Course summary
From the logo on a packet of chewing gum to the branding on a jumbo jet, our world is dominated by graphic design. This course will give you a grounding in the significance of design on our globalised world, with a particular focus on its social, cultural and environmental impact. You’ll study the designer as a creator of meaning in visual form, and through a range of different personal and group-led projects, you’ll engage with aspects of graphic design practice. Combining practical design skills with creative problem-solving and reflective insight, this course offers a thorough examination of contemporary and evolving forms of visual communication across a wide range of platforms, from digital to print, moving image to illustration. Our degree course explores all contexts where graphic design is found such as digital content; interface design; web and social media; editorial design; print and publishing; moving image; visual identity; typography; and graphic illustration. Working in creative teams, you learn about materials and methods in a cluster which includes Illustration, Animation, and Advertising and Branding Design. You also study studio practice; collaborative enterprise; context and meaning; and professional practice. This winning combination allows you to develop practical design skills as well as the ability to work collaboratively and show entrepreneurship. We foster a reflective, outward-looking approach to design challenges; for example, by exploring the ways digital media has created new possibilities for producing, distributing and publishing graphic design work. We also believe a sense of responsibility is essential for a contemporary designer so ethics, sustainability and inclusion are fundamental themes running through the course’s context and debate. Foundation Year In the Foundation year you will study three days per week. The focus will be on academic writing skills and numeracy, plus subject-specific content to fully prepare you for entry to an Undergraduate degree. The course has been designed to develop your skills and to prepare you for entry onto the first year of your chosen course. It provides a balance between content related to your chosen subject and the range of wider skills required for undergraduate study. This is an integrated four-year degree, with the foundation year as a key part of the course. You will be required to pass the foundation year in order to progress to the first year of your BA (Hons) degree. This course is ideal for those who do not meet our standard entry requirements or those with a non-standard educational background. It will allow you to graduate with a full undergraduate degree in your chosen subject in four years. Why choose this course?
- Study in small, lively and committed groups, in spacious, well-equipped studios
- Gain a solid knowledge of the cultural, critical and creative contexts of contemporary practice including how social media has transformed the role of the graphic designer
- Work on live briefs, submit for national competitions and participate in collaborative projects with leading design practitioners
- Learn the team skills required for exhibition curation and group collaborations
- Understand the standards you’ll need to reach to enter the world of professional employment
Modules
Areas of study include:
- Communication Design: Exploring Materials and Methods
- Context and Ideas
- Introducing Studio Practice
- Thinking Through Making
- Collaborative Enterprise
- Communication Design: Developing Materials and Methods
- Context and Meaning
- Developing Professional Practice
- Creative Futures
- Critical and Creative Contexts
- Final Major Project: Graphic Design
How to apply
You can no longer submit a new application for courses starting in 2023.
If you already have a 2023 application and are in Clearing, you can add this course as a Clearing choice – contact the university or college first to check they have places.
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:
- W4FY
- Institution code:
- B22
- Campus name:
- Luton Campus
- Campus code:
- D
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Foundation
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
Applicants with other qualifications and/or work experience will be considered. If you would like to check that your qualifications will be accepted please contact the university.
Additional entry requirements
Interview
Portfolio
Unistats information
The student satisfaction data is from students surveyed during the Covid-19 pandemic. 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 Bedfordshire
Park Square
Luton
LU1 3JU