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Graphic Design

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,C

Any subject.

The Access to HE Diploma. Plus GCSE English at grade 4 / C or above.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

5 GCSEs at grade 4 / C or above to include English.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

29

Any subject.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DMM

Any subject.

Scottish Higher

C,C,D

UCAS Tariff

112

[1] 4 qualifications for tariff points allowed [2] May also include AS level and EPQ [3] Specific subject not required

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.

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Other options

4 years | Sandwich | 2024

Subject

Graphic design

The future graphic designer is visionary, informed, responsible and technically adaptable. Coventry University’s BA (Hons) Graphic Design course challenges and guides you to become just that.

The course aims to get you industry-ready, whether that means joining a design business or starting up your own. During the course you will develop an all-round grasp of graphic design and a bespoke portfolio of work that suits your personal career aspirations.

The course aims to offer you:

* A comprehensive design foundation: the course equips you with key design principles and experience across a wide range of design contexts. Through an intensive exploration of today’s vast graphic design landscape and crucial design theory you’ll delve into branding, advertising, packaging, mapping, editorial design, web design, font design and app design.

* Creative ownership: the course empowers you to shape your learning alongside preferred routes. Through select modules you will get to choose your own briefs, practice skills you’re passionate about and formulate your own views on design.

* Expand your portfolio: Your aim will be to develop a strong portfolio of work, and proactively define and pursue your own interests and long-term goals.

**Key Course Benefits**

* Exploration: The course fosters ways of working that encourage creative discovery. Play and experimentation with analogue and digital mediums, methods and techniques is embedded in all modules. The course is attuned to industry standards, but it does not aim to replicate the working world; instead, it provides a safe space for innovation and uninhibited imagination.

* Employability: The course prepares you to be a productive force within industry. You will gain confidence and key professional skills by working on authentic design briefs, with real clients, taking part in studio visits and portfolio reviews, attending guest and alumni talks and showcasing your work through participation in renowned competitions such as D&AD*.

* Technical Skill: The course wants you to take pride in the work that you make. Attention to detail and industry standard designs are developed through practiced skill and iteration. Craftsmanship is considered just as important as a clever idea.

* Critical Thinking: The course believes that an inquisitive and investigative mindset leads to original designs. You will learn to gather data, ask questions and draw conclusions to justify design decisions. In a world of questionable news and misinformation, an informed, inquisitive designer can begin to make a change in local, national and global communities.

* Storytelling: The course channels the power of design to connect and engage with people. Not only will you use design to solve problems, but through storytelling methods you will also access design's ability to enchant and activate emotions.

*For further information please check the course page on the Coventry University website

Modules

This course has a common first year.

The common first year enables you to work alongside students doing similar courses to you, to widen your knowledge and exposure to other subject areas and professions. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with other students, so you can share your insights and experience which will help you to develop and learn.
Common first year courses:

Automotive and Transport Design BA (Hons)
Graphic Design BA (Hons)
Product Design BA (Hons)

Year One
In your first year you will explore the fundamentals of design exploring techniques, technologies and research-inspired design as you work on both individual and team projects.

Modules
Design Exploration
Design Visualisation
Design Enquiry
Design Reflection
Design Context
Design Experience

Year Two
In year two, you will continue to develop the skills and knowledge you’ve learnt. We do this by embedding the following four principles into the curriculum and developing your:

Technical skills – digital fluency, backed with the right academic knowledge
Study skills – to be an adaptive, independent and proactive learner
Professional skills – to have the behaviour and abilities to succeed in your career
Global awareness – the beliefs and abilities to be a resilient, confident and motivated global citizen

In the second year, you will begin to think more professionally about graphic design.

Modules
Design System
Design Interaction
Design Narrative
Design Activism
Design Profession
Design Specialism

Placement Year
There’s no better way to find out what you love doing than trying it out for yourself, which is why a work placement* can often be beneficial. Work placements usually occur between your second and final year of study. They’re a great way to help you explore your potential career path and gain valuable work experience, whilst developing transferable skills for the future.

If you choose to do a work placement year, you will pay a reduced tuition fee* of £1250. For more information, please go to the fees and funding section. During this time you will receive guidance from your employer or partner institution, along with your assigned academic mentor who will ensure you have the support you need to complete your placement.

Whilst we would like to give you all the information about our placement/study abroad offering here, it is often tailored for each course every year and depending on the length of placement or study abroad opportunities that are secured.

Final Year
Your final year aims to bring you to the level to enter the world of work by consolidating your knowledge and skills from years one and two.

With your accumulated understanding of graphic design contexts and theory, an inquisitive mind and process driven design, you will be encouraged to challenge graphic design's boundaries through speculative projects and participation in renowned design competitions.

Modules
Design Agility
Design Identity
Design Experiment
Design Adventure
Design Showcase
Design Culture

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated. Before accepting any offers, please check the website for the most up to date course content. For full module details please check the course page on the Coventry University website.
*For further information please check the course page on the Coventry University website

Assessment methods

This course is assessed using a variety of methods that recognise module-specific skills and learning. You are predominantly assessed by coursework and assessment methods prepare you for the diverse contexts in which your design work may exist.

Assessment methods include:

Practical coursework
Digital coursework
Individual work
Group work
Live presentations
Video presentations
Video essays
Academic essays

The Coventry University assessment strategy aims to ensure that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.

Tuition fees

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

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
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:

Coventry University

Department:

School of 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.

79%
Graphic design

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

84%
Staff make the subject interesting
90%
Staff are good at explaining things
83%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
86%
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

71%
Library resources
82%
IT resources
80%
Course specific equipment and facilities
70%
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?

61%
UK students
39%
International students
43%
Male students
57%
Female students
73%
2:1 or above
4%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
B

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.

£20,000
high
Average annual salary
98%
high
Employed or in further education
55%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

52%
Design occupations
12%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
6%
Sales, marketing and related associate 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.

£16k

£16k

£21k

£21k

£24k

£24k

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 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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