BA (Hons) Contemporary Creative Practice
Programme Overview
- Degree: Bachelor of Art (Honours) in Contemporary Creative Practice: Graphic Design/Illustration/Photography/Animation (Awarded by University of Staffordshire)
- Programme duration: 3 years (Full-time)
- Location: BUV Campus, Ecopark, Hanoi
- Timetable: Student’s timetable will be sent to BUV student’s emails prior to the commencement date of each semester
British standardised programme
Broad, practical and open-minded approach
High-end technical facilities
Personal portfolio after graduation
- Career Opportunities: Graduates in Graphic Design, Illustration, and Photography can secure careers in advertising agencies, design studios, publishing houses, marketing firms, e-commerce platforms, media production, fashion, gaming studios, event management, or freelancing.
- Project-Based Learning: You will learn through hands-on experiences that develop valuable creative skills and address real-world design challenges. No exams. Limited essays and written assignments.
- Collaborative Studio Environment: You will interact with peers from diverse creative disciplines in a vibrant studio learning environment.
- Connecting Theory and Practice: You will explore the connections between theory and practice, exploring how art history, theory, and cultural contexts can deepen and enhance your understanding and creative abilities.
- Personalised Guidance and Mentorship: You will benefit from personalised guidance and mentorship from experienced tutors, and industry professionals, nurturing unique talents and acquiring essential professional skills tailored to individual needs.
- Entry requirements: You only need to successfully complete the specialist BUV PWSU programme, ‘Introduction to Creative Practice Essentials’, no additional portfolio or prior experience required.
Course structure 
Year 1
Year 1 Practical Contemporary Art Practice
Study Skills for Creative Practitioners
Visual Studies
Art Practitioners in Historical and Contemporary Context
Professional Issues for Contemporary Art Practitioners
Year 2
Year 2 Creative Influences
Visual Communication
Exploring Contemporary Art Practice
Major Project for Arts Practitioners
Professional Development for Arts Practitioners
Year 3
Year 3 Practical Contemporary Practice in Illustration
Creative Enterprise in Illustration
Industry Investigation
Professional Practice in Illustration
Practical Contemporary Practice in Photography
Creative Enterprise in Photography
Industry Investigation
Professional Practice in Photography
Practical Contemporary Practice in Graphic Design
Creative Enterprise in Graphic Design
Industry Investigation
Professional Practice in Graphic Design
Negotiated Final Major Project
You will gain an insight into audiences and markets, and how this relates to creative design. The skills you have learned in other modules will be applied in a professional context. You will be encouraged to work innovatively and creatively to meet agreed work outcomes, such as designing and promoting products for specific clients or target audiences.
You will be looking at skills related to entrepreneurship in the working environment - such as promoting creative work and ideas to attract new markets, communicating with clients, and presenting 3D objects and artefacts safely and successfully. Health & Safety will be included as an important aspect of the module.
You will be expected to carry out independent research to inform your work, such as demographics, competition, and similar products and services, and demonstrate that you understand why investigating these areas is so important.
Your role in the professional world of illustration will include the continuous development, exploration and extension of your subject knowledge and skills in order to further your career. In this module you will be developing your practical skills whilst identifying and researching a challenging area in illustration in order to plan an independent brief that you will carry out as your Negotiated Final Major Project. Through this you will learn how to identify your own potential progression whilst supporting the direction you wish to take with the development of an appropriate portfolio of evidence.
You will produce a process journal that documents the journey you have taken to reach a professionally presented proposal. The journal for this module will include your aims and objectives for your intended practice, realistic and in-depth research, application of your practical skills, analysis and evaluation methods and will lead to a proposal for a project that expands your knowledge and skill within illustration.
Programme outcomes
Knowledge & Understanding
Enquiry
Analysis
Problem Solving
Application
Reflection
Employability
The Contemporary Creative Practice programme at BUV not only equips students with discipline-specific skills but also fosters multi-disciplinary appreciation, transferable skills, and a collaborative mindset that enables them to excel in the Creative Industries.
With a course designed to enhance both digital and hand drawing skills, you will be more than ready to take on any graphic design projects after graduation: creating artwork for magazines, corporate reports, or brochures, supporting marketing campaign production, etc.
Completing our Contemporary Creative Practice – Graphic Design course will equip you with enough skills to work in a variety of environments, including:
- Freelancing
- Agencies
- In-house creative departments
The Illustration course at BUV will help you combine your skills in art, design, and creative practice, offering you a wide range of options in both traditional and contemporary media, either working as freelancers or in businesses, including:
- Freelancing
- Illustrating books and magazines
- Designing merchandise
- Designing technical images
BUV’s Photography course supports students to pursue a career in photography in several areas such as wedding, portraiture, landscape, wildlife, science-based, and corporate photography etc.
Thanks to the opportunity to network with creatives in other disciplines at BUV, our graduates can thrive in any field their hearts desire, such as fashion and online media, freelancing, studio, or in-house photographers.
Upon graduation, students will have the chance to become:
- Illustrator
- Video Editor
- Producer
- Graphic Designer
- 3D Modeler
- Model Maker
- Concept Artist
- Animator
With a course designed to enhance both digital and hand drawing skills, you will be more than ready to take on any graphic design projects after graduation: creating artwork for magazines, corporate reports, or brochures, supporting marketing campaign production, etc.
Completing our Contemporary Creative Practice – Graphic Design course will equip you with enough skills to work in a variety of environments, including:
- Freelancing
- Agencies
- In-house creative departments
The Illustration course at BUV will help you combine your skills in art, design, and creative practice, offering you a wide range of options in both traditional and contemporary media, either working as freelancers or in businesses, including:
- Freelancing
- Illustrating books and magazines
- Designing merchandise
- Designing technical images
BUV’s Photography course supports students to pursue a career in photography in several areas such as wedding, portraiture, landscape, wildlife, science-based, and corporate photography etc.
Thanks to the opportunity to network with creatives in other disciplines at BUV, our graduates can thrive in any field their hearts desire, such as fashion and online media, freelancing, studio, or in-house photographers.
Upon graduation, students will have the chance to become:
- Illustrator
- Video Editor
- Producer
- Graphic Designer
- 3D Modeler
- Model Maker
- Concept Artist
- Animator
Entry requirements
Academic Requirements
Aged 17 or over. One of the following qualifications:
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Vietnamese High School Diploma and Pathway to Staffordshire University Programme
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Pass 2 subjects at Advanced GCE (A-Level)
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An access programme passed at the required QAA-recognised standard for entry to Higher Education
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An award of the European Baccalaureate Diploma, with at least 60 percent overall; English at 60 percent
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An award of the International Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum of 24 points; English at 4 points
English Language Requirements
One of the following:
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A proficiency test within the last 2 years:
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IELTS (non UKVI): 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each component; or
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TOEFL IBT: Listening: 17; Speaking: 20; Reading: 18; Writing: 17
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A proficiency test within the last 5 years:
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International Baccalaureate (taught in English) Pass in English B at Standard Level grade 5 or High Level grade 4; or
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IGCSE English: IGCSE English as a first or second language: Grade C; or
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Cambridge International English GCE O-Level/GCSE: English Language grade A – C
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If you have not met one of the above requirements you need to complete IELTS Upper-Intermediate Course at BUV or equivalent.
You don’t need to provide evidence of English language proficiency if any of the following conditions apply: If you’re a UK national; If you’ve completed a full degree from a UK university.
*In case applicants would like to be considered for recognition of prior learning, interviews might be required (if applicable)
What do our students say?
2010 Contemporary Creative Practice Cohort
During my three years at BUV, I had the opportunity to meet and work with amazing friends, and contribute to events organised by students! Every time I saw products that I had designed on display or in use, I felt extremely happy and proud. Although there were still mistakes, what mattered most was that I had the chance to practice and learn from those errors. Furthermore, I was fortunate enough to experience professional skills from a new perspective during a teaching assistant internship. BUV has taught me valuable lessons, helping me improve and shine like the distinctive blue diamond of the university.
1810 Contemporary Creative Practice Cohort
The thing that has impressed me the most at BUV until now is the application of knowledge in the process of learning. All the theories can somehow be applied as fast as possible to personal projects. This is a very strong factor when studying in a creative major, because balancing between knowledge and practice is not easy at all. Besides, absorbing general knowledge through the learning process could be a huge strength for different specialists in the field. For instance, knowing basic drawing and printing can help even when the student chooses to become a photographer.
Programme pass rate
The pass rate for Contemporary Creative Practice programme in 2022 is 100%.
Fees and financial aid
Fee
Tuition fee information for students enrolling from January 2024:
| Tuition fees | Other fees* | Total | |
| Pathway to University Programme | VND 83,840,000 | VND 14,690,000 | VND 98,530,000 |
| Degree** | VND 687,780,000 | VND 171,978,000 | VND 859,758,000 |
* Other fees include Education Resource Fee and Student Affairs Fee
** Listed fee covers the full programme
Financial aid
The British University Vietnam (BUV) scholarship fund was established in 2018 with the goal of giving students the opportunity to study UK undergraduate and graduate programmes in an international learning environment. With an aim to improve and increase accessibility to high-quality education, BUV has officially launched the fund valued at 150 billion VND in 2024 with hundreds of scholarships and financial aid made available.
You can visit our Scholarship page to find out more and check your eligibility.
