Support built-in

Students in a row
How it works

Below, we explain how you will study for your masters online with Falmouth Flexible, from the easy-to-use learning platform, through to our inspiring face-to-face events.

At a glance

Support
Dedicated support

Your Student Advisor is on-hand to offer advice. 

All in one place
All in one place

Learn via our easy-to-use online platform.

Global network
Global network

Study alongside students from around the world.

Contextual learning
Contextual learning

Meet staff and peers at optional face-to-face events.

How you learn

As a Falmouth Flexible student, you can expect an online learning experience that’s engaging, challenging, rewarding, and characterised by meaningful interactions with your peers and tutors. Our students’ success is testament to our exceptional standards of research and teaching.

Our courses are all 100% online, so you can access everything you need to learn via your desktop or mobile device – anytime, anywhere. Using our intuitive, easy-to-use online learning platform, Canvas, you’ll have access to a variety of engaging content, including: 

  • Online group tutorials 

  • Readings 

  • Webinars 

  • Discussion boards. 

 

With all course content available on-demand at your fingertips, you won’t need to worry about relocating or obtaining visas to study your chosen course.  

All course modules are broken down into manageable weekly chunks so that you can comfortably manage your studies alongside your other commitments.  

Find out more about how online learning works in our video:

 

 

Hear from our graduates

 
Why study online with Falmouth?
What is exciting about studying your course at Falmouth?
Why do you think a degree in your field is attractive to the industry?
What career opportunities have been opened up to you?

Student support

Studying online

At Falmouth you are at the centre of a network of staff and support services committed to your success. Put your questions to dedicated course and student advisors. Join a global network of likeminded learners. Connect with online tutors who are experts in their field. 

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Graduation

Graduate receiving certificate

Celebrate your academic achievements with family and friends by attending graduation in person, on campus. You're invited to travel to Falmouth University to take part in our prestigious graduation ceremony and formally be awarded your degree alongside your peers. 

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Face-to-face events

Our optional face-to-face events not only provide the opportunity to meet with your online peers and faculty in person, but offer distinctive cultural and creative experiences of their own.  

Just a few examples - our MA and BA Top-Up Photography cohorts have attended a wide variety of international photography festivals, our MA Creative Events Management cohort experienced the Christmas Markets in Berlin.  

As an online student you will be given the opportunity to attend up to two events per academic year. Events will usually take place over a weekend to accommodate busy schedules. 

Please note that given the variability in participant numbers and the specific nature of planned events, it may not always be possible to organise them for every course every year.

Watch face-to-face event highlights

Contact us

Why Falmouth?

Our world is changing faster and faster. We need to be able to adapt quickly to new trends or adopt skills for new directions. Everything Falmouth University does is focused on helping you develop new knowledge, solve problems and forge new careers and passions.  

You will be challenged and supported, and you will grow. Not all online courses are the same. Ours are built to give you the very best experience, from our online platform through to our optional face-to-face events. So, explore your options and how you’ll learn with us - get in touch, ask questions and see how we can help you.  

Video transcripts

Ashley Rose: The Falmouth program looked attractive to me. The online suited my lifestyle. We split our time between Scotland and the US. And so it allowed me to be quite flexible in the way that I did, did the work and did my coursework. I ended up spending most of the time on the course in Scotland because my projects were there. But that flexibility, I could live in the North of Scotland and do the program online, which was helpful.

Fiona Rimmer: So I came to this course as a mature student, so I've got a family at home and work and I found that I couldn't commit to going to a University during the day, so I had to have flexible way to learn. So I could stay at home. Everything was there provided for you. We had brilliant lecturers online and all our meetings, group meetings were online. So it really worked for me and my lifestyle and the commitments that I've got at this stage in my life.

Hilde Maassen: I live in the Netherlands, so I wanted to do my MA and the good thing about the MA was for me is I'm a photographer for over 30 years, so I took this opportunity to see what I had done the last 30 years and what I wanted to do next 30 years. And for me to do it online was the opportunity to do it abroad. So that's an amazing way to study and to meet other people. And the other thing that was amazing is because I realized during the study that most of the things you learn is about the region you live in. And this way I learned all kinds of new things from all over the world that I didn't realize.

Htet San: So I'm in the US, I live in the United States, so I don't have a time flexibility that I can go to school in person. So I also work 9 to 5 on a daily basis. So I'm looking for a program that is really well accredited and then and also that I can work, I can study at my own pace, so I like Falmouth. Falmouth University Master's program is ranked in, like one of the highest in the UK too. So I just would like to give it a try and then I finally I'm happy that I got my degree.

Laura Page: I studied online, because I'd always, I did my BA in art history and I always wanted to do a creative masters, but I had a family and a job and I couldn't go and study on campus easily to do the course I wanted to do, which is illustration. So I was casting about looking to see what was online and Falmouth popped up, and it's got a great reputation for Creative Studies and creative courses. So straight away I was like, right, brilliant. Falmouth's the one. So that's why!

Maxine Newel: I've always been fascinated by Falmouth and obviously being a mature student, I haven't had the opportunity to necessarily come down here and study. So I think just Falmouth alone for being a fine artist is just amazing. And to have the opportunity to study here, it's just been fantastic. So but I just love Falmouth and the University campus is pretty amazing. So, you know, it's a privilege, really.

Nigel Ready: Well, I for many years has been a member of the Royal Photographic Society and achieved an associateship. And they have an arrangement here with Falmouth. And it was highly recommended. And it's got a great reputation for arts and photography in particular, and that's why I chose Falmouth.

Selina Scerri: I looked at the course and it looked really interesting and that's the first thing. And when I contacted the student services, they were really helpful and they followed me through and that showed me that the course was going to be helpful as well, which is most important. And I had to study online because I'm a single mother. And I have a job and I work as an artist as well. So I'm really busy and I needed something that could fit into my very busy schedule, although it was very hard work. I mean, we had to study a lot, but it it was perfect for me.

Teresa Clark: I knew Falmouth's reputation as an art school anyway. Long reputation. And the reason for studying online is because I live in Cumbria where I couldn't and I have children, so I couldn't travel anywhere where I could do a degree in person and the time frame wouldn't work for me. My husband works away from home, so I had to be around for my children who are still at school. So I googled illustration online thinking who knows? And Falmouth came up, so it was perfect.

Htet San: I have been doing photography for the past 10 years. The reason that I want to study the master's degree is that I want to go to a teaching career. In order to pursue the teaching that I need to have a master's degree. So so I've been working as a, like in the industry, as a designer, so I've been only working as a corporate work and then it's like, so I want to switch my career and I want to study, get a degree at the, you know, photography and film. So that's why I choose like this, like this course, because photography is my passion and then it's like that's my real ambition for my career.

Fiona Rimmer: So so I did the AM and illustration and I'd come to it from a career as an art teacher in secondary school. And I just wanted to think about change of direction, where I could work independently and creatively and produce my own work and enter a sort of commercial arena. I just found that because we were an online community in my group, there were international students there. We're coming from all different walks of life, so it was really inspiring to be part of that group.

Nigel Ready: Well, it opened up completely new perspectives on photography. I mean, I'm a landscape photographer, and for many years I've been sort of concentrating on pretty pictures. But Falmouth has taught me that photography was a lot more than that. And because of the subject I chose, which was Irish poets, so I was able to combine both my passion for poetry and for photography. So at the end, I was able to produce a book on Seamus Heaney, which I was very pleased to be able to do. And so it was hard work, but that's, I think, ultimately very worth worthwhile.

Teresa Clark: I think the most exciting thing actually was the tutors who are all practicing illustrators. They're really they're really knowledgeable, really supportive. And they were very clever at using the fact that we were online, that we were working remotely. They were really clever at bringing us together. And it felt awkward and a bit odd at first, but the tutors were just really skilled in the way that they used all the special software for us to interact with each other, to share our work with each other. And actually it felt a really unique experience. I didn't feel like I was missing out being on campus. I felt like I was just doing something different. And the future, actually.

Selina Scerri: Well, the interesting part was that everyone was so different. Like, for example, there was a girl from Dubai and all her color palettes were very desert. Like there were people who were interested in witchcraft. There were people who were interested in what you call in maps like Ben here. He was doing everything in symbols. So it actually and there was Adele who was like this wonderful Illustrator. So it was quite a good mixture of people and everyone was super talented. So although I expect I didn't expect such a high level of, of students, to be honest, because I had studied in London for my degree, I didn't think it was going to be this good. To be honest, they're all great. And the tutors were, the lessons were pretty hard, I must say, but we had a lot to do. But it was challenging, but I liked it.

Maxine Newel: I think because it was illustration and I think I was studying fine art. Previous to that my artwork became quite illustrative and I did a lot of commissions at a little gallery and studio. My commissions were quite interesting. People were coming in and saying, oh, you know, you look more like an illustrator, so why don't you think about studying illustration? So combining the fine art illustration and Falmouth University worked perfectly for me and it's given me the opportunity and I've always wanted to do a book, not sure what kind of book, but more autobiographical and about my family and perhaps children's books. So it works out really well. So it's an exciting course for that reason.

Ashley Rose: Well, I've always had an interest in photography and I've had a camera since I was probably eight or nine years old and, so a lot of years ago, that's 60 years ago. So I've had cameras throughout my life and enjoyed doing it and I wanted to get a better understanding of what to do with all the things that I did and find more inspiration and new techniques to make what I did. Even better, probably more than anything, was to contextualize the work that I've done. I just took photos and if it pleased me. It pleased me. And if it didn't, it didn't. I never had any idea of doing anything with it. But this gave me the opportunity to do a couple of books and delve into areas that have never would have imagined doing any kind of photographic work. I was always pretty much an outdoors, natural, light photographer. A lot of wildlife. A lot of nature. And I've branched off into very different places as a result of the course.

Laura Page: Oh what was exciting. The fact that there was people from all around the world that were able to access it, I thought it was really exciting. So you had people from everywhere who could all tune in because it was online, so that was really great. People from all different backgrounds and all different reasons for studying the course. And then I knew that the course, had a lot of outreach to the industry, which was really important to me. So that got me really excited about studying the theory side of it, but obviously the practical side of the industry how to be an Illustrator or that kind of thing.

Hilde Maassen: I think the most exciting part is meeting all the people from all over the world and connecting and see what they were doing. And also the professors were from all over the world. So getting all the influences. And for me personally, it was having a deadline because I'm really bad with procrastination. So every time it's like, Oh yeah, but that can be done tomorrow. But with a deadline because you are studying, you have deadline. I couldn't procrastinate, so I did that much work. It was amazing. Still, I would love to have a new deadline.

Maxine Newel: I think the industry look for people with degrees. I mean, I know that social media plays a big part in it now because you can get online and you can advertise yourself. But I just feel that having the degree and having an MA, I think it puts me it just shows my commitment. I think it shows commitment more and it also gives you so much confidence and you learn more and also the writing side of it. You know, you've got a reason behind your work to back it up. So, you know, I think that helps you look more professional, perhaps. I think it's you know, it's just a great thing to do. It's a privilege. So and I think it's going to help me. And I think the industry looks for people like us and I'm hoping

Selina Scerri: It gets you on another level. Being an artist Illustrator is not it's not anymore. It's not about just being talented anymore. But you have to be driven and you have to have a sort of system and you have to know how to get into that system and you need academia for that. So being an outsider artist, you want to be an outsider artist, but that's not the field I want to be. So I needed the structure to go further and where I want to go.

Htet San: I mean, photography is like it's everywhere. Like, you know, nowadays, like people, so many people use photography, it's like to communicate and like it's like it's become like a global language. It could be it could be considered as a global language for this snd everybody can understand it, right? Like, you know, photography, you watch a photograph and you can share the emotion, you can share the feelings, even though it can be different for interpretation. I think what's attractive for it is that having the I wouldn't say that you would really need a degree to become a professional photographer or something, but having this solid foundation or knowledge and then in depth knowledge and details about this, this study, this feel where make you feel more creative, make you step out of the boundaries. Then the person who didn't receive that education because I know that you break a rule after you learn the rule, right? So if you didn't learn the rule first, that you break the rule, that you don't even know whether this exists or not. So that's like that's the thing. So studying this course like, into a master degree gave me the confidence to go to the next step in my career or the next stage in my creative thinking.

Fiona Rimmer: I am looking at all sorts of avenues of work. So at the moment I'm looking to be a freelance teacher and Illustrator. I'm setting up my own community print studio so I can get students in and share the knowledge that I've learned on the course. But I'm also looking at creating portfolios to send out to agents, and I'm just at the moment seeing where all of those opportunities lead me.

Ashley Rose: Well, I can't really speak for the industry. I don't know. I didn't start the course with that prospect in mind, particularly. But I do think just based on my experience, the course wasn't really designed to be a nuts and bolts. Make you a better photographer kind of course. But I became a much better photographer just through practice and through basically understanding why I photographed, which is something that I didn't before. I just did it because it was something I did, as opposed to understanding why. And in that the how became more of an interest to me and. And as I said earlier, I had a very particular genre that I spent most of my time doing. Well, since I've been, I've been commissioned to do food photography. I've done portrait work, which I basically run away from in the past. I just don't like photographing people. But I've become comfortable doing it. And the only thing I don't really ever feel comfortable doing is street photography. Any other genre, I feel I've got enough confidence at this point to do that. So I would imagine extending that to my peers that they would be. Just their general confidence and their understanding of their craft. And the how and the why and where it fits would make them more attractive in the industry.

Teresa Clark: I think it shows, particularly the degree idea that Falmouth had such academic rigor to it and I have confidence now I know what I'm talking about and I can place my work in context. I can explain that context. It's also encouraged me to keep up to date with what's going on so I know who I am in relation to other people and that's invaluable. You could be great at doing the work, but to have that academic rigor as well gives real confidence. And I think that would give an employer confidence because you clearly know what you're talking about.

Nigel Ready: Well, because it demonstrates, I think, both technical skills and an ability to apply photography to a variety of disciplines and depending on the particular specialisms you choose. I mean, it is, I think, a hallmark of quality, hopefully. And I'm sure that and it also demonstrates that intellectual capability, because the course is not about how you manage a tripod. It's a much more intellectually based. And so I think I imagine a young student would end up with not just the discipline in photography, but but in other fields as well.

Hilde Maassen: I'm not sure if a master is active in the industry, but I have to say the government paid part of my study because they want to have people in front of the class having a higher level. So that's why they sponsored me, the school I teach at, sponsored me. So maybe it isn't something they want, but it's not that I get new, new works. But having done the I may go out because you have to. For study brought me a lot of new insights and a lot of new people that I met and possibilities. That's what it gave me yet. Connections and I sold some stuff. And at the moment I'm experimenting with a ceramics and photography combination. I'm printing 3D in clay. I printing 3D photos. So and for me, the other good things both my children studied. So my son did 3D and my daughter did fine art or does fine art. So we are studying at the same moment, all three of us, and we influenced each other quite a lot. And my husband is a photographer as well. So we have studio at home and that kind of things. So that's fun. That was a lot of fun.

Laura Page: Well, I think getting a degree shows you can get your head down and study and that you're serious about your subject and that you want to kind of learn it inside out. And it's not always necessary to have a degree in creative fields, but I think it does show that you are dedicated and you want to dedicate a good chunk of time to really getting to know your subject. So I think and I would hope that it shows that I'm serious about illustration and that I wanted to learn and take it as far as I could academically.

Teresa Clark: Well, I think the career prospects are anything that you can imagine that involves illustration are much broader than I'd imagined when I started. So whether that be working for newspapers or magazines or advertising or product design or for me I had more of a fine art approach to illustration. So illustrating books, anything you can imagine that has a drawn image on it. An Illustrator has been involved in,

Laura Page: I hope, I think a master's from Falmouth just the name itself is a great thing to have on my CV. The fact that it came from here and the reputation that Falmouth has got in my industry is such a huge industry illustration. There's so many different pathways that you can take, which the course really opened up for me. So I think, yeah, it really showed me all the different routes that you can take within illustration and we just went through almost all of them, I would say. So, yeah, it was good to see where you can go, what you can do, what avenues you can take. And yeah, it was good to just see how broad the field is and where I could sit-in that. In that world.

Hilde Maassen: Yeah, I would love to teach at a University or higher level. I'm teaching in the Netherlands, actually, this year, 25 years. My students are between 16 and 22. Most of them. I would love to teach a higher level, like Art Academy. The system is a bit different here as from us in England, so BA and I'm also having some exhibitions. Next one is in Marseille in France and I had a big one in Rotterdam and I'm really experimenting with all kinds of materials and stuff. And my project is not finished yet and it will not finish in the next 5 to 10 years, I guess. It's well,

Selina Scerri: It gets you on another level. Being an artist Illustrator is not it's not anymore. It's not about just being talented anymore. But you have to be driven and you have to have a sort of system and you have to know how to get into that system and you need academia for that. So being and unless you want to be an outsider artist, but that's not the field I want to be. So I needed the structure to go further to where I want to go.

Nigel Ready: well, as far as I'm concerned, I'm not really looking for a photographic career. My career is largely behind me. But from what I've heard photography is a difficult career to enter into. I think, you know, there's a lot of photographers out there, people who want to get into fields where they could use their photographic skills. I'm not sure how easy that is nowadays with the ubiquity of the photographic image and the sheer know you really need to have a name before you're to make a career, I think. And although Falmouth would do its best to help you, I think ultimately it's down to the individual to forge their own career.

Ashley Rose: Well, interestingly, since I'm retired three times over and didn't enter the course with the idea of turning it into yet another career, but I have now just the flexibility, fortunately, from both a time and a financial standpoint to pretty much pick and choose what I want to do when I want to do it. And I can or I can't or, you know, I'm not in a position where I need to do this to put a roof over my head or food on the table, thankfully. And so I've taken opportunities for commissions when they've come. I've just done things that interest me. I put the camera away at times and not picked it up for months on end. But that's sort of where I want to be at this point in my life.

Htet San: I think the education that I got from Falmouth university, like help me be prepared my career to go to the next level. And also it also gave me like a more knowledge about more knowledge and in depth and details about what's going on with the contemporary photography trends. And that also gave me a more confidence like when I actually deliver in this kind of knowledge back to my students. So as I say, new. Thank you for this degree that I'm also a professor in the United States now.

Fiona Rimmer: So I've come from a career in education, but I'm looking to get more freelance illustration work. And I've had a lot of brilliant advice from tutors and from visiting lecturers that have come in. We're in a support group of students, so if someone has an opportunity or sees an opportunity, we share it with each other. So I think it's been very holistic, the advice and support that we've had. Also, now that I've graduated, I'm part of the alumni, so we have alumni support as well. So even when you finished your course, there are opportunities available for you. So it's been a really supportive environment career wise.

Maxine Newel: I think it gives you confidence. It's given me more confidence to know that actually if I can do my MA, then I can go out there and make a living out of it. And also, from what I've learned, I've actually put it together and started to put a book together and I've got lots of ideas for books. I'm drawing more and painting more. So hopefully from that, you know, I can get myself a portfolio together, a stronger portfolio than what it is at the moment, and then go out there and hopefully see what I can do for as a living, you know, illustration, illustrating books, working for agencies, clients. So it's quite exciting. It's really exciting. So looking forward to it.