Graphic Design (including foundation year)
Entry requirements
At least one A level (or a minimum of 32 UCAS points from an equivalent Level 3 qualification, eg BTEC Subsidiary/National/BTEC Extended Diploma).
GCSE/National 4/National 5
English Language GCSE at grade C/grade 4 or above or will need to take the University English test.
UCAS Tariff
You may also need to…
Attend an interview
Present a portfolio
About this course
This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.
**Why study this course?**
Our Graphic Design (including foundation year) degree is a four-year course with an in-built foundation year that gives you the chance to explore a range of art-related subjects before going on to specialise in graphic design in your subsequent years of study.
It is the perfect graphic design course if you don’t have the entry requirements to start a standard three-year undergraduate degree in graphic design.
**More about this course**
You’ll kick off your foundation year by working on an array of short studio and workshop projects, which will aid your development of skills and techniques that are common across all our foundation degrees. Later in the year you will then progress to projects that focus more specifically on graphic design.
During these workshops you’ll have the opportunity to explore a wide range of drawing techniques as well as colour, materials, process, collage, exhibiting and more.
This foundation year will allow you be experimental in a wide range of art subjects and will ensure you’re well-equipped to study graphic design at undergraduate level. Towards the end of the year, you’ll work on projects that will boost your confidence and independence as a designer and train you to be self-motivated and innovative. You’ll also attend lectures and seminars that will look at creative practice within historical, contemporary, conceptual and cultural contexts.
There will be plenty of chances for you to present your work to fellow students and tutors, as well as showcase your best projects in an end-of-year summer exhibition. This will allow you to gain feedback and perspectives on your work and will help you develop as a graphic designer.
Following the foundation year you will study the same course content as those who study our Graphic Design BA (Hons).
Modules
Example Year 0 modules include:
Critical & Contextual Studies: Foundation
Formats
Project
Techniques
Example Year 1 modules include:
Critical and Contextual Studies 1 (Visual Communication)
Design Principles
Graphic Authorship
Visual Research and Communication
Example Year 2 modules include:
Critical and Contextual Studies 2 (Visual Communication)
Exploring Design Practice
Narrative
Work Ready 1
Example Year 3 modules include:
Critical and Contextual Studies 3: Dissertation (Visual Communication)
Final Project Realisation: Graphic Design
Project Design and Development
Work Ready 2
Assessment methods
You will be assessed via project work, essays and an individual portfolio.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
Aldgate
School of Art, Architecture and Design
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Design studies
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Design studies
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Design studies
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£13k
£19k
£22k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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