Jewellery & Silversmithing BA (Hons)

Practice Process 1
You’ll be introduced to researching, developing ideas, drawing, designing and essential making processes in metal and other materials through a series of creative studio projects.

Contextual Studies 1
You’ll explore where crafts and design practices fit within wider social and cultural landscapes. To help you with your research, you’ll learn a range of historical and contemporary contexts.

Practice Process 2
Through a series of project briefs, you’ll develop a further understanding of aspects of the design process and making hollow forms for both jewellery and silversmithing. You’ll improve your research and design methods, CAD and making skills.

Practice Process 3
You’ll consolidate your making ability developed in previous units and gain new skills, including basic stone setting, brooch catches and casting. To respond with confidence to more complex project briefs as you prepare for your second year, you'll extend your understanding of the subject context for your work and begin to explore relevant industry focus.

Practice Exploration 1
An important element of second year experience is to develop an individual approach to practice. You’ll identify your interests and expand your research skills, promoting a critical and reflective approach to designing and making through various project briefs. You’ll be introduced to a range of industry contexts, which might include live projects competitions, collaborations or placements.

Contextual Studies 2
Objects and environments are fundamental to our understanding of the world and this unit introduces a range of contexts demonstrating the importance of meaning and how this can be used to create and express value within the objects you are making. You’ll cover everything from consumer demands to emotional attachment, to the notion of luxury and material culture.

Practice Exploration 2
Building on your experience in Practice Exploration 1, you’ll continue to develop your design identity and interests. An important element of second year experience is to develop an individual approach to practice. You’ll explore and develop processes of designing and making, either as a jeweller making artefacts for the body, or as a silversmith investigating ideas for functional domestic objects.

Practice Exploration 3
You’ll define your own patterns of study and consolidate your creative practice by developing work in response to your own concerns, interests and personal direction, ready for your final year. You’ll complete project briefs from inception to resolution and incorporate all stages of the design process, learning more about professional practice and contemporary context.

Students in the School of Crafts and Design have the unique opportunity within UCA to add an additional year of study at an overseas institution (either at a higher education establishment or workplace).

This optional year is designed to broaden your educational experience and deepen your understanding of cultural diversity, enabling you to study within a different cultural context and gain fresh perspectives. 

Studying abroad can be a life-changing experience. Living in another country, you'll experience new places, people, cultures and possibilities. You'll develop initiative, independence, motivation and, depending on where you go, a working knowledge of another language – all qualities employers are looking for. You will return to complete your degree with all the benefits of the International Year experience behind you.

To find out more about studying abroad as part of your course please see the Study Abroad section:

• Study abroad information

Practice Portfolio
Priming you for life after graduation, this unit will help you through the transition from student to early stage professional practitioner or another relevant career. You’ll develop a practice portfolio reflecting your individual interests, which will demonstrate your abilities to create opportunities and to promote yourself, as well as your knowledge of the industry.

Practice Position 1
You’ll begin to outline your individual practice position, with this preparatory unit ahead of your final major project. To achieve this, you’ll take one of two routes - research and exploratory prototyping and testing, or research to resolution. Whichever route you take, you will be developing and realising your own design ideas.

Contextual Studies 3
You’ll conceive, develop and construct a personally meaningful portfolio of contextual research which locates and evaluates your studio practice in relation to a range of contextual frameworks and perspectives. Critical engagement with a range of contextual and theoretical frameworks supports the positioning of individual practice in relation to past, present and possible future endeavours.

Practice Position 2
Following on from the preparatory work completed in Practice Position 1, you identify a personal creative direction and critically define your practice within the discipline. You’ll develop a collection of work for your graduate design project, which will be publicly exhibited and prepare for opportunities and awareness of future direction post-graduation.

We enjoy close links with a range of professional organisations who are able to benefit our students in the form of bursaries, awards, seminars and competitions. These include:

• Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths
• Tatty Devine
• British Art Medal Society

As well as overseas opportunities with Study Abroad placements or the additional International Year of study as an option, a European study trip is organised each year and is open to all year groups.

Our graduates have progressed to a variety of professional roles, including becoming designer makers, designing, working for jewellery companies, marketing, retail and teaching whilst others have chosen to embark on post-graduate study.