MA Make-up and Hair Design Futures
Explore the rapidly evolving field of designing for future bodies, beauty cultures and creature design using speculative design strategies and augmented realities on this...
BA (Hons)Make-Up and Hair Design
Apply on UCAS
Starting in: 2024
Register your interest- 3 years
- 4 years with foundation year
UCAS code: MHD1
Institution code: S30
UCAS points: 104-120Flexible entry options available
Campus: Southampton City CentreView on Google Maps
Why study a make-up and hair design degree at Solent University
Superb connections, amazing facilities, and the opportunity to work alongside students of photography, TV, film, and SFX make Solent’s course a first choice: the gateway to careers across the world.
- 0%of students feel they've the chance to explore ideas and concepts in depth (NSS 2023)
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- Solent was one of the first universities in the UK ever to offer a degree in make-up and hair design – you will learn from some of the best in the business.
- First university to offer professional make-up teams, led by students and graduates, inside the industry.
- Solent has fantastic, industry-standard make-up, hair, and prosthetics studios. The beauty room, the body lab and the prosthetics studio are just three of the areas you'll work in while capturing your work in our specialist photography, TV and film studios. There are amazing opportunities for collaboration and friendships with students from other courses.
- You will learn from professionals and academics with specialised experience in editing, digital media, performance, journalism, film, magazines, styling, art direction, editorial, advertising, PR, and critical and theoretical studies.
- A wide range of exciting guest speakers, including Terry Barber (Director of Make-up & Artistry at MAC Cosmetics), Ateh Jewel, Pablo Rodriguez (Director of Artistry, Illamasqua).
- Collaborative study and work with students from our prosthetics and special effects design programmes.
- Solent students have recently worked with Fashion Scout, London Fashion Week, Graduate Fashion Week, gaining fantastic experience to add to their CVs and improving employability.
- Study trips (to amazing fashionista locations such as New York and Paris).
- Competitions that celebrate talent and innovation.
This video 'Why study BA (Hons) Make-up and Hair Design' is available as a text transcript, with a description of visuals.
Course overview
On this course you will explore the many contexts of make-up and hair design within the creative industries. You will also be encouraged to take an experimental approach to application, materials and creative development processes to produce innovative and contemporary design work. This includes make-up and hair styling for fashion editorial, wig work for theatre, TV, and alternative design contexts (eg, publications, galleries and the catwalk). And to enable you to operate across design platforms, you will be trained in photography, film and digital publishing.
We emphasise diversity and inclusion within design, while debating beauty ideals, gender politics and the changing face of identity. Throughout the course you will also be encouraged to embrace and develop new ways of working, alongside the study of historic and contemporary make-up and hair techniques for fashion, beauty, theatre, TV and film.
You will study in well-equipped studios and workshops, ranging from make-up, hair and special effects studios, to photography studios, IT suites, as well as access to a comprehensive Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). You will be taught by a team with strong reputations as practicing professional designers or researchers, as well as visiting lecturers, a dynamic programme of industry speakers, and international visits.
Thanks to the course team's close links with industry you will have the opportunity to work on a range of live project briefs with organisations such as Illamasqua and Leni’s Models, and benefit from a range of industry speakers and workshops. Recent speakers have included Terry Barber (Director of Make-up Artistry, MAC Cosmetics), Ateh Jewel, Pablo Rodriguez (Director of Artistry, Illamasqua), MAC Cosmetics, Kryolan, Michael Burton and Michiko Nitta (Burton Nitta art and design studio in collaboration with science and technology) and Martyn Roberts (Fashion Scout).
The course also provides you with the opportunity for cross-programme collaborations to help you contextualise your place within the industry, offering you a rich and stimulating education and preparing you for future employment.
In your final year of study, you will have the opportunity to apply to work with our professional make-up team at London Fashion Week, across a range of national theatre productions, or at Graduate Fashion Week in London.
Any questions?
Contact international admissions
Call: +44 (0)23 8201 5066Email: admissions.international@solent.ac.ukStudent work
Our creative degrees allow our students to develop a critical eye for design with a knowledge of different design approaches and problem solving techniques. Take a look at some of the great work they produce.
Course features
Specialist facilities
This course has access to specialist facilities
Foundation year available
If you're not quite ready for a full undergraduate degree, there's alternative entry through one of our foundation years
Further studies
After successfully completing your studies, there's an opportunity to continue your studies at Solent
Top-up option
If you have an appropriate Level 5 qualification, you can top it up to a degree in just a year
Study abroad
You have the opportunity to study abroad in one of our partner universities for a semester on this course
Who is this course for?
This course is ideally suited to students who wish to use the subjects of make-up and hair to design and develop new approaches within image construction for fashion, beauty, TV, film and theatre.
Applicants should have previously studied a creative subject (previous experience in make-up and hair is not required) and have a portfolio of design work to present for interview.
What does this course lead to?
Make-up and hair graduates from Solent are renowned for their excellent design conceptualisation skills and clear understanding of the requirements of industry, alongside an innovative and professional approach to the discipline.
The course will transform your understanding of this area, and provide you with a wide range of career options as a make-up designer in the creative industries. From working within creative direction, to pursuing a career in advertising, fashion, beauty, TV, film or theatre, you will leave this degree with the creative skills to formulate, design and present self-initiated outcomes to start a fantastic career in this ever-evolving industry.
Meet the team
The University cannot guarantee any particular members of staff will teach specific aspects of the course in the future, but will endeavour to ensure the teaching team maintains their balance of experience and qualifications.
Facilities
Our industry ready make-up and hair studios provide the ideal learning environment, while linking with photography, film and performance spaces. The Beauty Room, and The Body Lab are just two of the areas you will work in while capturing your work in our specialist photography, TV and film studios.
Our vibrant campus brings state-of-the-art facilities to enhance your learning and elevate your student experience. Our award-winning teaching building, The Spark is centred around students and offers a stimulating study environment with flexible learning spaces. Away from studying, why not try out the gyms, fitness studios and sports halls in our £28 million Sports Complex, or watch a blockbuster film at our student-run cinema with Dolby Atmos audio.
International opportunities
Broaden your horizons by adding an international dimension to your CV – essential to achieving success in today’s fast-changing, global environment.
Studying, working or volunteering in another country could be the experience of a lifetime. Enhance your degree by developing important global skills such as knowledge of other countries, language skills, intercultural awareness, adaptability and confidence.
For more information, please email international.mobility@solent.ac.uk.
What you'll study
Core modules
Design Practice
This module explores design as a visual strategy for not only resolving problems but also posing questions. Enabling you to place your practice in a broader social and cultural context, and help you recognise yourself as an independent, creative designer.
Professional Application
Working closely with technical instructors, this module introduces application skills to engage in practical tasks such as make-up application and tools, cleansing and toning and basics of working with hair correctly.
Image Construction
In this module you will learn essential photography skills that will allow you to explore and apply image-making techniques. You will be encouraged to develop your technical proficiency including camera control, studio lighting and post-production methods.
Character Design
In this module, you will be introduced to creating characters and conceptualising your ideas for a specific cinematic genre and will learn the most appropriate characterisation techniques to develop your interpretation of a character based on a literary classic book.
Visual Narratives
This module introduces photographic and post-production techniques, enabling you to develop your own visual narrative in response to a challenging brief.
Culture and Context
This module will enhance ways of seeing, thinking and writing about visual culture. You will learn about key cultural developments, practices and movements related to the history of design, visual and popular culture and the styled body since 1900 to the present day.
How you will learn and be assessed
You will learn by:
You may be assessed by a combination of:
- Sketchbooks
- Research projects
- Portfolios
- Individual presentations
- Assignments
- Practical exams
Solent’s curriculum framework builds on our unique, creative and applied approach to teaching. The transformation of students’ lives is at the heart of our mission as a university, and our curriculum – informed by the latest theory – reflects this shared educational vision.
Find out more
Study support
The student achievement team are on hand to help you succeed during your studies at Solent. They aim to contact you at key times during your time here with personalised information, advice and guidance, by email or phone.
Access Solent provides information, advice and guidance for disabled students.
All students can access Succeed@Solent, Solent's online guide to getting better grades. It offers extensive, practical information and advice on topics such as academic writing, research and presentations.
Why choose the industry?
The ethos of the course is that it operates as a creative hub. We provide students with the skills to develop creative concepts and future thinking research material spanning creative schemes, promotional campaigns, theatrical performance spaces, film, editorial beauty, culture, behaviour, alternative approaches, futures opportunities and take risks. Our key objective is to nurture exceptional make-up and hair designers, enabling them to be expressive, visionary and provocative with a broad range of abilities.
Tuition fees
The tuition fees for the 2024/25 academic year are:
- UK, EU (settled status) and Channel Island full-time fees: £9,250 per year
- International full-time fees: £16,125 per year
For further information, please visit our tuition fees page.
Extra course costs
While most course costs are covered by your tuition fees, some essential resources and optional extras may need to be paid for separately. These additional costs are listed below. For advice on budgeting and managing your money, please contact student.funding@solent.ac.uk.
The 2024/25 other costs are:
Compulsory costs
- Year one
Make-up and hair kit: £850
Lighting rig and backdrop: £40 - Year two
Optional module - Radical Bodies: £315
Optional module - The Make-Up Morgue: £140
Optional costs
- Year one
Study trip: approx £300 - Year two
Study trips: approx £300-£800 - Year three
Study trips: approx £800-£1,250
Bursaries, scholarships and financial support
Solent University offers a range of bursaries and scholarships that provide financial assistance or waive fees for tuition or accommodation. Each bursary or scholarship has specific eligibility criteria. Check out our bursaries and scholarships pages to find out more.
Graduation costs
There is no charge to attend graduation, but you will be required to pay for the rental of your academic gown (approximately £45 per graduate, depending on your award). You may also wish to purchase official photography packages, which range in price from £15 to £200+. Graduation is not compulsory, so if you prefer to have your award sent to you, there is no cost. Extra guest tickets will go on sale after results publication and will be sold on a first-come-first-served basis. The cost per ticket is currently £15. Please note, we do not guarantee there will be any extra tickets available to purchase.
Student finance videos
Student finance This video 'Student finance - bitesize' is available as a text transcript, with a description of visuals.
Student funding - the essentials This video 'Student funding essentials - Student Funding for 2023' is available as a text transcript, with a description of visuals.
Entry requirements
Please select an option below:
Key entry requirements
104-120 UCAS tariff points
- A minimum of two completed A-levels, a BTEC Extended Diploma at MMM or BTEC Diploma at D*D, a T-Level Pass (C+), or equivalent qualification, or a combination of qualifications which comply with the minimum entry requirement of 104 UCAS points.
- Direct entry into the second or third years may be considered for this course.
- Applicants over the age of 21 may be considered based on relevant experience, without having the required tariff points.
- UK applicants are required to send an electronic portfolio and may be required to attend an interview.
- For further information about UK qualifications, please contact admissions.
Key entry requirements
As a general guide, we look for qualifications that are equivalent to the British high school A-levels.
Applicants from outside the UK will be required to send an electronic portfolio and may be interviewed by video call.
If you are applying from outside the UK, find information about entry requirements, visas and agents for your country here.
For further information about UK, EU and international qualifications, please contact admissions.
Key entry requirements
As a general guide, we look for qualifications that are equivalent to the British high school A-levels.
Applicants from outside the UK will be required to send an electronic portfolio and may be interviewed by video call.
If you are applying from outside the UK, find information about entry requirements, visas and agents for your country here.
Note to all international students requiring a visa
All international applicants need to be aware that the English language requirements to attend Solent University, and the English language requirements to obtain a visa from the Home Office, may be different. This means that if you meet the Solent University language requirement to gain a place on the course, you may still have to meet additional requirements to be granted with a visa by the Home Office.
We strongly advise all applicants to visit the Home Office website which outlines all the requirements for a successful visa application and to take a look at our 2023 course entry statement document.
104-120UCAS points
Any questions?
Contact international admissions
Call: +44 (0)23 8201 5066Email: admissions.international@solent.ac.ukHow to apply
Full-time
Any student applying for the first year of a full-time/sandwich undergraduate course must apply through UCAS (University and Colleges Admissions Service). This includes mature, overseas and EU students.
Nearly all schools and colleges offer their students the facility of applying electronically through the UCAS website using 'Apply'; it may also be used by those applying independently in the UK and overseas. This facility and all course information can be found on the UCAS website: www.ucas.com.
Your application should reach UCAS by 31 January if you hope to enter a course the following autumn. Early application is advised for the most popular subject areas. Late applications may be made until the end of June. The UCAS Code for the University is S30, code name SOLNT.
Find out what happens after you apply
Contextual offers
Solent endeavours to offer learning opportunities to students from all backgrounds. When we receive and review an application, we take into consideration the context and personal circumstances of applicants when making a decision, which means our advertised entry tariff could be reduced.
Alternative entry options
Top-up route:
We welcome applications from students currently studying a Foundation Degree, DipHE, HNC, HND or modules of an undergraduate degree course at another university, who wish to enter directly into Years 2 or 3 of one of our undergraduate degree courses. Please contact our admissions team for more information: contact us
Language requirements
Applicants who do not have English as their first language will be required to demonstrate an approved level of proficiency in the use of the English language. The agreed minimum requirements for this course are:
- IELTS minimum 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each individual component
- TOEFL IBT minimum 80 with a minimum of 20 in each individual component
- Duolingo English Language Test - 115 overall with minimum of 95 in each component or equivalent.
Qualifications are checked before enrolment, and international students must bring their original certificates or certified copies when coming to study at the University.
Pre-Sessional English programme
The University also offers a pre-sessional English programme for international students who wish to improve their level of English before starting a degree course.
We will prepare you for your future
Suitable roles for graduates include
- Make-up designer for fashion and beauty
- Freelance make-up artist in film, TV and theatre
- Hair stylist for fashion and beauty
- Wig artist for film, TV and theatre
- Beauty writer
- Artist relations
- Brand management
- Digital content editor
- Education
- Cosmetic marketing
- Content creator
- Cosmetic social media marketing
- Model scout
- Art production manager
- Social media editor
- Cosmetic and skincare development specialist
- Marketing executive
- Film production
- Creative researcher
- Art direction
- Editorial beauty assistant
We will help you start your career
The Solent Futures team is committed to getting students into great careers.
While you are studying, the team can help you with finding work experience or placements, link you with a mentor, check your CV, or offer one-to-one guidance.
If you're in your final year, we also have graduate job opportunities just for Solent graduates.
Find out more
Support at Solent
All students at Solent University have access to a range of specialist support services. Whether you are having financial difficulty, need additional help with academic skills or want advice on setting up your own business you'll find that help is always on hand.
Most of our specialist support services are based around the Student Hub, a central space where you can access all the information and support you may need during your time at University. The Student Hub is the first point of contact if you have any queries relating to your course, including questions about your timetable, options, and assessments and extenuating circumstances.
We work in partnership with the University to build a sense of pride and confidence in your Union, University and student experience.
Find out more
Further study
Thinking about studying further than an undergraduate degree? Alumni can get 20% off their postgraduate study.
MA Creative Direction for Fashion and Beauty
Take charge and lead a wealth of fashion and beauty brands to success with your innovative and creative vision on this practice-based master's degree.
MA Visual Communication
Do you have an eye for design? Would you like to help influence the future of visual communications? Our MA Visual Communication degree is ideal for creatives keen to refine their practice, working as part of an interdisciplinary group of students.
Make your application
- 3 years
- 4 years with foundation year
