo

THE HERDS

THE HERDS is public art and climate action on a vast scale – an ambitious coming together of culture and climate to inspire action and reignite our connection with the natural world.

Two minute stories


Discover the stories of our Performing Arts students

What you'll study

The content of the course may be subject to change. Curriculum content is provided as a guide.

UCA’s Integrated Foundation Year is designed to give you the skills you’ll need to start your degree in the best possible way – with confidence, solid knowledge of creative practice, study skills and more.

You’ll explore a range of creative techniques and develop your portfolio, with your chosen subject in mind. We’ll work with you throughout the year to ensure you’re on the right track and give you the tools to achieve your highest potential on your degree.

Find out more about the Integrated Foundation Year

Design for Screen; 30 credits
You are introduced the principles and practices of production design for screen. You will develop your technical skills, including technical drawing and concept art, and explore relevant design techniques. You will gain research methods to reach an understanding of production design’s wider context and functions.

Career Catalyst: Skills & Capability; 30 credits
This screen module develops core creative and professional skills for screen-based work through digital processes, projects, and ethical and sustainable creative practice.

Design for Stage; 30 credits
In this module you are introduced to the principles and practices of scenography. Through engagement with text-based projects, you will explore creative ideas for set and costume design using appropriate techniques such as breaking down a script, conducting research, model making, costume drawing, and storyboarding. Alongside the development of your project work, you will learn about different theories and approaches to scenography.

Individual Project; 30 credits
This stage module develops foundational creative and professional skills for stage practice and embeds a knowledge of sustainability through the Theatre Green Book. You will explore ideas through varied disciplines including costume making, wood and metal work, sculpting, casting, and moulding.

Design through Draughting; 30 credits
You develop your ability to realise design ideas for stage or screen through draughting and digital processes. You will critically engage with text, explore technological and digital tools, and refine your work through feedback.

Career Catalyst: Communities & Influence; 30 credits
This performance design module focuses on collaborative and community-based theatre making practices. Emphasis is placed on professional collaboration, and the application of sustainable and inclusive approaches.

Design through Time; 30 credits
This module develops your ability to produce a speculative environment, set or costume design for stage or screen. With a focus on period accurate detail, you will integrate technical skills, creative processes and critical understanding to produce scenographic responses.

Collaborative Project; 30 credits
This production design module will prepare you for professional creative environments through the planning and delivery of collaborative filmmaking projects. You will apply advanced technical, creative, and organisational skills within structured group processes, developing your ability to contribute effectively to shared outcomes.

If you opt to complete a professional practice year, this will take place in year three. You will undertake a placement within the creative industries to further develop your skills and CV.

While on your Professional Practice Year, you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee for that year. This fee will be determined using government funding regulations. Based on current regulations, we expect this to be a maximum of 20% of the tuition fee rate that you are charged for your second year of study. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during this year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this as you approach your Professional Practice Year.

Please note: If you are an international applicant, you will need to enrol onto the course ‘with Professional Practice Year’. It will not be possible to transfer onto the Professional Practice Year after enrolment

Creative Research; 30 credits
This contemporary practice module enables you to undertake an advanced, independent creative and critical inquiry by designing and realising a self-directed research project investigating an area of contemporary practice.

Career Catalyst: Futures & Direction; 30 credits
In this design for stage or screen module you will further define your creative identity by producing an independent project of your choice. Your professional development will be supported as you evaluate global contexts and prepare for future career pathways.

Major Project; 60 credits
A culminating design and create for stage or screen module that enables you to realise an ambitious, self-directed body of work that synthesises the knowledge, skills and creative approaches developed throughout your undergraduate studies. You will manage a complete creative project from concept to resolution and public presentation, demonstrating innovation, professional readiness and a confident creative identity.

This course is designed to offer you (if eligible) the opportunity to study part of your degree aboard at a UCA partner university, while still earning credits towards your UCA degree.

For more information please visit the Study Abroad section

Integrated foundation year

  • Independent study: 72%
  • Scheduled teaching: 28%
  • Maximum percentage of scheduled delivered online: 20%

Year one

  • Independent study: 72%
  • Scheduled teaching: 28%
  • Maximum percentage of scheduled delivered online: 20%

Year two

  • Independent study: 74%
  • Scheduled teaching: 26%
  • Maximum percentage of scheduled delivered online: 20%

Year three

  • Independent study: 76%
  • Scheduled teaching: 24%
  • Maximum percentage of scheduled delivered online: 20%

Professional placement or International year (if undertaken)

  • Independent study: 98%
  • Scheduled teaching: 2%
  • Maximum percentage of scheduled delivered online: 100%

Please note: these details are for 2026 entry and could be subject to change for other years of entry.

Course specifications

Please note, syllabus content indicated is provided as a guide. The content of the course may be subject to change in line with our Student Terms and Conditions for example, as required by external professional bodies or to improve the quality of the course.

Upcoming webinars

We offer a range of webinars throughout the year that you may be interested in.

You can also view recordings of all previous sessions through the UCA webinar archive.


Fees & financial support

Tuition fees - 2026/27

    • Integrated Foundation Year: £9,790
    • BA course: £9,790

    If you opt to study the Professional Practice Year, you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee, for 2026/27 this is £1,955. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during your Professional Practice year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this.

    Government guidance indicates that tuition‑fee caps will rise annually with inflation from 2026, subject to legislation, so tuition fees are likely to increase each year of study. 

Tuition fees - 2026/27

  • Integrated Foundation Year: £9,790 (see fee discount information)
  • BA course: £9,790 (see fee discount information)

If you opt to study the Professional Practice Year, you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee, for 2026/27 this is £1,955. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during your Professional Practice year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this.

Government guidance indicates that tuition‑fee caps will rise annually with inflation from 2026, subject to legislation, so tuition fees are likely to increase each year of study. 

Tuition fees - 2026/27

  • Integrated Foundation Year: £18,000
  • BA course: £18,000

If you opt to study the Professional Practice Year, for 2026 you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee of £3,490. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during your Professional Practice year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this.

The fees listed here are correct for the stated academic year only, for details of previous years please see the full fee schedules.

UCA scholarships and fee discounts

At UCA we have a number of scholarships and fee discounts available to assist you with the cost of your studies.

Financial support

There are lots of ways you can access additional financial support to help you fund your studies - both from UCA and from external sources. Discover what support you might qualify for please see our financial support information.

Additional course costs

In addition to the tuition fees there may be other costs for your course. The things that you are likely to need to budget for to get the most out of a creative arts education will include books, printing costs, occasional or optional study trips and/or project materials.

These costs will vary according to the nature of your project work and the individual choices that you make. Please see the Additional Course Costs section of the Course Information Document for more details of the costs you may incur.

Find out what's included in your tuition fees.

Design for Theatre & Screen careers

We’re committed to fully preparing you for a successful career in addition to supporting you with the preparation of your portfolio, CV and professional profile, we encourage you to undertake work placements. Our well-established industry connections include:

  • BBC
  • ITV
  • Propshop
  • Hothouse
  • Pinewood Studios
  • Evolution
  • The Royal Opera House
  • The National Theatre

Graduate career destinations for this course include:

  • Manufacturing
  • Self-employment
  • Buying
  • Gallery work
  • Designing
  • Marketing
  • Retailing
  • Production
  • Teaching.

You may also like to consider further study at postgraduate level.


A headshot of Hannah Morton

What our Design for Theatre & Screen students say

"I chose UCA because of the wide range of facilities, from screen printing to the wood workshop and everything in between... I knew the only limitations for my work would be my own imagination"

Read Hannah's story Chat to UCA students

Design for Theatre & Screen entry requirements

For both the BA (Hons) course and the Integrated Foundation Year course we will need to see your portfolio, see the portfolio requirements section for more details.

 

 

Select your country to find the equivalent requirements

Portfolio requirements

For both the BA (Hons) course and the course with the Integrated Foundation Year we will need to see a portfolio.

  • UK applicants: We will invite you to attend an Applicant Day so you can have your portfolio review in person.
  • International applicants: We will ask you to submit an online portfolio. 

Your portfolio should show visual evidence of a range of relevant skills, and your ability to develop a project or idea. We recommend you bring with you 10 - 15 examples of your current work which best reflects your level and range of achievements. 

View Design for Theatre & Screen portfolio advice

UCAS applicants should also check our UCAS personal statement guide for Acting and Theatre Design applicants.

Full portfolio requirements and advice

Apply to BA (Hons) Design for Theatre & Screen

Please use the following fields to help select the right application link for you:

UCAS codes

  • UCA institution code: C93
  • Three year degree: W440
  • Plus professional practice year: W441
  • Plus integrated foundation year: W44A
  • Plus integrated foundation year and professional practice year: W44B

BA (Hons) Design for Theatre & Screen key statistics

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