The course encourages you to think and work independently. The core technical and conceptual skills taught on the course are essential for a variety of career pathways in teaching, curatorship, journalism, management and arts administration; and in the wider Creative Industries and related support structures both locally and internationally. After successful completion of Year 2, you may opt to undertake a placement year. Placement is always successful in giving you real experience of the work contexts into which you might move upon graduation. With a small and committed staff team, who are research active, and working in their field, the course is built on a lively and creative studio/workshop ethic. All year groups work in the same studio environment, where you are encouraged to learn from your peers and build communities of practice. Each CAA Student is assigned an individual tutor and studies advisor to ensure that progress on the course is supported by staff.

A majority of our graduates establish small workshop-based businesses that have developed national and international reputations. These graduates are supported by several programmes such as the UK Crafts Council’s Setting-Up and Next Move, the Crafts Council of Ireland’s Building Craft Enterprises and Developing Craft Enterprises and their Future Makers and Craft Northern Ireland Making IBusiness Start-Up programme. The University’s Applied Arts workshops host a maker on the Making It programme. Graduates can also develop their skills on short courses at the Crafts Council of Ireland’s Ceramic Design and Skills Course and Jewellery and Goldsmithing Training Skills Course. Ulster provides a number of progression routes to further education which are the PGCE (Primary and Post-Primary), MA, MFA, MDES and PhD opportunities. In addition there are progression opportunities for students to study in the United Kingdom, such as the Ceramics and Glass courses at the Royal College of Art, London, the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff and the University of Staffordshire at Stoke-on-Trent and the Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, Metalwork and Jewellery courses at Royal College of Art, London, Sheffield Hallam University and the Bishopsland Educational Trust. Ceramic Artist Designer Jewellery Designer Silversmith Studio technican Art Teacher Community Artist Curator.