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Graphic Design BA (Hons)
- Level(s) of Study: Undergraduate
- Typical Offer: 104 - 112 UCAS tariff points
- UCAS Code(s): W211
- Start Date(s): September 2024
- Duration: 3 / 4 year(s)
- Study Mode(s): Full-time / Sandwich
- Campus: City Campus
Introduction:
Master branding, typography, publishing, motion graphics, and more – all while tackling real-world design projects. Hone your professional and technical skills and develop a visual design language that's uniquely you. You'll go beyond theory, experiment with emerging technologies, and refine your technical skills to equip yourself to thrive in the ever-evolving graphic design landscape.
By the end of your degree, you'll graduate with a professional portfolio that showcases your unique design voice. Our graduates are making waves in the industry across fields such as art direction, branding and identity, editorial design, interactive design, illustration, and more.
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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 a European destination. -
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
Explore all aspects of graphic design on this award-winning degree and set yourself up for a career in fields such as art direction, advertising, branding and identity, packaging design, design for screen and interactive design, editorial design, illustration, motion graphics or publishing.
The Fundamentals of Graphic Design
(100 credit points)
Learn about, and begin to practise, the process behind effective graphic design. Focus on topics such as typography, image-making, branding, packaging, editorial design, illustration, and film or animation. Throughout this module you will be developing a portfolio of work that demonstrates your ability to document a design process: including evidence of design research, ideas generation and exploration, as well as appropriate presentation skills.
Design in Context
(20 credit points)
Explore the historical and theoretical issues relating to graphic visual culture on a global scale, which will help you to develop your own critical opinions about the role graphic design has played in the wider social content.
Exploring the Graphic Design Industry
(60 credit points)
Building on the design thinking you developed in Year One, you’ll further explore and experiment across a number of disciplines strengthening your own personal design directionand awareness of industry practice. You’ll work on a series of specialist live client briefs that will give you experience of working in a professional environment, equipping you with valuable professional skills.
Design in Context II
(20 credit points)
This historical and theoretical module will prepare you for your final dissertation and wider studio work by developing your communication skills and analytical ability in relation to discussing contemporary design. You will also continue to examine how contemporary design both shapes, and is shaped by, wider social and political developments.
Co Lab: Research, Exploration and Risk-taking
(20 credit points)
Through active participation with team-based problem-solving, you will work together in mixed teams on a project where you will use your creative ideas to generate solutions to the challenge or brief. Your project will allow you to explore how creativity can make an impact in society, as you choose a theme of sustainability, social justice, enterprise and innovation or community. This collaborative learning experience will expose you to a range of new processes and approaches that will develop your creative thinking.
You will also choose one optional 20-credit module from:
- Materials and Making
- Publishing: Experimental Formats
- Typography: Use and Expression
- Telling Stories
- Motion Graphics
- Ethical Design (online and in person)
- Digital Marketing and Communication
- Exploring Creative Coding
Optional Placement Year (Sandwich)*
We have an option for all of our students to undertake a placement year (Sandwich) and allow you to decide whether this is right for you once you have completed years 1 and 2 of your course. This time spent working in industry provides our students with crucial work experience, which is highly prized and much sought after by employers upon graduation. If you are successful in securing a placement you will have the chance to gain an additional Certificate or Diploma in Professional Practice, dependent on duration.
* If you choose to take the sandwich route option, you will still need to apply for this course with the full-time UCAS code: W211.
Developing a Personal Portfolio
(100 credit points)
Through working on a number of set and self-initiated projects, including competition briefs set by established professional bodies and client briefs, you will develop an individual portfolio of work in line with your personal ambitions and future career direction. Your work will demonstrate an industry-ready level of knowledge and skill.
Design in Context III: Dissertation
(20 credit points)
Building on the research, critical thinking, and writing skills that you will have acquired in Year One and Year Two, you will produce a referenced and illustrated written study on an area of visual culture.
Video Gallery
How you’re taught
Studio practice is a key element of this course, and you’ll spend a lot of time in a creative studio environment. Teaching and learning experiences will include:
- studio activities
- peer groups
- lectures
- workshops
- seminars
- group tutorials
- one-to-one surgeries
- portfolio reviews
- self-initiated work experience
Co Lab
Want real-world experience alongside your degree? Co Lab is your opportunity to work with peers from different disciplines on live projects set by industry partners. Embrace collaborative practice as you explore how creativity can make an impact in society and develop the skills employers want to see in the creative industries.
Trips and study visits
Our graphic design students have recently travelled to Copenhagen, Berlin and Milan, where they visited design studios and met practitioners.
Trips also offer the chance to explore museums and galleries, and gather insights and inspiration to inform your own practice and project development.
Exchange opportunities
If you’re thinking about studying part of your degree abroad, the course has exchange agreements with a number of institutions around the world, such as RMIT in Australia, the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, the University of Bergen in Norway, and more.
Exchanges take place in Year Two of the course. You’ll receive guidance from the University about where you can go and study, and help in completing your application and arranging your exchange.
Showcase
You will be given the opportunity to exhibit your work during your time at NTU to members of the creative industries. Visit our ‘We Are Creatives’ showcase to take a look at the work of this year's graduating students’.
You’ll also have the opportunity to take part in our final year portfolio review at the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), and potentially at other graduating portfolio events such as D&AD New Blood and New Designers in London.
In 2020 twelve final year Graphic Design students were selected by D&AD New Blood as ‘Ones to Watch’, a fantastic achievement! This included Alisha Mann, Andreea Tocilescu, Holly Sanderson, Kai Wong, Laura Spence, Patrick Dallaway, Saskia Wright, Steve Garnett, Tamesha Blackwood, Trikuti Naresh, Will Rayner and Moesha Parirenyatwa.
At New Designers in 2020, Eve Wallis was awarded the Pentagram Young Designer Award, she received a £1000 to support the development of her design career, and a three-month paid internship at Pentagram’s renowned London studio.
Contact hours
- Year 1 lectures/seminars/workshops (21%), independent study (79%).
- Year 2 lectures/seminars/workshops (20%), independent study (80%).
- Year 3 lectures/seminars/workshops (20%), independent study (80%).
Further information
NTU is in the UK’s Top 15 for Art & Design in the Complete University Guide 2023 (Ranked 15th).
How you’re assessed
Further information
NTU is in the UK’s Top 15 for Art & Design in the Complete University Guide 2023 (Ranked 15th).
- Year 1 coursework (100%).
- Year 2 coursework (100%).
- Year 3 coursework (100%).
People excel in different ways, and we want everybody to have the best possible chance of success. On this course you will be assessed on a range of individual and group presentations, and your final year project.
Your work in Year Two accounts for 20% of your final degree mark, and your work in your final year accounts for the other 80%.
Assessment methods include:
- a portfolio of design work
- presentations
- essays
- seminars
- lecture quizzes
- a dissertation.
Careers and employability
80.7% of our students are in employment and/or further study within 15 months after graduation (Graduate Outcomes Survey, 2020/21).
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
You’ll be based in our new Design & Digital Arts Building. Opening for 2024 admission, our new Design & Digital Arts Building will place Nottingham as a UK hub for film, television, animation, UX design, games design, graphic design and more.
You'll have access to industry-standard facilities which include a virtual production studio, an in-camera VFX studio and a black box studio, as well as collaborative studio spaces, future technology suites and exhibition spaces.
Entry requirements
BA (Hons) Graphic Design
- Standard offer: 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications
- Contextual offer: 104 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications
Other requirements
Contextual offers
A lower offer may be made based on a range of factors, including your background (such as where you live and the school or college you attended), your experiences and individual circumstances (you may have been in care, for example). This is called a contextual offer and we get data from UCAS to make these decisions. NTU offers a student experience like no other and this approach helps us to find students who have the potential to succeed here but who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university. Find out how we assess your application.
Other qualifications and experience
We may also consider credits achieved at other universities and your work/life experience through an assessment of prior learning. This may be for year one entry, or beyond the beginning of a course where applicable, for example, into year 2. Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available for this route.
Meeting our entry requirements
Hundreds of qualifications in the UK have UCAS tariff points attached to specific grades, including A levels, BTECs, T Levels and many more. You can use your grades and points from up to four different qualifications to meet our criteria. Enter your predicted or achieved grades into our tariff calculator to find out how many points your qualifications are worth.
Getting in touch
If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form
BA (Hons) Graphic Design
- 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications
Other requirements
International qualifications
We accept qualifications from all over the world – check yours here:
Undergraduate preparation courses (Foundation)
If you don’t yet meet our entry requirements, we offer Foundation courses through our partner Nottingham Trent International College (NTIC), based on our City Campus:
English language requirements
You can meet our language requirements by successfully completing our pre-sessional English course for an agreed length of time, or by submitting the required grade in one of our accepted English language tests, such as IELTS:
Advanced standing (starting your undergraduate degree in year 2 or 3
You may be able to start your undergraduate course in year 2 or 3 based on what you have studied before. This decision would be made in accordance with our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy.
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.
Fees and funding
Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but there's no need to feel anxious and confused about it. We hope that our fees and funding pages will answer all your questions.
Getting in touch
For more advice and guidance, you can contact our Student Financial Support Service.
Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2494
What's included in the course fees?
The School will cover the costs of any mandatory study trips.
In Final Year, the Nottingham School of Art & Design will provide infrastructure costs for your Showcase.
If you’re selected to showcase your work at a graduate show in London, the School will cover the cost of the exhibition stand and of transporting your work to the show.
Additional costs
Print and copy costs
The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance please see the Printing, photocopying and scanning information on the Library website.
We advise you to budget between £50 - £250 (minimum) per year for printing costs.
Material costs
Depending on the materials you choose to work with, you should budget a further minimum of £150 (Year One), £250 (Year Two), and £250 (Final Year) to cover the other production costs associated with your course. Of course, you may spend less or more than this depending on the nature of your studies.
Stationery and reading materials
Most study modules will recommend one or more core textbooks, which most students choose to purchase. Book costs vary between courses and further information is available in the University’s bookshop, Blackwell’s.
A good supply of these essential text books are available in the University libraries, which students can easily borrow or access on-line/directly whilst studying in the library.
You should budget between £50 - £100 per year (minimum) for stationery and reading materials.
Although this is not a requirement for entry on the course or for successful study, once you have joined the course, some students choose to buy a laptop. Costs for this can vary dramatically depending on the exact specification. You should expect to pay between £800-£1,500.
Field trips
All essential field trip costs will be included in your course fees. There may also be an opportunity to take part in an optional field trip to a European destination that will be tailored to suit your course.
Placements
If you're undertaking a placement year, you'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst on placement. Many of our placement students do earn a salary whilst on placement which can help to cover these living costs.
If you undertake work experience or a longer placement, you will have the chance to gain an additional Certificate or Diploma in Professional Practice, dependent on duration. The Diploma in Professional Practice incurs a fee for the additional placement year.
Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but there's no need to feel anxious and confused about it. We hope that our fees and funding pages will answer all your questions.
You might be able to get a scholarship to help fund your studies. We award scholarships to those international students who can demonstrate excellent achievement, passion, and dedication to their studies.
Please take a look at our International students page for information about fees, scholarships for international students, visas and much more.
Getting in touch
For more advice and guidance, you can contact our Student Financial Support Service.
Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2494
What's included in the course fees?
The School will cover the costs of any mandatory study trips.
In Final Year, the Nottingham School of Art & Design will provide infrastructure costs for your Showcase.
If you’re selected to showcase your work at a graduate show in London, the School will cover the cost of the exhibition stand and of transporting your work to the show.
Additional costs
Print and copy costs
The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance please see the Printing, photocopying and scanning information on the Library website.
We advise you to budget between £50 - £250 (minimum) per year for printing costs.
Material costs
Depending on the materials you choose to work with, you should budget a further minimum of £150 (Year One), £250 (Year Two), and £250 (Final Year) to cover the other production costs associated with your course. Of course, you may spend less or more than this depending on the nature of your studies.
Stationery and reading materials
Most study modules will recommend one or more core textbooks, which most students choose to purchase. Book costs vary between courses and further information is available in the University’s bookshop, Blackwell’s.
A good supply of these essential text books are available in the University libraries, which students can easily borrow or access on-line/directly whilst studying in the library.
You should budget between £50 - £100 per year (minimum) for stationery and reading materials.
Although this is not a requirement for entry on the course or for successful study, once you have joined the course, some students choose to buy a laptop. Costs for this can vary dramatically depending on the exact specification. You should expect to pay between £800-£1,500.
Field trips
All essential field trip costs will be included in your course fees. There may also be an opportunity to take part in an optional field trip to a European destination that will be tailored to suit your course.
Placements
If you're undertaking a placement year, you'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst on placement. Many of our placement students do earn a salary whilst on placement which can help to cover these living costs.
If you undertake work experience or a longer placement, you will have the chance to gain an additional Certificate or Diploma in Professional Practice, dependent on duration. The Diploma in Professional Practice incurs a fee for the additional placement year.
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.
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