Costume for Film

Why Choose Us?

Unique Course Offering: The only costume course in the UK to offer fully integrated film opportunities throughout the degree programme. You will work in collaboration with filmmakers, makeup artists, and actors as part of the world-renowned Bournemouth Film School (accredited by CILECT and Screenskills) and participate in stage productions in our two theatres.

State-of-the-Art BFS Film Studio: Our unrivalled BFS Film Studio complex spans over 20,000 square feet and has been utilized by the British Film Institute for its own development programmes.The facility includes a costume store to support your learning and creative projects.

Explore all Paths – then Specialise: We offer the chance to explore all avenues within film costume and wardrobe departments before specialising in Costume Design, Making, or Supervision. Graduating with an industry-ready portfolio will prepare you for your future career.

Networking Opportunities: Throughout your course, you will have the opportunity to network with distinguished alumni and tutors from the industry, providing valuable contacts that can facilitate your career in costume design and production.

Award-Winning Education: We are proud to be winners of the Queen’s Award (2017) for ‘distinguished degree-level education in costume ... for the UK’s leading creative industries’.

Unleash Your Creativity
The creative industries in the UK are highly regarded, and you will develop skills and a professional mindset to thrive in competitive environments. The course encourages you to test the boundaries of your creative and technical abilities, inspired by an experienced teaching team and a wide network of industry collaborators.

What to Expect
The award-winning Costume course is structured over three years, offering involvement in live productions from first-year to graduate films, aiding in portfolio development for future careers. You'll build core practical and theoretical skills in costume design, making, and history in your first year. The second year allows you to specialise in one of three pathways:

Costume Design: Focusing on research, ideas, concepts, and the creation of designs.
Costume Making: Developing advanced techniques in tailoring and construction.
Costume Supervision: Managing costumes for productions, including sourcing and budgeting.

Cultivating Career-Ready Skills
Our extensive industry connections boast alumni like Oscar-winning designers and contributors to celebrated productions such as The Crown, Bridgerton and Deadpool. Between your second and third years, you can take a Professional Placement Year, securing your own placement with course team guidance, gaining valuable workplace experience and expanding your network. Recent placements include Dorset Opera Festival and Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake.

Sustainability
Sustainable practice is core to the course. Students learn to make environmentally conscious choices in design and production, including training in carbon calculators to assess environmental impact. Opportunities for gaining Albert accreditation in sustainable production practices further enhance industry readiness.

A Legacy of Excellence at Bournemouth Film School
Studying BA (Hons) Costume at Arts University Bournemouth connects you with Bournemouth Film School, a leader in the Screen and Creative Industries for over 60 years. In 2025, BFS will begin a significant expansion, reimagining possibilities within the screen industry. Our BFS Funding Futures program fosters creativity through collaboration with schools, graduates, and industry partners. Seize the opportunity to study where creativity, collaboration, and innovation converge.

At Arts University Bournemouth, you’ll study at one of the UK’s leading specialist creative universities, joining a vibrant, collaborative community built around art, design, media, and performance.

With students and staff from over 60 countries and more than 30 creative courses across four specialist schools, AUB's a place where creativity and new ideas are encouraged and individuality is celebrated. From film and fashion to animation, design, architecture, and performance, you’ll develop practical skills and industry knowledge through hands-on, studio-based learning.

You’ll be preparing for a future in the UK’s creative industries sector - one of the country’s biggest employment sectors and worth £124 billion to the economy every year.

With guaranteed accommodation for all first-year students and set near award-winning beaches, AUB also offers an inspiring location where creativity can thrive both on and off campus.