BA (Hons) Set Design for Stage and Screen (Top-up)
- Study Mode: Full Time
- Location: High Wycombe
- Duration: One Year
- Start Date: September 2025
You can also study this course:
Completed a foundation-level degree, HND, or equivalent qualifications in a relevant Art and Design subject? Top-up your studies to gain a full bachelor’s degree in Set Design for Stage and Screen.
Do you want to bring theatre, film and television sets to life through creativity and design? This set design degree will provide you with an environment where you can experiment, innovate and create your ideas.
Boost your understanding of design, aesthetics, form and function, develop your technical skills and broaden your knowledge, so upon graduation you’ll have a portfolio that demonstrates that you can turn scripts into three-dimensional environments for stage and screen.
Do you want a career which could take you all over the world? Working in film, theatre or live performance, you could take on several roles across the globe, from production designer to model maker, art director to production design co-ordinator, stylist or illustrator. You could also end up touring with big theatre companies.
A top-up degree is the equivalent of the final year of an undergraduate degree, and offers a chance to deepen your knowledge, skills and understanding of your subject, while also getting an internationally-recognised qualification.
If you have completed a foundation-level degree, HND, or equivalent qualifications in a relevant Art and Design subject, you can choose to top-up your studies to gain a full bachelor’s degree.
Our industry standard facilities are here to help you produce your most creative ideas. We will build your confidence in using the latest software, such as Vectorworks, SketchUp, Auto CAD, Adobe Suite and Rhino. You’ll also benefit from creating sets within a studio environment, complete with workshop facilities for wood, metal and plastic, plus lessons in scenic painting techniques to make your set or props look convincing.
Our other specialist resources including;
- CNC and laser cutter technology
- highly equipped engineering & making workshops
- 3D design studios
- computer suites with free access to a wide variety of industry standard CAD software
- 3D printing technology
At every step you’ll be supported by a dedicated team of technicians who will provide you with advice, technical assistance and support to realise your assignment briefs and final project. The University also has a teaching base at the iconic Pinewood Studios, which means there could be opportunities to engage with the community there.
The BA (Hons) Set Design for Stage and Screen course is led by a dedicated and experienced course team. Benefit from their industry knowledge and the industry links they bring to the course. You’ll get direct access to guest lecturers, who are specialists in the sector, and can benefit from project briefs, masterclasses, and networking opportunities.
As part of the Art, Design and Performance School at BNU, you’ll benefit from a practiced-based course, supported by contextual studies. You’ll also have the opportunity to work collaboratively across the School with other courses, ensuring during your studies you are building a varied network, like you would in the real world. Recent collaborations have seen the course working with Costume Design, Hair and Make-up and Acting students.
With London on our doorstep, you’ll be able to experience visits to outside bodies related to the course, such as prop stores, sets and set stores, material suppliers and manufacturing professionals and museums. It also means you may have the opportunity to visit working studios, such as Pinewood Studio.
What will I study?
During you time studying on this set design degree, we aim to develop you into creative, reflective and skilled professionals in the production design practices of theatre, film and television. We do this by providing you with an environment where you can explore your ideas and push the boundaries with set design.
The course material that you will be provided with is rooted in contemporary practice, benchmarked by ongoing input from industry, and contextualised by a historical and theoretical overview. You will learn to respond innovatively to design briefs, to produce high quality outcomes, through rigorous research, analysis, experimentation and development of skills.
We’ll teach you about aesthetics and form, technical skills such as workshop and production techniques and CAD and technical drawing, giving you a well-rounded understanding of design methods. Provided with a broad range of core skills required for the creative industry, you will hone and develop your specialist interests, graduating with a portfolio tailored to suit your chosen profession.
The course also emphasises the importance of cultivating unique, personal entrepreneurial skills to prepare you to work within the professional environment. By being equipped with the right tools to effectively communicate with other departments and professions and produce outcomes that are aimed at international markets you are widening your career prospects.
At the same time, the set design degree embeds critical and analytical skills through contextual studies, providing you with a broader awareness of theoretical debates within media and cultural studies and related industries.
How will I be taught and assessed?
The BA (Hons) Set Design for Stage and Screen degree encompasses a wide variety of teaching and learning methods.
Most of this degree is workshop based, here we aim to create the ethos of a professional real-world environment. As set design student you’ll have to complete a series of modules and projects across your time spent studying with us. Projects are designed to present new challenges to you as you progress through the course. By the end of your time with BNU, you’ll benefit from a full portfolio to go to employers with.
To achieve the full BA (Hons) in Set Design for Stage and Screen you’ll need to complete the modules listed, as well as a major project. These Projects are designed to present new challenges to you as you progress through the course. They involve working with varied briefs, clients and requirements. By the end of your time with BNU, you’ll benefit from a full portfolio of work to go to employers with.
The major project will allow you to investigate a topic important to you within set design. You will cover the whole research process, undertaking empirical investigation and analysis.
Modules
This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section.
What are the tuition fees
Home
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Home, Academic Year 2025 - 2026: £9,535 per year *
International
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Overseas/International, Academic Year 2025 - 2026: £15,150 per year *
Following the Government’s announcement of 4 November 2024, we will be increasing our full-time undergraduate tuition fees for UK students to £9,535 per year from the start of the 2025/26 academic year. Our part-time fees for UK undergraduate students will increase to £7,145 per annum. Please visit , on the Government’s website, for more information about the changes.
Tuition fees for Home undergraduate students (including with foundation year) may increase in subsequent years for both new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by the Government.  
Tuition fees for both new and continuing international students may be subject to an inflationary increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the 12-month period to 31 January each year.  
Tuition fees for postgraduate courses and CPD may be subject to an inflationary increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the 12-month period to 31 January each year. This increase will apply to both new and continuing students.  
We understand, and really appreciate, the significant financial commitment our students make when they choose to study at BNU. We take our responsibilities to our students very seriously, and are ambitious for each to reach their full potential and succeed in their chosen career. Our fees help us to continue providing our students with a high-quality education, and to invest in the services and facilities which create an excellent student experience at BNU.
The following factors will be considered by the University when we set the annual fees: measures of inflation such as the retail price indices; projected increases in University costs; and any changes in the level of funding for teaching received from the Government.
What are my career prospects?
Throughout your time with us we’ll support you on the route to your chosen career. We’ll help you to develop crucial skills, encouraging you to become enterprising, employable and good leaders. Our Careers and Employability Team also help you find employment after graduation.
Upon graduation, you will be prepared for a range of career possibilities. Using the skills and knowledge learnt on this course, you could find yourself performing the following roles all over the world:
- Production designer for film, theatre, or live performances
- Design assistant or designer
- Art director or assistant
- Model maker
- Buyer or production specifier
- Studio manager or production design coordinator
- Film/theatre/performance stylist
- Film illustrator
- PR/marketing.
You may also wish to stay on at Buckinghamshire New University and study our full-time or part-time Postgraduate Courses.
