Graphic Design BA (Hons)
- Level(s) of Study: Undergraduate
- UCAS Code(s): W211
- Start Date(s): September 2023
- Duration: Three years full-time
- Study Mode(s): Full-time
- Campus: City Campus
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Entry Requirements:
More information
Introduction:
Learn and develop as an ambitious graphic designer on this studio-based degree. You'll work alongside like-minded creatives, exploring all aspects of visual communication in a vibrant studio environment.
We’ll encourage you to think creatively during your time at NTU, gaining professional and technical skills that reflect current and future industry practice. You will study a broad range of disciplines including branding, editorial design, graphic design, illustration, interactive design, information design, motion graphics and typography.
By the end of your degree, you’ll have a professional portfolio tailored to your own career aspirations. Graduates secure roles in fields such as art direction, advertising, branding and identity, design for screen and interactive design, editorial design, illustration, motion graphics and publishing.
Keep up to date with what our current Graphic Design students are up to by following their Instagram account.
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You’ll have the opportunity to complete a work experience placement of up to a year in length. Dependent on the duration of your placement, you could gain an additional Diploma or Certificate in Professional Practice. -
You’ll have the opportunity to be selected to exhibit at portfolio events, such as New Designers and D&AD New Blood in London. -
Opportunity to apply for a European or international exchange to one of our partner institutions, such as RMIT in Australia. You will also have the chance to attend optional study visits to cities like New York and Berlin. -
Develop your professional skills through self-initiated work experience placements, industry competitions, collaborations with organisations and guest lectures. You will work on live briefs with companies like Brand Opus, JKR, Elmwood and Vault 49.
What you’ll study
Don’t just take our word for it, hear from our students themselves
Video Gallery
Careers and employability
Many graduates secure jobs at well-known design consultancies. Some choose to use their skills in other fields, such as teaching and management, while others go on to set up their own business or work on a freelance basis.
Graduates from this course go into a range of roles. Recent examples include:
- designer, Unidays
- junior designer, McCann Birmingham
- junior designer, Pentland Brands
- product development, Bakerdays
- freelance artist, Advocate AA
- junior designer; Landor
- junior motion designer; DixonBaxi.
Work placement opportunities
You’ll be encouraged to undertake work experience alongside your studies. Course staff and our Employability team will be on hand to support you with advice on how to approach companies and get the most from your experience.
Our graphic design students have recently gained work experience with companies such as:
- The Sunday Times
- Dalton Maag
- Pentland
- Landor
- Design Bridge
- Stink
- Paul Smith
- Edenspiekermann
- Nomad.
YouFirst – working with our Employability team
Studying a creative degree in a large university has many benefits, none more so than having access to a large employability team.
Our friendly, experienced careers consultants from our NTU Employability team will work closely with you at every stage of your career planning, providing personal support and advice you won't find in a book or on the Internet.
You can benefit from this at any time during your studies and for up to three years after completing your course.
Connecting with industry
Industry professionals visit the course to guest lecture and share their experience. Recent visitors have included:
- Anthony Burrill – Graphic Artist
- Rachel Ball – Graphic Novelist
- Chris Williams – Editorial Art Director
- David Bailey – BBC
- Jack Renwick – Jack Renwick Studio
- Michael Johnson – Johnson Banks
- Chrissy Levitt – Creative Conscience
Our students have also recently worked on live projects with Michon Creative, Elmwood, Hallmark, Interbrand, Landor, Oliver Spencer, Purpose, and The One Off.
Our Year One students have recently exhibited at Djanogly Gallery at Nottingham’s Lakeside Arts Centre, giving their work an impressive amount of exposure.
We are members of the Creative Industries Federation (CIF), which means students in the Nottingham School of Art & Design have the opportunity to sign up to free student membership. Creative Industries Federation are an organisation that represents, champions and supports the UK’s creative industries and membership grants students exclusive access to their selection of resources and events to help advance your career and connect with industry.
Campus and facilities
How to apply
Apply through UCAS.
We will ask you to provide a digital portfolio. Visit our webpage which has some advice on what to include to help make your portfolio stand out. After you have submitted your portfolio, we may also invite you to an online interview to help us make our final decision.
You can apply for this course through UCAS. If you are not applying to any other UK universities, you can apply directly to us on our NTU applicant portal.
Application advice
Apply early so that you have enough time to prepare – processing times for Student visas can vary, for example. After you've applied, we'll be sending you important emails throughout the application process – so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.
Writing your personal statement
Be honest, thorough, and persuasive – we can only make a decision about your application based on what you tell us:
Your portfolio
If your initial application is successful, you may be asked to upload a portfolio of your work and you may also be asked to attend an interview.
Please note that your portfolio;
- needs to be publicly available
- or uploaded to our NTU upload portal system.
- or sent with a password for a protected link.
Please see our Portfolio Advice for more information
Would you like some advice on your study plans?
Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.
- Complete this simple form to keep in touch with the International Office.
The University's commitment to delivering the educational services advertised.