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Graphic Design (with Foundation Year)

Entry requirements


A level

E,E,E-D,D,D

Accepted alongside A-Levels as part of overall 48-72 UCAS Tariff requirement.

48-72 UCAS Tariff points

48-72 UCAS Tariff points

Accepted as part of overall 48-72 UCAS Tariff requirement.

48-72 UCAS Tariff points from International Baccalaureate Certificates

48-72 UCAS Tariff points

Accepted alongside Irish Leaving Certificate Higher Level as part of overall 48-72 UCAS Tariff requirement.

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

MP-MM

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

PPP-MPP

48-72 UCAS Tariff points

48-72 UCAS Tariff points

UCAS Tariff

48-72

Our general entry requirement for the foundation year is 48-72 UCAS tariff points but all applications are considered individually and we consider work experience, vocational training/qualifications as well as motivation and potential to succeed. The programme welcomes applications from anyone who can demonstrate a commitment to the subject and the potential to complete their chosen programme successfully. This can be established by showing appropriate academic achievements or by demonstrating that they possess the knowledge and ability equivalent to the academic qualifications.

Accepted as part of overall 48-72 UCAS Tariff point requirement.

You may also need to…

Attend an interview

Present a portfolio

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Graphic design

Why choose this course?

The Graphic Design degree will help you develop both your graphical style and flair for creative image-making. The course covers the practical, professional, and artistic sides of working as a graphic designer with an individual artistic voice, equipping you for a successful career in the creative industries.

You will:

- Learn how to create compelling images, work to professional standards, and understand how your work fits into the industry.

- Be introduced to a broad range of creative skills, from the generation of ideas to their technical production through printmaking, traditional and digital media, with an emphasis on design and the development of a unique personal style.

- Be introduced to professional creative processes and encouraged to expand your abilities through workshops and practical projects.

- Learn how to interpret a brief, identify, and solve problems, develop creative individuality, and produce a professional portfolio.

- Gain personal, professional, and entrepreneurial skills including working as a freelance designer: from marketing and self-promotion to contracts, invoices and working with clients.

- Be encouraged to work on live briefs and competitions.

Key course features:
- You will be part of a vibrant and creative community of commercial artists including illustrators, animators, and comic artists.

- You will be taught by a teaching team with a broad range of experience working professionally in the design and creative industries.

- We encourage you to take on commissions and learn how to produce high-quality production prototypes to pitch to clients.

- Be part of an end of year degree show exhibition - view the 2022 Degree Show e-magazine, Unjammed.

*Study a course that has been ranked 5th in Wales as part of the Art & Design subject league table for Teaching Quality in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023.

*Subject area ranked 5th out of Welsh universities for the teaching on my course in the Design Studies subject league tables, National Student Survey (NSS) 2022.

Modules

What you will study

YEAR 1 (FOUNDATION YEAR)
The foundation year will introduce you to the key elements of art and design, including graphic design, animation, illustration, photography, and film, applied and fine art. You will explore the creative thought process relating to various art and design disciplines, developing your ability to put ideas down on paper quickly. There will be a range of practice assignments that will increase your recognition of strong ideas and original concepts.

MODULES

Visual Investigation
Materials and Methods
Creative Processes
Progression Project
The Skills You Need
Contextual Studies

YEAR 2 (LEVEL 4) - Core skills
Level 4 introduces you to the fundamental principles of graphic design that will help you develop your style. This includes developing an understanding of the tools and creative techniques you will be using, the historical contexts and theories of graphics, print, production techniques and an understanding of the graphic design industry.

MODULES

Semester 1

History & Context
Visual Communication
Digital Communication

Semester 2

Social Design
Story Telling: Theory and Practice
Interactive Design

YEAR 3 (LEVEL 5) - Advanced skills
Level 5 enables you to develop your individual approach to the role of graphic design in society, the conceptual aspects of design, the practicalities of preparing work for production as well as exploring the fundamentals of running a business as a freelancer.

MODULES

Semester 1

Motion Design
Print and Production
Critical thinking

Semester 2

Creative Futures: Making a Living
Design Project: Graphic Design

YEAR 4 (LEVEL 6) - Specialism
Level 6 is focused on your specialism. You will work with staff to pitch the projects that demonstrate your graphic style, your skills and abilities, your ambition, and your understanding of the graphic design industry.

MODULES

Semester 1

Specialist Project: Graphic Design

Semester 2

Creative Futures: Professional Practice
Live Brief

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the programme that will take the form of either core or option modules. Modules are designated as core or option in accordance with professional body requirements and internal academic framework review, so may be subject to change.

Assessment methods

Teaching & Assessment

There are no set exams. Assessment is continuous and relates to all aspects of the programme, providing more carefully defined emphasis on formative assessment and feedback on your coursework throughout the academic year. We will advise you on your level of attainment and direct you towards a strategy for further progression as assignments and modules are completed.

There are varied formats of assessment to encourage your learning through group seminars, critiques, and tutorials. This can be through group interaction with critical analysis where you will submit a range of work including sketchbooks, design sheets, finished artwork, screen-based work, technical/ production files, journals, essays, and audio-visual presentations. There are reviews of work at key points before Christmas and before Easter and this provides time for you to reflect on your progress prior to a final or summative year end assessment.

TEACHING AND LEARNING

Wrexham Glyndŵr University is committed to supporting our students to maximise their academic potential.

We offer workshops and support sessions in areas such as academic writing, effective note-making and preparing for assignments. Students can book appointments with academic skills tutors dedicated to helping deal with the practicalities of university work. Our has more information on the help available.

In terms of particular needs, the University’s FAQs can provide appropriate guidance and support should any students require reasonable adjustments to be made because of a recognised prevailing disability, medical condition, or specific learning difference.

Tuition fees

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

England
£9,000
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,000
per year
Scotland
£9,000
per year
Wales
£9,000
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Wrexham

Department:

School of the Creative Arts

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.

58%
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

71%
Staff make the subject interesting
75%
Staff are good at explaining things
83%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
63%
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

50%
Library resources
43%
IT resources
67%
Course specific equipment and facilities
38%
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?

96%
UK students
4%
International students
29%
Male students
71%
Female students
63%
2:1 or above
25%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
D
D

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.

£15,600
low
Average annual salary
92%
med
Employed or in further education
45%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

29%
Design occupations
24%
Artistic, literary and media occupations
15%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

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.

£14k

£14k

£14k

£14k

£17k

£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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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?

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