Make-Up and Hair Design BA (Hons)
Course Overview - Make-Up and Hair Design BA (Hons)
This challenging, creative course delivers all the skills you need to start your career as a professional make-up artist and more. You will develop your knowledge and understanding of the professional roles in the key areas of the industry from editorial and catwalk, to film, television and theatre.
Youll be introduced to three industry pathways that explore make-up and hair styling for fashion editorial, wig work for theatre, TV, as well as alternative design contexts (eg, publications, galleries and the catwalk), and be encouraged to take an experimental approach to appli...
This challenging, creative course delivers all the skills you need to start your career as a professional make-up artist and more. You will develop your knowledge and understanding of the professional roles in the key areas of the industry from editorial and catwalk, to film, television and theatre.<br/><br/>Youll be introduced to three industry pathways that explore make-up and hair styling for fashion editorial, wig work for theatre, TV, as well as alternative design contexts (eg, publications, galleries and the catwalk), and be encouraged to take an experimental approach to application, materials and creative development processes to make your mark in industry.<br/><br/>With a focus on real-world learning, youll gain key skills to stand-out in industry and make your unique mark, through character design and studio practice, underpinned with a thorough understanding of culture and consumer behaviour. And to enable you to operate across contemporary design platforms, you will be trained in photography, film and digital publishing.<br/><br/>We emphasise diversity and inclusion within design, while debating beauty ideals, gender politics and the changing face of identity. Throughout the course you will be encouraged to embrace and develop new ways of working, alongside the study of historic and contemporary techniques.<br/><br/>You will be taught by a team with strong reputations as practicing professional designers or researchers, as well as visiting lecturers, and a dynamic programme of industry speakers - recent speakers have included Carly Utting for Mac Pro And Lan Nguyen Grealis. And thanks to the course teams close links with industry youll have the opportunity to work on a range of live project briefs with organisations, which have recently included Mac Pro, Nars, Rimmel Ingolot and Huda Beauty.<br/><br/>Practical experience is at the core of our real-world learning. Each year, our students work as part of a make-up team at Graduate Fashion Week, and we regularly host industry demonstrations. Students also benefit from kit support provided by leading brands, which have included Mac Pro, NARS, and Rimmel. Additionally, you are encouraged to attend events such as British Beauty Council gatherings and Mac Pro demonstrations in London.<br/><br/>And there are many collaborative opportunities with other students on projects such as GUNK Collective, an online multi-media platform that showcases the cutting edge vision of makeup, hair, prosthetics and special effects students; as well as experiences on shoots and catwalk events. Youll also have the opportunity to apply to work with our professional make-up team at London Fashion Week. These experiences help you contextualise your place within the industry, offering you a rich and stimulating education and preparing you for future employment.<br/><br/>If you’re looking to study our make-up and hair design degree but don’t have the relevant qualifications or experience, the art and design foundation year will help you develop the core skills and knowledge to progress. Find out more about the art and design foundation year. <br/><br/><strong>Who is this course for?</strong><br/>Solent’s Make Up and Hair course is ideally suited to students who wish to expand their knowledge and develop their creative design skills in make up and hair - across editorial and catwalk, theatre and Film / TV. Applicants should have ideally studied a creative subject and have a portfolio of related art and design work to show as part of their application to the course.<br/><br/><strong>What does this course lead to?</strong><br/>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.<br/><br/>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.
Course Information
1 option available
Some courses vary and have tailored teaching options, select a course option below.
Course Details
Information
Study Mode
Full-time
Duration
3 Years
Start Date
21/09/2026
Campus
Main Site
Application Details
14 January
Application deadline
Provider Details
Codes/info
Course Code
MHD1
Institution Code
S30
Points of Entry
Year 1, Year 2, Year 3
Entry Requirements
UCAS Tariff
104
120
Scottish Higher
104-120 UCAS Tariff Points from a minimum of 4 Scottish Highers
Access to HE Diploma
Pass in Access course with 60 credits overall including 45 Level 3 credits passed with a minimum of Merit, or 102-118 UCAS Tariff points with any combination of Distinction, Merit or Pass Grades
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
28
31
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
DMM
DMM (112 UCAS Tariff Points)
HNC (BTEC)
P
D
Pearson BTEC Diploma (QCF)
D*D
Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)
DMM
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
D*D
D*D (104 UCAS Tariff Points)
AS
Accepted when studied alongside other Level 3 qualifications
OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma
D*D
D*D (104 UCAS Tariff Points)
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
DMM
DMM (112 UCAS Tariff Points)
Scottish Advanced Higher
104-120 UCAS Tariff Points from a minimum of 2 Scottish Advanced Highers
Extended Project
This qualification is considered as part of the overall tariff (104-120 UCAS Tariff Points)
Pearson BTEC Subsidiary Diploma (QCF)
This qualification is considered as part of the overall tariff (104-120 UCAS Tariff Points)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
This qualification is considered as part of the overall tariff (104-120 UCAS Tariff Points)
OCR Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma
This qualification is considered as part of the overall tariff (104-120 UCAS Tariff Points)
HND (BTEC)
P
M
Pearson BTEC Certificate (QCF)
This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.
Pearson BTEC 90-Credit Diploma (QCF)
This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
This qualification is considered as part of the overall tariff (104-120 UCAS Tariff Points)
OCR Cambridge Technical Certificate
This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
This qualification is considered as part of the overall tariff (104-120 UCAS Tariff Points)
OCR Cambridge Technical Foundation Diploma
This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate
This qualification is accepted when taken alongside other qualifications.
A level
104-120 from a minimum of 2 A Levels
T Level
M
Merit (120 UCAS Tariff Points)
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (last awarded Summer 2024)
This qualification is considered as part of the overall tariff (104-120 UCAS Tariff Points)
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Fees and funding
| Region | Costs | Academic Year | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Channel Islands, Republic of Ireland | £9,790 | 2026/27 | Year 1 |
| International | £19,081 | 2026/27 | Year 1 |









































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