Why study this course?
The Graphic Design BA course at the School of Art, Architecture and Design is about giving visual and experiential form to conceptual thinking. It’s about creating structure and surprise through innovation. It’s about communication. You’ll be encouraged not only to find solutions, but also to seek out problems.
This graphic design course enables you to investigate, question and challenge the contemporary role of graphic designing, connecting with wide ranging social issues and new ideas, to develop your voice as a graphic designer and enter a successful career in design.
More about this course
Completing our graphic design course will help you gain the knowledge you need to become a well-rounded creative practitioner. You will develop specialist skills and learn how to reach your audience through innovative design.
This graphic design course encourages you to investigate, question and challenge the contemporary role of graphic design. You’ll gain the confidence to understand, interpret and talk about ground-breaking and iconic design from the past and present. You will also learn how to present and defend your ideas and promote yourself and your work.
You’re encouraged early on to make your thinking visible, to test your ideas through iteration and to collaborate in practice. You’ll have the opportunity to develop specialist and broad-based design skills, to think laterally and to innovate through making, testing, and finding and reaching your audience.
You’ll learn from different creative methods such as drawing and letterpress printing, app design, type fundamentals, user experiences, human-centered design and connected communication platforms. There are many diverse employment options available to graduates of this degree.
This course offers real opportunities to connect with graphic design studios and consultancies, to work across the realms of art direction, digital publishing and editorial design, moving image and sequential narrative, web and innovatory digital practice from app design to social media, brand communications to start-ups and design enterprise.
Accreditation of Prior Learning
Any university-level qualifications or relevant experience you gain prior to starting university could count towards your course.
Modular structure
The modules listed below are for the academic year 2022/23 and represent the course modules at this time. Modules and module details (including, but not limited to, location and time) are subject to change over time.
Year 1 modules include:
Critical and Contextual Studies 1 (Visual Communication) (core, 30 credits)
Design Principles (core, 30 credits)
Graphic Authorship (core, 30 credits)
Visual Research and Communication (core, 30 credits)
Year 2 modules include:
Critical and Contextual Studies 2 (Visual Communication) (core, 30 credits)
Exploring Design Practice (core, 30 credits)
Narrative (core, 30 credits)
Work Ready 1 (core, 30 credits)
Year 3 modules include:
Critical and Contextual Studies 3: Dissertation (Visual Communication) (core, 30 credits)
Final Project Realisation: Graphic Design (core, 30 credits)
Project Design and Development (core, 30 credits)
Work Ready 2 (core, 30 credits)
Where this course can take you
The teaching team includes professional print, photography, web, animation and graphic design specialists alongside illustrators and artists, who together, create a stimulating teaching and learning environment that allows you to identify and succeed in your chosen career path.
