Our  Moving Image Programme is unfortunately no longer accepting new enrolments and is only available for existing students to continue their studies.

When an existing Moving Image student is ready to enrol onto their next unit please email enquiries@oca.ac.uk.

Study a Moving Image degree with OCA

Our BA (Hons) Moving Image degree is a broad art-focused programme of study, for those wanting to work with film and video. Spanning digital formats, video, and traditional film, this course offers opportunities for exploration and risk-taking whilst helping you define strong critical contexts for your working processes.

You will learn by doing – making films from the beginning of your studies. Throughout your learning journey you will gain an awareness of historic and contemporary moving image practice, as well as visual culture more broadly, and its related social, ethical and philosophical discourses. We encourage a diversity of practices – artists using film, video installation, animation, documentary, abstract film, and script driven narrative cinema – we want you to draw upon, challenge and remap established approaches. Importantly, we encourage ambition and criticality.

You will be supported by staff who possess extensive skills and knowledge and practice as artists, filmmakers and photographers.

Course Structure

The degree is split into eight units: three at Level 1 (HE4), two at Level 2 (HE5), and three at Level 3 (HE6). There are some core units that all students take, many more optional units, and some prerequisites for units at higher levels.

Core Units

Level 1 begins with two core units, Moving Image 1: Setting the Scene, and Moving Image 1: Fact and Fiction. These core units introduce key concepts and skills for the study of moving image, and encourage you to experiment, explore and take risks. They also introduce different ways of exploring your own ideas through moving image, from traditional narrative filmmaking to art house cinema.

Moving into Level 2, there are two core units on offer, Moving Image 2: Moving Image Methodologies, and Moving Image 2: Independent Filmmaking. You can either study both of these core units, or you can select one of the core units and then choose an elective unit to complement your developing interests in moving image practice (see below).

At Level 3, you will study a flexible negotiated programme which consists of three core units. You will develop a major body of practical work in the Moving Image 3: Body of Work unit, alongside which you’ll develop written work that critically contextualises your practice in the Moving Image 3: Contextual Studies unit. In the final unit, Moving Image 3: Sustaining your Practice, you’ll resolve your major body of work, with an emphasis on the professionalism of its presentation, and be tasked with exposing your work to a public audience.

Optional Units

At Level 1, following completion of the core units, you can choose an elective unit within the areas of Moving Image, or from Photography, Visual Culture or Creative Writing:

  • Moving Image 1: Animation
  • Moving Image 1: An Introduction to Film Culture
  • Photography 1: Expressing Your Vision
  • Visual Studies 1: Understanding Visual Culture
  • Writing 1: Scriptwriting

If you have only chosen one of the core units for study at Level 2, you can choose one elective unit to complete your study at this level, choosing from within the areas of Photography or Creative Writing:

  • Photography 2: Digital Image & Culture
  • Writing 2: Moving on With Script Writing

We regularly review our curriculum; therefore, the qualification described on this page – including its availability, its structure, and available units – may change over time. If we make changes to this qualification, we’ll update this page as soon as possible. Once you’ve registered or are studying this qualification, where practicable, we’ll inform you in good time of any upcoming changes. If you’d like to know more about the circumstances in which OCA might make changes to the curriculum, see our Academic Regulations or contact us. This description was last updated on 14 December 2022.

Moving Image Degree Pathway

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Programme Specification 2022/23

Review Programme Specification here
Programme Specification 2023/24

Review Programme Specification here

Foundations

£935

Per course

Level 1 (HE4)

£4,500

For the level

Level 2 (HE5)

£4,500

For the level

Level 3 (HE6)

£4,500

For the level

Total approximate undergraduate fees

Breakdown of costs...

Level 1 (HE4)

£1,500

Per course unit (4o credits)

All of the OCA’s Level 1 (HE4) course units are worth 40 credits each. If you’re studying towards an Open degree, you’ll need three Level 1 (HE4) course units to gain the necessary 120 credits to move on to Level 2 (HE5).

Deposit is £415 followed by 7 monthly instalments of £155.
Level 2 (HE5)

£2,250

Per course unit (6o credits)

Some of the OCA’s Level 2 (HE5) course units are worth 60 credits each. If you’re studying towards an Open degree, you’ll need two Level 2 (HE5) course units to gain the necessarry 120 credits to move on to Level 3 (HE6).

Deposit is £545 followed by 11 monthly instalments of £155.
Level 3 (HE6)

£4,500

For the level

OCA’s Level 3 (HE6) course units hold differing amounts of credits depending upon the given Open degree pathway.

Foundations

£1,075

Per course

Level 1 (HE4)

£5,160

For the level

Level 2 (HE5)

£5,160

For the level

Level 3 (HE6)

£5,160

For the level

Total approximate undergraduate fees

Breakdown of costs...

Level 1 (HE4)

1,720

Per course unit (40 credits)

All of the OCA’s Level 1 (HE4) course units are worth 40 credits each. If you’re studying towards a degree, you’ll need three Level 1 (HE4) course units to gain the necessary 120 credits to move on to Level 2 (HE5).

Deposit is £530 followed by 7 monthly instalments of £170.
Level 2 (HE5)

£2,580

Per course unit (60 credits)

Some of the OCA’s Level 2 (HE5) course units are worth 60 credits each. If you’re studying towards a degree, you’ll need two Level 2 (HE5) course units to gain the necessary 120 credits to move on to Level 3 (HE6).

Deposit is £710 followed by 11 monthly instalments of £170.

 
Level 3 (HE6)

£5,160

For the level

OCA’s Level 3 (HE6) course units hold differing amounts of credits depending upon the given degree pathway, and therefore are varied in cost. For individual pricing, please see the individual course unit pages on this website.
More Information
  •  
    Fees, Funding & Other Costs

    OCA degrees are paid for on a unit-by-unit basis and are around a third of the cost of a degree at a campus university. Unit costs depend on the level of the unit, and also whether you live in the UK or rest of the world.

    If you started studying with OCA before 01 August 2017, please contact accounts@oca.ac.uk as different fees may apply.

    If you are funding your course yourself, you can either pay for units in full or you can spread the cost by taking advantage of our deposit and instalment facility.

    All OCA courses are listed with Student Finance England, Wales, and Northern Ireland allowing eligible students to apply for a Student Loan to cover the cost of fees. You may also be able to apply for a maintenance loan and/or Disabled Students Allowance to assist you with the cost of study.

    The OCA Learner Support Scheme can provide partial bursaries towards course fees for students who are not eligible for funding via Student Finance, based on financial hardship.

    Other sources of funding may include employer contributions, Enhanced Learning Credits (for Armed Forces Serving Personnel and Service Leavers) and Prisoner Education Trust.

  •  
    Entry Requirements

    Moving Image is an open access degree; this means that there are no formal qualifications or experience required to join the course. All you need is a passion for the arts, and willingness to learn.

    All OCA courses require students to be IT literate, have a good internet connection, and have a good standard of English equivalent to CEFR B2. Further details on the entry requirements can be found in the Student Regulations.

  •  
    Careers & Employability

    Upon completing the BA (Hons) Moving Image degree, you’ll be set with skills to help you navigate the workplace. You could use your practice as a videographer, 3D Designer, animator or photographer, the possibilities are endless. Prospects can help you with a variety of options of where your degree could take you.

    In May 2022 the Department for Culture, Media, & Sport estimated there were some 2.3 million jobs in the UK creative industries, and post pandemic the Creative Industries are growing faster than the UK economy as a whole.

  •  
    Academic Regulatory Framework (ARF)

    The Academic Regulatory Framework (ARF) regulations are applicable to all taught courses offered by the Open College of the Arts (OCA). As of January 2024, this will lead to an undergraduate award of The Open University (OU).

    You can review the ARF through the link below:

    Academic Regulatory Framework

Please note as of 21/07/2022 we are not processing enrolments for the 2021/22 academic year. Enrolments will be open as usual from 01 August 2022.