This course is in Clearing.

Offers from 64 tariff points

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Graphics and Digital Design FdA

UCAS code: W210

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Level of study:
Foundation degree, Undergraduate
Typical Clearing offer:
64 UCAS tariff points
Start date:
September 2026
Duration:
Two years
Attendance:
Full-time
Course delivery:
On-campus (City Campus)

Student work by Jamie Goffin, Graphics and Digital Design

Information for 2026

About this course

This Foundation Degree in Graphics and Digital Design is geared towards creating ambitious graduates for the graphic design industry. Studying in a creative technologies institute, you'll gain valuable skills and experience that reflect current and future industry practice, building a professional portfolio tailored to your aspirations. After successful completion, you'll have the option to go straight into a career or top-up to a full honours degree.

Our aim is to develop and create ambitious graduates for the graphic design industry. You’ll have the opportunity to gain advanced knowledge and skills in industry-standard design software packages including Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects and InDesign, accessing s range of modern studio spaces.

Through live project briefs, we’ll push you to develop your research, critical discussion and presentation skills in seeking to solve a challenging design problem, whilst you’ll get an insight into how work is commissioned within the graphic design industry. We’ll develop your project management skills through collaborative projects, and you’ll be encouraged to take an experimental and creative approach to your work.

By the end of the two-year Foundation Degree, successful graduates will leave with a wide range of valuable skills, experience and knowledge, alongside a professional portfolio tailored to their career aspirations.

Gain hands-on industry experience

while you study, with industry opportunities built into the course to ensure you graduate with the practical skills needed to make it in the industry.
Use industry-standard equipment

Learn how to use specialist tech and equipment including Cinema 4D and Wacom drawing tablets.
Work on live briefs

set by industry giants to boost your CV and industry connections. Previous students have worked on briefs from big names including John Lewis and The National Trust.
Study in the heart of Nottingham

One of Europe’s top 25 student cities, and home to over 75,000 learners.

Studying in the Department of Design and Digital Arts, you’ll learn the theories and techniques used in creative problem solving and explore the impact of emerging technologies on visual communication, such as advertising, branding, marketing, image creation, UX design and web design.

Top
15

In the UK for Art and Design in Complete University Guide 2026

Module information

Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll be studying throughout the course:

Core modules

We regularly review our course content based on student and employer feedback to ensure they remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or availability in future years. Optional modules will only run where there is sufficient demand. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis to protect the academic and student experience.

Within individual modules the delivery of the material encourages increasing levels of skill development and student participation, ensuring that, as you progress through the course, you become a more confident and independent learner. We aim to include a range of methods of delivery that may include;

Lectures
Seminars
Workshop
Group tutorials
Academic Tutorials
Presentations and pitches
Team working
Independent learning
Visiting industry professionals.

All the modes of delivery are structured to develop on-going abilities and skills through exploring ideas and problem solving. The course will offer a broad range of assessment methods.

Showcase

You will be given the opportunity to exhibit your work during your time at NTU to members of the creative industries.

Artificial Intelligence and Innovation in Graphics and Digital Design

Alongside developing proficiency in relevant industry-standard software, the course actively integrates emerging technologies, including AI, to ensure students are equipped with the skills and insight needed for the future of creative industries. Through workshops, lectures, and industry collaborations, students will have opportunities to explore and critically evaluate the role of these tools in the creative process, while also considering the ethical implications of their use within their practice.

Find out more about AI, Creativity and Innovation at the Nottingham School of Art & Design

How you're assessed

A variety of formative and summative assessment methods will be employed throughout the course such as:

presentations
idea development
research led projects
live briefs
essays
reports.

Each assessment undertaken for each module will enable you to develop specific skills required by a graphic designer.

Contact hours

For each 20-credit module, you’ll spend about 200 hours learning overall. Around 40 of those hours will be taught in lectures or seminars. The rest of the time is for independent study, reading, research, or working on assignments.

Peter Abrahart

Lecturer (Teaching)

Peter Abrahart is a Lecturer at Nottingham School of Art & Design, teaching across Graphics & Digital Design, Photography, Sports Photography, and Fashion Photography at Nottingham Trent University.
Visit Peter Abrahart's staff profile
Ja'maul Adams

Lecturer (Teaching)

Ja’maul Adams teaches across several courses at Nottingham School of Art & Design, specialising in Visual Effects (VFX) and post-production. He brings creative and technical expertise to modules in Content Creation, Graphics, and Film, helping students develop skills in 3D design, motion graphics, editing, and colour grading.
Visit Ja'maul Adams 's staff profile
Maëlle Daub-Laurent

Lecturer (Teaching)

Maëlle Daub-Laurent is a lecturer in Visual Communication and Course Leader for the FdA Graphics and Digital Design at NTU’s School of Art & Design.
Visit Maëlle Daub-Laurent 's staff profile

Entry requirements

This course is in Clearing

Looking for a place in Clearing? We are accepting applications and would love to hear from you!

UK students

Clearing requirements

From 64 UCAS tariff points from up to qualifications.

To discuss our entry requirements and see what we can offer you, call us now on +44 (0)115 848 6000. Alternatively, if you already have your qualifications, apply online via our Clearing Application form.

Additional requirements for UK students

There are no additional requirements for this course.

Contextual offers

We consider every application in the context of your individual circumstances and educational background. This may include information about where you live, the school or college you attended, or experiences that may have shaped your educational journey. This is known as a contextual offer, and we use information provided through UCAS to help inform our decisions. By considering achievement in context, we can better recognise academic potential and ensure applicants are assessed as fairly and fully as possible. Please note we do not make contextual offers during Clearing.

Other qualifications and experience

NTU welcomes applications from students with non-standard qualifications and learning backgrounds, either for year one entry or for advanced standing beyond the start of a course into year 2 or beyond.

We consider study and/or credit achieved from a similar course at another institution (otherwise known as credit transfer), vocational and professional qualifications, and broader work or life experience.

Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available for this route. If you wish to apply via Recognition of Prior Learning, please contact the central Admissions and Enquiries Team who will be able to support you through the process.

Getting in touch

If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form.

International students

Clearing requirements

From 64 UCAS tariff points from up to qualifications.

This course is not suitable for International applicants.

Additional requirements for international students

There are no additional requirements for this course.

English language requirements

View our English language requirements for all courses, including alternative English language tests and country qualifications accepted by the University.

If you need help achieving the language requirements, we offer a Pre-Sessional English for Academic Purposes course on our City campus which is an intensive preparation course for academic study at NTU.

Other qualifications and experience

If you have the right level of qualifications, you may be able to start your Bachelors degree at NTU in year 2 or year 3. This is called ‘advanced standing’ entry and is decided on a case-by case basis after our assessment of your qualifications and experience.

You can view our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy which outlines the process and options available, such as recognising experiential learning and credit transfer.

Sign up for emails

Sign up to receive regular emails from the International Office. You'll hear about our news, scholarships and any upcoming events in your country with our expert regional teams.

Getting in touch

If you need advice about studying at NTU as an international student or how to apply, our international webpages are a great place to start. If you have any questions about your study options, your international qualifications, experience, grades or other results, please get in touch through our enquiry form. Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world.

Policies

We strive to make our admissions procedures as fair and clear as possible. To find out more about how we make offers, visit our admissions policies page.

Fees and funding

UK students

- see the fees for this course, as well as information about funding and support.

£9,790 per year

Find out about the extra support we may be able to provide to help pay for uni, including NTU bursaries and scholarships.

Material costs: We advise you to budget between £50 - £250 for an external hard drive and appropriate art and design materials (sketch books, pencils etc.). Whilst you will be provided with storage for your work on the servers it is also good practice to back up your digital files to an external source.

You will need to pay tuition fees for each year that you are at university. The tuition fees, including the placement year and study abroad options are subject to government policy and may change in future years of study.

Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but we don’t want you to feel anxious or confused about it. Visit our fees and funding pages if you have any concerns.

International students

- see the fees for this course, as well as payment advice and scholarships.

This course is not suitable for applicants who require a student visa.

However, we do accept qualifications from schools, colleges and universities all over the world for entry onto our Bachelors and Masters degrees. If you’re not sure how your international qualification matches our course requirements please see our information about international qualifications.

Additional costs

Your course fees cover the cost of studies and include loads of great benefits, such as the use of our library, support from our expert Employability team and free use of the IT equipment across our campuses. There are just a few additional things you may need to budget for:

Textbooks and library books

Your modules will point you to key textbooks and recommended reading. Many are available online, and in our libraries, but some students choose to buy their own copies. You’ll receive resource lists showing where to access eBooks, digital resources and physical copies. Our friendly Library team is always on hand to help you find what you need.

Printing and photocopying 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 and photocopying information on the Library website.

Field trips

All essential field trip costs will be included in your course fees. There may be the opportunity to take part in optional field trips, which do incur additional costs.

Fees and funding advice

For more advice and guidance, phone the Student Money Team on +44 (0)115 848 2494.

Cost of living information and support

Managing your money can help you make the most of life at NTU. Here's how we can support you, and now you can make your funding go further.

Cost of living in Nottingham

Our student benefits and free services

Money advice for international students

Careers and employability

After completing your foundation degree, you’ll have the chance to top up to BA (Hons) Graphic Design or go straight into industry.

Employability is a key focus of this course, with modules including initiatives such as live projects and the opportunity to exhibit your work, to help enhance your future career.

This course will prepare you to work in creative industries in specialist technical roles, in areas such as feature films, television, and advertising.

You can also move straight into your career, in areas which might include:

Graphic designer
Animator
Illustrator
Website designer
Artworker.

Connecting with industry

Industry professionals will visit the course to guest lecture and share their experiences. Live projects will help you to gain real experience of the industry, make contacts, and build your portfolio and CV.

Work placement and internship opportunities

You will be actively encouraged and supported to undertake informal work experience and professional practice in addition to your studies.

Our teaching staff, including part-time lecturers who are professionally active, help and support students in directing them towards work placement and professional practice opportunities.

Employability Promise

Personalised support, one-on-one coaching and industry-specific advice – it’s all part of our Employability Promise. And it doesn’t end when you leave NTU – you’ll have access to all our careers services for three years after you graduate (conditions apply).
Assessed work-like experience

We’ve embedded at least eight weeks of assessed work-like experience into all of our courses. This gives you the opportunity to apply your learning in real-world scenarios, build your confidence, and develop the experience employers are looking for.
NTU Enterprise

If you’re a budding entrepreneur, NTU Student Enterprise can help you to develop your ideas and innovations and turn them into a reality. We also offer training, mentoring, workshops, financial advice and more to develop your business skills.

Applying

UK students

This course has places available through Clearing. Secure your place by calling our Clearing phoneline on +44 (0)115 484 6000 or applying online.

More about Clearing

International students

This course has places available through Clearing. Start your application - call our Clearing phoneline on +44 (0)115 484 6000 or apply online. If you are not applying to any other UK universities, you can apply directly on our applicant portal.

Please read our application guidance before you start your application.

We advise you to prepare and apply as early as you can as Student visa processing time can vary.

We'll send you important emails throughout the application process. Please check your emails regularly, including your junk/spam mail folder.

Clearing info for international students Apply through NTU portal