Graphic Design
Entry requirements
A level
Successfully complete Access to HE Diploma
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Successfully complete Foundation Diploma
T Level
Pass (C and above)
UCAS Tariff
UCAS tariff points can be made up of a mixture of Level 3 qualifications.
You may also need to…
Attend an interview
Present a portfolio
About this course
Graphic Design is an exciting and dynamic degree course driven by its links to cutting-edge industry. The programme focuses on visual communication at its core, through branding, typography, print making, advertising, social media and motion graphics. From the moment you arrive, you are part of a design studio, immersed in the creative and experimental practices of design
Use digital and analogue approaches to explore your creativity. Embrace the opportunity to develop a specialist and diverse portfolio, giving you the technical and creative skills necessary to prepare you for the fast-paced and growing design industry.
Collaborative projects, placements, live projects and opportunities to participate in international visits are central to your creative development during your studies as an emerging graphic designer. You will have opportunities to incorporate photography, print, illustration and animation skills as you develop your personal voice as a designer and your creative practice. You will be part of our design community, working with like-minded creatives on exciting and innovative briefs, all of which will help you become a diverse, visual communicator.
During the programme you will be encouraged to submit to national and international competition briefs, working with sponsored clients such as Nike, Teen Vogue, Giffgaff and Google.
Regular industry projects and guest speakers will enhance your portfolio and learning. For example, our graphic design students recently completed a large-scale mural for the BBC 1’s Big Weekend with graphic artist Jimmy Turrell.
Modules
In your first year (Level Four) you will explore:
- Creative Processes and Experimentation
- Adventures in Type
- Creative Thinking
- Visual Communication
- Design Impact
In your second year (Level Five) you will develop:
- Advanced Graphic Design Production
- Graphic Design and Visual Identity
- Visual Culture Theory
- Graphic Design Specialism
In your third year (Level Six) you will explore:
- Project Research and Preparation
- Dissertation Report
- Final Major Project
- Final Show and Portfolio
Assessment methods
In course assessment. Each module is assessed upon completion and given a percentage mark.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
The Northern School of Art
Higher Education
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
After graduation
We don't have more detailed stats to show you in relation to this subject area at this university but read about typical employment outcomes and prospects for graduates of this subject below.
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
£15k
£17k
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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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
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Course location and department:
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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the 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?
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