Course summary
Study in lively, purpose-built studios with creative students and award-winning staff. We help you forge your visual voice to succeed in today's fast-paced creative worlds. You set your work in a global context through inspiring overseas study trips. Take part in an International Exchange programme to broaden your cultural references and gain new contacts in the international illustration scene. Prepare to get noticed in the professional world with external commissions and competitions.
- Learn the skills and tools. Develop your Photoshop, Premiere, InDesign and Flash skills in digital workshops, and explore typography basics, bookbinding, creative writing and more.
- Work in industry, from simple studio visits to longer-term placements and collaboration.
- Get noticed. Develop your visual voice and get noticed in the professional world by taking part in external commissions and competitions.
- Define your direction. Explore specific routes such as comic/graphic novels, children’s markets, printmaking, and design for animation/screen – or continue within a broad range of practice.
- Go global. Set your work in a global context through inspiring overseas study trips to places such as London, New York and Barcelona.
- Learn from experts. Benefit from a varied visiting speaker programme of illustrators, commissioning editors, publishers and ex-graduates ready to share advice and insight to help shape your future career.
Modules
The first year will introduce you to the basics of illustration practice. You’ll develop your knowledge of image-making through character design, life drawing, printmaking, bookbinding, sequential and conceptual approaches, digital workshops and media exploration. We’ll also introduce you to the techniques and essential processes of illustration practice within historical and contemporary frameworks, preparing you for your second year. In your second year, you can keep your focus broad or pursue a more specific area of personal interest at a deeper level. You’ll make contact with experts in the industry and analyse why the creative world is how it is. Critical and contextual modules with a varied visiting speaker programme will help you begin to position yourself as a professional. You’ll also have the opportunity to take part in placements, live briefs and competitions, to study abroad or collaborate with other disciplines. In your final year there is increased emphasis on developing and consolidating your personal visual 'voice', while visiting lecturers will offer a variety of viewpoints. You’ll undertake a dissertation related to your personal interests and have the chance to exhibit your work at both our Degree Show and in London. Modules focus your attention on building up your analogue and digital portfolios and raising your professional profile and confidence ready for your first job in your chosen field. The modules shown for this course or programme are those being studied by current students, or expected new modules. Modules are subject to change depending on year of entry.
Qualified teacher status (QTS)
To work as a teacher at a state school in England or Wales, you will need to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS). This is offered on this course for the following level:
- Course does not award QTS
How to apply
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application codes
- Course code:
- W222
- Institution code:
- P60
- Campus name:
- Main Site
- Campus code:
- -
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
- Year 2
- Year 3
International applicants
The University of Plymouth has a dedicated International Student Advice (ISA) service who will support you from the day you accept an offer at the University, right through to graduation. They will offer help and advice so you can get the most out of your studies, and your time in the UK, visit www.plymouth.ac.uk/student-life/services/international-students/international-student-advice for more information. Once you have applied through UCAS, your conditional offer letters will also be sent to you by email, so be sure to enter your current email address on your application and to check this email regularly. You'll need your unconditional letter, and the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) that we'll send you, when applying for your student visa to the UK. A minimum £2,000 tuition fee deposit will be required before we'll send you the CAS. We're a licenced Sponsor under the Points Based System. To comply with our duties as a Sponsor, we're required to check other aspects of your application in addition to your academic achievements, for example any previous studies, financial status and your immigration history in the UK. For course entry requirements (inc. English requirements) please refer to the specific page for the course you are interested in (www.plymouth.ac.uk/study). A recognised English language qualification (e.g. IELTS) would be required or successful completion of one of the University's pre-sessional English Language courses. Check our country pages to find out more about application from your specific home country www.plymouth.ac.uk/international/study/international-students-country-guides. International fees, please visit our fees and funding pages www.plymouth.ac.uk/study/fees If you have any questions please contact [email protected]
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff - 96 - 144 points
A level
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) - MMM - DDD
Access to HE Diploma
Scottish Higher
AS
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) - DD - D*D*
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
Scottish Advanced Higher
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme - 26 - 36 points
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)
Extended Project
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017) - H2, H2, H3, H3, H3 - H3, H3, H3, H4, H4
T Level - M
GCSE Maths and English Grade C/4 or above required.
Additional entry requirements
Portfolio
As part of your application you are required to submit an e-folio to [email protected]. • Submit your work as digital images only, taken from either original digitally-based work, scans of flat work, or photographs of three-dimensional work. • Your portfolio should be a collection of JPEG images saved as either a single compressed file, if JPEG format, OR as a single compressed file or single combined file, if PDF format. • Acceptable digital formats are limited to only JPEG or PDF files; we cannot guarantee that we will be able to view work sent in other formats, so please adhere to the guidelines. • Online portfolio submissions can also be considered, but please ensure that the files are public and can be viewed by anyone with a link. Further information on: https://plymouth.ac.uk/arts-interviews
English language requirements
Test | Grade | Additional details |
---|---|---|
IELTS (Academic) | 6 | With 5.5 in all elements. |
Student Outcomes
The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
No fee information has been provided for this course
Additional fee information
Provider information
University of Plymouth
Drake Circus
Plymouth
PL4 8AA