Welcome 2019 Postgraduate Students

Acting - PGDip / MA

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September 2019

Wednesday 4 September 2019

10.00am

Millennium Point School of Acting reception.

MA: Lise Olson
lise.olson@bcu.ac.uk

Welcome!

I am so happy that you are coming to Birmingham to study with us here at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

Just a little heads up:

Induction week (well, half week) starts on 4 September at 10 AM when we all meet each other.  On Wednesday, you will also have a tour of facilities, meet Stephen Simms, Vice Principal and Head of Acting and Alex Taylor, Head of Postgraduate Studies .You will have time in the afternoon to work with Iain Jackson, accompanist, if you want to go over any of your songs for the Diagnostics, which will be held on Thursday morning. There will also be a studio set aside for you to use if you want to rehearse at all Wed afternoon.

The Diagnostics are a rite of passage here. We all get together in a studio on Thursday morning, with invited staff, and you perform an audition piece ( you get to choose either your Classical or Contemporary) and one verse and a chorus of your song to everyone. As many of the teaching staff was not present at your audition, it’s a good way to introduce yourself (and to introduce yourself to your colleagues as well!). No one is judging you—it’s to give the teaching team of an idea of where you are starting the course as a group, as most lessons are taught as an ensemble. Just remember to keep your selections to UNDER 2 minutes each—there were several MA’s who went over the time limit in the auditions, so please make sure you are within the time limit—(it would be really embarrassing if I had to stop you during Diagnostics). It’s not necessary that you do the same pieces you did at the audition, however, I would urge you to be sure that you have rehearsed your diagnostic selections well; this is your introduction to the school.

Friday morning are your IT and Library induction.

Thursday afternoon and Friday afternoon are dedicated to MA FEST where you will see the CURRENT batch of MA’s present their solo shows, which are part of the Research Project module ( this year it’s called the MAJOR PROJECT) On Friday when it’s all over, you are invited to join the current MA’s to celebrate the end of their course in the pub (and maybe get some handy tips from them that will prove useful!)

Right now, please sign up for the RBC MA PROFESSIONAL 2019 group on Facebook—it’s a closed group but will turn into secret once we’ve all joined. It provides a safe space for us to chat with each other and provide information. You may need to ‘friend me’ to be allowed into the group. I am Lise Olson-Director on FB.

I have been fielding some emails about housing—if you join the group, soon you can chat with each other about it!

You will be receiving a welcome pack at some time as well that will contain your ‘kit list’, but for the start of classes ( on the 9^th) please be prepared to wear blacks, with no makeup  and hair tied back. All RBC acting students wear all black for classes—clothes that you can move in well. If you don’t own anything black, Primark or other discount retailers should be able to kit you out relatively cheaply.

If you need to email me directly about anything (other than money-- I don’t deal with finance—just the artistic side of the course) you can reach me through the Facebook group or at lise.olson@bcu.ac.uk

Looking forward to spending the year with each and every one of you,

Lise

Lise Olson

Course Director, MA Acting

Essential male and female clothing:

Minimum of 3 sets of black clothing: 

• Long & short sleeved black tops that are suitable for movement (t-shirts or jumpers)
• Black tracksuit trousers
• Close fitting lycra /sports-wear or leotards, footless tights or leggings
• Pair of trainers (to be worn in stage combat/body conditioning classes)
• Toiletries and towel for showering

Optional male & female: 

• Large sports bag

Additional essential female clothing:

• Practice skirt (Full-length circular wrap-over skirt to floor level (to be made from any dark rich, plain coloured material, preferably heavy wool or similar - please see pattern on next page).
• White long sleeved blouse/shirt
• Pair of black shoes with leather ankle bar

Optional female clothing:

Corset

It would be desirable for girls to have a black dress for movement classes, either sleeved or sleeveless; with easy flowing skirt to mid-thigh (for presentations).

Additional essential male clothing:

• White long sleeve shirt
• Formal, waisted, black trousers (NOT hipsters)
• Pair of formal gentleman’s black shoes (hard soled NOT rubber )
• Compulsory: Dance belt or jock strap - must be worn in all movement sessions.
• Male clothing – Optional
• Waistcoat - desirable but not essential
• Formal jacket preferably black but grey/blue is fine. 

TBC

Hi, my name is Imnah Williams. I studied English Language and Literature. 

The role of the Student Success Advisors is primarily to ensure that BCU students have the best possible experience during their time at the University. Student Success Advisors offer a range of support from; advice on your next steps once you finish your course, financial concerns, academic support and mental health and wellbeing support. You can book one to one appointments or come to one of our regular drop-in sessions. We also organise various events throughout the year, which encourage students to socialise and meet students from different courses across the University. 

The highlight of my first year was probably writing and performing in a short play for one of the drama modules on my course. It really opened my eyes to the world of script-writing, which has since become a major passion of mine and something I am now pursuing professionally.

Professional Voice Practice - PgDip, MA, MFA

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September 2019

Monday 23 September 2019

10.00am

Millennium Point School of Acting reception.

Alex Taylor
alex.taylor@bcu.ac.uk

Welcome to the MA or MFA Professional Voice Practice course. I look forward to meeting with all of you and working with you throughout the next one or two years. Your induction is packed with information and activities designed to introduce you to your course and to prepare the way for studies at Masters level.

There is no essential equipment for you to acquire. As we are an Acting school you will find yourself surrounded by Acting students when you arrive and they will frequently be wearing all black outfits, which is a requirement of their study. We don’t ask you to acquire black clothing, but you will need to wear clothes that you are comfortable in and can move freely in for classes, and you will need a pair of flat work shoes that have not been worn outside or be happy to work in bare feet. You may spend quite a lot of time undertaking floor work, so you need to be happy and comfortable, and suitably dressed for, lying on the floor, and you also have some Movement classes and will need to be suitably dressed, in loose, comfortable clothing, for these. 

There is a lengthy reading list for every module. Don’t worry – most of these books are recommended and not required reading, and you do not need to buy any of the recommended books as they are all available in the university library. However, you may wish to acquire some of the standard texts for yourself as library stock is not always readily available. 

Bear in mind that you undertake a Placement in the final term of the year (or the first year if you are opting for the MFA). You need to ensure that you have funds (travelling expenses, mainly, but there may be associated accommodation costs, too) to facilitate your Placement, and you need to budget for this from the outset. There may also be theatre visits of one kind or another during the course for which you may also need some additional funding.

We are currently working on the finalised timetable but your Induction week commences on Monday 23^rd September and you should ensure that you are available throughout this week. You will not be required to be in attendance every day – attendance will be on selected days – but the sessions in this week will help you to prepare for your studies in a number of ways.

Give some thought to what it might mean to be an MFA student: there’s a good deal of independent study at Masters level and much of your learning will be experiential. 

In your Induction week there will be what is called a Diagnostic – an opportunity to show your work to your tutors as well as to your fellow cohort members, run very much like an audition. You should see this as a celebration of your work: you’re definitely NOT auditioning as we’ve already seen your work and we’ve offered you a place on the programme. We will need you to present either a classical or contemporary monologue (the choice is yours) and a song, so think about the material you would like to share that celebrates your talent and select the sheet music for your song. We’ll provide a pianist and a small amount of rehearsal time in your first week. 

If you have time, it might be useful to read an Ibsen and a Chekhov play, as you will work on one of these playwrights this year, and also read at least one Shakespeare comedy and one tragedy.

Once you are here we will ask you to create an MFA Facebook page to enable communication within the group for students and tutors and to facilitate general announcements to the group.

Hi, my name is Imnah Williams. I studied English Language and Literature. 

The role of the Student Success Advisors is primarily to ensure that BCU students have the best possible experience during their time at the University. Student Success Advisors offer a range of support from; advice on your next steps once you finish your course, financial concerns, academic support and mental health and wellbeing support. You can book one to one appointments or come to one of our regular drop-in sessions. We also organise various events throughout the year, which encourage students to socialise and meet students from different courses across the University. 

The highlight of my first year was probably writing and performing in a short play for one of the drama modules on my course. It really opened my eyes to the world of script-writing, which has since become a major passion of mine and something I am now pursuing professionally.

There are university wide international events that are scheduled the week after your course begins so, unfortunately, it will be difficult for you to participate in them. However, where it is possible, we would encourage you to take part. 

Please liaise with the International Office and with the School of Acting admin and admissions team so that you can find out anything that you need to know as you arrive and settle in.

Acting - MFA

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September 2019

Wednesday 4 September 2019

10.00am

Millennium Point School of Acting reception.

MFA: Alex Taylor
alex.taylor@bcu.ac.uk

Welcome to the Acting MA/MFA! We look forward to meeting with all of you and working with you throughout the year. This three day induction is jam packed with information and activities, the culmination is attending MA FEST on Thursday and Friday afternoons and seeing solo shows from last years’ cohort of MA actors.

Essential male and female clothing:

Minimum of 3 sets of black clothing: 

• Long & short sleeved black tops that are suitable for movement (t-shirts or jumpers)
• Black tracksuit trousers
• Close fitting lycra /sports-wear or leotards, footless tights or leggings
• Pair of trainers (to be worn in stage combat/body conditioning classes)
• Toiletries and towel for showering

Optional male & female: 

• Large sports bag

Additional essential female clothing:

• Practice skirt (Full-length circular wrap-over skirt to floor level (to be made from any dark rich, plain coloured material, preferably heavy wool or similar - please see pattern on next page).
• White long sleeved blouse/shirt
• Pair of black shoes with leather ankle bar

Optional female clothing:

Corset

It would be desirable for girls to have a black dress for movement classes, either sleeved or sleeveless; with easy flowing skirt to mid-thigh (for presentations).

Additional essential male clothing:

• White long sleeve shirt
• Formal, waisted, black trousers (NOT hipsters)
• Pair of formal gentleman’s black shoes (hard soled NOT rubber )
• Compulsory: Dance belt or jock strap - must be worn in all movement sessions.
• Male clothing – Optional
• Waistcoat - desirable but not essential
• Formal jacket preferably black but grey/blue is fine. 

TBC

Give some thought to what it might mean to be an MFA student: there’s a good deal of independent study at Masters level and much of your learning will be experiential. 

In your Induction week there will be what is called a Diagnostic – an opportunity to show your work to your tutors as well as to your fellow cohort members, run very much like an audition. You should see this as a celebration of your work: you’re definitely NOT auditioning as we’ve already seen your work and we’ve offered you a place on the programme. We will need you to present either a classical or contemporary monologue (the choice is yours) and a song, so think about the material you would like to share that celebrates your talent and select the sheet music for your song. We’ll provide a pianist and a small amount of rehearsal time in your first week. 

If you have time, it might be useful to read an Ibsen and a Chekhov play, as you will work on one of these playwrights this year, and also read at least one Shakespeare comedy and one tragedy.

Hi, my name is Imnah Williams. I studied English Language and Literature. 

The role of the Student Success Advisors is primarily to ensure that BCU students have the best possible experience during their time at the University. Student Success Advisors offer a range of support from; advice on your next steps once you finish your course, financial concerns, academic support and mental health and wellbeing support. You can book one to one appointments or come to one of our regular drop-in sessions. We also organise various events throughout the year, which encourage students to socialise and meet students from different courses across the University. 

The highlight of my first year was probably writing and performing in a short play for one of the drama modules on my course. It really opened my eyes to the world of script-writing, which has since become a major passion of mine and something I am now pursuing professionally.

Design and Visualisation - MA

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Monday 16 September 2019

10.00am

Room P352, Floor 3, Parkside Building.

Dr Panch Suntharalingam 

panch.suntharalingam@bcu.ac.uk

I hope you are excited to join us for induction week! We have lots of fun and engaging activities planned to help you find your way around the school and campus and also to enable you to meet your peers and tutors. 

Your course director for MA Design and Visualisation is Dr Panch Suntharalingam. He teaches Interior Design, Design and Visualisation, Engineering Product Design, Industrial Design, Software Programming, Enterprise Development, Medical Product Design, Interior Products, Research, Rapid Prototyping, Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) programmes. 

Dr Suntharalingam is a trained design engineer and computer scientist and has published many research papers, well known television opening title sequences featured on BBC and ITV networks including 'Top Gear'.

We do not want you to be loaded up on your first day with all your equipment. Please see below for what to bring on day one:

• Pens
• Pencils
• Notepad
• Student ID card

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Please refine your 3D software skills prior to joining the course.

Facebook: MADV 2019-20

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2339178576329393/

WeChat: MADV 2019-20

As well as having access to well-equipped specialist studios, learning centres and workshops, we also offer support for your student experience. Please see link below.

https://www.bcu.ac.uk/architecture-and-design/the-student-experience/level-up/team

Interior Architecture and Design - MA

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Monday 16 September

10.00am

Room P348, Floor 3 (the bridge link with Millennium Point), Parkside Building.

Delia Skinner

Course Director – MA Interior Architecture and Design

delia.skinner@bcu.ac.uk

I hope you are excited to join us on the MA Interior Architecture and Design. 

FOR YOUR CALENDAR - The first day of your course is Monday 16.09.19 at 10.00 – Parkside room P348 (the studio on the third level bridge). 

During this first week - we have lots of engaging activities planned to help you find your way around the school and campus and also to enable you to meet your peers, the alumni and your tutors.

We do not want you to be loaded up on your first day with all your equipment. Please see below about what we recommend that you bring on day one:

• Pens
• Pencils
• Note pad
• Student ID
• Student card
• Laptop
• Usb/hard drive

Software typically used by students on this course includes:

• Autodesk AutoCAD: 2D technical drawing (Windows and Mac)
• Autodesk Revit: Parametric modelling / Building Information Modelling (BIM)(Windows Only)
• Rhinoceros: Organic NURBS Modelling (Windows version recommended)
• Vectorworks: Building shell modelling. (Windows and Mac)
• Sketchup: Massing / concept development (Windows and Mac)
• Enscape: plugin for rendering / animation / visualization. (Windows Only)
• Keyshot: Renderer (Windows and Mac)
• Vray: plugin for advanced rendering. (Windows Only)
• Adobe Photoshop: compositing, photo editing, collage. (Windows and Mac)
• Adobe Illustrator: Diagramming, graphic design. (Windows and Mac)
• Adobe Indesign: Layouts, Portfolio, Pinups. (Windows and Mac)
• Adobe Premier Pro: Video editing / compilation. (Windows and Mac)
• Meshmixer / Netfabb: 3D printing. (Windows Only)
• Microsoft Office 365: (Windows and Mac)

Minimum Specifications: (These are the minimum required to be able to run the software, based on the software’s minimum hardware requirements.)

 Processor: Intel i5

RAM / Memory: 8GB

Storage: 256GB HDD

Graphics: Onboard graphics (this will not support realtime visualization applications but will support all other software) 

Recommended Specifications: (These are what we would recommend to ensure you get the most from your laptop.

Processor: Intel i7

RAM / Memory: 16GB

Storage 512GB SSD

Graphics: Nvidia GTX 1050 (or equivalent 2GB dedicated graphics card) 

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We would like you to do some pre-reading before you arrive.

Please read the book: 

Ching, F.D., 2014. Architecture: Form, space, and order. John Wiley & Sons.

A superb visual reference to the principles of architecture Now including interactive CD-ROM! For more than thirty years, the beautifully illustrated Architecture: Form, Space, and Order has been the classic introduction to the basic vocabulary of architectural design. The updated Third Edition features expanded sections on circulation, light, views, and site context, along with new considerations of environmental factors, building codes, and contemporary examples of form, space, and order. This classic visual reference helps both students and practicing architects understand the basic vocabulary of architectural design by examining how form and space are ordered in the built environment.? Using his trademark meticulous drawing, Professor Ching shows the relationship between fundamental elements of architecture through the ages and across cultural boundaries. 

FOR YOUR CALENDAR - The first day of your course:

Monday 16.09.19 at 10.00 – Parkside room P348 (the studio on the third level bridge).  If you are unable to attend on this first day…***You MUST discuss with the Course Director (delia.skinner@bcu.ac.uk) and the International Office. 

**There will be a welcome week for International students the week before.   Click here to contact the International Office and visa compliance team.

Product and Furniture Design - MA

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September 2019

Tuesday 17 September

10.00am

Room P3.48, Floor 3, Parkside Building, City Centre Campus.

Nuno Lourinho
Nuno.Lourinho@bcu.ac.uk

I hope you are excited to join us for induction week! We have lots of fun and engaging activities planned to help you find your way around the school and campus and also to enable you to meet your peers and tutors.

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Conservation of the Historic Environment - MA / PGCert / PGDip

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October 2019

Year 1: October 3rd 2019

9.30am

Room P352, Floor 3, Parkside Building.

Katriona Byrne
Katriona.Byrne@bcu.ac.uk

Year 1: Induction Day is essential for all Conservation students as we introduce the course, the tutors, the campus, our private library and IT. We also discuss your assignments for the year. We find out about you and any internship/job needs you have. You meet your fellow students and start to build the support system that will contribute greatly to your learning and enjoyment over your time at BCU.

Pen and paper for taking notes

Laptop/home computer.

Sturdy/steel-toe-capped shoes for site visits.

Warm clothing for site visits.

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Landscape Architecture - MA

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September 2019

25 September 2019

11.00am

Room P424, Floor 4, Parkside Building.

Sandra Costa
Sandra.Costa@bcu.ac.uk

We would like to welcome you joining one of the most successful and vibrant Schools in Europe for learning Landscape Architecture. We strive to create a stimulating environment for you to explore your creative, artistic, technical and intellectual abilities through a range of design projects that explore contemporary issues related to our landscapes and the built environment. We hope you are feeling enthusiastic about embarking on this journey with us that is our distinctive and highly-regarded MA in Landscape Architecture. For those who are already part of our exceptionally talented students we are excited to welcome you back for another year. 

We wish you every success in the year ahead!

• Pen(s)
• Drawing pencils
• Colours
• Notebook
• Student card
• Digital equipment - we will brief you further on which digital equipment is required or recommended to run the key software we teach in our course.

You will start the day with introductions from the academic staff and the cohort and we will take you through the structure of the course and timetable. In the first day you will have introductory sessions for IT, Learning Services and the Workshops. During the first few weeks with us you need to get familiar with BCU systems and do all the required workshop inductions.

Download the timetable

Landscape Architecture (Conversion) - MA

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September 2019

23 September 2019

11.00am

Room P134, Floor 1, Parkside Building.

Sandra Costa
Sandra.Costa@bcu.ac.uk

We would like to welcome you joining one of the most successful and vibrant Schools in Europe for learning Landscape Architecture. We strive to create a stimulating environment for you to explore your creative, artistic, technical and intellectual abilities through a range of design projects that explore contemporary issues related to our landscapes and the built environment. We hope you are feeling enthusiastic about embarking on this journey with us that is our distinctive and highly-regarded MA in Landscape Architecture. 

We wish you every success in the year ahead!

• Pen(s)

• Drawing pencils

• Colours

• Notebook

• Student card

• Pre-arrival task work

• Digital equipment - we will brief you further on which digital equipment is required or recommended to run the key software we teach in our course.

You will start the day with introductions from the academic staff and the cohort and we will take you through the structure of the course and timetable. In the first day you will have introductory sessions for IT, Learning Services and the Workshops. During the first few weeks with us you need to get familiar with BCU systems and do all the required workshop inductions.

Download the timetable

There is a short task that you need to do before you come on 24 September. 

With reference to your experiences, produce a visual representation of a ‘Memorable Landscape’.  This can be any place that you have experienced or dreamed of.  This can be anywhere and anytime e.g. on holiday, work, commuting, or hobbies, etc. 

This involves you producing a visual communication piece. As a guide I suggest that you spend no more than 15 minutes on this and it is understandable that producing a drawing may be quite daunting, but please do not be anxious about the task. 

The medium – It can be represented by any media that you wish, but not a photograph. The format size is A3. 

You will present this visual representation to the rest of the student cohort on the 23^rd of September.

Design Management - MA

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September 2019

Induction Week runs 16-20 September 2019.

New full-time and part-time students to attend Monday 16 and Wednesday 18 September.

New work-based learning students can attend Monday 16 but need only attend Wednesday 18. (Make sure you let the Course Leader know if you are only attending on Wednesday so that we can email you preparatory information.)

See the Induction Week Schedule below.

Monday 16 September at 11.00am.

Room P440, Floor 4, Parkside Building, City Centre Campus. For map and directions see https://www.bcu.ac.uk/about-us/maps-and-campuses/city-centre-campus/map-and-directions 

Caroline Norman
caroline.norman@bcu.ac.uk

Welcome to the Master’s in Design Management! 

By joining this innovative and well-established course you have made a significant personal investment and will be working with a great team of professionals.  We are looking forward to meeting you in September and have put together a lot of information about the course and how to prepare for your studies at http://xoodle.bcu.ac.uk (click on School of Architecture & Design, scroll down to ‘Welcome to Design Management’ and log in as a guest).

To participate fully in the course you need access to a lap-top, either PC or Mac.

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Follow us at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/3249203/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ManagingDesign/

This link takes you to 'Prepare for Success', an excellent web site which is designed for students before they come to the UK but it is equally useful for students who are already studying here https://www.prepareforsuccess.org.uk

Work-based learning students study alongside the full-time and part-time students. Attendance is negotiated with the Course Director so please contact caroline.norman@bcu.ac.uk to discuss.

Part-time students study alongside the full-time and work-based learning students.

The course is based on students attending in person, learning and teaching is supported by the opportunity to attend some classes online. Course materials and reading are provided online via the BCU virtual learning environment ‘Moodle’. 

We also use Adobe Connect and Google Hangouts, check out ‘Welcome to Design Management’ to find out how to access these.

Architecture - MArch

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September 2019

Monday 16 September 2019

10:00 – 17:00

The Parkside Building, City Centre Campus

Michael Dring
Michael.Dring@bcu.ac.uk

Dear student of MArch,

We look forward to welcoming you to the unique environment of Birmingham School of Architecture and Design as you embark on the final stages of your architectural education. This is an exciting time for the city and the School, with changes in the urban landscape through major investment projects like HS2 on our doorstep. The School goes from strength to strength supported by our expert team of tutors and visiting specialists, many from renowned practice.

We hope you enjoy your welcome week here, if you have any questions please feel free to ask myself or colleagues who will be able to point you in the right direction.

Michael Dring

Our courses include activities such as performance, exhibitions, field trips and production of works or artefacts which may require you to purchase specific equipment, instruments, books, materials, hire of venues and accommodation, or other items. Many of these activities are essential and compulsory parts of the learning experience.

The list below gives an estimate of the possible costs associated with key activities on the course. Please bear in mind that these are only estimates of costs based on past student experience and feedback. The actual costs could vary considerably (either greater or lower than these estimates) depending on the student choices as they progress through the course.

Materials for technical modules

For presentation models, most students spend between £50-200 on materials for technical models across each year, depending on the year of study:

Optional: You may need additional materials depending on the requirements for your individual final project such as cardboard, foamboard, and plastic. A budget of about £50 is typical. You may also want to budget about £100 for 3D printing. Please note though that laser cutting is currently free at BCU.

Books
Books are a necessary part of your studies. We do offer an extensive reading list, the vast majority of which is available for free from our university library and digital library. You may want to purchase some of your own books, especially as you develop your own approach. A budget of between £100 and £150 for books should be sufficient.

Laptops and software

Where possible and appropriate to the learning process we limit the requirements print work during the design development process.

Having your own laptop is highly desirable. However, it is not essential for you to purchase your own laptop (PC or Mac), as you can also hire a laptop from the university or use one of our shared computer rooms. Laptops may be hired out for free for up to six hours and may be found at the following buildings: Curzon, Millennium Point, Parkside, School of Jewellery and School of Art. Most students prefer to have their own laptops, so we suggest you budget around £300 to £1200 for this dependent on your preferences and budget.

You will be provided with a student subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud for these applications, along with Google Earth (free), SketchUp (discounted for students) and AutoCAD for students (free for students). The above are also available on campus in computer suites.

You’ll get free Vectorworks software and Microsoft Office 365 and 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage space is provided free to all students. 

Apple also offer a discount on laptops for UK students: go to Apple for Education for more details.

Printing

Throughout the course, you will spend on average £500 on plotting and printing costs when it is necessary to pin up hard copies of your work for presentation purposes.

Our industry-standard, on-campus print shop and Digital Print Services can produce large, high-quality prints for your projects and assignments on an at-cost basis.

The budget for printing over the duration of the course has been included within the figure outlined above.

For everyday printing, such as notes and reading, most students spend about £100 during the course. However, some students may spend more dependent on their assignments or projects.

Optional – Field trips 

You will get the chance to participate in self-organised field trips. To cover flights, travel, accommodation we recommend an average budget of £600 over the three years of study.

We also run the optional New York study trip which usually costs around £750 (with subsidy applied) for flights and accommodation for 5 nights. You would need to budget for expenses during the trip.

Optional – Subscriptions

You may benefit from subscribing to: Architectural Review or Architects Journal  with a budget of between £30-50 per year.

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We’ll be running a week long project to help familiarise you with the city, the university, the course and one another – we’ll introduce it on the first day but please bring along a sketch book and drawing implements, as well as a camera (an SLR/DSLR is not necessary, but ideally something better than a phone camera). There will be an event on Friday 20^th September 2019, from early afternoon into the evening.

Instagram:

@bcu_MArch – course site

@bcu_bsoad – school site

Part time tuition will take place on Tuesdays for 2019/2020 (new students), 09:00 – 18:00, with occasional additional and/or additional days with prior notification. Please make your employer aware of this requirement, as well as key deadlines so that they understand your commitment to learning.  

Architectural Practice (RIBA Part 3 Exemption) - PgDip

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September 2019

Thursday 12 September 2019

9.30am

Room C481, The Curzon Building.

Ian.Shepherd@bcu.ac.uk

Welcome to the Birmingham School of Architecture and Design and the Postgraduate Diploma in Architectural Practice (RIBA Part III). 

We are confident that the courses will give you a mature understanding of and interest in architectural practice that will inform your career in architecture and we hope that you will enjoy your time studying with us.

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We would like you to start to map your current experience against the Part 3 criteria using the template provided (or your own interpretation of it). This will get you to start to think about the experience you have had to so far and to identify any significant gaps to help inform your future learning needs. A final version of this mapping exercise will be a required part of the final submission.

http://xoodle.bcu.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=430#section-1

Contemporary Arts China - MA

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September 2019

Tuesday 17 September 2019

10.45am

Birmingham School of Art, Margaret Street.

Dr Nuria Querol

Programme Leader MA Contemporary Arts China

Dr Nuria Querol is Senior Lecturer in Art Theory and Programme Leader for the MA Contemporary Arts China. Before joining Birmingham City University, she lectured at various universities including the Slade School of Fine Art, Central Saint Martins and King’s College London. 

Nuria is an art historian and curator specialised in transcultural art and curating, global collaborations and contemporary art in China and India. She lived and worked in Beijing for three years where she was Visiting Research Fellow at the Central Academy of Fine Arts and Peking University, and conducted fieldwork on curating Chinese contemporary art.

Nuria is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and holds a PhD in Curating Contemporary Art from the Royal College of Art. She is currently completing a monograph on global art and transcultural curating for Liverpool University Press.

Nuria.Querol@bcu.ac.uk

Hi there, 

I hope you are excited to join us for induction week! We have lots of fun and engaging activities planned to help you find your way around the school and campus, and also to enable you to meet your peers and tutors.

Read about Welcome Week

We do not want you to be loaded up on your first day with all your equipment. Please see below for what to bring on day one:

• Pens
• Pencils
• Note pad
• Student ID
• Student card
• …your enthusiasm

If you are a practice-based student you will be given a full list of equipment you will need during one of induction sessions.

Download

Prior to Tuesday 17 September, please ensure that:

• You are enrolled on the course.
• You have set up you student email.
• You have collected your student card.
• You have selected your Optional Module.

We would like you to prepare a short presentation (3-5 minutes, with visuals such as a PPT) to introduce yourself, your background, practice and/or research interests as well as briefly say why you have chosen the MA Contemporary Arts China and what you are expecting to achieve during the course. Make sure you prepare and bring your presentation (using a USB stick) on Wednesday 18th September (please refer to the induction calendar). If you have any questions please contact the Programme Leader Dr Nuria Querol at: Nuria.Querol@bcu.ac.uk

Please check out the pages of the Centre for Chinese Visual Arts (CCVA).

Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/ccva_uk/

Twitter       https://twitter.com/CCVAnetwork

WeChat     ccvauk

Art and Design: Interdisciplinary Practices - MA

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September 2019

Tuesday 17 September 2019

10.45am

The Foyer at the School of Art, Margaret Street.

Cathy Wade

Cathy is an artist, writer and academic whose work is concerned with how art can be created and distributed in collaborative partnerships and through the creation of commons. Her work seeks to understand the experience of contemporary conditions through social practice and is realised as digital video, print, installation, public art, publication, text, drawing, performance and participatory works.

Nuria is an art historian and curator specialised in transcultural art and curating, global collaborations and contemporary art in China and India. She lived and worked in Beijing for three years where she was Visiting Research Fellow at the Central Academy of Fine Arts and Peking University, and conducted fieldwork on curating Chinese contemporary art.

Nuria is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and holds a PhD in Curating Contemporary Art from the Royal College of Art. She is currently completing a monograph on global art and transcultural curating for Liverpool University Press.

Hello Art and Design Students! 

I’m looking forward to meeting you and I hope you are excited to join us for induction week! There are a series of talks, inductions and activities programmed  

to help you find your way around the school and campus and also to enable you to meet your peers and tutors. If you have any queries, don’t hesitate in sending me an email.

We do not want you to be loaded up on your first day with all your equipment. Please see below for what to bring on day one: 

• Pens 
• Pencils 
• Note pad 
• Or laptop. 
• Student ID
• Student card 

Download

Arts and Education Practices - MA

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September 2019

Tuesday 17 September 2019

10.45am

The Foyer at the School of Art, Margaret Street.

Cathy Wade

Cathy is an artist, writer and academic whose work is concerned with how art can be created and distributed in collaborative partnerships and through the creation of commons. Her work seeks to understand the experience of contemporary conditions through social practice and is realised as digital video, print, installation, public art, publication, text, drawing, performance and participatory works.

Hello MAAEP Students, 

I’m looking forward to meeting you and I hope you are excited to join us for induction week! There are a series of talks, inductions and activities programmed  

to help you find your way around the school and campus and also to enable you to meet your peers and tutors. If you have any queries, don’t hesitate in sending me an email.

Read about Welcome Week

We do not want you to be loaded up on your first day with all your equipment. Please see below for what to bring on day one: 

• Pens 
• Pencils 
• Note pad or laptop
• Student ID
• Student card 

• Tuesday 17 September in F08.  
• 10.45am Meet in foyer of School of Art 
• Session to run till 5pm.

Prior to Tuesday 17 September, please ensure that:

• You are enrolled on the course.
• You have set up you student email.
• Email cathy.wade@bcu.ac.uk from your BCU email address as a test. 
• You have collected your student card.
• You have selected your Optional Module.

Arts and Project Management - MA

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September 2019

Tuesday 17 September 2019

10.45am

The Foyer at the School of Art, Margaret Street.

Beth Derbyshire

Beth Derbyshire is a multi-disciplinary visual artist working in innovative ways in the public realm, embracing subjects such as war, remembrance, nationality and environment. Beth has delivered a wide range of public art projects over the last 20 years working with many different communities, such as people from deaf communities, military planners, refugee and veteran groups. Beth's research explores the diverse nature of human presence and expression within social and civic structures. She creates multi-layered projects through collaboration with individuals, groups and organisations, capturing and platforming “voice” through ephemeral works.

beth.derbyshire@bcu.ac.uk

Hi there,

Welcome to the School of Art.  I hope you are excited to join us for induction week! We have lots of fun and engaging activities planned to help you find your way around the school and campus and also to enable you to meet your peers and tutors. We have an exciting year ahead and I am so looking forward to meeting you. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to email me on beth.derbyshire@bcu.ac.uk.

Read about Welcome Week

We do not want you to be loaded up on your first day with all your equipment. Please see below for what to bring on day one: 

• Pens 
• Pencils 
• Note pad or laptop
• Student ID
• Student card 

Download

I would like you do a short exercise before you arrive. I would like to invite you to undertake a small exercise:

Think of a project or activity you worked on. This could be a graduation event, an exhibition or even an activity in your work place.  I would like you to do answer these questions:

1. What happened and over what period of time. List the different activities.
2. How many people were involved in the project or activity? Who did what? What was your role?
3. Who came? How many people? Was there a particular audience?
4. What was successful about the activity?
5. What was unsuccessful?

Please also look at the websites of these organisations as we will be visiting them on Tuesday 18 September.

http://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk

https://www.ikon-gallery.org

Make sure to bring your completed task with you on your first day. If you have any questions, please email the me at beth.derbyshire@bcu.ac.uk

Fine Art - MA

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September 2019

Tuesday 17 September 2019

10.45am

Foyer Entrance, Birmingham School of Art, Margaret Street.

Mona Casey
mona.casey@bcu.ac.uk 

Mona Casey is Senior Lecturer in Fine Art and Programme Leader for MA Fine Art at Birmingham City University. 

She is an artist and curator whose research is preoccupied with exploring curatorial structures, both conceptual and physical, which question the theatrical event of the ‘exhibition’ and its potential as a landscape – scenography. She is Director of ARTICLE a nomadic exhibition platform which emerges in different sites for different lengths of time, previous incarnations existed at Birmingham School of Art and more recently as part of YAGA music Festival in Lithuania.  Previous activity includes ‘The Museum of [    ] Objects’ an alternative, temporal model for a Museum collection; ‘The Event’, a bi-annual presentation of artist-led galleries and projects; ‘COLONY’ an artist-led exhibition space based in Birmingham and ‘Casey & McAree’, a collaborative artist practice represented by The Agency in London.

Dear All, I'm very happy to welcome you to Birmingham School of Art and the MA Fine Art Programme. I look forward to meeting you during the induction week, where we will 

have a range of activities planned to help you find your way around the school and campus and also to enable you to meet your peers and tutors. Until then.

We do not want you to be loaded up on your first day with all your equipment. Please see below for what to bring on day one:

• Pens
• Pencils
• Note pad
• Student ID
• Student card
• …your enthusiasm

If you are a practice-based student you will be given a full list of suggested equipment you will need during one of induction sessions.

Download

Prior to Tuesday 17th September, please ensure that:

• You are enrolled on the course.
• You have set up you student email.
• You have collected your student card.
• You have selected your Option Module.

We would like you to prepare a short presentation (Pecha Kucha) (5 - 10 minutes, with visuals such as a Powerpoint) to introduce yourself and your practice and/or research interests, as well as briefly say what you are expecting to achieve during the MA FA course. Make sure you prepare and bring your presentation (using a USB stick) for week commencing 23^rd September. 

If you have any questions please contact the Programme Leader - Mona Casey at: mona.casey@bcu.ac.uk

Tuesday 17^th September at 5pm - Please join us at the Welcome MA reception in the Foyer, Birmingham School of Art.

Wednesday 18^th September, 11.30 am - Course Update – in Studio F.08

English Linguistics - MA

This is a distance learning course. If you have any queries then please contact your Course Leader.

Creative Writing - MA

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Wednesday 18 September 2019

10:15am for a 10:30am start. Finish time: Around 3:30pm.

Room P130, Parkside Building, City Centre Campus.

Dr Gregory Leadbetter.

Greg is a poet and critic, with research interests in English Romantic poetry and thought, the traditions to which these relate, and the history and practice of poetry more generally. His poetry collections include The Fetch (Nine Arches Press, 2016) and the pamphlet The Body in the Well (HappenStance Press, 2007). His poems have appeared in The Poetry Review, Poetry London, The North, Magma, The Rialto, on BBC Radio 4, And Other Poems, and in CAST: The Poetry Business Book of New Contemporary Poets (Smith/Doorstop, 2014), as well as other journals and anthologies. His book of literary criticism, Coleridge and the Daemonic Imagination (Palgrave Macmillan, 2011) won the University English Book Prize 2012, and he has published essays on Wordsworth, Keats, Charles Lamb, and Ted Hughes. He has written radio drama for the BBC, and was awarded a Hawthornden Fellowship in 2013. In 2016 he was Poet in Residence at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage for Stratford-upon-Avon Poetry Festival, and for 2019-20 he is Poet in Residence at King’s High School in Warwick. He is Reader in Literature and Creative Writing at Birmingham City University, and Director of the Institute of Creative and Critical Writing. For more information, see www.gregoryleadbetter.blogspot.co.uk

Email: gregory.leadbetter@bcu.ac.uk

Congratulations on gaining your place on the MA in Creative Writing. Here you will receive specialist tuition from outstanding writers in a range of forms, in a supportive atmosphere – and benefit from masterclasses, seminars with guest authors, editors and agents and literary professionals organised through the Institute of Creative and Critical Writing, an organisation within the School of English devoted to the literary arts and the life of ideas. 

Writers are perpetual students. Our programme is designed to help you learn how to keep learning, enriching and refining your practice as an independent author, through disciplines that strengthen your creative imagination, develop your literary knowledge, and cultivate your critical sensitivity. 

Birmingham is an excellent city in which to deepen your involvement with contemporary literary culture, music, dance, theatre, museums and visual arts. I encourage you to take advantage of all these opportunities during your time with us and beyond, and wish you every success in your studies. 

Greg

Upon arrival, take the stairs or the lift to the 1^st Floor of the Parkside Building and follow the signs to room P130. 

Visit www.bcu.ac.uk/about-us/maps-and-campuses/city-centre-campus to find out more about facilities, latest developments and accessibility at your campus, along with maps, travel directions and car parking arrangements. 

On Welcome Day you will learn important information about your programme, your IT facilities, the Library, meet and get to know your tutors and fellow students – and choose your option modules. 

IT induction: in advance of Welcome Day, you should follow this link to complete your preliminary IT induction. 

If you miss Welcome Day, you must report to your School of English Office in the City Centre Campus as soon as you possibly can, and in any case no later than Friday 20 September 2018. This office is open 08:30–16:30, Monday to Friday. 

Module choices

Modules run in the following semesters: 

Semester 1 (option modules): Fiction / Creative Nonfiction / Poetry / Screenwriting 

Semester 2 (compulsory modules): Reading into Writing / Major Project 

Full-time students will choose two modules to study in Semester 1; in Semester 2 they will study Reading into Writing and receive tuition for their Major Project. 

Part-time students will study one option module in their first semester, Reading into Writing in their second semester, another option module in their third semester, and in their finals semester receive tuition for their Major Project. 

You must choose your option modules on Welcome Day. 

All MA in Creative Writing students must attend the writing masterclasses and guest seminars organised by the Institute of Creative and Critical Writing (ICCWriting). Three teaching days per semester are given over to these ICCW Days. 

Term dates 

Welcome Week: 16-20 September 2019

Semester 1: 23 September 2019 – 13 December 2019

Semester 2: 27 January 2020 – 1 May 2020

Further details on Welcome Week: 

Further information about Welcome Week can be found at http://www.bcu.ac.uk/student-info/welcome-week

Faculty activities: Download

You should read David Morley, The Cambridge Introduction to Creative Writing (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007), and David Lodge, The Art of Fiction (London: Vintage, 2011) in advance of the course. 

You must ensure that you are accurate and confident in your command of grammar, syntax and punctuation. This is essential. For students of creative writing, the language itself is a subject of constant study. In order to refresh your knowledge, and as a primer for thinking about language more fully, refer to David Crystal, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language (2^nd edn; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003). 

You should aim to arrive with as rich a knowledge of literary history in English as you can – and immerse yourself in contemporary literary culture. Get to know the books sections in the major broadsheet newspapers (and online), as well as the Times Literary Supplement and The London Review of Books. Use your libraries. There is a wealth of online material of literary interest: give yourself time to explore. Look to challenge yourself and extend your knowledge. 

You are joining a community of committed writers, for many of whom reading, thinking and writing is a way of life, so come mentally prepared. Read the published work of our staff, and the Fellows of our Institute of Creative and Critical Writing. This will enable you to have more fruitful conversations with them during your time with us.

Twitter: Follow @BCUEnglish and @iccwriting 

BCU Creative Writing Facebook page: Creative Writing @ BCU English (simply ask permission to join)

You should enrol online, and will be contacted separately about this. If you have any questions, please contact the School of English Office on 0121 331 4699.

Fashion Media Masters Programme (FMMP)

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• MA Fashion Promotion
• MA Fashion Styling
• MA Cosmetics Branding and Promotion

September 2019

Tuesday 17 September

2.00pm

Room P349, 3rd Floor, Parkside Building.

Jasbir Kaur: jasbir.kaur@bcu.ac.uk

Jasbir is Director of Postgraduate Programmes in Fashion and Textiles and has extensive experience in commercial textile design and fashion research. Her work is published internationally and she has specific research interests in South East Asian fashion.

Hi there,

I hope you are excited to join us for induction week! The MA staff team and I are looking forward to meeting you all and getting to know you during your studies with us. We have lots of fun and engaging activities planned to help you find your way around the school, campus and city.

Best wishes,
Jasbir

We do not want you to be loaded up on your first day with all your equipment. Please see below for what to bring on day one:

• Something to write with
• A small note pad
• Student ID
• Student card
• Pre-arrival task work

Download

We would like you do a short exercise before you arrive. Please download the brief for the instructions via the button below. Make sure to bring your completed task with you on your first day. If you have any questions, please email the course leader.

Download part one

Download part two

Facebook

We have set up a private page for your group where you can get to know your classmates before you join us in Birmingham. Please follow the link below, message us with your FULL NAME, ask to join, and we’ll add you to the group :)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/443308343152037/

Instagram

Follow us and see what we get up to! @mafashionbcu

https://www.instagram.com/mafashionbcu/

Fashion Management - MA and Luxury Brand Management - MA

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September 2019

Monday 16 September

11.00am

Room C317, Floor 3, Curzon Building, City Centre Campus.

Barry Batson: Barry.Batson@bcu.ac.uk

Educational Background: Master’s Degree in Textile and Fashion Management (University of Leeds), Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching (Higher Education) (University of Leeds and Solent University), Associateship of the Textile Institute (CText ATI).

Expertise: Fashion Brand Management, Fashion Marketing, Fashion Buying, Supply Chain Management, Design Management and Textile Science/Technology. 

Experience: Barry’s forty-two years of progressive autonomous experience has encompassed most aspects of the Textile, Clothing and Fashion manufacturing and business functions both in the UK, Melbourne and Sydney in Australia and Shanghai in China. Barry was previously Programme Director for the MSc Textile Science and also the Programme Director for the Textile and Fashion Management Programmes at the University of Leeds. Barry was also Head of Department of a Multimillion-dollar Industrial Knitting department at MIText now called RMIT University. Barry has delivered many Product Knowledge courses requested by the personnel involved in the buying and sourcing of product ranges or the UK and Australia’s major high street fashion brands, such as Marks and Spencer’s, Next, Shop Direct, David Jones.

Fashion and Textiles. You are joining a globally renowned provider of fashion and textiles education.

We have a rich history dating back to the 19th century, and today, we are renowned for our students’ achievements, innovative research and partnerships with industry.

Our courses address the needs of global fashion and textiles industries, and you will be welcomed into a genuinely creative, collaborative and international student community.

A high value is attained on our postgraduate students being able to reach their full potential academically, while at the same time developing as a mature, motivated and confident individual. The University prides itself on its student-centred approach and as such has established world-class standards for academic support and research supervision.

As postgraduate students, you will actively be encouraged to provide regular feedback to the University about your experience here.

As Programme Director, I value the information provided in the student lead staff/student forums and makes use of the feedback and suggestions contributed by students to review and enhance our provision. 

Finally, it is with pleasure that we welcome you to the MA Fashion Management programme and to the exciting challenge of being a postgraduate student. 

My team and I look forward to working with you, supporting you and ensuring that you reach your full potential as a Birmingham City University student.

MA Luxury Brand Management

MA Fashion Management

MA Luxury Brand Management

MA Fashion Management

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mafashionmanagement/

YouTube – Account 1Birmingham City University1 (Educational - With an emphasis on Textile, Clothing and Fashion related topics).

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMgSm0fs8Z71UJMpwLND9RA

Fashion and Textiles Design Masters Programme (FTDMP)

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• MA Fashion Design
• MA Garment Technology
• MA Textile and Surface Design

September 2019

Tuesday 17 September

10.00am

Room P349, 3rd Floor, Parkside Building.

Jasbir Kaur: jasbir.kaur@bcu.ac.uk

Jasbir is Director of Postgraduate Programmes in Fashion and Textiles and has extensive experience in commercial textile design and fashion research. Her work is published internationally and she has specific research interests in South East Asian fashion.

Hi there,

I hope you are excited to join us for induction week! The MA staff team and I are looking forward to meeting you all and getting to know you during your studies with us. We have lots of fun and engaging activities planned to help you find your way around the school, campus and city.

Best wishes,
Jasbir

We do not want you to be loaded up on your first day with all your equipment. Please see below for what to bring on day one:

• Something to write with
• A small note pad
• Student ID
• Student card
• Pre-arrival task work

Download

We would like you do a short exercise before you arrive. Please download the brief for the instructions via the button below. Make sure to bring your completed task with you on your first day. If you have any questions, please email the course leader.

Download part one

Download part two

Facebook

We have set up a private page for your group where you can get to know your classmates before you join us in Birmingham. Please follow the link below, message us with your FULL NAME, ask to join, and we’ll add you to the group :)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/443308343152037/

Instagram

Follow us and see what we get up to! @mafashionbcu

https://www.instagram.com/mafashionbcu/

Jewellery and Related Products - MA

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Monday 16 September 2019

9.45am

School of Jewellery Atrium, Vittoria Street.

Sian Hindle
sian.hindle@bcu.ac.uk

Welcome! We’re looking forward to meeting you in September.  Our welcome week activities are designed to help you find your way around our school and the Jewellery Quarter, and also to get to know the staff team and your peers on the course. 

You’ll have an opportunity to buy tools during induction week, so there is no need to bring complete tool kits with you.  You will, however, need sketchbooks, drawing materials and model-making equipment, and these can be purchased from the art supply shops in Birmingham.

Download

Please prepare a short presentation (no more than 3 minutes) to introduce yourself to the group. This should cover the following points: 

• Tell us about yourself and your previous educational experience
• Wear a piece of jewellery (or show us an object) that you have made, and tell us about it
• Provide an overview of your proposal for study on the MA – what do you plan to investigate, and why? 

We want to find out about you as a person: try to give us a sense of who you are and what you are curious about!  The presentations will be fast-paced: there’ll be no time for slides or powerpoint – please wear your jewellery!

Twitter - @SoJ_BCU

Jewellery and Related Products - GradDip

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Monday 16^th September – Friday 20^th September

9.30am

School of Jewellery Atrium.

Bridie Lander
Bridie.lander@bcu.ac.uk

We are looking forward to seeing you for induction week! We have activities planned for your first week to help you find your way around the school and to enable you to meet your peers and tutors. This is an important week with lots of information to help you in your course.

Notebook and Sketchbooks for the first day.

If students already have a jewellery tool box or any jewellery workshop tools they should bring these with them.

Download

Please prepare a short presentation (no more than 3 minutes) to introduce yourself to the group. This should cover the following points: 

• Tell us about yourself and your previous educational experience
• Wear a piece of jewellery (or show us an object) that you have made, and tell us about it
• Provide an overview of your proposal for study on the MA – what do you plan to investigate, and why? 

We want to find out about you as a person: try to give us a sense of who you are and what you are curious about!  The presentations will be fast-paced: there’ll be no time for slides or powerpoint – please wear your jewellery!

twitter.com/Vittoria_St

twitter.com/SoJ_BCU

Luxury Jewellery Management - MA

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Sept 16^th 2019

10.00 Welcome. All Students in the hall at Introduction to Course Directors. Into course groups.

School of Jewellery – Vittoria Street.

Michela Ferraro-Cuda.

Dear MA student, 

I am very pleased to welcome you to your MA course in Luxury Jewellery Management and meet not just your course’s peers but also all the other students and tutors at the School of Jewellery. 

Come with an open mind and ready to be involved in engaging and amusing activities to help you find your way around the school and campus.

Be ready to be part of a very challenging competition…

Your enthusiasm and an open mind!

For the first day, just your mobile…there will be some online challenges!

Download

Please prepare a short presentation (no more than 3 minutes) to introduce yourself to the group. This should cover the following points: 

• Tell us about yourself and your previous educational experience
• Wear a piece of jewellery (or show us an object) that you have made, and tell us about it
• Provide an overview of your proposal for study on the MA – what do you plan to investigate, and why? 

We want to find out about you as a person: try to give us a sense of who you are and what you are curious about!  The presentations will be fast-paced: there’ll be no time for slides or powerpoint – please wear your jewellery!

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8633456/ -

LinkedIN group - MA Luxury Jewellery Management | SoJ | BCU

Birmingham School of Media - All MA courses

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This information applies to students of the following courses:

• Data Journalism - MA
• Events, Festivals and Exhibition Management - MA
• Global Media Management - MA
• Media and Cultural Studies - MA
• Media Production - MA
• Multiplatform and Mobile Journalism - MA
• Public Relations - MA

Monday 16 September 2019

10:00-13:00

Curzon Building C389

Dr. Annette Naudin

I hope you are excited to join us for induction week! We have lots of engaging activities planned to help you find your way around the school and campus and also to enable you to meet your peers and tutors.

Please bring something to take notes: pens, notepad, laptop etc.

Please bring your student ID and student card (if you have it).

Download

#DoMediaDifferently @bcumedia

MA School of Media Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/147672825833019/

All postgraduate music courses

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September 2019

16 – 27 September (two weeks)

9.00am

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

Luan Shaw, Director of Postgraduate Studies (MMus/PgDip/PgCert - all pathways)

luan.shaw@bcu.ac.uk

Dr Siân Derry Assistant Director of Postgraduate Studies (MA Musicology; Advanced Postgraduate Diploma: Professional Performance)

sian.derry@bcu.ac.uk

We’re delighted that you are coming to study one of our postgraduate courses at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in September! 

We will be in touch separately in August with more details about your course, but wanted to give you advance notice now about our two Postgraduate Welcome Weeks. The first of these starts on Monday 16 September, with meetings and activities for new postgraduate students throughout this week. This includes former undergraduate RBC students who are joining us as NEW postgraduate students! Further meetings designed to help you get the most out of your postgraduate studies with us will take place in the following week, when, if you are starting a PgDip or MMus course, you will choose your option modules for the year.

If you have any questions in the meantime about your forthcoming studies, please do not hesitate to contact either of us. 

With all best wishes for a great summer, 

Luan and Siân

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Hi, my name is Imnah Williams. I studied English Language and Literature. 

The role of the Student Success Advisors is primarily to ensure that BCU students have the best possible experience during their time at the University. Student Success Advisors offer a range of support from; advice on your next steps once you finish your course, financial concerns, academic support and mental health and wellbeing support. You can book one to one appointments or come to one of our regular drop-in sessions. We also organise various events throughout the year, which encourage students to socialise and meet students from different courses across the University. 

The highlight of my first year was probably writing and performing in a short play for one of the drama modules on my course. It really opened my eyes to the world of script-writing, which has since become a major passion of mine and something I am now pursuing professionally.

Beetung Goo is the Conservatoire’s International Student Mentor; she oversees a programme of pastoral and academic support for international students, helping you to adapt swiftly to living and studying in the UK. You are welcome to contact Bee with your pre-arrival queries (beetung.goo@bcu.ac.uk).

We appreciate that some of you will be studying part-time, but hope that the advance notice of our Welcome Weeks will enable you to arrange to make yourselves as available as possible (especially Monday 16 to Wednesday 18 inclusive) so that you don't miss out on important information right at the start of your new course or on opportunities to meet your peers and tutors.

Video Game Development - MA/MSc

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September 2019

Wednesday 18 September 2019

11.00am

Room C145a+b

Floor 1, Curzon Building.

Oliver Williams
Oliver.williams@bcu.ac.uk

I want to wish you a very warm welcome to MA Video Game Development, also known as Gamer Camp: Pro; developing the next generation video game artists. Treat this like your first job in a game development studio 

This course provides fresh games artists with key art, production and engine skills needed to successfully navigate through the challenges and pitfalls of delivering game products within a demanding and rapidly evolving business and development environment

• Pens
• Pencils
• Note pad
• Student ID
• Student card
• Graphics Tablet

Download

MA students

Read this: Koster, R (2013). A Theory of Fun. California: O’Reilly

Watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYbYvImd7Bw

Practice whatever your discipline is; environment, character, UI, Concept don’t wait until you start the course to improve your skills. Set your own projects and work to improve.

MSc students

Read this: Dunn, F. and Parberry, I. (2011) 3D Math Primer for Graphics and Game Development, 2nd edition. United States: CRC Press. 

Research into this tech: http://www.cocos2d-x.org/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/NTILevelUp2019/

Video Game Enterprise, Production and Design - MSc

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September 2019

Wednesday 18 September 2019

11.00am

New Technology Institute,
Room C145a+b, 1st Floor,
Curzon Building, City Centre Campus
4 Cardigan St,
Birmingham,
B4 7BD

Zuby Ahmed
zuby.ahmed@bcu.ac.uk

Hi there, 

I want to wish you a very warm welcome to MSc Video Game Enterprise & Production, also known as Gamer Camp: Biz; developing the next generation video game entrepreneurs. 

This course provides budding games entrepreneurs and producers with all the key production and business skills needed to successfully navigate through the challenges and pitfalls of setting up a technology company and delivering game products within a demanding and rapidly evolving business environment. 

Our diverse team of academics, specialists and industry mentors are looking forward to providing you with a wide range of experience in development, project management, production, games business models, marketing for video game products and game design, enabling you to succeed in the emerging casual, social and mobile game business market. 

Game disciplines such as code, art and design will be covered providing a solid understanding of games development roles and activities. Video Games project delivery, product management and business will be covered and you will have the opportunity to put newly learnt skills and knowledge into practice by taking up a placement with a games development company to work on project delivery and/or setting up your own games business. 

The Gamer Camp team, together with our partners Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, Codemasters, Exient, Microsoft Rare, Sumo Digital, Lockwood, Lab 42, SmashMouth Games, and Aardvark Swift (recruiters), warmly welcome you to Gamer Camp. 

Finally, I hope you are excited to join us for induction week! We have lots of fun and engaging activities planned to help you find your way around the school and campus and also to enable you to meet your peers and tutors. 

I look forward to meeting you and helping you in achieving your academic and career goals.  

Zuby

We do not want you to be loaded up on your first day with all your equipment. Please see below for what to bring on day one:

• Pens
• Pencils
• Note pad
• Student ID
• Student card
• A Laptop (fully charged) (if you have one available)

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In preparation of joining this very exciting course, we would like you do a small bit of pre-reading. Please visit these websites on a daily basis to find out news, so that when you start the course, you are up to date with what is going on within the Games industry: 

• Gamasutra.com: Insight into the Industry 

• GamesIndustry.biz: Insight into the Industry 

• GameRankings.com: See what Scores games are getting and why 

• vgchartz.com : See what is selling around the world and why 

• pocketgamer.biz: See the news around Mobile Gaming 

• gamespress.com: See the news ahead of time 

• develop-online.net: Insight into the UK Industry 

• mcvuk.com: Insight into the UK Industry & Retail 

Also continue to do as much background reading/case study investigations in Project Management Methodologies by joining forums/groups on these sites, in order to learn about best practice(s):

• scrumalliance.org: Agile Project Management Using Scrum

Finally read up and be aware of all the different roles and responsibilities of people working within the Games Industry, working hard to make videogames:

• https://www.screenskills.com/careers/job-profiles/games

Please be ready to be quizzed about important events that have or are happening within the Games Industry; as future Game Designers and Producer, you need to be on top of your industry knowledge!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/NTILevelUp2019/

Film Distribution and Marketing - MA

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September 2019

Thursday 19 September 2019

11.00am

New Technology Institute,
Room C144a, 1st Floor,
Curzon Building, City Centre Campus
4 Cardigan St,
Birmingham,
B4 7BD

Eugenio Triana
eugenio.triana@bcu.ac.uk

Welcome to your induction week at NTI, I will be showing you how to navigate your year with us and introduce you to the expectations and goals we have for the course. Please arrive promptly on the day and I hope that we can have a fruitful year together.

Notebook and writing utensils, laptop (ideal).

11am Thursday 19 September is the only compulsory session for the induction week for this course.

Future Media - MA/MSc

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September 2019

Wednesday 18 September 2019

11.00am

New Technology Institute,
Room C144a, 1st Floor,
Curzon Building, City Centre Campus
4 Cardigan St,
Birmingham,
B4 7BD

Mike Villiers-Stuart BA PG Prof Cert TLHPE FHEA

Hello and welcome to Birmingham City University and your postgraduate Future Media programme. Thank you for joining us this September! It will be a great pleasure to meet you at our induction session where I will introduce the teaching team and preview some of the content and activities we’ll be engaging with over the next few months.

You will need a laptop computer, a notebook and a good supply of pens for taking notes.

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Feature Film Development - MA

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September 2019

Wednesday 18 September 2019

2.00pm

New Technology Institute,
Room C144a, 1st Floor,
Curzon Building, City Centre Campus
4 Cardigan St,
Birmingham,
B4 7BD

Shaun Magher

I am looking forward to meeting you on our Induction day and introducing you to the Feature Film development team and showing you the department and wider university. 

We have lots of activities planned to help you find your way around the school and campus and also to enable you to meet your peers and tutors.

It would be ideal if you have your own laptop and for the Arts specialist, a Wacom CIntiq. However, we do have laptops and peripheral’s that will be loaned to you for the duration of the course if you do not.

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Visual Communication - MA

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September 2019

Wednesday 18 September 2019

10.00am

Room P406, Floor 4, The Parkside Building.

Rob Gibb
Robert.Gibb@BCU.ac.uk

Please download this welcome letter

Please bring a notebook, pen, ipad, laptop, mobile phone or something to make notes with.

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