https://www.ucas.com/
University of Salford
My first course I have chosen to research into is a games design course within the university of Salford. The course is labelled as an FdA course which stands for foundation degree.
On the Ucas page it explains that if I study this course then I will explore the necessary professional skills to pursue a career in the games design industry. The duration of the course lasts for up to 2 years and I will be studying full-time. The qualification is aimed at people who wish to pursue a career of freelance work or employment in the games design industry. Upon completion of the two years and foundation degree students can apply for direct entry into year 3 and study for a BA degree qualification into a games design or related (such as computing) degree. BA stands for Bachelor degree and can also be described as an honours degree. If I was to be working part time then I would be entered into a level 6 degree.
The page also gives information such as contact to the administrations office detail (telephone, fax, email and website.) It also gives small details such as what equipment you should need and who should supply it, for this course it asks you to provide your own drawing equipment and (if you wish) you could purchase a PC or MAC.
It describes the modular structure for each year giving a small title of what you would learn in each year for the FdA degree. The description for the entry requirements show that you do not need any specific qualifications however, you will be assessed by an interview. To find out about the fees and finances included with the university then you will to contact the university directly. The college also gives details of what is to be expected from the university in general such as information about tutors and how it will help to improve things such as the students CV and their life once the course is complete.
In my opinion this page offers a good amount of information needed to apply for the course but could offer more to help the researcher get a generelisation of how it will go. The page keeps each explanation short and not overwhelming making it easy for the researcher to comprehend and structures the text quite well such as how it explain each year and the modular included. However, it is heavily based on contacting the university and going to find out for yourself if you will gain access to the course due to there being no guidelines of what you needed to get in highschool or college, it also leaves out the fees and finance which will have to be found out by doing more research. To me this seems like a good course to study if you want to gain a career into the games design industry but could include a little more information on the UCAS page to help me get all the details I need to apply for the course.
Bournemouth university
This course concentrates on games computing and is a BSc qualification course within the Bournemouth university.
On the UCAS page it states that on this course you will develop practical skills to do with game engines and will study and understand the commercial industry environment. It tells you the knowledge you will need to get onto the course including mathematic, physic based, some knowledge into artificial intelligence and examples of techniques such as optimising code. It goes into even more detail explaining about how you will study a common first year so that in your second year you can choose a path in which you would most likely enjoy and suit.
The page also explains who the course would appeal to, an example is that it states you will need to have some knowledge of creative technologies and be interested highly in games technology and programming. It also gives the modular structure of what you will learn.The page explains in small detail that you will gain skills and experience to do with industry software such as the Epic Games Unreal Engine.
It also gives examples of what people have gone onto do after the course and who they have gone to work for including a quote from a student who used to study at Bournemouth university. You can also find contact information on the page such as telephone number, email address and the website address. It also tells you what the entry requirements are, for this university it tells you a range of information from what GCSE results you will have needed to get to A levels and BTECs and even more. It also tells you what fees and finance you will have to pay depending on which part of the UK you are from. The course will last for up to 4 years and will have be full time along with a placement.
In my opinion this page offers a substantial amount of information but could include more, it helps the researcher find the information they need for the course easily and includes reasons as to why you would study the course giving people the information that they need as to what the course offers. It doesn't overwhelm the researcher. However, there is a lot of information that it is lacking such as the explanation of what skills and experience you will gain and only gives you the basics of what the course offers while giving a bad structure. This seems like a good course to study but there are probably more courses of the same nature that offer the extra amount of information needed by the researcher to apply for the course.
University centre St Helenshttp://search.ucas.com/course/summary/413071/game-art?Vac=1&AvailableIn=2016&Query=games%20art&ret=providers
The third course I have chosen is Games art at the university centre St Helens.
This page gives a high amount of detail into the courses generalisation, it explains how it aims to help people enter the creative games industry and other creative industries. It aims to teach students high levels of skill and knowledge in the use of tools, technologies and processes needed to create next gen games. It includes information on students being able to voice their opinion on the college or university they are studying with and also gives information on where it has been ranked within universities all over the nation.
It is a three year course giving you a BA qualification and is only has full time studying with no part time. It explains that over the three years the student will study four modules per year, they each have a credit rating and at the end of each year you can achieve 120 credits. To successful go from level 4 (first year) to level 5 you will need to achieve the full 120 credits and the same from level 5 to level 6. It also explain each module title and tells you how much that module is worth e.g. Modelling for game art (40 credits).
The course offers multiple amounts of equipment within the university for the student to use with dedicated computer suites and industry standard software to prepare the student for the industry itself. On the course the student will pick up core basic skills within the first year including 3D modelling, level creation, texture creation, academic skills and traditional and digital drawing skills. In the second year the student learns about advanced skills such as character modelling and level creation. For the third year the student will independently create a major project from preproduction all the way through to production. After the course the BA qualification will allow the student to enter the games industry and continue higher education to get a education at a masters degree.
The page also offer contact information such as telephone number, fax machine, email address and website, to get entry onto to the course the page offers information on what you have to get in your GCSE's, Btec course and A level courses. As for fees and finance you can check how much it will cost depending on where your from, in this case it only offers information for those from the UK.
In my opinion this page is structured very well and gives the researcher an easy and basic read whilst offering the information that is needed to research into it. There is no overwhelming sense to it and gets across to the student all the facts that are needed in a easily readable manner. An example of this is the modular structure, it explains each year and gives the information of what each year has to offer and how it will help get to the next year. It seems like a good course if you wish to study games art and I can see why people would be enthusiastic to sign up for it.
University of the arts London
http://search.ucas.com/course/summary/461937/acting?Vac=1&AvailableIn=2016&Query=Acting&ret=providers
The fourth course I have decided to research is an acting course at the university of the arts London
This page gives a little amount of detail on the course, on this page it explains that it is a three year course which will be studied full time with no part time. The qualification is a BA (Hons) qualification and it states that the student will be prepared for direct entry to the profession while laying the foundations for a lifelong career of acting.
They also offer a mentoring scheme to help find the students "professional feet." They also allow for open showcases that students will perform in during the later years of the course allowing some students in training a secured professional engagement. They also have strong contacts with practitioners, strong professors or directors who visit the university at times.
It gives two contact details including an email address and website. It also explains what you will need to get onto the course including GCSE, Btec and A levels. Although they will make the decisions themselves based on what qualifications you have achieved during your A-level and btec courses. It also explain the fees and finances you will pay depending on where you come from in the UK, in Europe and in the rest of the world. It also includes information on how you will be assessed to get into the college including three different assessment stages.
In my opinion there is not enough information on the UCAS page to generate a thought of applying, however, it does not leave out key information that can be used for reference if you want to apply to the college. The rest of the information you will need will have to be done using another method such as checking their website or using the contact details found on the UCAS page. In terms of the course it seems like a good course to apply for if you are looking for an acting career for later life although there could be another college on the UCAS page which offers a little more depth to an acting course.
Aberystwyth University
http://search.ucas.com/course/summary/436407/film-television-studies?Vac=1&AvailableIn=2016&Query=media&ret=providers
For my fifth course I have chosen to research a film and television course at Aberystwyth university.
This page gives a high amount of detail on the course, it explains that it is a three year course that you study full time with no part time. By the end of the course you will receive a BA qualification. It also explains how it is partnered by Skillset Media Academy Wales and how this offers a high standard of education that is endorsed by the industry. It has a high amount of staff with a large reputation benefitting the education of the students and their experience while attending the course. It states what equipment the course has to offer, how you can develop your creativity and the professional partnerships they have with companies like BBC Wales. It also supplies statistics such as it coming in 6th within the UK for power research. It goes into more detail explaining that it is a rigorous and challenging discipline course using both practical and theoretical learning and techniques.
The modular structure is described without telling you what each year will contain, instead it generalises what you will learn over the three years. These three years includes working on team based projects, individual film and video projects, essays, examinations and more. You will also be allowed to create projects such as storyboards and present them to potential employers. The skills gained from this course are a high amount and include effective problem solving, analytic and creative thinking skills, independent working, self motivation and more. Once the course is complete and you gain your degree you can apply for a variety of jobs in the in the media industry including examples such as camera operator, sound technician, producer and director and more, it can also help in areas such as education, even organisation, public relations and more.
The venue detail offers a wider amount of information including information about accommodation, student life, societies and disability access. There is no contact information on the page however, there is a link that takes you to the Aberystwyth website for more information. To get entry onto the course it gives information about what you need in your GCSE's, Btec, A levels and more courses. As for fees and finance it explains how much you will pay if you live in the UK or the rest of the world.
In my opinion the UCAS page supplies the researcher with too much information, where this is not necessarily a bad thing it can overwhelm the reader and in a lot of areas gives more information about the university as a whole and it's partners rather than concentrating on supplying information about what you will be studying. The fact that there is no contact information on the page as well makes it harder to contact them straight away meaning that there has to be more research and can off put a student looking for a place at the university. However, the information it does supply helps the student get a generalisation of the college as a whole and can help make them feel welcome, it also goes to exceed the information that it can give by offering facts about disability access and things like that helping to include the minority. This seems like a good course for people who want to gain a career in the media industry, however, it seems like a course that more able students could do and seems to put off students who would be lesser sophisticated to handle the course.
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