Course overview

The BSc Creative Professional Practice allows working creative professionals to study for a university degree without leaving their jobs.

It is a three-way partnership between you, your employer and the University. Much of the learning comes from projects that form part of daily work, which minimises the time spent attending University and ensures that the knowledge gained is relevant to your employer's business.

How long does it take?

The time you take to complete your studies is up to you and is not tied to the academic calendar. It depends on the point at which you enter the course and your personal circumstances at work and at home.

Benefits to you

• Your existing knowledge counts towards the degree award.
• You gain a university qualification without having to take a career break.
• Learning through work-based projects reduces the amount of leisure time you have to spend on study.
• You will learn what you need as you need it.
• You can tailor the pace of learning to suit demands on your time.
• Learning leads to professional and career enhancement.

Benefits to your employer

• Staff education brings commercial and strategic awareness.
• Commercially valuable work projects are part of the learning programme.
• The organisation gains knowledge of best practice and the latest technologies from work-based projects.
• University tutors provide new knowledge and advice.
• Better qualified staff enhance the organisation's leadership position.
• Staff who have been supported to gain degree qualifications show increased loyalty to their employers.
• Employee motivation increases as staff develop their skills.

Access to a stable work situation is important for success on the BSc Creative Professional Practice course. This programme may not be suitable for people whose work is voluntary, temporary or on short-term contracts. It is unlikely to suit those who are retired or unemployed. Applications from self-employed people are welcome.

Course content

The course is unusual in allowing you to set your own objectives, course content and timetable. We set the framework for your degree and assess your work, but you choose what to learn, how you will learn and what evidence you will deliver for assessment. We ensure that you achieve the standard appropriate to your award through a process of learning management.

The BSc Creative Professional Practice must include work-based learning projects and most students choose to do the majority of their studies by this means. University-taught units and other training programmes provide additional and supporting learning.

The course comprises four elements:

• Accredited Prior Learning
• Learning Management
• Work-based Learning Projects
• Taught Units

Accredited Prior Learning (APL) allows you to receive credit for the qualifications you already have and for experience that has given you the learning equivalent to academic qualifications. This can include training courses and qualifications, as well as learning from on-the-job experience. To claim credit for experiential learning you have to submit a portfolio of evidence matching your knowledge and skills to units taught by the University.

The maximum APL credit you can receive is two thirds of the credit for the award.

Prior Learning Portfolios should be submitted as soon as possible, to allow time for assessment before registration.

Learning Management is a credit-rated unit. It is the linking thread for your studies. In this unit, you will write a learning contract and amend it, as necessary, if circumstances change. You will work to the contract plan and deliver your evidence (reports, reviews or other items) on the dates you have specified.

Work-based Learning Projects usually make up the bulk of the learning contract. They must involve new learning for you, so they cannot be simply the activities involved in your regular job. However, they should be of value to your employer as well as yourself and you should be able to carry out much of the project work in normal working hours.

Taught Units from the University of Portsmouth or other higher education institutions can be included in your programme. They are a good way of acquiring new knowledge in a structured way. They are delivered as part of the University's normal teaching provision.

Career prospects

The degree allows working people to study for university qualifications without leaving their jobs. Students must have access to the work-based projects that they propose to study.

Facilities and features

The degree allows working people to study for university qualifications without leaving their jobs. Students must have access to the work-based projects that they propose to study.

Facilities and Features

You will have support from:

• a workplace mentor chosen by you - someone at work who can offer advice, guidance and moral support
• a personal University tutor in your area of study
• a learning management tutor
• lecturing staff in your taught units
• written feedback on all items submitted for approval or assessment
• an introductory learning management course to help you develop your learning contract, devise projects, conduct research and write reports (the course is offered as a one-day short course and online)

Maths Café

The Maths Café is a daily drop-in facility, allowing any University student to receive help on any maths or statistics problem they encounter in their studies. It operates in friendly, informal locations around campus making it easy for students to drop in. Handouts on key topics are available to take away. You can also learn to use computer aided learning packages, which can be accessed from any computer attached to the University's computer network.

Entry requirements