Foundation Year

If you don’t quite qualify for one of our online degree courses then don’t worry, you’re in the right place!

If you are interested in enrolling on one of our online BA (Hons) degree programmes and persuing a career in the music industry, Point Blank’s online Foundation Year is your route to success. During your studies, 1-2-1 Tutorials, weekly Masterclasses and Studio Lab Time all featuring highly interactive teaching will be available to help you reach your full potential. If you can demonstrate the potential to achieve and determination to succeed, within 12 months, you’ll be ready for our online degrees.

This online course will enable you to develop confidence in your abilities whilst acquiring a strong knowledge and skill set needed to complete your chosen degree. Our online Foundation Year has been designed to help you explore the key areas of the music industry, support you in discovering your interests, and help you make informed choices in your career ambitions.

If you need any help or assistance in making the right choice, then please contact us here and we'll be happy to guide you through the process.

You can also study our Foundation Year on campus.

As part of your course you will get access to a range of Online Learning features to help you in your studies. We've enhanced our exclusive 1-2-1 sessions in order to provide you with individual time to speak to your lecturers and share your projects. You’ll get advice on your 1-2-1 tutorial exercises, course materials, recap key techniques, gain industry tips, and be able to ask any questions you want. You'll also benefit from our purpose-built Virtual Learning Environment, which allows you to connect with the wider Point Blank community, and study at the time and place that suits you. 

On our higher education programmes you will be taught through a variety of masterclasses and regular 1-2-1 sessions. When not attending these sessions you will be expected to continue learning independently. Independent learning is about taking control of your work and deciding what you need to know and deciding how you are going to study.

During this time you can take advantage of:

• Our award winning Virtual Learning Environment with custom resources and video content.
• Studio Lab Time - personal support from our Studio Lab Assistants on your work.
• Value added workshops with academics and industry professionals.

Each academic level consists of 120 credits, and we expect students to study approximately 10 hours per credit. Modules on this programme are worth either 10 or 20 credits, so students are expected to study the following number of hours per module:

• 20 credit modules: 20 hours per week (4 hours of lecture time plus 16 hours of independent learning).
• 10 credit modules: 10 hours per week (2 hours of lecture time plus 8 hours of independent learning).

Assessment is an integral part of learning and you may hear it referred to as formative or summative:

• Formative assessment (exercise) is designed to give you feedback on your performance and how it can be improved as you study at Point Blank. Formative assessment is an important part of the learning process and has been shown to help students improve both their grades and their learning style.
• Summative assessment is designed to measure the extent to which you have achieved the learning outcomes of a module and therefore the grade you will be awarded. Learning outcomes are the specific skills and knowledge that you are expected to demonstrate as a result of taking a module.

Most students show themselves to be stronger in some assessment types than others. To make it possible for students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills to the best of their abilities, a wide range of assessment types is offered. Students will be asked to produce work in a wide variety of formats including: compositions, creative projects, written work, report, performances, presentations, 1-2-1 discussions, recordings and timed composition briefs. The assessment breakdown for this programme is approximately:

Being an undergraduate student involves two main expenses: tuition fees and living costs. Students can either choose to pay for their course privately, or alternatively, all of our higher education programmes are eligible for Student Finance loans. Eligible students may be able to apply for a tuition fee loan to cover the total tuition fee (please note that Student Finance maintenance funding is not normally available for distance learning courses). For students wishing to pay privately, we have a number of payment plans available, including annual and termly instalments. Click here for more information on fees and funding options available. 

Point Blank students in this program enjoy a range of free software and exclusive discounts including but not limited to:

• Free copy of Ableton Live 11 Suite worth £539
• 50% off Native Instruments Komplete 13
 
• 70% off Eventide plugins
• Over 50% off Roland Cloud
• 35% off Waves
• 30% off Spitfire Audio