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Comics and Graphic Novels

Entry requirements


UCAS Tariff

96-112

Including level 3 qualifications in art and design or another creative subject.

You may also need to…

Present a portfolio

About this course


This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Other options

4 years | Sandwich | 2024

Subject

Graphic arts

**Available for September or January intakes.**

To apply for January 2024 intake, amend the cycle filter to 2023-2024, select the option for January and remember to use point of entry 1. If you experience any issues adding your course choice, please contact UCAS Customer Services on 0371 468 0 468.

**Course overview**: Through this degree, we aim to produce a new breed of storytellers, each with their own individual, formidable voice. The course covers and caters to all styles of cartooning, from manga to journalism, adventure to Amerimanga, superhero to memoir.

'Words and pictures are yin and yang. Married, they produce a progeny more interesting than either parent.' Dr Seuss.

Creating comics is more than a job - it's a vocation. We live in a golden age for the comic book, in which Far Eastern manga is now part of the popular culture of the West. We have seen a graphic novel awarded the Pulitzer Prize, 50c funny books of the 1960s turned into iconic, billion dollar franchises and the internet change the way we make and read comics forever. The combination of words and pictures can produce something more powerful, more exciting and more personal than either alone.

The mastery of communication through words and pictures is at the heart of this course. We aim to produce a new breed of storytellers, each with their own individual, formidable voice. You emerge as experts at communicating through cartooning, understanding how the medium works from the technical aspects of perspective, composition and figure drawing to the founding theories of modern literature.

Comics are also entering into more mainstream areas of advertising, marketing and public relations - anywhere where a message needs to be communicated in as unforgettable and universal a manner as possible.

**Top reasons to study this course**

1. Creative expertise: we're proud to be recognised as an Apple Distinguished School for 2021-2024 for our pioneering commitment to digital teaching and learning, and we're Europe's first Adobe Creative Campus.
2. Industry-standard facilities: develop your own personal cartooning style using the latest technology including iMacs and Wacom digital drawing tablets.
3. Professional membership: we’re a member of the Association of Illustrators, giving you access to interactive talks, guidance on contracts and licensing, and your own discounted membership, equipping you with the tools to forge a successful career in industry or as a freelancer.
4. Industry experience: work on live briefs for a variety of organisations such as Streetwise Opera and the NHS, helping you build your portfolio of work.
5. Get published: have your work published in Viz comics including editing and typesetting the work of other writers.

**After the course**: Expected career routes include self publishing, graphic novel publishing, advertising, marketing, public relations, journalism, brand management, publishing and graphic design.

Modules

Access course information through Teesside University’s website using the course page link provided (or visit www.tees.ac.uk).

Assessment methods

Access assessment information through Teesside University’s website using the course page link provided (or visit www.tees.ac.uk).

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

England
£9,250
per year
EU
£17,000
per year
International
£17,000
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Teesside University

Department:

Art and Design

Read full university profile

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.

83%
Graphic arts

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

87%
Staff make the subject interesting
88%
Staff are good at explaining things
82%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
78%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

82%
Library resources
86%
IT resources
87%
Course specific equipment and facilities
80%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

89%
UK students
11%
International students
53%
Male students
47%
Female students
84%
2:1 or above
9%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
D
C

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.

£18,000
med
Average annual salary
86%
low
Employed or in further education
69%
high
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

38%
Design occupations
10%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
8%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals

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

£13k

£18k

£18k

£21k

£21k

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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Course location and department:

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

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:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here