Television BA(Hons)

By studying documentary, you’ll find out more about yourself, your creative voice, how to research characters, and the building blocks of story. You’ll also take on a professional crew role in a studio environment as you learn about drama. Through these disciplines, and in particular though screenwriting, you’ll keep the idea of story at the centre of everything you do. Your evolving craft skills will improve the production values of your projects and develop a highly valuable and employable skillset. 

Modules

Origin

Discover the heart of the story with a short-form documentary piece. 

Bootcamp

Learn the creative and technical aspects of craft skills within cinematography, sound and post-production. 

Backdrop

Grasp the essential principles and foundations behind television. 

Telling Tales

Place story at the centre of the creative process and write a short original script. 

First Positions

Work within a full-scale professional crew following industry protocols to bring a short drama script to life. 

Modules

Impact

Develop the techniques of creative non-fiction to create impactful documentary projects

Artistry

Respond to a brief to create innovative content that will go beyond the conventional.

Makers or Writers (choose one)

Create original drama content either as a ‘maker’ (eg. producer, director, cinematographer, sound, editor etc) or as a screenwriter developing your independent and unique voice.

Inception

Develop essential research and critical thinking skills and start to apply these to your own unique research interests.

Blue Skies

Understand the marketplace for both you as a working professional and for your projects; seek funding, find an audience, and achieve greater acclaim.

Agency or Room (choose one)

Work with an external client to create distinctive content for a professional brief or explore an industry-style writers’ room to create and collaborate on a terrestrial or streaming television series.

You can choose to take an optional placement year after your second year on a three-year programme, or after your third year if you’re studying for a degree with an Integrated Foundation Year. 

You’ll be responsible for finding your own placement, with support from the RealWORKS employability team. 

Choosing this option will enhance your industry experience and skills while studying. 

How you’ll study during your placement year 

You’ll spend time working in a professional context, as part of a business or organisation. This can be in one role, or up to three, and must be for a minimum of 24 weeks. 

You’ll develop in-demand workplace skills, deepen your insight into industry and grow your network of contacts, all of which could help you get ahead in your career after graduation. 

Throughout this year, you’ll develop a portfolio of work that includes critical self-reflection on what has been learned from the experience. You’ll be required to evidence your experiences, the skills you’ve learned and your professional growth.

Modules

Realisation

Realise your unique research topic in a choice of outputs.

Dare

Take risks without fear of failure; your ambition will be rewarded.

Showcase

The grande finale; your graduation project/s will combine all aspects of the course to date and will see you graduate with a portfolio suitable for entry into industry, post-grad study or a myriad of other industries to suit who you’ve become through your three years with us.

Why study an Integrated Foundation Year route? 

If you’re taking on a new subject that you haven’t studied in depth before, have been out of education for a while or have a non-standard educational background then an Integrated Foundation Year degree may be the right choice for you. It is a four-year degree with an Integrated Foundation Year to start, which allows you to explore the primary elements of your subject before progressing on to the remaining three years of the BA(Hons) degree. 

What you'll study in your Foundation year

If you choose this pathway, you'll study five core modules in your Foundation year. These are all designed to help you explore the foundational elements of your subject. You'll gain relevant technical skills, learn to experiment and take risks, develop an understanding of professional practice, have opportunities to work across disciplines and collaborate with other students on live project briefs. 

Modules

Explore

You'll begin your foundation year by working collaboratively with others to explore themes of the future. You'll take risks, experiment through play and be supported to break through barriers.

Technique

You'll take subject-specific workshops and develop essential technical and practical skills in your area of study. You'll also enhance your analytical and organisational abilities.

Apply

You'll work with your peer group to think beyond discipline by addressing a societal or global issue. You'll then showcase your work to your peers and deliver and accompanying evaluation of your process.

Industry

You'll enhance your creative and practical skills in your subject specialism by responding to typical industry briefs, underpinned by focused research and experiments. You'll also gain industry insights through guest lectures and workshops.

Launch

You'll develop your unique identity in your specialism through the production of a self-initiated body of work. Your final project will be the bridge to your next year, fully supported by evaluative reviews and critical analysis of the work you have created.

After the Foundation year, you progress into Year One of the full three-year degree, equipped with a deeper knowledge of your subject, a clear understanding of your strengths, and develop a practical and technical skillset and the confidence to excel in your chosen subject. 

If you apply for and enrol onto a degree with an Integrated Foundation Year, you’ll have the option to switch onto a five-year version including a placement year. That means you’ll complete the first three years of your course before completing a placement in industry in your fourth year and returning to Falmouth for the fifth year of your programme. 

The Integrated Foundation Year pathway for this course is new for entry year 2023 and subject to validation.