BA (Hons) Graphic Design

When can you start this course? | UCAS code | Fees | Course length | Entry requirements

Why choose this course?

Are you intrigued by icons, signs, symbols and letterforms?
Do you have passion for design, style, fashion, music or film?
Would you like the opportunity to work alongside illustration and animation students in our dynamic visual communication studio?
Would you like to create a professional design portfolio that's original and distinctive when you graduate?
You'll get to work on real briefs for companies as part of your course which will give great benefits to your CV and career prospects.

About the course

This course will support you in developing dynamic and individual responses to creative projects, ranging from corporate identity, branding, advertising and typography to packaging and screen based moving images.

The course has strong links with national and local organisations, so you will get the chance to work on professional briefs with external agencies such as Saatchi and Saatchi, OneDotZero, Spin, Rolls-Royce and Balfour Beatty, as well as many others. You will experience professional practice guidance throughout the course and be shown how to generate links with industry and produce effective media for self-promotion, helping to ensure a very successful transition to employment.

We're also a member of the D&AD, so you can be sure taht our course is in step with the industry's developments.

You'll be able to go on placements with high profile agencies such as Baseline, Forster Design and Brand Nation, and you'll also go on visits and to conferences, which have included lectures by visionary designers from London and New York such as Bob Gill, Paula Scher, Chip Kidd and many more. You will also take part in well established national and global competitions such as Design and Art Direction Awards, the Royal Society for the Arts, Shine - Coley Porter Bell, Icograda and the Young Creatives Network.

As a final year student, you'll take part in London graduate shows such as New Designers, an exciting event showcasing new talent from the field of design.

You can do this course full time and part time.

You could choose to study our MDes which is an undergraduate and postgraduate course combined. You'll study for four years and gain a masters in Graphic Design. Find out more.

Find out more about what subjects and modules you'll be studying...

You'll study a total of 120 credits per year. This will be made up of single or double modules.

Stage one

Studio briefs and workshops will encourage you to define your creativity, design thinking, software knowledge and critical analysis, while your lectures and seminars will focus on the culture, history and context of your subject.

You'll study modules such as:

Visual Exploration - covering observation and information gathering
Visual Problem Solving - covering concept development and idea generation
Digital Studio Practice - covering fundamental software skills
Graphic Design Practice - covering fundamental skills in typography, software, layout and design practice
Visual Culture: History - covering historical and critical frameworks for communications and media

Stage two

Your second year will focus on your skills in a project based environment and ways of thinking to establish a firm design process in your chosen area. You will become increasingly confident with professional approaches and terminology, engaging with design practitioners, global and national competitions and agencies.

You'll study modules such as:

Directed Projects in Graphic Design - incorporating live briefs
Design Strategies - a specialist graphic design module with relevant software and advanced design practice
Visual Culture: Theory - covering historical, theoretical and critical frameworks for communication and media
Professional Practice - covering professional links with industry, visiting speakers, case studies, preparation for placement and developing a professional body of work.

Stage three

The focus of this stage will be on building an original, distinctive portfolio based on strong ideas and technical skill through a range of projects, in particular your own final major project.

You'll study modules such as:

Negotiated Study in Graphic Design - looking at advanced studio briefs
Visual Culture: Extended Essay - incorporating current debate and critical analysis within the specialism of graphic design
Destinations - looking at Degree Show briefs
Specialist Practice in Graphic Design - your final self-initiated project.

Your career

Darren was commended for his work for Orange Language. The brief said to consider the future of communication by mobile phone. Darren thought that in the future, phones will be able to automatically translate different languages. His artwork shows a situation where people of different nationalities are communicating.

See more student work.

As a graduate you could work in a design studio, freelance, art direction, editorial design, typography, branding, advertising, corporate identity, interactive media, signage, design consultancy or web design. You may also decide to progress on to alternative careers such as teaching or continue on to postgraduate study.

Throughout the course you'll get regular support and advice on careers from specialist staff including recognised practitioners, researchers and educators, who are actively engaged in contemporary graphic design practice.ion

Karen Stevens, who graduated in 2004 now works as an Art Director in London's Canary Wharf. She works for Orchestra which is a successful marketing and advertising agency. During her time with Orchestra, she has produced a campaign with a fellow colleague which went on to be awarded as one of the top ten press advertisements for 2008.

Graduate Victoria Fernau now works at Hurricane Design, where she helps bluechip companies with their branding and packaging design.

What our students say

Work by Derby students was commended in the Young Creative Network's 2007 Design and Communication Awards, and was on show at the Royal College of Art. Read the full story...

See more student success stories.

"This course suited my needs as a student and as a young designer, allowing me to have the independence to choose the way to pursue an idea whilst having the experience and guidance of my tutors."
Stuart Phillips, third year graphic design student

How you'll learn

Teaching is delivered mainly through studio-based and experiential learning using project briefs. This is mixed with tutorials, lectures, seminars, visiting speakers and visits to galleries and exhibitions.

The course gives you an understanding of the relationship of your practice to historical, theoretical and contemporary contexts, encouraging you to gain awareness of the political and ethical responsibilities of the designer, along with a knowledge of current practice as well as inspiration from the past.

You'll work with clients from local and national industries on live briefs, which is an essential part of the course. These have recently included commissions from Rolls Royce, Derby City Council and East Midlands Airport. You'll also be encouraged to enter design competitions such as the Mercury Prize, Royal Society for the Arts and the Young Creatives Network. Our students have frequently been successful in these prestigious national competitions.

You'll develop a Personal Development Plan, developing yourself as a well-rounded individual through continuous reflection on your studies, progress and future career planning. Professional Practice modules at all stages of the course allow you to project forward with an awareness of the creative industries.

How you're assessed

Assessment is based on coursework, relevant to each module. This may include portfolios of artwork, exhibitions, sketchbooks, research and background material, essays, reports and presentations.

Work placements

As part of third year and second year modules, students from our Graphic Design course had the chance to work with Thoughtful Design Group "James Graham" and were given a live brief for Innocent smoothies. Several pieces of work have been chosen by the design team and students may also get the opportunity to present their work to the clients themselves.

Graeme Wilkinson, a current student, has been trying to get a placement with Thoughtful Design Group and thanks to the University contacts Graeme has been given the opportunity to work on some of their projects.

Anything else?

Have you thought about taking our MDes, which is an undergraduate and postgraduate course combined. You'll study for four years and gain a masters degree in Graphic Design, Illustration or Animation, depending on the specialism you choose.

It means you don't have to worry about the expense and inconvenience of relocating for a separate postgraduate year. And you can get a student loan for all 4 years of the course. Find out more.

Find out more about about applying for the second or third year of the course

Start dates

If you're from the UK or EU you can apply to study this course in:

September 2012

If you're from a country outside the EU you can apply to study this course full time in:

September 2012

UCAS code

W211

Fees

This is a resource intensive course.

UK/EU students

Full time: £7,495 (each year)
Part time: £935 per module (you usually take 18 of these modules in total).

International students

Full time: £9,975 (each year)

*These fees apply if you're starting this course between September 2012 and August 2013. We recommend you check fee details with us though, as they can change. Costs can increase each year.