Creative Digital Media

RSL’s Creative Digital Media qualifications prepare learners for their entry into this world and arm them with the knowledge and skills to successfully navigate this exciting and ever-evolving industry.

RSL VQ already operates in over 600 schools and colleges globally and these new Creative Digital Media qualifications build on the successful model of unit choice, up-to-date assessment practice, and rely on industry professionals for the creation and review of all content.

Vocational Qualifications

Creative Digital Media

Run qualifications which lead to larger cohorts, greater engagement amongst students and industry relevant learning and assessment across Creative Digital Media.

Designed by industry professionals, and updated to match developments in the fast-moving sector, our Creative Digital Media qualifications span a range of sizes at Levels 1-3.  With pathways in Interactive Digital Media, Games Design and Social Media and hundreds of units covering a range of industry specialisms, these qualifications give your learners the opportunity to develop and apply their practical skills within an industry-relevant context.

The value of the creative industries to the UK has grown at nearly twice the rate of the economy since 2010 – at the end of 2018, it was valued at £105.5 billion. This increase has been driven in part by a boom in the computer services sub-sector, including video games and social media platforms.

– Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport- GVA Report, November 2018

How it works

Get started with RSL’s Vocational Qualifications in three simple steps…

01

Download the syllabus pack

Download the syllabus pack to review the requirements and processes for this qualification suite.

02

Build your qualification

Tailor your courses to your learners needs and centre’s expertise with our Core Units and innovative Optional Units.

03

Submit centre approval application

Ready to deliver? Submit your centre approval application via our website

Pathway Information

The Creative Digital Media suite of qualifications focuses on the recognition of achievement through practical creative digital media skills, business and marketing skills and creative design skills, as well as offering flexibility of unit combination.

Creative Digital Media is split into three pathways: Interactive Digital Media, Game Design and Social Media (Levels 2 and 3 only). Each pathway embodies a specific profile of study and this informs the core unit choices, which you are guided to make. Learners will be led by centres when choosing the pathway options available to them, and the units within their chosen pathway.

Core Units

Click through the pathway titles to see the Core Units at each level associated with that pathway…

Level 1

Interactive Digital Media

Level 2

Interactive Digital Media Production Technique

Level 3

Producing a Digital Media Product or Service

Level 1

Games Production Techniques

Level 2

Digital Games Production

Level 3

Creating Digital Games

Level 2

Creating and Publishing Digital Content

Level 3

Creating and Publishing Digital Content

Optional & Skills Units

In addition to the mandatory core units, learners can select from a number of optional units, which are open to all pathways. The number of optional units selected will depend on the chosen type of final award. Learners can also take additional ‘core’ units, from any of the pathways, which will be considered as optional units within the qualification.

Please scroll through a selection of unit examples below. Download the syllabus pack to explore the full list of optional and skills units available at each level.

Designing 3D Digital Games

This unit aims to promote the learner’s understanding of the key concepts tools, and processes underpinning the design and development of 3D digital games available to the consumer across a range of platforms.

Producing a Digital Media Product or Service

This unit aims to build on previous learning by providing opportunities to extend and deepen knowledge and experience around the development of a digital media product or service idea in response to a brief from a “client” or “customer”. This could be an app, a website, an e-commerce platform, a 2D game… the options are endless.

Character Rigging

In this unit, learners must develop a character rig for use in animating a static 3D digital character.The rig should take into account the potential for enhanced characterisation through movement as specified by the context of the brief, undertaken using an appropriate combination of rigging software packages.

Vlog Production

The purpose of the unit is to facilitate the creation of a vlog on a specific topic to an identified audience, whilst exploring production techniques, marketing and promoting the vlog.

Creating 3D Digital Animation

In this unit, learners must apply knowledge and understanding of the design and production of 3D digital animation and its potential uses across a range of digital media products and destinations according to the brief to create a digital animation.

Creating a Social Media Campaign

This unit aims to provide learners with an understanding of the key concepts, tools and processes surrounding the construction and assessment of social media campaigns, in the context of promoting products, services or events to a range of audiences.

Creating an Interactive Website

The purpose of this unit is to facilitate practical opportunities to develop knowledge and understanding of the processes involved in creating interactive websites, in the context of an understanding of potential audiences and destinations.

Designing UX for Interactive Digital Media

This unit aims to promote the learner’s understanding of the importance of a positive relationship between a product and its users in order to maximise its life expectancy and therefore its profitability.

Writing in the Creative Digital Media Sector

This unit aims to develop learners’ awareness of the breadth of writing styles, types and formats in across the digital media sector. The purpose of the unit is to provide practical opportunities to create and refine written material for a specified digital media destination.

Creating a 3D Environment

The purpose of this unit is to facilitate a practical opportunity to develop knowledge and understanding of 3D environment development processes in the context of an understanding of potential audiences and destinations.

Creating a Social Media (Content) Strategy

Developing a social media content strategy is imperative to any promotion of an identified product or service. In a multi-platform world, learners must analyse how original and pre-existing content may be used and/or repurposed to create new and exciting ways to engage with potential audiences by way of promoting brands, products or services.

Designing UX for Interactive Digital Media

This unit aims to promote the learner’s understanding of the importance of a positive relationship between a product and its users in order to maximise its life expectancy and therefore its profitability.

Designing 3D Digital Games

This unit aims to promote the learner’s understanding of the key concepts tools, and processes underpinning the design and development of 3D digital games available to the consumer across a range of platforms.

Producing a Digital Media Product or Service

This unit aims to build on previous learning by providing opportunities to extend and deepen knowledge and experience around the development of a digital media product or service idea in response to a brief from a “client” or “customer”. This could be an app, a website, an e-commerce platform, a 2D game… the options are endless.

Character Rigging

In this unit, learners must develop a character rig for use in animating a static 3D digital character.The rig should take into account the potential for enhanced characterisation through movement as specified by the context of the brief, undertaken using an appropriate combination of rigging software packages.

Vlog Production

The purpose of the unit is to facilitate the creation of a vlog on a specific topic to an identified audience, whilst exploring production techniques, marketing and promoting the vlog.

Creating 3D Digital Animation

In this unit, learners must apply knowledge and understanding of the design and production of 3D digital animation and its potential uses across a range of digital media products and destinations according to the brief to create a digital animation.

Creating a Social Media Campaign

This unit aims to provide learners with an understanding of the key concepts, tools and processes surrounding the construction and assessment of social media campaigns, in the context of promoting products, services or events to a range of audiences.

Creating an Interactive Website

The purpose of this unit is to facilitate practical opportunities to develop knowledge and understanding of the processes involved in creating interactive websites, in the context of an understanding of potential audiences and destinations.

Designing UX for Interactive Digital Media

This unit aims to promote the learner’s understanding of the importance of a positive relationship between a product and its users in order to maximise its life expectancy and therefore its profitability.

Writing in the Creative Digital Media Sector

This unit aims to develop learners’ awareness of the breadth of writing styles, types and formats in across the digital media sector. The purpose of the unit is to provide practical opportunities to create and refine written material for a specified digital media destination.

Creating a 3D Environment

The purpose of this unit is to facilitate a practical opportunity to develop knowledge and understanding of 3D environment development processes in the context of an understanding of potential audiences and destinations.

Creating a Social Media (Content) Strategy

Developing a social media content strategy is imperative to any promotion of an identified product or service. In a multi-platform world, learners must analyse how original and pre-existing content may be used and/or repurposed to create new and exciting ways to engage with potential audiences by way of promoting brands, products or services.

Designing UX for Interactive Digital Media

This unit aims to promote the learner’s understanding of the importance of a positive relationship between a product and its users in order to maximise its life expectancy and therefore its profitability.

Qualification Titles & Structure

RSL endeavour to provide qualifications at each level which will fit with the needs of centres and learners. We design qualifications which learners can build upon, and that centres can timetable in to a wider programme of study or as a full time course. With our flexible approach to the combination of mandatory and optional content, our qualifications can be tailored to your needs. From a 60 guided learning hour Award at Level 1 through to over 1000 guided learning hours on one of our Level 3 Extended Diplomas, you are sure to find the right qualification size for you.

Level 1

Game Design and Interactive Digital Media pathways are available at Level 1. Centre or learner chooses one.

Qualification Titles Guided Learning Hours (GLH) Total Qualification Time (TQT) Core Units
Level 1 Award in Creative Digital Media 60 100 1
Level 1 Certificate in Creative Digital Media 120 200 1
Level 1 Extended Certificate in Creative Digital Media 180 300 1
Level 2

All pathways available. Centre or learner chooses one.

Qualification Titles Guided Learning Hours (GLH) Total Qualification Time (TQT) Core Units
Level 2 Award in Creative Digital Media 60 100 1
Level 2 Certificate in Creative Digital Media 120 200 1
Level 2 Extended Certificate in Creative Digital Media 180 300 1
Level 2 Diploma in Creative Digital Media 480 900 1
Level 3

All pathways available. Centre or learner chooses one.

Qualification Titles Guided Learning Hours (GLH) Total Qualification Time (TQT) Core Units
Level 3 Award in Creative Digital Media 90 150 1
Level 3 Certificate in Creative Digital Media 210 350 1
Level 3 Extended Certificate in Creative Digital Media 360 600 1
Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma in Creative Digital Media 540 900 1
Level 3 Diploma in Creative Digital Media 720 1200 2
Level 3 Extended Diploma in Creative Digital Media 1080 1800 2

For Performance Tables qualifications click here.:

Level 3 Tech Levels for Music Practitioners (Confirmed for DfE Performance Tables Until 2023)

Why RSL Vocational Qualifications?

Developed in collaboration with industry experts to reflect the fast-moving Creative Industries sector, RSL’s VQs are practically-focused, and contain a wide range units and criteria accurately mapping to specific careers. They provide engaging assessment opportunities for learners that focus on the application of practical and/or technical skills.

VQ Approved Check Mark

Recognition

All Level 3 qualifications carry up to 168 UCAS points allowing opportunities for HE progression, and Level 4/5 qualifications can be topped up at a variety of the UK’s specialist HE providers.

VQ Vocational Qualifications Repertoire

Flexible Choice

We have a huge range of units to choose from at Level 3 providing unrivalled flexibility of delivery. The range of optional units are designed to equip learners with a well-rounded understanding of the Creative Industries.

VQ Vocational Qualifications Book Stack

Fair and Practical Assessment

All assessment is based around practical and/or technical skills and knowledge applicable to roles in the Creative Industries. Learners are graded according to where the majority of their grading sits, resulting in holistic, best-fit assessment.

VQ Vocational Qualifications Slice Niche

Current

No set works, or genre/repertoire restrictions, learners can study the genres they are interested in, allowing deeper focus on content that excites them.

VQ Vocational Qualifications Choices

Tailored Delivery

Build a course that’s tailored to your learners’ needs whilst maximising your centre’s resources and expertise.

VQ Vocational Qualifications Creativity Ideas

Funding

RSL has a huge range of qualifications at each level which are funded for delivery in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. RSL qualifications are also available for funded delivery in Scotland in certain settings at certain levels. Get in touch for more info.

Help, Support & Quality Assurance

You will get access to RSL’s Help & Support portal, containing multiple QA resources, guidance documents, templates and exemplar materials, plus footage from previously recorded CPD events.

Centres have contact with two allocated RSL Quality Assurance representatives from the start of delivery all the way through to certification. These named contacts will offer the following services to support centre delivery:

  • Annual centre visit – a supportive process designed to monitor and review the way in which qualifications are planned and delivered
  • A point of contact for subject-specific academic queries throughout delivery
  • Building of a strong relationship throughout the duration of the qualification, resulting in moderation of your learner evidence with a known, named contact already familiar with your centre

UCAS Points

RSL Awards’ Vocational Qualifications aid progression into Higher Education. We have a huge range of qualifications at Level 3 that carry UCAS Points. Click the button below to see the allocation of UCAS Points per qualification size and suite.

VQ Vocational Qualifications Academic

Changing Awarding Organisations

Moving over to RSL Awards Vocational Qualifications is easy! Just follow these three simple steps…

1. Submit a preliminary application form.

This is found here. Once you have submitted this, our team will be in touch with some login credentials for our website, along with details of the next step.

2. Prepare your full centre approval application for submission.

Our centre approval application pack details all supporting documents that need to be included, along with a guidance document for completing the form itself.

3. Approval complete!

If the application is complete our team will be in touch to inform you of your new status as an approved RSL Awards delivery centre!

Progression and Support

The Creative sector is a huge employer and contributor to the UK economy.

Learners undertaking RSL’s Creative Digital Media qualifications can progress into employment or further training enabling them to find a role in this dynamic and growing workforce.

The UK Creative Industries as a whole contributed £101.5bn to the economy in 2017.

Of this, £40.5bn came from the Games and Software sector with a further £13bn coming from the Advertising Industry.

RSL’s Creative Digital Media qualifications cover the knowledge and skills to progress into both industries or further training centred on those sectors.

Pathways in these qualifications cover the following industries, leading to a number of subject-specific job roles:

Digital Games (e.g. programmer, games designer, games tester, character modeller, rigger, animator)
Interactive Digital Media (e.g. editor, animator, developer, web designer, sound designer, electronic music producer)
Social Media (e.g., social media manager, media campaigner, content creator, community manager)
Learners may also want to access apprenticeships such as ‘Creative Digital Design Professional’, ‘Junior Content Producer’ or ‘Media Production Co-ordinator’.

There are countless degree programmes which would also represent a natural progression upon completion of an RSL Level 3 Creative Digital Media qualification.

There are 294 HE Courses offered in Games Design alone at UK Universities.

RSL’s Creative Digital Media qualifications are the latest addition to our suite of technical qualifications covering the contemporary creative industries.

There are similarities in the structure and format of these qualifications and our qualifications in Music and Performing Arts, and there is a natural linkage in that all the qualifications encourage collegiate working across disparate subjects. However, the Creative Digital Media qualifications are unique in their focus on Content Production and Design for the Media sector.

Prospective learners seeking to gain knowledge and skills in the Creative Digital Media sector through undertaking an RSL qualification could also consider an apprenticeship, traineeship or an alternative qualification when deciding on their pathway into the industry.

Amongst others, RSL’s Media qualifications were designed with input from a host of organisations with expertise in the sector and have gained support from employers and education institutions.

Employers in the sector contributing to the development of these qualifications include Redweb, Deep Silver Dambuster Studios and Tarnished Studios.

Education institutions contributing to and supporting these qualifications include Solent University, Suffolk One and Brighton Digital Media Academy.

Downloads

Here are our Creative Digital Media Vocational Qualifications syllabuses available to download.

Qualification Details and Registration Fees

Our qualification registration fees are the same for both UK and International delivery centres. These fees apply to each registered learner, with the fee dependent on the size of qualification they are registered on.

Please note: fees listed are for the current academic year.

QAN Qualification Fee
603/4292/4 RSL Level 1 Award in Creative Digital Media £67
603/4293/6 RSL Level 1 Certificate in Creative Digital Media £87
603/4294/8 RSL Level 1 Extended Certificate in Creative Digital Media £121

Please Note:  Fees listed are for the current academic year.

Performance Tables

As well as being industry relevant, we understand the need for our qualifications to be recognised by the Department for Education. That’s why we’ve ensured we have specialist Vocational Qualifications approved in music and performing arts at level 3.

VQ Vocational Qualifications Check Mark

Stefana Coroiu – Access Creative College London

“The course itself involves a lot of practical work. This allows the learners to build not only soft skills with collaboration and teamwork but they also build hard skills that transfer into the form of a portfolio. That portfolio they can later use to either get into the industry, if that’s what they wish to do, or they could present that to a university in order to gain better prospects at the course that they want to do.”

VQ Vocational Qualifications Creativity Ideas

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