BA (Hons) Graphic Design (Jan 2024 Start)

We are excited to offer a selection of BA (Hons) creative courses through our new distance learning provision, starting on 8 January 2024 (click here to see the Key Days for our Distance Learning courses). Our vision for excellence in art and design distance learning, under the banner of our Connected Campus, affords students flexibility in their studies whilst being a valued part of our community.

These three-year courses all share a common distance-learning first year, while specialising in a chosen subject, then progressing into named awards in year two and three.

The first year of your Spring Entry BA (Hons) Graphic Design course can be studied at home, in your own studio space, or at our dedicated international host institution. You will begin in January 2024, and your studies will finish in August 2024, allowing you to immediately progress on to your second year of study, which will take place in person, on campus in September 2024.

From the labelling in your clothes to the apps on your phone – Graphic Design impacts every aspect of modern life. On this ambitious course you’ll become part of a new breed of professional designers empowering brands and inspiring community action on a global scale, through both traditional and hybrid design approaches.

There’s never been a more exhilarating time to study graphic design as a discipline, as companies strive to cultivate culture and connect with their audience in new and unexpected ways. Discover what it takes to influence public conscience, capture imagination and provoke discussion through effective visual communication.

If you’re interested in the role of graphic communication as a vehicle for change and idea transfer, this degree will equip you with the practical skills and theoretical knowledge necessary to succeed at the forefront of industry. From print publications to large-format advertising, user experience to data visualisation – you will learn how to make your ideas an online and offline reality.

Grounded in a critical awareness of societal and cultural contexts, early-on you will be encouraged to adopt the mindset of a design professional. Through interdisciplinary experiments and collaborative projects you’ll learn both specialist and generalist approaches to graphic communication, with a focus on the opportunities afforded by advances in new technologies.

With the online support of our expert academics and industry-practicing technicians, you will forge your own professional journey within an ever-evolving international landscape of motion, print, social and interactive media design. You’ll learn how to respond to current design needs, from research and concept through to prototype and design, strategising packaging and campaigns that inform, entertain and persuade.

Your studies will also equip you with progressive problem-solving skills needed by future employers, including themes of ecological sustainability, emerging technologies and user-centred design. Sessions by industry-visitors are recorded wherever possible and shared with the university community.

Our UK students can enjoy access to resources both traditional and future-facing, including screen-printing and letterpress workshops, 2D and 3D animation studios, state-of-the-art digital production equipment, and creative software such as Adobe Creative Cloud, including After Effects for motion graphics and Indesign and Illustrator for page layout and vector work.

International students can access facilities available at our dedicated host institutions, based in China. Access to specialist facilities can support your studies, however, it is not essential to succeed on this course.