Graphic Design BA (Hons)
Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
Please note: our Design courses are currently being updated therefore this course is subject to validation.
The BA (Hons) Graphic Design course is all about encouraging your creativity and helping you think critically about your ideas. By the time you graduate, you'll be an independent thinker who understands how theory influences your work. You'll have a solid grasp of modern graphic design, responsible practices, creative processes, and methods.
You'll build confidence and skills in various areas of graphic design, including branding, sustainable packaging, typography, editorial and digital design, copywriting, imagery, print, experiential design, material culture, and physical production. Our collaborative learning spaces and critique sessions allow students and staff to tackle real-world design challenges together.
Our curriculum keeps you up-to-date with the expanding and evolving creative industry. For example, as technology evolves, conceptual thinking and visual problem-solving remain as key skills. Throughout the course we will help you integrate these skills into your practice and prepare you for the growing design industry.
See other similar courses you may be interested in: Digital Design
Student Rated - Over 95% of Students studying Design at Northumbria believed their course positively challenged them to achieve their best work (NSS, 2024).
Excellent Careers Prospects - Graphic Design at Northumbria is ranked 4th= in the UK for Graduate Prospects (Guardian University Guide, 2025).
Research Power - Art and Design at Northumbria is ranked 4th in the UK for research power (REF, 2021). This is a rise of 6 places compared to 2014.
112 UCAS Tariff points
From a combination of acceptable Level 3 qualifications which may include: A-level, T Level, BTEC Diplomas/Extended Diplomas, Scottish and Irish Highers, Access to HE Diplomas, or the International Baccalaureate.
Find out how many points your qualifications are worth by using the UCAS Tariff calculator: www.ucas.com/ucas/tariff-calculator
Northumbria University is committed to supporting all individuals to achieve their ambitions. We have a range of schemes and alternative offers to make sure as many individuals as possible are given an opportunity to study at our University regardless of personal circumstances or background. To find out more, review our Northumbria Entry Requirement Essential Information page for further details www.northumbria.ac.uk/entryrequirementsinfo
Subject Requirements:
There are no specific subject requirements for this course.
GCSE Requirements:
Applicants will need Maths and English Language at minimum grade 4/C, or an equivalent.
Additional Requirements:
A portfolio of creative design work is required. Get advice on preparing your portfolio here: www.northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/coming-to-northumbria/portfolios-and-auditions
International Qualifications:
We welcome applicants with a range of qualifications which may not match those shown above.
If you have qualifications from outside the UK, find out what you need by visiting www.northumbria.ac.uk/yourcountry
English Language Requirements:
International applicants should have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0 with 5.5 in each component (or an approved equivalent*).
*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades in our English Language section: www.northumbria.ac.uk/englishqualifications
For further admissions guidance and requirements, please visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/admissionsguidance Please review this information before submitting your application.
UK Fee in Year 1: £9,535
* You should expect to pay tuition fees for every year of study. The University may increase fees in the second and subsequent years of your course at our discretion in line with any inflationary or other uplift, as decided by the UK Government, up to the maximum amount for fees permitted by UK law or regulation for that academic year. To give students an indication of the likely scale of any future increase, the UK government has recently suggested that increases may be linked to RPIX ( Retail Price Index excluding mortgage interest payments)
International Fee in Year 1:
ADDITIONAL COSTS
There are no Additional Costs
Look out for module specifics coming soon. Please keep checking this web page for updated information.
In the first year, you will collaborate with the staff team to establish fundamental knowledge and skills in Graphic Design practice, employing a ‘thinking-through-making’ methodology. You will begin to delve into conceptual thinking (ideas) and visual problem-solving (design solutions) and their significance in professional graphic design. You'll gain insights into materials, methods, research skills, and design, and begin crafting meaningful graphic designs using both physical and digital mediums.
During the second year, you will build upon the creative processes and methodologies introduced in the first year, focusing on producing more authentic, industry-relevant, and professional outcomes. Digital and physical workshops will further refine your emerging creative practice and craftsmanship skills.
In the third year, you'll have the chance to enhance your career readiness, entrepreneurial spirit, and intercultural awareness through first-hand experience in the workplace or international study opportunities. You can pursue industrial placements or opt for study abroad programs.
In your final year, your creative practice will align with your professional and personal ambitions, offering opportunities to undertake self-initiated projects and tackle industry-set creative briefs and/or competitions. You'll explore the intersection of theory and practice while developing your professional portfolio. This portfolio will demonstrate your ability to comprehend and interpret creative briefs, showcase your professional creative identity, skill set, methodologies, and readiness for a career to diverse audiences, all within the context of your professional aspirations.
To start your application, simply select the month you would like to start your course.
The School of Design, Arts and Creative Industries is a leading centre for supporting and energising creative practice and academic study. Our inter-disciplinary research and experiential education is committed to the betterment of people, place, cultures, and societies. Our programmes are defined by the way we collaborate with communities, industry, and external partners to inform curriculum, your learning and contribute to wider society.
Whatever area of graphic design you decide to pursue upon graduation, you’ll have the core transferable skills needed to operate successfully in the creative industries.
Our course produces conceptual, confident, practitioners who can apply their creative knowledge and skills to a variety of professional employment opportunities or post-graduate education. Skills including critical reflection and analysis, collaborating with others, creative thinking and the ability to visually and conceptually solve problems. Our graduates are consistently employed across a wide range of design positions in the graphic design industry.
Alumni
See some examples below of our Alumni:
As a graphic design student, you will explore creative processes and methodologies that develop your personal creative practice through experimental and iterative design processes that mirror industry practice and foster a deeper understanding of material culture and craftsmanship.
Examples include brand creation and responsible packaging, typography and editorial design, image creation and curation, visualisation and prototyping using physical and/or digital technologies, audience and personality benchmarking and storytelling through graphic design.
Our dedicated team of experienced graphic designers and researchers ensures you receive the highest level of expertise. We operate in a way that authentically mirrors industry standards, preparing you for a seamless transition into the creative studio environment. By offering exciting and challenging briefs, we provide opportunities to test and hone your developing skills.
An authentic and experiential learning environment is at the core of this course, and you’ll find that the facilities at Northumbria are excellent. Spaces include specialist Mac labs with the most current creative software. Our workshops are equipped to facilitate both traditional and digital approaches to prototyping, printing and visualising.
You’ll have access to photo-labs, laser cutting and large format printing. Everything is supported by skilled technical staff who will help you make the best use of available facilities. Our 24/7 Library holds comprehensive design reference, also accessible through the ‘Blackboard’ eLearning Portal, that will guide your preparation for seminars and independent research.
All information is accurate at the time of sharing.
Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.
Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.
Useful Links
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www.northumbria.ac.uk/exp
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northumbria.ac.uk/terms
Fees and Funding
northumbria.ac.uk/fees
Admissions Policy
northumbria.ac.uk/adpolicy
Admissions Complaints Policy
northumbria.ac.uk/complaints
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