Course summary
This is a Connected Degree Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after you've started your course. Overview Redefine the world with a pencil or stylus on this BA (Hons) Illustration degree course. You’ll challenge convention in all spheres: from exploring illustration from new perspectives, to delving into its social, political and historical significance. You'll explore traditional and contemporary illustration techniques and the business essentials of the art form – and you can gain extra professional experience through a one-year placement, client projects, and entering design competitions. At the end of this course, you'll become an all-encompassing illustrator that stands out among competitors in the creative industries. Course highlights
- Raise your professional profile by taking on live projects with local and international clients such as Anglepoise
- Catch potential employers' eyes by exhibiting your work at national exhibitions and our annual Graduate Show
- Have the chance to win eminent awards by entering international competitions like Design & Art Direction (D&AD), The Macmillan Prize, and the V&A Illustration Awards
- Enrich your practical and industry experience by taking an optional one-year placement – either with a company or by setting up your own
- Showcase your Adobe expertise to industry peers by gaining Adobe Certified Associate (ACA) qualifications
- 90% Graduates in work or further study (HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey conducted in 2019)
- artist book making
- children’s book illustration
- narrative illustration
- print making
- art direction
- teaching
Modules
Year 1 Core modules in this year include:
- Introduction to Professional Practice (20 credits)
- Introduction to Visual Culture (Illustration) (20 credits)
- Line, Colour and Development (40 credits)
- Research and Narrative (40 credits)
- Book Arts (20 credits)
- Graphic Medicine (20 credits)
- Sequential Illustration (20 credits)
- Social Awareness (20 credits)
- Comic Book Industries (20 credits)
- Engaged Citizenship Through Interdisciplinary Practice (20 credits)
- Professional Experience (20 credits)
- Professional Skills Development (20 credits)
- Student Enterprise (20 credits)
- The Hidden Lives of Things: Material Culture in the Early Modern World (20 credits)
- Visions of the Past: the Artist/Designer As Historian (20 credits)
- Visual Culture: Issues of Representation (20 credits)
- Visual Culture: the Body in Practice (20 credits)
- Applied Illustration Practice (20 credits)
- Illustration Professional Practice (20 credits)
- Illustration Project Review (20 credits)
- Illustration Self-Directed Project (40 credits)
- Visual Culture: Dissertation (20 credits)
- Visual Culture: Research Project (20 credits)
Assessment method
You’ll be assessed through:
- written coursework
- creative design group projects
- self-led projects from initial concept to finished product
- project presentations
- sketchbooks and portfolio
- Year 1 students:100% by coursework
- Year 2 students:100% by coursework
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:
- W220
- Institution code:
- P80
- Campus name:
- Main Site
- Campus code:
- -
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
- Year 2
- Year 3
Entry requirements for advanced entry (i.e. into Year 2 and beyond)
We welcome applications for advanced entry. If you’d like to apply for advanced entry, you need to select the required year when you complete your UCAS application.
This course may be available at alternative locations, please check if other course options are available
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff - 112 - 120 points
A level - BBB - BBC
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) - DDM - DMM
Access to HE Diploma
Scottish Higher
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
Scottish Advanced Higher
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme - 25 points
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (last awarded Summer 2024)
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017) - H3, H3, H3, H3, H4 - H3, H3, H3, H3, H3
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
GCSE/National 4/National 5
T Level - M
Additional entry requirements
Portfolio
All applicants will be asked to provide a digital portfolio of work.
English language requirements
Test | Grade | Additional details |
---|---|---|
IELTS (Academic) | 6 | English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5. |
Cambridge English Advanced | Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) (taken after January 2015). An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162. | |
Cambridge English Proficiency | Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) (taken after January 2015). An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162. | |
PTE Academic | 62 | An overall score of 62 with a minimum of 59 in each skill. |
TOEFL (iBT) | 79 | 79 with a minimum of 18 in Reading, 17 in Listening, 20 in Speaking and 17 in Writing. |
Trinity ISE | Pass | Trinity College Integrated Skills in English (ISE) Level III with a Pass in all 4 components. |
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
EU | £9535 | Year 1 |
England | £9535 | Year 1 |
Northern Ireland | £9535 | Year 1 |
Scotland | £9535 | Year 1 |
Wales | £9535 | Year 1 |
Channel Islands | £9535 | Year 1 |
Republic of Ireland | £9535 | Year 1 |
International | £17200 | 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
Provider information
University of Portsmouth
University House
Winston Churchill Avenue
Portsmouth
PO1 2UP