Course summary
During your time on our one-year BA (Hons) Graphic & Media Design Top Up Degree course, you’ll become a professional Graphic Designer learning from industry experienced lecturers. We will support you in gaining work experience with local and national creative media companies, as well as giving you the opportunity to work with professional designers and live clients. This course will equip you with key skills for launching your exciting career in the creative industry including: editorial design, branding, motion graphics, packaging design, graphic arts, interactive design, graphic illustration, web design, app design, information graphics, book arts, animation and advertising. As the teaching team are all industry experienced Graphic Designers we are able to impart real-world knowledge, ensuring that you are taught to the standard that the industry will look for in a graduate. We will encourage you to express yourself through distinctive, creative, commercially savvy and ambitious ideas, working on projects individually and collaboratively with students from other disciplines across Hereford College of Arts. You will work in a professional but relaxed studio environment with plenty of individual work space and access to all the latest tech and software. Our smaller group sizes mean you can receive support and creative challenges from industry-active tutors and technicians – as and when you need it. You will be encouraged to personalise your journey throughout the course based on your passions and aptitudes, and to develop your own, unique graphic style and apply it to the many career choices available to you. What we provide
- Learn from experienced, practising professionals whose work includes a wide variety of contemporary screen and print media.
- Fantastic access to teaching staff, workshops, and equipment. Consistent challenge and support from an industry skilled team to develop as a designer.
- Explore your own passions, with the option of a graphic arts pathway.
- Work alongside experienced professionals on live industry projects.
- Collaborate with: photography, illustration, and animation students.
- Develop your unique graphic voice and build a career that suits your professional desires.
- A programme of visiting lecturers from around the world bringing cutting edge practice to HCA students.
- Successful completion of a UK based level 5 qualification such as a Foundation Degree (FdA) or HND in a related subject (evidence of prior learning will need to be provided).
- Portfolio submission or audition (as applicable) and successful interview.
Modules
Year 1 (level 6) - Practice in Context 3 (20 Credits), Practice 5 (30), Practice 6 (60), Professional Practice 2 (10)
How to apply
31Jan
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:
- W214
- Institution code:
- H18
- Campus name:
- Main Site
- Campus code:
- -
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
International applicants
We are unable to offer this course to international applicants (including EU/EEA) who have overseas qualifications.
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff - Not accepted
A level - Not accepted
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) - Not accepted
Access to HE Diploma - Not accepted
Scottish Higher - Not accepted
Successful completion of a Foundation Degree (FdA) or HND in a related subject. Applicants whose first language is not English – proof of an overall IELTS score of 5.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in all sections (reading, writing, listening & speaking).
Additional entry requirements
Interview
Portfolio
Student Outcomes
Operated by the Office for Students
There is no data available for this course. For further information visit the Discover Uni website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| Republic of Ireland | £9000 | Whole course |
| England | £9000 | Whole course |
| Northern Ireland | £9000 | Whole course |
| Scotland | £9000 | Whole course |
| Wales | £9000 | Whole course |
| Channel Islands | £9000 | Whole course |
Additional fee information
In addition to the degree fees, the nature of creative arts practice means you will need to allow for some additional costs, such as for materials you choose to use in the production of work and activities, and for trips to external events and exhibitions.
The courses at HCA have been designed to minimise the impact of additional costs; all course leaders have an annual budget and some trips and materials will be fully funded by the college or heavily subsidised. However, typically, a student will choose to spend an additional £400 in their final year, depending on scale of work and materials chosen or other related costs. Students spend different amounts depending on the areas in which they specialise and individual choices.
We appreciate that not all students will be able to invest the same money in their work, and staff assessing it will not judge work by the cost of materials or other resources. The college shop includes many specialist materials at good value prices and digital equipment can be borrowed from the media stores at no cost to students.
All students at HCA are offered an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription for use outside of college hours. In the 2022-23 academic year this cost was £16.24 per month. Please note Adobe Creative Cloud is provided free to use for any student working within the college.
Students on all courses will 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
**Progression Bursary**
A progression bursary of £250 (£125 per year for part-time students) is available to students from our progression partner colleges* who have successfully completed their Level 5 or equivalent course within the last 2 academic years and progress on to a top-up degree programme at Hereford College of Arts.
*Partner colleges include Bath College, Dudley College, NPTC Group, NWRC Derry & Evesham College (Warwickshire College Group).
Provider information
Hereford College of Arts
Folly Lane
Hereford
HR1 1LT