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Illustration at Hereford College of Arts - UCAS

Hereford College of Arts

Degree level: Undergraduate
Awarded by: University of Wales Trinity Saint David (Prifysgol Cymru Y Drindod Dewi Sant)

Illustration

Course options

Course summary

Illustration is an important part of our visual heritage and culture. From childhood and throughout our lives, illustration helps us all make sense of a complicated world. It is a communication tool that entertains, describes, inspires, explains and educates. As an illustrator, you will be called on to create imaginary but believable worlds as the visual stimulus for entertainment, education or persuasion. These worlds can be brought to life on anything from the printed page to the digital screen, including diverse and unexpected places within the urban landscape in advertising, murals or other installations. This inspiring course explores both traditional and high-tech approaches to picture making and visual communication. You will participate in a wide range of workshops and projects that will encourage you to develop a unique visual language and personal style, before applying it to a range of outcomes such as: graphic novels, picture books, zines and small press publications, maps, prints and more. Throughout this broad-based course, you’ll focus on drawing and image-making processes that create imaginative and innovative ways to communicate to a variety of audiences. Industry Links A range of expert visiting practitioners contribute to the course. These have included award winning Illustrators: Clive Hicks-Jenkins, Jonny Hannah, Rebecca Gibbon, Matthew Richardson, Laura Carlin, Ian Murray, Geoffrey Grandfield, war artist Xavier Pick and master printmakers Charles Shearer and Nick Morley. Live project briefs will challenge you to apply your skills in new and interesting ways. In recent years, HCA students have also gained great exposure and experience at Hay Festival – providing large format illustrations, and delivering workshops to the public. After this Course The majority of our graduates enter employment within the creative sector as freelance illustrators or designers. Some form small group partnerships to share knowledge, skills and resources and support each other as they develop their practice, whilst others gravitate to postgraduate study or towards teaching. Highlights 1. Small group teaching in a friendly studio environment. 2. Regular drawing classes and print workshops. 3. Individual workspaces that you can make your own. 4. Exceptional access to tutorial support and expert technical advice. 5. Inspiring, high profile visiting practitioners. 6. Develop your own visual language and evolve a unique style.

Modules

From your first day at HCA you will work as a creative, developing your skills and your own voice through a series of projects. You will develop your creative practice, practical skills alongside your critical awareness and theoretical knowledge. You will study a range of modules that build your knowledge and confidence and total 120 credits each year. YEAR ONE: Practice in Context 1 (20 Credits), Practice 1 (30), Practice 2 (30), Foundations for Learning (20). Skills 1 (20) YEAR TWO: Practice in Context 2 (20), Practice 3 (30), Practice 4 (30), Professional Practice 1 (20), Skills 2 (20) YEAR THREE: Practice in Context 3 (20), Practice 5 (30), Practice 6 (60), Professional Practice 2 (10)


How to apply

Application codes

Course code:
W220
Institution code:
H18
Campus name:
Main Site
Campus code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1
  • Year 2

International applicants

International applicants must be 18 years of age as at the 01 September in the year of entry.

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

Mature applicants with relevant experience will be considered. Portfolio and interview also required. Applicants whose first language is not English and require a Student Visa must achieve Level B2 in an approved secure English language test prior to enrolment. For further guidance please visit the UK Visa and immigration website: https://www.gov.uk/student-visa.

Additional entry requirements

Interview

Portfolio


Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
75%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
80%
Go onto work and study

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

England £9000 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9000 Year 1
Scotland £9000 Year 1
Wales £9000 Year 1
Channel Islands £9000 Year 1
Republic of Ireland £9000 Year 1
International £14150 Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

In addition to the degree fees, the nature of creative arts practice means you'll need to allow for additional costs, such as the materials you choose to use in your work and for trips to external events & exhibitions. The courses at HCA have been designed to minimise the impact of additional costs; all course leaders have an annual budget with some trips & materials fully funded by the College or heavily subsidised. Typically, a student will choose to spend an additional £250 in the first year, £375 in the second year & £400 in their final year, depending on the nature of their work and materials chosen. We appreciate that not all students can invest the same money in their work, and staff assessing it will not judge work by the cost of resources. The college shop includes many specialist materials at good value and digital equipment can be borrowed from the media stores at no cost to students. Students are offered an optional Adobe Creative Cloud subscription for use outside of college. In the 2023-24 academic year this cost £16.24 per month. NB: Adobe Creative Cloud is provided free to use for any student working within the college. Students on all courses may also have the chance to take part in optional trips that require payments towards their costs. Again, non-attendance will not incur assessment penalties, though trips are designed to help students develop their practice. There is an optional annual cross-course residential trip abroad. In the 2023-24 academic year, the trip was a four-day visit to Paris at a cost to students of £425. This fee included a shared dorm room and all travel costs from Hereford to Paris including Eurostar tickets. *Support Available from Hereford College of Arts* The HCA Cash Bursary: is designed to benefit students who are starting Higher Education for the first time; are ordinarily resident in England; the student must be liable to pay the full £9,000 tuition fee for their course and be from a low-income family (£25,000 a year or less). The student must also be in receipt of the full Higher Education Maintenance Loan. Each cash bursary is £1,000 which students receive in their first year only. *Care Leaver Bursary* Care leavers will be offered free accommodation with City Heart at Station Approach accommodation for their first year only. Care leaver students will be able to stay there until the end of their first year (not over the Summer) and will also receive the Cash Bursary of £1,000. Care leaver students will also receive a Care Leaver Bursary of £1,000 in both their second and third year. Evidence of being a care leaver must be in the form of an original letter showing Care Leaver Status from your local authority. *Partner Colleges Progression Bursary* A Progression Bursary of £500 for full-time study or £250 for part-time is available to students from our progression partner colleges*, in their first year only, who have successfully completed a Level 3 or equivalent course within the last 2 academic years and progress on to a degree programme at HCA. *Partner Colleges: Bath College, Belfast Met, Bourneville, South & City College, Cirencester College, City of Bristol College, Coleg y Cymoedd, Dudley College, Evesham College, Gloucestershire College – ALL Campuses, Gower College, Grantham College, Halesowen College, Heart of Worcestershire College, Hereford College of Arts, Herefordshire & Ludlow College, Hereford Sixth Form, Malvern Hills College, Newent Sixth Form, NWRC Derry, NPTC group, Plumpton College, Shrewsbury College, South Gloucestershire & Stroud College, Stratford Upon Avon College, Swindon College & Worcester Sixth Form. *Internal Progression Bursary* All students who have successfully completed a Level 3 course within the last two academic years at HCA and progress to undergraduate study at HCA will be eligible to receive a bursary of £500 for full-time study or £250 for Part-time in their first year only.
Illustration at Hereford College of Arts - UCAS