Course summary

As a BA (Hons) Graphic and Communication Design student, you will be a part of one of York College’s most vibrant departments. The programme will encourage your creativity, imagination and technical skills needed to build a successful career in the creative industries.The course provides a studio and workshop atmosphere where the skills and disciplines of graphic design can be fully explored, which is supported by state of the art teaching facilities including specialised classrooms, workshops, printing room, photo studios and Apple Mac suites to ensure you get the finest experience. The programme will introduce you to the role of the contemporary graphic practitioner and will encourage you to develop innovative and original ideas, whilst working with a range of processes and formats in response to the demands of the professional industry. The programme is delivered in the design studios and workshops, where you will learn a wide range of design skills through practical project based activity. This is supported by lectures, seminars, tutorials and independent studio practice. We’re particularly proud of our strong links and contacts within the industry and regularly invite professionals from regional and national consultancies to engage with the students by setting projects, portfolio workshops and delivering visual presentations. You will also take part in field trips to exhibitions, design conferences and cultural centres, as an exciting and memorable way to put knowledge into context. The first year of the design programme introduces the broad subject of graphic design and the intellectual, academic and process skills the course demands. Subject areas include Idea Generation, Drawing and Illustration, Typography, Promotional Graphics, Photography, Digital Media and Computer, Software, 3D Package Design and Historical and Contextual Studies. In the second year, you might identify areas for specialisation or maintain a broad-based approach, including modules on Branding and Identity, Narrative Illustration, Editorial Design and Bookmaking, Web and Interactive Design and Professional Practice. In Year 3, you will make informed decisions about career pathways in a Personal and Professional Development module. Students continue to shape their own creative identity both practically and intellectually through a range of in-depth projects. These include the opportunity to take part in international design competitions and live projects. Many of our students have gone on to hugely successful careers in art-related areas, such as careers with graphic design consultancies or in related fields of work such as publishing, web design, marketing and design management or work in a freelance capacity. The qualification also opens up opportunities for study on a variety of postgraduate courses, including teaching qualifications.