On this highly respected
vocational course you’ll learn
how to research, design and
construct costumes for
performers of many kinds. You’ll
work on live projects with
renowned creative companies,
and the course has a strong
graduate employment record.
BA/BA (Hons)
Costume Design
and Construction
Think of a dramatic performance
that you loved and you can
probably picture the characters’
costumes. Costume design and
construction are vital when it
comes to creating successful
theatre, film and TV productions.
It’s a creative and challenging
career: you need to know the
theory and history of costume
design, how to make costumes
physically and how to manage
the wardrobe of a live
production. practice, using the independent
professional practice options to gain
practical experience and make contacts
in the wider world. Year Three
Structure Year Four
You can opt to study for an honours
degree over four years or an ordinary
degree over three years. You will
complete a range of modules each year
as outlined. Honours Study/ Creative Entrepreneurial
Project/ plus options including:
Independent Professional Practice: Work
Experience/ Independent Professional
Practice: Collaborative Project/
Independent Professional Project: Major
Project
At the heart of the course are six
professional practice modules (two of
them in each of the first three years of
the degree). In these, you will work as
part of a team delivering the costumes
for a series of live projects working in
collaboration with partner organisations
and companies. Teaching, learning and assessment The modules listed here are correct at
time of print (Feb 2019) but may differ
slightly to those offered in 2020. Please
check the website for any updates.
Supporting this practical learning in Years
One and Two are a series of modules
which will develop your research and
design skills, your analytic and writing
skills, and your construction and
wardrobe management expertise.
In Year Three you can begin to specialise
by working in greater depth on two or
more of the varieties of pathways that
costume practice offers — perhaps
masks, puppets and soft props, or the
design of costume for film, or historical
cut and construction.
You can extend your knowledge of these
chosen skills in your industry placement
and in your independent research and
construction project. You will also fulfil
key production roles in live projects, at
QMU and with partner companies and
organisers, as a designer, supervisor or
specialist maker. In Year Four if you
decide to undertake the honours year as
many of our students do, the emphasis
is on refining your chosen areas of future
You’ll be taught in lectures, seminars and
practical workshops. You’ll also work in a
team delivering the costumes for live
productions with well-known companies.
For full details see the course entry on
our website.
Modules
Year One
Introduction to Professional Practice as a
Wardrobe Trainee/ Introduction to
Garment Cutting and Construction/
Introduction to Visual Communication
Skills/ Introduction to Research and
Costume Design/ Introduction to Theatre
Production/ Professional Practice as a
Wardrobe Trainee
Year Two
Introduction to Professional Practice as a
Costume Assistant/ Professional Practice
as a Costume Assistant/ Costume
Design and Scenography/
Complementary Construction Skills/
Advanced Cut and Construction/ Career
Management
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Professional Practice in a Key Role 1/
Professional Practice in a Key Role 2/
Independent Research and Construction
Project/ Industry Placement