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BA (Hons) - Wildlife Media (with integrated foundation year)

You have a passion for wildlife and the natural world. You have an interest in photography and filmmaking. We’ll combine your interest with technical expertise and scientific knowledge.

Wildlife Media (with integrated foundation year) cover image

Course Overview

You will study wildlife biodiversity, habitat, and behaviour, alongside the theory and practice of film and photography. You will benefit from opportunities to work with leading industry professionals in a biodiverse World Heritage Site with regular field trips and visits.

Our foundation year will help you reach the right level for taking the rest of the degree, building a solid foundation of skills from which to expand upon.

You will be both challenged and supported to produce your own short experimental films; plan photography exhibitions; film, edit and create your own documentaries; and plan and manage an expedition to a destination of your choice. Throughout your learning you will grow in confidence, developing and enhancing your personal skillset, working towards specialisms that match your interests and career ambitions.

On this course you will...

  • Explore the world beyond the classroom through fieldtrips and project work. Learn more about a wide variety of species, habitats and behaviours in the wild.
  • Master complex technical and practical skills and develop sophisticated natural history knowledge, within the supportive and vibrant context of an arts institute community.
  • Work with industry professionals, with strong links to employers locally, nationally, and globally. This includes Cumbria Wildlife Trust, RSPB, WWT, SSSI’s, and AONB to name a few.
  • Develop a portfolio of work to display during public showcases e.g. online gallery exhibitions and the Vallum Gallery on campus. Engage in Degree Shows to celebrate the progress of your work.
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Course Structure

What you will learn

Our foundation year will help you reach the right level for taking the rest of the degree, building a solid foundation of skills from which to expand upon. We will hone your skills in a diverse range of media, including photography, documentary film making and writing for wildlife media.

On our course you’ll learn to create polished, professional wildlife documentaries charting the relationship between humans and the natural world. Capture the stories of animals across different environments when you explore bushcraft and wildlife survival skills. Immerse yourself in their world and capture your experience using top-quality photographic and filming equipment.

Throughout the course, you will develop your film and photo editing skills to suit a brief or chosen goal. And, celebrate your success through showcases and presentations where you will learn how to develop a professional portfolio for exhibition and receive feedback for your work.

Year one

Your foundation year will see you build the skills and knowledge that will put you in the strongest possible position to excel academically and professionally.

  • Media in Context
  • Professional Practice
  • Media Narratives
  • Published Media Products
  • Student Initiated Photographic Project
  • Biodiversity and Habitat for Media
Year two

In your second year, you will develop the solid technical and academic skills required to understand and successfully capture the environment.

  • Media Craft Skills
  • Developing Photography Practice
  • Cultural Contexts
  • Naturalist Skills
  • Communicating the Natural World
  • Collaborative Brief
Year three

Going into your third year, you will further develop and enhance your personal skillset working towards specialisms that match your interests or proposed career path. You'll explore and reflect on key wildlife and media-related issues, together with developing critical analytical skills.

  • Documentary
  • Interpreting Animal Behaviour for Media
  • Wildlife Photography
  • Natural History Filmmaking
  • Professional Development
  • Theory & Research Methods
Year four

In your final year, you will take charge of your own chosen research project, working towards your major final work. This could be a substantial piece of journalism, a set of photos or a film.

  • Graduate Project
  • Minor Project
  • The Application of Media in Conservation
  • Festival and Exhibition
  • Research Project

Stay Focused. Go Far.

A puffin at Farnes Field Trip
A fox in the woods.
A kingfisher sat on a branch.
Students filming scuba diving.
Badger.
  • Image from the campus
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  • Location

    Carlisle - Brampton Road Campus

    Located just outside the city, right on top of Hadrian's Wall, the Brampton Road campus is full of history, buzzing with excitement, creativity, and a sense of endless possibility. The home of creators, entertainers, rule breakers, and change-markers.

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Find out more about studying with us

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