Continuing Professional Development courses

Why study Continuing Professional Development courses at University College Falmouth?

Are you a busy professional looking to develop your skills and career options? Are you keen to study but can't take time out of work? We are developing a portfolio of flexible learning courses to help you adapt to the changing world of work in a way that fits in with your life.

In response to increasing demand from professionals and employers from all sectors, University College Falmouth will, from 2012 onwards, offer a new range of short, intensive, professionally-focused courses for people who want to continue learning throughout their career.

Our courses are designed in response to today's rapidly evolving industries and tougher business climate - locally, nationally and internationally. There will be options to study at undergraduate and postgraduate level on full degrees or freestanding modules. 

Who are the CPD courses for?

You may be in full-time, part-time or freelance employment and will benefit from an alternative approach to learning. The courses are carefully planned to be relevant to both your employment needs and those of your company/employers/clients.

Wherever you live or work, our CPD courses are highly accessible with delivery provided in three ways:

• Face to face - short courses and workshops, on campus or in other locations, lasting between one and five days.
• Online - degree level credit-bearing courses delivered via a new virtual learning environment that includes online teaching and seminars, interactive forums and a virtual studio.
• Blended study - two or more days of intensive face-to-face study followed by a number of weeks of supported online learning.

Skillset Professional Media Practice courses

Falmouth's short courses in Professional Media Practice are designed to allow professionals to understand the challenges of the new media environment - from interactivity to user-generated content - and develop the creativity, confidence and new skills to adapt and succeed. Each course has been developed closely with first-class media partners who really understand the changing industry, and know what skills and knowledge are needed.

Our courses offer a combination of modules that can either be taken individually or combined to work towards a recognised postgraduate qualification, such as a Postgraduate Certificate, a Postgraduate Diploma or a full MA.

What is Skillset?

Skillset is the Sector Skills Council for the UK creative media industries, supporting skills and training for people and businesses to ensure the UK creative media industries maintain their world-class position.

Falmouth is a member of the Cornwall Skillset Media Academy - an elite UK-wide group of universities identified as centres of excellence in the design and delivery of practice-based media education and training - building on strong partnerships that UCF already has with broadcasters, training organisations and media production companies.

www.skillset.org

Developing Multiplatform Ideas

Date: TBA

What is multiplatform? What makes a strong multiplatform project? How can you develop great cutting edge ideas, then frame and pitch them to get commissions?

Richard Williams (Director, Multiplatform Programmes at ITV) will equip you to face current industry challenges during a 2-day residential, followed by 7 weeks of part-time supported learning online.

This new course is aimed at experienced producers and creatives (television, film, music, commercials, publishing and other specialisms) who want to develop their understanding of multiplatform.

You should have at least two years' professional experience in media production. The course advances rapidly, so you will need to be up to speed with existing production methods. No existing knowledge of multiplatform production is required.

Visit the Developing Multiplatform Ideas course page for more information and how to apply

Storyboarding - From Idea to Animatic

Date: TBA

What makes an effective storyboard? How can you use storyboards to sequence and hone that great animation idea?

Developed in consultation with Aardman Animations and delivered by award-winning animator Derek Hayes, this course offers a 2-day residential, followed by 7 weeks of part-time supported learning online.

This new course is aimed at experienced visual artists and storytellers (e.g. animators, designers, illustrators, artists and filmmakers) who want to work as story artist and animation director within the film/visual effects, gaming, television, multimedia and corporate industries.

You should have at least two years' professional experience in media production. The course advances rapidly, so you will need to understand creative media production methods. No previous knowledge of storyboarding is required.

Visit the Storyboarding - From Idea to Animatic course page for more information and how to apply

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Falmouth's Master of Fine Arts (MFA) offers an innovative and flexible programme of study for art and design professionals from a wide range of backgrounds, as well as those whose strengths lie within social science and theoretical areas. The MFA encourages engagement with a variety of fields including arts education, cultural policy, gallery and curatorial studies and business and enterprise.

Benefitting from UCF's broad range of facilities, the MFA provides a unique opportunity for collaboration with other disciplines. It emphasises self-directed study supported by supervised studio practice, workshops, seminars and critiques, plus online delivery.

CPD course features

Utilising our expertise in Media & Performance, Art & Design, our courses will:

• Be developed together with industry partners to reflect commercial need
• Explore creative, practical and critical skills relevant to your work
• Be broad in scope - from basic online writing to sophisticated production techniques
• Recognise that creative thinking and practices are relevant to professionals working in all sectors
• Help you to embed new techniques and new ways of thinking into your day-to -day work.

Answers and advice about the course

Our CPD courses are currently in development and more information including entry requirements and how to apply will be published shortly.