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Illustration BA(Hons)

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    Overview

    With a focus on illustration, this course aims to help you to develop into an independent, creative thinker with the ability to create and deliver exciting visual communication and image-making through your visually engaging work.

    You’ll create storyboards and characters or environments for animation and games design on this course. You’ll also develop comic strips and build narratives for children’s books or make interesting and desirable packaging and merchandise.

    On this flexible Illustration degree course, you’ll be taught by tutors who have professional industry experience within art and illustration. You’ll be able to develop the techniques and skills required to pursue a broad range of careers within the creative industries.

    Why study Illustration BA(Hons)

    By studying Illustration at the University of Huddersfield, you’ll get to work from our state-of-the-art Barbara Hepworth Building, which features collaborative studio spaces, advanced photography and CAD studios and a high-quality digital print centre.

    During this degree, you’ll develop an authentic and personal visual language by experimenting with a broad range of media and processes, as well as established and emerging technologies.

    You’ll learn the art of evaluation; curation and the presentation of your illustration works through your chance to work on live projects, competition briefs and public exhibitions.

    With several arts and cultural institutions nearby, you’ll be given the opportunity to attend field trips to events and galleries in Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool. This includes the Tate, Henry Moore institute, The Hepworth and Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Plus, as college members of the Association of Illustrators and Design and Art Direction (D&AD), there will be chances to hear talks from guest speakers and professionals from the world of art and illustration.

    As well as all of this, we will help you to build your portfolio to a professional standard, based on our knowledge of what employers are looking for. This will help to prepare you for a variety of potentially rewarding career opportunities within Illustration.

    When you enrol onto an illustration course like ours, you are opening the door to a wide range of possibilities.

    The course is part of a suite of three courses, which includes Fine Art BA(Hons) and Fine Art and Illustration BA(Hons). While you only apply for one course on the suite, you can choose to pursue any of the three throughout your degree, to tailor your studies to your interests within the subject.

    *Institutions in Yorkshire with a turnover of over £100 million.

    Entry requirements

    BBC-BCC at A Level or equivalent.

    112-104 UCAS tariff points from a combination of Level 3 qualifications.

    Merit in T Level .

    DMM-MMM in BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma.

    • Access to Higher Education Diploma with 45 Level 3 credits at Merit or above.
    • 112-104 UCAS tariff points from International Baccalaureate qualifications.
    • Pass in Diploma Foundation Studies in Art and Design combined with A Level or BTEC qualifications, to total an equivalent of 112-104 UCAS tariff points.

    Offers will be subject to a digital portfolio review, after which you will be invited to attend an Applicant Visit Day, at which you will have the opportunity to discuss and be given feedback on your portfolio. Read more about the portfolio review process on our Interviews, auditions and portfolio pages.

    If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.0 overall with no element lower than 5.5, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page.

    Other suitable experience or qualifications will be considered. For further information please see the University's minimum entry requirements.

    Course Detail

    Core modules:

    Studio Practice 1

    The module will concentrate on promoting an in-depth and disciplined approach to the breadth of contemporary practices in fine art and/or illustration. The focus is on exploration and experiment, in both ideas and materials, as a broad introduction to approaches to practice. You will be encouraged to draw upon existing knowledge in order to begin to establish the frameworks within which to operate as a creative practitioner. You will engage in processes such as drawing, painting, printmaking, lens-based media, and 3D work, and will be encouraged to examine these processes in relation to your personal conceptual and critical development. Strategies for developing visual awareness and conceptual thinking, and of selecting appropriate methods of production are central to this module. You will be introduced to current debates and issues within visual practice related to fine art and illustration, and to the ways in which artefacts are ‘read’ or interpreted, both explicitly and implicitly. A coherent and structured creative methodology will be encouraged in order to enhance visual perception and communication.

    Studio Practice 2

    Building on your experience during the first term, this module continues to promote research and experiment in the production of practical work. You will draw upon knowledge and progress gained in Studio Practice 1 in order to extend the range of your visual practice. Debates and issues within contemporary practice will continue to inform your thinking and development, and you will begin to recognise a range of contexts in which you might work. The module will enable you to further develop your creative and intellectual potential through practice, supported by contextual study, theory and criticism. You will continue to develop a structured and self-critical methodology in relation to your studio work. The module continues to promote a wide-range of intellectual and technical processes, with idea exploration, interpretation of themes through appropriate visual languages, and experimental media usage.

    Introduction to Critical Languages

    This module introduces you to vital debates on the production and reception of contemporary visual culture. Interdisciplinary in nature and approach, you will explore the subject with reference to a wide variety of images and artefacts, applying your learning to your subject specialism. The module introduces you to the importance of independent research, critical thinking and informed opinion. You will learn to recognise and appraise key conventions and contexts and apply that knowledge to your creative practice through discussion and in written formats that recognise the breadth of styles deployed by today’s creative practitioners.

    Core modules:

    Studio Practice 3

    This module focuses on identifying a potential direction within a range of practices. Based on the experience and knowledge gained during the first year, you will now begin to negotiate the types of practice with which you wish to engage. Building upon the exposure to a variety of media, concepts and contexts from Studio Practice 1 & 2, you will increase your sense of independence in studio activity as you develop your own creative identity. You will begin to consider your work within current contexts and debates around Fine Art and Illustration and their inter-relationship. The module develops your capacity to work in a more disciplined and independent manner. It encourages flexible cross-disciplinary approaches to the production and documentation of practical work. An awareness of methods of self-evaluation and critical analysis are required through on-going reflection and presentation of your practice in a variety of appropriate formats and contexts.

    Studio Practice 4

    This module extends the level of independence developed in Studio Practice 3. It requires you to develop greater self-reliance and self-critical ability. It combines both internally set and external projects based on set themes and will culminate in a exhibition. Through negotiation, you will articulate a clearer idea of your position within creative practice, and test your practice within external contexts. There will be opportunities to make connections within external professional contexts in order to engage with opportunities nationally and internationally. You will develop independent projects and make links with appropriate professional bodies in order to explore the potential of your practice and gain professional experiences. This will be augmented by input from visiting specialists, live projects and field trips.

    Expanded Critical Languages

    Expanded Critical Languages continues your exploration of thinking about and through visual culture, supporting you to further develop your contextual knowledge and understanding, and growing your skills and confidence as a researcher. You will engage with a variety of established research strategies and explore some of key issues relevant to your subject specialism and creative practice more broadly.

    Professional Practice

    This module introduces you to issues relating to fine art and illustration professional practices. It aims to develop your understanding of the responsibilities of working within a creative industry and addresses the considerations, skills, knowledge and networks that you will need on graduating. Self-promotion, both online and offline, is explored to understand the various ways to promote yourself in public-facing environments. All of these aspects will be investigated and analysed through a range of practice-based workshops and outputs.

    Arts and Humanities Placement

    The placement year is your chance to gain hands-on experience and build on the skills you’ve developed in your first two years of study. You’ll spend up to 48 weeks (minimum 36 weeks) in a graduate-level role, sharpening your professional skills, exploring career options, and boosting your future job prospects. During your placement, you'll reflect on your performance, develop real-world skills, and learn to approach your role with a critical eye. Your placement will be monitored, and you’ll be assessed on your achievements, setting you up for success in your final year and beyond.

    Core modules:

    Research and Development for Fine Art and Illustration

    This module will establish and inform your major project. Within it you will identify themes/subjects/issues relevant to your practice. The module will re-emphasise the importance of in-depth research, within which you will demonstrate originality, pro-activity and innovation. The context and parameters of this module will be defined by you, through negotiation and ongoing dialogue with your tutors.

    Final Major Project - Fine Art and/or Illustration

    You will build upon and test research developed in module THD1379. You will channel your creative and intellectual skills to create innovative, original or highly professional proposition(s) appropriate to your discipline through the use of sketchbooks, and creative outputs. You will realise the potential of your final major project in a form appropriate to your intentions and subject specialism.

    Applied Critical Languages

    This module takes place throughout the final year, focusing on contextual and professional issues appropriate to your individual practice and subject specialism. In the first semester, you will undertake research on a self-selected topic that complements your practical interests, developing a set of questions and ideas that build on the skills, knowledge and understanding acquired on your course. In the second semester, you will develop and refine a public-facing profile based on the audience and professional requirements for your chosen area of creative practice.

    On average, 24.5%* of the study time on this course is spent in tutorials, seminars, workshops, lectures etc.

    *based on 23/24 programme specifications.

    Much of the work on this course is studio-based, and teaching is delivered through a combination of group tutorials, workshops, live projects, lectures, optional study trips (national and international), seminars and individual tutorials.

    Your assessment will include verbal and illustrative presentations of your practical and developmental work, written work for contextual analysis and assignments, plus self-assessment and evaluation.

    Your module specification/course handbook will provide full details of the assessment criteria applying to your course.

    Feedback (usually written) is normally provided on all coursework submissions within three term time weeks – unless the submission was made towards the end of the session in which case feedback would be available on request after the formal publication of results. Feedback on exam performance/final coursework is available on request after the publication of results.

    Inspirational field trips to destinations of educational and cultural significance are a component of the course and will be funded by the University. Study trips may include visits to galleries, museums, exhibitions and events.

    Further information

    The teaching year normally starts in September with breaks at Christmas and Easter, finishing with a main examination/assessment period around May/June. Timetables are normally available one month before registration.

    Your course is made up of modules and each module is worth a number of credits. Each year you study modules to the value of 120 credits, adding up to 360 credits in total for a bachelor’s qualification. These credits can come from a combination of core, compulsory and optional modules but please note that optional modules may not run if we do not have enough students interested.

    If you achieve 120 credits for the current stage you are at, you may progress to the next stage of your course, subject to any professional, statutory or regulatory body guidelines.

    1. The University of Huddersfield has been rated Gold in all three aspects of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023. We were the only university in Yorkshire and the Humber and the North West to achieve Gold ratings in all three aspects of the TEF among those announced in September 2023. In fact only 13 Universities, out of the 96 that were announced in September 2023, were Gold in all three ratings.

    2. Further proof of teaching excellence: our staff rank in the top three in England for the proportion who hold doctorates, who have higher degrees, and hold teaching qualifications (HESA 2024). So, you’ll learn from some of the best, helping you to be the best.

    3. We are first in the country for National Teaching Fellowships, which mark the UK’s best lecturers in Higher Education, winning a total of 22 since 2008 (2023 data).

    4. We won the first Global Teaching Excellence Award, recognising the University’s commitment to world-class teaching and its success in developing students as independent learners and critical thinkers (Higher Education Academy, 2017).

    At Huddersfield, you'll study the Global Professional Award (GPA) alongside your degree* so that you gain valuable qualities and experiences that could help you to get the career you want, no matter what your field of study is. On completion of the Award, you'll receive a GPA certificate from the University of Huddersfield, alongside the specialist subject skills and knowledge you gain as part of your degree, which may help to set you apart from other graduates.

    Giving students access to the Global Professional Award is one of the reasons the University won ‘Best University Employability Strategy’ award at the National Graduate Recruitment Awards 2021. Find out more on the Global Professional Award webpage.

    *full-time, undergraduate first degrees with a minimum duration of three years. This does not include postgraduate, foundation, top-up, accelerated or apprenticeship degrees.

    Placements

    The course offers an optional (36 weeks minimum) one-year work placement after the second year, in the UK or abroad. This will give you the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience, insight into your chosen career and open up your graduate employment prospects. Our Placement Unit and academic staff have excellent industry links and can support you in applying for and finding your placement(s), as well as during your placement year.

    Students within the area of Contemporary Art and Illustration have previously taken up placement opportunities with companies including: The House of Illustration - London; The Association of Illustrators - London; Plum Pudding Publishing – Surrey; Advocate Art – Worthing and Derma Décor – Rotherham.

    You can find out more information on placements here.

    A gallery of work by our Illustration students and graduates. Click on each image to find out more.

    Exhibition space in the Barbara Hepworth Building
    Create Lab
    Photography studios in Barbara Hepworth Building
    Canalside view of the Barbara Hepworth Building

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    Important information

    We will always try to deliver your course as described on this web page. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below.

    Changes to a course you have applied for

    If we propose to make a major change to a course that you are holding an offer for, then we will tell you as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment.

    Cancellation of a course you have applied for

    Although we always try and run all of the course we offer, we may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or combine your programme with another programme if we consider this reasonably necessary to ensure a good student experience, for example if there are not enough applicants to ensure you have a good learning experience. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and we will contact you to discuss other suitable courses with us we can transfer your application to. If we notify you that the course you have applied to has been withdrawn or combined, and you do not wish to transfer to another course with us, you may cancel your application and we will refund you any deposits or fees you have paid to us.

    Changes to your course after you enrol as a student

    We will always try to deliver your course and other services as described. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below:

    Changes to option modules

    Where your course allows you to choose modules from a range of options, we will review these each year and change them to reflect the expertise of our staff, current trends in research and as a result of student feedback or demand for certain modules. We will always ensure that you have a range of options to choose from and we will let you know in good time the options available for you to choose for the following year.

    Major changes

    We will only make major changes to the core curriculum of a course or to our services if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change in this context is a change that materially changes the services available to you; or the outcomes, or a significant part, of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days (part time provision), classes, type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum.

    For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators; to meet the latest requirements of a commissioning or accrediting body; to improve the quality of educational provision; in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback; and/or to reflect academic or professional changes within subject areas. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as a key member of staff leaving the University or being unable to teach, where they have a particular specialism that can’t be adequately covered by other members of staff; or due to damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment.

    Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but this may not always be the case. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will carry out suitable consultation with affected students. If you reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment or hardship we will, if appropriate, work with you to try to reduce the adverse effect on you or find an appropriate solution. Where an appropriate solution cannot be found and you contact us in writing before the change takes effect you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the University without liability to the University for future tuition fees. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

    Termination of course

    In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed and we will notify you as soon as possible about what your options are, which may include transferring to a suitable replacement course for which you are qualified, being provided with individual teaching to complete the award for which you were registered, or claiming an interim award and exiting the University. If you do not wish to take up any of the options that are made available to you, then you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the course without liability to the University for future tuition fees and you will be entitled to a refund of all course fees paid to date. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

    When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by a framework of regulations, policies and procedures, which form the basis of your agreement with us. These include regulations regarding the assessment of your course, academic integrity, your conduct (including attendance) and disciplinary procedure, fees and finance and compliance with visa requirements (where relevant). It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to abide by them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan, where you will also find links to the full text of each of the regulations, policies and procedures referred to. You should read these carefully before you enrol. Please note that this information is subject to change and you are advised to check our website regularly for any changes before you enrol at the University. A person who is not party to this agreement shall not have any rights under or in connection with it. Only you and the University shall have any right to enforce or rely on the agreement.

    Equal opportunities

    The University of Huddersfield is an equal opportunities institution. We aim to create conditions where staff and students are treated solely on the basis of their merits, abilities and potential, regardless of gender, age, race, caste, class, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, family responsibility, trade union activity, political or religious belief, or age. Please visit our website to see our Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy

    Data protection

    The University holds personal data on all enquirers, applicants and enrolled students. All such data is kept and processed in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Legislation. The University’s Data Protection Policy and Privacy Notices are available on the University website.

    Students’ Union membership

    Under the 1994 Education Act, students at all UK universities have the right to join, or not to join, the Students’ Union. There is no membership fee. If you choose not to join you have the right not to be disadvantaged; however, you are not entitled to vote, take part in elections, or hold any office. The following arrangements apply in order that non-Union members are not disadvantaged: Non-members are welcome to take part in the activities of Affiliated Clubs and Societies on payment of the appropriate subscription. However, they may not vote or hold office in the society or club. Union members may be offered a discounted subscription. Non-members are free to use Union facilities on the same basis as members. Welfare, catering and shops are available to non-members as well as members. Union members may be offered a discounted price.

    The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.

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