Discover the emergent principles of graphic design and digital storytelling – developing your skills as an independent, authentic and confident practitioner with an initial foundation year to prepare for the course.
Develop the knowledge, skills and attributes of graphic design practices that reflect your values, interests and career aspirations.
Apply your skills in creative projects with professional and academic tutors and a rich industry network.
Experiment with traditional and future-facing analogue and digital technologies in our purpose-designed studios.
Showcase your work to the public and industry professionals via presentations, competitions and exhibitions.

If you don't meet the entry requirements for our BA (Hons) Graphic Design, or you’d like extra preparation before starting degree-level study, we recommend you join the foundation year – which has been designed to encourage exploration and experimentation.

Prepare yourself for a career in the expanding field of graphic design through projects which respond to social, technological, economic and political challenges. By the end of the course, you’ll have the professional skills and knowledge to start your career in graphic design and create design solutions for the future.

This course also allows you to specialise in and receive a different named award – Graphic Design: User Experience (UX) – through focused project work in your final year.

Work placements

You’ll have the opportunity to arrange a single or multiple work placement/s in between your second and third years of the full course, to prepare you for your future career. You may also be able to work or study abroad with the possibility of funding through the Erasmus+ programme (until 2023) or the Turing scheme.

Live projects

You’ll engage in authentic work experiences with external partners and using live briefs. Our students have worked with the NHS, social change charity Good Things Foundation, the BBC, and design studios and agencies such as Why Not Associates and Graphic Thought Facility.

Field trips

There’ll be opportunities to go on study trips in the UK and abroad – with free travel and accommodation for all mandatory field trips. These could include workshops, design conferences or visits to practitioners’ studios, museums and special collections. You may further enhance your studies with optional field trips, though these will incur additional costs. Recently the course has visited Dublin, Reykjavik, New York and Tokyo.

Networking opportunities

You’ll have regular opportunities to meet guest lecturers, graduates and industry practitioners within the university, as well as on field trips to practitioners’ studios and conferences.

Competitions

You’re supported to develop and showcase your professional creative work by entering national and international competitions. Our students are winners of competitions such as the RSA Student Design Awards. 

All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.

You’ll learn the emergent principles of graphic design and digital storytelling, using creative research methods to develop and test your ideas. The distinctive portfolio of work that you create from these experiences will demonstrate your unique strengths and interests to prospective employers when you graduate. In the first ‘induction’ module you’ll learn to work confidently and creatively with a wide range of different materials. In the second ‘project’ module you’ll be taught by tutors from the BA (Hons) course supported by foundation tutors.

You’ll learn through

• problem-based and practical activity-based sessions
• applied industry (live) projects
• group work and collaboration
• workshops
• working with industry visitors
• lectures
• self-directed study
• group and individual tutorials
• exhibitions and presentations
• study trips
• independent study
• demonstrations
• Blackboard online learning portal
• presentations and feedback sessions

Take a look at the department's Instagram and TikTok to see what innovations and creations our students have been working on. For content directly from our BA Graphic Design students, visit the course Instagram. 

This course prepares you for future study and careers in

• graphic design
• user experience design
• designing for environments and three-dimensional spaces
• editorial and digital publishing
• motion graphics and animation
• illustration and printmaking
• branding and identity
• advertising
• design strategy and policymaking

Previous graduates of this course now work for studios and agencies such as Jaywing, GBH and Why Not Associates. They design services and resources at major companies like BT, Coop and G4S, conduct research at the Department for Education and work as teachers, freelance photographers and entrepreneurs.

 

UCAS points

• 80

This must include at least 32 points from at least one A level or equivalent BTEC National qualifications (to include a relevant subject, such as Art, Design and Technology, Textiles, Graphics or Media). For example:

• CDD at A Level with a grade C in a relevant subject.
• MMP in BTEC Extended Diploma in a relevant subject.
• A combination of qualifications which must include an A level grade C or BTEC grade M in a relevant subject and may include AS levels, EPQ and general studies

You can find information on making sense of UCAS tariff points here and use the UCAS tariff calculator to work out your points.

GCSE

• English Language or Literature at grade C or 4

We may also accept you, if you have limited qualifications but can show evidence of ability and a genuine commitment to studying Art and Design.

We treat the foundation year as part of the Art and Design degree programme. Offers made to students will be for four years of study (or five years of study including a placement). This is made up of the foundation year plus one of our Art and Design degrees.

If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills or equivalent. If your English language skill is currently below IELTS 6.0 we recommend you consider either the International Foundation Programme: Art, Design and Media or Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve an equivalent English score.

Portfolio review

If your application is successful, you will be invited to attend a portfolio review, this is where you can showcase your relevant work and highlight any pieces you are particularly proud of. The portfolio review can be shared with us face to face, or you can submit an electronic portfolio via email. Find out about what happens at a portfolio review and how you can prepare to produce a strong portfolio.

Please note the University will only admit students who are aged 18 or over at the point of enrolment.

Important notice:

The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.

You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.

Year 1 Compulsory modules
Module	Credits	Assessment
Foundation Projects — Developing Creative Practice	60	Coursework
Foundation Skills & Methods	60	Coursework

 

Year 2 Compulsory modules
Module	Credits	Assessment
Graphic Design Journeys — Pathways & Disciplines	60	Coursework
Graphic Design Unbound — Principles & Skills	60	Coursework

 

 

Year 3 Compulsory modules
Module	Credits	Assessment
Future Now: Collaboration In Action	20	Coursework
Graphic Design Impact — Context & Responsibility	60	Coursework
Graphic Design Life — Making & Visibility	40	Coursework

 

Year 4 Optional modules
Module	Credits	Assessment
Placement Year

 

Final Year Compulsory modules
Module	Credits	Assessment
Graphic Design Being - Portfolio & Practice	60	Coursework
Graphic Design Community — Collaboration & Participation	60	Coursework