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Graphic Design BA(Hons)

2024-25 (also available for 2025-26)

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Places available in clearing. Find out more.
Places available in clearing. Find out more.

Start date

16 September 2024

Duration

3 years full-time
4 years inc. placement year

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About the course

Reasons to study

  1. You can participate in an optional supervised work placement in your area of interest in your third year. The placement utilises our broad industry links and allows you to put your knowledge and skills to the test.
  2. Enrich your studies and increase your real-world experience by taking part in workshops, live briefs, and international design competitions.
  3. An impressive 90% of graduates from this course are in work and/or further study 15 months after graduating (Unistats 20/21 data, UK domiciled graduates).

Turn your creative visions and artistic talents into a fulfilling career with the help of this Graphic Design BA(Hons) course, which helps you gain the skills needed to thrive in a global creative industry that is always evolving.

Why study Graphic Design BA(Hons)

Graphic designers are in-demand – for user interfaces in apps, magazine layouts, product packaging. The film industry often also requires the expertise and creative touch of a professional graphic designer. An impressive 90% of graduates from this course are in work and/or further study 15 months after graduating (Unistats 20/21 data, UK domiciled graduates).

You’ll study industry-standard professional design packages as well as various components of graphic design, including: * typography * layout * packaging * branding * advertising * user experience design

This course will challenge you to experiment with ideas, take risks and consider how to apply your graphic design knowledge and skills to address the needs of the creative industries. You’ll have the opportunity to develop a deeper cultural and social awareness and your unique visual language.

You’ll explore communication theories and diverse guest speakers will help you understand the factors shaping the future of graphic design. You can also participate in an optional supervised work placement in your area of interest in your third year. The placement utilises our broad industry links and allows you to put your knowledge and skills to the test.

Throughout your studies you’ll be able to put your skills to the test in a variety of studio projects. This will help you hone your craft and build up your work portfolio, giving you a competitive edge in the job market.

Course detail

Core modules:

Design Process and Production 1

The module will introduce you to the key principles of contemporary professional practice in terms of principles and process. It will focus on the fundamental techniques of production. It will develop your understanding of two- and three-dimensional space and the importance of physical and digital processes to generate and capture your work.

Design Studio 1

This module will introduce you to the creative thinking processes and tools to undertake good quality research in order to identify and fulfil the needs of the client using 2D and 3D Design and their application through project work. Design projects will enable you to explore and develop design proposals using a range of methods, practical skills and specialist knowledge.

Design Theory and Context 1

This module will introduce you to a range of relevant theories for and about design. It will introduce you to discourses and debates relating to the history, influences, production and critical reception of design. It will contextualise these aspects in terms of your discipline providing an overarching understanding of design in general as well as more focused elements pertinent to your design field.

Entry requirements

To find out if you’re eligible to start this course in September 2024 and get more information on how to apply, please see our Clearing pages or call our Clearing Helpline on 0333 987 900001484 472777.

If you’re interested in studying this course in September 2025, please view the 2025-26 course information.

Placements

The course offers an optional one-year (36 week minimum) 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 Graphic Design have previously taken up placement opportunities with companies including: Media21 - Leeds; Nestlé PTC Singen – Germany; Creative Spark – Manchester.

Alternatively, if you are a student from within the UK, you could consider starting your own freelancing business by applying for the Enterprise Placement Year in conjunction with the University’s Enterprise Team. You’ll have the opportunity to benefit from business advice, mentoring and networking sessions. You can find out more information on the Enterprise Placement Year here.

You can find out more information on placements here.

During my placement year at Airbus Helicopters GmbH in Donauwörth, Germany I created posters, infographics, social media material, assisted other colleagues in creating graphic elements and edited videos. My team were a great mix of people and helped me to develop my skills.

Profile photo of Maria Lynam

Maria Lynam, Graphic Design BA(Hons) final year student

Student Work

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

Your career

Companies who have employed our talented students from the suite of Graphic Design and Animation courses include SEA, Thompson Brand Partners, the BBC and Google. You’ll be encouraged to take part in workshops, live briefs and international design competitions. It’s all structured to get you ready for employment once you’ve graduated. Recent graduates have gone on to work at companies such as Adam & Eve (London), Google (USA), and Studio Tilt (Netherlands). The course aims to help you develop the skills needed to work in design agencies and design consultancies, both in the UK and abroad, in roles such as graphic designer, graphic artist, digital designer, UX designer, typographer and design manager. You could also consider training as a teacher.**

*Percentage of our undergraduate students from this course go on to work and/or further study within fifteen months of graduating (HESA Graduate Outcomes 2019/20, UK domiciled, other activities excluded).

Source: **GEMS

92% Graduates employed*

Student support

At the University of Huddersfield, you'll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you'll soon discover that you're never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey. Find out more about all our support services.

Important information

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons

When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by our terms and conditions, Handbook of Regulations and associated policies. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan.

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons

Changes to a course you have applied for but are not yet enrolled on

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. 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. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and we will discuss with you other suitable courses we can transfer your application to. If 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

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 an equivalent range of options to that advertised for the course. 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 non-optional modules on a course if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change is a change that substantially changes 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), 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 or a commissioning or accrediting body. We may also make changes to improve the course in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback or to ensure you are being taught current best practice. 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, or pandemics.

Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but may happen sooner in an emergency. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will carry out suitable consultation. 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.

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 in accordance with the student protection plan.

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

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