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Illustration

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,C

Other A Level combinations are possible to achieve 112 points

Pass Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 80 UCAS points.

OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma

DMM

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

DMM

Achieve a minimum of 112 tariff points achieved from either five Highers or a combination of two Highers offered with two Advanced Highers. Where only Highers have been taken a minimum of (CCCCC) is required.

T Level

Pass (C and above)


Eligible T Level applications will be asked to achieve a minimum overall grade of P (A*-C) or Higher Pass as a condition of offer.

UCAS Tariff

112-120

We welcome a wide range of qualifications and qualification combinations. We assess each application individually, taking in to account any experience and skills you may have in your chosen field. Don't worry if you can't see your specific qualification listed, just contact our team of experts on 01782 294400 or email us at [email protected] for further advice

You may also need to…

Attend an interview

Present a portfolio

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Illustration

Our Illustration degree is ideal if you’re interested in image-making, visual communications, printmaking, visual storytelling or animation. You’ll become a versatile illustrator and will establish a personal voice and vision within an engaging portfolio of work.

With an emphasis on creative visual thinking this course reflects the rich and diverse nature of contemporary illustration, inviting you to challenge its contexts and boundaries through both digital and craft-based media.

Our flexible and integrated approach to learning fosters collaboration, experimentation and engagement in a wide range of visual practice to include; drawing & printmaking, publishing & book arts, illustration for communication (information, awareness & promotion), character and concept art, visual storytelling, editorial illustration and animation.

Due to the power of this medium to impact upon audiences and interact with the world, professionalism, sustainability, ethics and diversity are at the heart of all that we do.

You will benefit from a range of specialist and visiting lecturers and have the opportunity to work on live briefs and enter high profile national competitions such as D&AD, Creative Conscience and Penguin Books.

With an emphasis on creative visual thinking and craft, this course reflects the rich and diverse nature of contemporary image-making, inviting you to challenge its boundaries through both digital and craft-based media.

Our flexible studio space fosters an integrated approach to learning and we encourage you to collaborate, experiment and engage in a wide range of related visual practices. These include: image making techniques, drawing for illustration, illustration for information and promotion, photography and art direction, visual storytelling, editorial/book illustration, and crafts and animation.

Modules

Year 1 (Core) Visual Communication, Introduction to Illustration and creative thinking including a range of 2D/3D Craft Workshops, Digital and Computer Workshops and Studying Visual Communication (research and theory) , Life Drawing , Drawing for Illustration , Introduction to Animation , Visual Application 1 including Image Making and Moving Image
Year 2 (Core) Illustration and Communication including Visual Exploration and Industry Mapping , Visual Storytelling , Illustration and Application, including Illustration in Context and competitions , Life Drawing , Professional Practice including Work Placement opportunity
Year 3 (Core) Negotiated Programme 1 including themed briefs and competitions , Research, Analysis and Communication , Creative Practice in Context, including Design Futures and industry set projects , Negotiated Programme 2 including self- authored briefs and competitions

Assessment methods

You are assessed in this course by a range of different types of coursework and practical activities. The assessment task for each module will vary dependent upon its content but may include: • A portfolio of completed artwork, professionally presented in the format required by the assignment, project or brief. • Workbooks, sketchbooks etc., documenting the process of generating, developing and resolving thoughts/ideas, and demonstrating the influence of research on practical work. • Research books, folders, dossiers, etc. documenting the gathering, sorting and presentation of research material. • Technical Exercises demonstrating your skills and competencies using particular equipment and/or techniques. • Written essays or reports, in which you are exploring the contextual or professional background to a specific project. • An individual or group seminar presentation and/or the accompanying material which you have used to create the presentation.

Tuition fees

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

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£16,750
per year
International
£16,750
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Staffordshire University (Stoke Campus)

Department:

Digital, Technologies and 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.

87%
Illustration

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

90%
Staff make the subject interesting
93%
Staff are good at explaining things
94%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
92%
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

83%
Library resources
77%
IT resources
92%
Course specific equipment and facilities
77%
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
31%
Male students
69%
Female students
83%
2:1 or above
2%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
A
A

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.

£17,550
med
Average annual salary
98%
high
Employed or in further education
52%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

38%
Design occupations
15%
Artistic, literary and media occupations
14%
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.

£14k

£14k

£18k

£18k

£20k

£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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Higher entry requirements
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Illustration
BA (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 96-144

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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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):

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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