BA (Hons) Modelmaking

BA (Hons) Modelmaking is your stepping stone to an exciting career in making.

With access to the latest technology and traditional resources, you'll learn to make things using an extensive array of materials, tools, and techniques. You'll develop the making skills needed for rewarding careers in film, architecture, exhibition, and design. You'll develop as an independent thinker, capable of solving problems and taking imaginative leaps in creative design and making.

You'll work on live collaborative projects with students from other courses and with industry professionals. Using our strong links with the creative industries, you'll have opportunities to undertake work experience with leading companies in the UK and abroad.

This course has been the first step in the journeys of many successful graduates, leaders, and innovators. You'll get the opportunity to work in our award-winning and purpose-built ‘CRAB’ Drawing Studio, which was designed by Professor Sir Peter Cook, RA, as well as Passiv Haus and our well-equipped Printmaking Studio.

All undergraduate courses at AUB offer an optional placement year, to be taken between your second and third years of study.

If you’re unsure about this optional placement, you don’t need to decide now. Once you’re here and studying with us, the course team will discuss the placement options with you, so when the time comes, you can make a decision that’s right for you.

If you’re required to have a Student Visa to study in the UK, it won’t be possible to undertake the one-year placement option; there’ll be other opportunities for you to engage with industry during your study at AUB.

Your first year introduces you to the core skills of a professional modelmaker. These include making processes and techniques, design thinking, and the essential function of the model as a form of communication.

You’ll challenge, reframe and develop your previous assumptions about skills, methods, thought processes, and representation to build the necessary foundations for professional practice. Teaching seeks to move you swiftly from ‘rule-seeking behaviour’ to independent decision-making.

You’ll explore design ideas, critical thinking, visualisation skills and interpretation. You’ll attend specialist demonstrations and practical studio and workshop sessions.

In the second year, you’ll continue to develop your understanding of modelmaking as communication. Interpretation and representation are studied and practiced in a variety of different professional contexts.

You’ll turn your attention outwards to clients, industry and society as a whole. Engagement and interaction with industry, audiences and consumers (in the form of live briefs where possible) are integrated into the curriculum, as is research, reflection and the use of writing to develop understanding.

We’ll encourage you to develop interests and lines of enquiry which will inform the choice of creative and career directions in the third year.

Teaching seeks to facilitate your self-discovery and to build your confidence in pursuing independent paths in skill development, reflection and enquiry, and in choosing career directions.

In your third year, you’ll work on more in-depth and complex studio projects and carry out a major theoretical piece of research.

The direction of the course and of your decision-making is firmly towards the outside world as characterised by clients, the industry and audiences.

As part of this, there is a continuous process in which you're expected (through research and work experience) to ‘benchmark’ standards of performance, and to define, manage and meet your own personal standards of excellence.

You’ll carry out a ‘live’ or simulated project, working to a client-led brief which must succeed within the constraints and expectations of the commercial world. You’ll learn about the professional aspects of model making and running a business.

Your final major project is designed to promote your professional intent, direction, creativity, individuality and strength in your specialist area.

Your third year traditionally culminates in a show in London where you can meet potential employers.

New Blades (2023)

• Best in Show, Best Product Model, Best Finish, Best Use of 3D Printing – Maddie Fuggle
• Runner-Up Best in Show, Best Use of Creative Materials – Jamie Lord
• Model Maker Group Fine Scale Model Award, Asylum Best Modelmaking – Holly Bignell
• Leviation Workshop Award – Christianna Altani
• Sustainability Award – Anna Rumary
• Howells Award – Sam Teanby
• Outside the Box Award – Jack Wase

APMM Art Hedlund Student Model Making Competition (2020)

• First place – Chris Bradbury
• Third place – Yudit Lee
• Honourable Mentions – Reba Bawden, Jonny Cavaciuti, James Picot, Shannon Sykes

New Blades (2019)

• Best of Show, Best Finish – Ollie Smither
• Leviathan Workshop Award, Most Ambitious Model – Nate Sanger-Davies
• Best Architectural Model – Finlay Whitfield
• Best Heritage – Jess Jordan
• Best Use of Technology – Vanessa Pearson
• Asylum Creative Prize – Jasper Cousins
• Richard Gregory SFX Award – Vicki O'Connell

Our graduates have progressed in their careers to run departments at Pinewood Studios, Foster + Partners, Rogers Stirk Harbour, AHMM, Chalk Studios and Rusty Squid, among others. In addition, films such as Harry Potter, Thor, Captain America, Troy and Clash of the Titans feature the work of our graduates.

AUB's Careers and Enterprise team is dedicated to supporting you in turning your creativity into a great career.