Become an illustrator, expanding your skills, portfolio and professional networks, through personal and professional real-world creative projects.
Develop the knowledge, skills, and attributes you need to become a professional illustrator
Experiment with the latest digital tools and technologies in our purpose-designed workshops and illustration studios
Transform your illustrative practice through live, client-led creative projects for diverse audiences
Build a unique portfolio and showreel to prepare for a career in the wider creative industries and further study

The BA (Hons) Illustration course is a progressive, innovative, technologically enhanced course that prepares students for professional practice. Employability is integrated into the curriculum through applied creative projects. These real-world challenges and work experiences are designed to build confidence, creativity and resilience.

If you don't meet the entry requirements for this course, or you’d like extra preparation before starting degree-level study, we recommend you join our foundation year course.

Work placements

You'll have opportunities to arrange single or multiple work placement/s in between your second and third years. Placements give you real-world experience 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 in each year of the course, working with external partners and live briefs. Our students have worked with Museums Sheffield, Wessex Archaeology and Grimm & Co (Apothecary to the Magical).

Field trips

You’ll have the opportunity to go on study trips and visits 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 the opportunity to meet guest lecturers, graduates and industry practitioners – both within our studios and on field trips to practitioners' studios.

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 Association of Illustrators annual competition and highly commended for the Penguin Books Student Design Award.

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 experiment, engage, contextualise and apply your illustration to a number of professional contexts. You’ll work with external industry partners and have the opportunity to apply for placements. The distinctive portfolio of work you create will demonstrate your unique strengths and prepare you for a successful career after graduation.

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
• 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 Illustration students, visit the course Instagram. 

This course prepares you for future study and careers in

• illustration
• animation
• printmaking
• motion, interactive and games
• children’s books
• surface pattern design
• publishing
• art direction
• digital publishing

Previous graduates of this course have had work commissioned by

• Sheffield Council
• Twinkl Educational Publishing
• BBC Publications
• Wessex Archaeology
• New Balance
• Everton FC
• The Sunday Times
• The Big Issue
• The Economist
• Which Magazine
• Hodder Children’s Publishing
• Templar Children’s Publishing
• Harper Collins

 

UCAS points

• 112

This must include at least 64 points from two A levels, or equivalent BTEC National qualifications(to include a relevant subject such as Art, Design and Technology, Textiles, Graphics or Media). For example:

• BBC at A Level.
• DMM in BTEC Extended Diploma.
• A combination of qualifications, which 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 at grade C or 4 or equivalent

• Access: an Access to HE Diploma with at least 45 credits at level 3 and 15 credits at level 2. At least 18 level 3 credits must be at merit grade or above, in an art & Design related programme from a QAA-recognised Access to HE course, or an equivalent Access to HE certificate.

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 a Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve an equivalent English score.

We welcome applications from people of any age. We may be flexible in our normal offer if you can show a commitment to succeed and have the relevant skills and experience. This must show that you will benefit from and finish the course successfully.

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.

In light of the updated advice from the Government about the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, we are not currently offering face to face portfolio reviews but are instead accepting portfolios through digital submission. 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
New Adventures In Illustration: Methods, Tools, Technologies	60	Coursework
Pencils & Pixels: Drawing Foundations For Illustration	60	Coursework

 

 

Year 2 Compulsory modules
Module	Credits	Assessment
Future Now: Collaboration In Action	20	Coursework
Illustration In Action: Character, Narrative & Sequence	60	Coursework
In Here, Out There: Illustration Agency	40	Coursework

 

Year 3 Optional modules
Module	Credits	Assessment
Placement Year

 

Final Year Compulsory modules
Module	Credits	Assessment
Future Paths: Illustration Portfolio	60	Coursework
Future Proof: Illustration Practice	60	Coursework