Graphic Design

Develop your understanding of graphic design and visual communication, solve challenging design briefs and prepare for a career as a designer with our BA (Hons) Graphic Design degree.

With its vibrant studio culture, our Graphic Design degree will encourage you to push boundaries and challenge existing thinking by developing innovative design solutions as well as a keen understanding of professional practice. You’ll experiment with print-based design as well as digital commercial practices including site-specific, interactive, motion graphics, mobile media, app design (UX/UI), web and multimedia work.

Our Design & Crafts courses ranked 8th in the UK for 'Satisfied with Course' and 3rd for 'Satisfied with Teaching' in The Guardian University Guide 2020, reflecting how our students value their experience at Cambridge School of Art.

You’ll develop your skills in information design, visual identities, packaging and promotion, cross-platform advertising and design for the web. You’ll work in our dedicated Graphic Design Mac suites and base room, bouncing ideas off other student designers and getting guidance and support from the course team, all of whom have worked in the design industry for clients including Tesco, Lotus Cars, Manchester United, Saatchi & Saatchi, The NUS, and the UK Film Council.

You’ll also work closely with a number of graphic design studios, including Cambridge University Press, [insert link], CPL, The District, and Onespacemedia, who will set you live briefs as well as providing lectures and one-to-one feedback, ending with a final review that can often lead to work placements, internships and long-term professional relationships.

You’ll go on field trips, enter design competitions including Penguin Random House Student Design Awards, YCN or D&AD and can choose to join our annual visit to Amsterdam. There’s even a chance to study abroad for a semester, with funding on offer to help cover the costs.

As well as our dedicated digital facilities and design studios, you’ll also have use of a printmaking workshop including etching, screen printing, lithography and relief presses, letterpress studios; 3D workshops with equipment for woodwork, plastics/vacuum forming, metalwork, plaster, clay, mould-making, laser-cutting and 3D printing; a digital photography lab; photography studios and darkrooms; Mac and PC suites with the full Adobe Creative suite; wide-format printers and scanners; camera lighting and sound recording kits.

Our team of technical officers are always on hand to offer training and support on all our art facilities – not just the ones for your course.

The creative industries are booming in the UK, employing more than two million people. Our BA Graphic Design will prepare you for a career as a graphic designer, as well as for design-related roles in digital graphics, online media, communications and marketing, publishing, and advertising.
Cambridge is the perfect place to gain experience - a creative hotspot that’s home to thousands of established businesses and start-ups. You’ll have many opportunities to generate a strong portfolio of graphic design projects that will help you secure a job in this rewarding, vibrant and growing industry. These include getting involved with regional design agencies and national design networks such as D&AD and YCN, engaging in ‘live’ projects or commercial briefs and building your industry contacts. All these can lead to freelance projects, work experience and internships, which could result in offers of work even before you graduate.

There are plenty of opportunities to get your work seen too. At the end of your final year you’ll take part in our Degree Show and could be selected to produce publicity materials for the event - the perfect launchpad for life as a graphic designer.

You might decide to stay at ARU and study for a Masters, such as our renowned MA Graphic Design & Typography. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and get 20% off your fees.