Graphic Design (With Foundation Year)
University of Bedfordshire
UCAS Code: W4FY | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
University of Bedfordshire
UCAS Code: W4FY | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Successfully completed Access Diploma course
32 - 48 UCAS Tariff Points
32 - 48 UCAS Tariff Points
UCAS Tariff
You may also need to…
Attend an interview
Present a portfolio
About this course
Combining practical design skills with creative problem-solving, this course offers a solid foundation in contemporary forms of visual communication. It explores all contexts where graphic design is found such as digital content; interface design; web and social media; editorial design; print and publishing; moving image; visual identity; typography; and graphic illustration and engages with important themes like the climate emergency and social justice.
**Foundation Year**
In the Foundation year you will study three days per week. The focus will be on academic writing skills and numeracy, plus subject-specific content to fully prepare you for entry to an Undergraduate degree. The course has been designed to develop your skills and to prepare you for entry onto the first year of your chosen course. It provides a balance between content related to your chosen subject and the range of wider skills required for undergraduate study. This is an integrated four-year degree, with the foundation year as a key part of the course. You will be required to pass the foundation year in order to progress to the first year of your BA (Hons) degree. This course is ideal for those who do not meet our standard entry requirements or those with a non-standard educational background. It will allow you to graduate with a full undergraduate degree in your chosen subject in four years.
**Facilities and Specialist Equipment**
- Spacious studios and facilities in Alexon House, the previous home of the Alexon and Eastex fashion company.
- Excellent studio facilities including screen printing, large format printing and RISO printing, and photo studio.
- Mac computers with access to Creative Cloud, Dragonframe and TB Paint software.
- Creative Cloud for personal use.
- Equipment including drawing tablets; cameras; C-stands; and coloured gels.
- 360° green-screen room with motion-capture suit.
**Partnerships and Collaborations**
- The course partners with a graphics arts course at MSA University in Cairo, Egypt, for international student collaboration.
- Projects collaborations include with Luton Town Football Club, the NHS and Luton Council.
**Your Student Experience**
- Develop a reflective, outward-looking approach to design challenges, and become adept at using a variety of platforms from digital to print, moving image to illustration.
- Gain a solid knowledge of the cultural, critical and creative contexts of contemporary practice including how social media has transformed the role of the graphic designer.
- Take the opportunity to work on live projects through national competitions and awards such as D&AD, RSA Student Awards and Penguin Design Award, alongside local collaborations and University-wide initiatives.
- Intern at our in-house alumni-led studio, Guildford Street Press, and get live experience working on projects for external clients.
- Attend weekly World of Work guest talks from a wide range of creative-industry professionals, who share insights into finding your first job in fashion and establishing yourself as an independent creative.
- Enhance your studies with regular field trips to Somerset House, Tate Museum and the Design Museum.
Modules
Areas of study include:
- Communication Design: Exploring Materials and Methods
- Context and Ideas
- Introducing Studio Practice
- Thinking Through Making
- Collaborative Enterprise
- Communication Design: Developing Materials and Methods
- Context and Meaning
- Developing Professional Practice
- Creative Futures
- Critical and Creative Contexts
- Final Major Project: Graphic Design
Every effort is made to ensure this information is accurate at the point of publication on the UCAS website. For the most up-to-date information, please refer to our website.
What students say
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How do students rate their degree experience?
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Design studies
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Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
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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.
£12k
£17k
£20k
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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Post-six month graduation stats:
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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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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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