Graphic Design BA (Hons)

Explore and establish your creativity through a series of projects and workshops to build your portfolio, focusing on graphic communication, creativity and graphic literacy.

Entry Criteria
Structure and assessment
Facilities and features
Opportunities and careers
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Overview

Subject Group Leader Dan Morley discusses the unique qualities of studying Graphic Design at DMU.

Graphic Design opens the door to an extensive variety of creative roles, from positions in agencies, freelance consultancy, in-house or even opportunities to set up your own studio. Advertising, animation, visual effects or stylist, there are many directions a Graphic Design degree can take you.

Gain the essential experience required to become a successful graphic designer and graduate with an impressive portfolio that demonstrates your skills and talents, showcasing your capabilities to prospective employers.

Not only do you learn how to apply your creativity, you’ll also be able to develop other areas such as research, analytical and entrepreneurial skills. Teaching staff are practising designers with a range of experience and close industry links, allowing you to spend time working with professional clients, such as the House Design Society.

Graphic Design student work

Want to see more student work?

To see the fantastic range of creative projects our talented students work on, visit our graduate degree show: http://stayconnected2021.co.uk

For further insight into our programme, follow our virtual studio on Instagram @dmu_graphics here you’ll see students work in progress, final projects, alumni stories, industry guests. It's an inspration and design community hub where you can interact directly with the course.

Key features

Newly developed and multi-purpose facilities feature multiple iMac-equipped studios, specialist digital printing facilities, green screen studios, video and photography suites, drawing and craft studios, letterpress and traditional printmaking workshops.
Study a range of topics including image-making, applied graphic studies and media and communication technology for graphic design.
Gain valuable international experience as part of your studies with our DMU Global programme. Previous trips have taken Graphic Design students to Berlin, which provided a valuable introduction to the Bauhaus art movement.
Undertake live briefs set by industry professionals and participate in high-profile competitions such as D&AD, International Society of Typographic Designers, Starpack, and the Young Creative Network.
Expand your portfolio with House, DMU’s Design Society, which gives you the chance to develop your practical and professional skills through live project briefs set by real clients from the design industry.
Our graduates have gone on to work at some of the world’s biggest design agencies and businesses, including Barclaycard, Google, Sony PlayStation, Penguin Books, Disney Studios, Burberry and Warner Music.

Having the opportunity to work in a friendly studio environment every day is the best thing about Graphic Design. The tutors are so genuinely passionate. I’ve learned so much and it’s set me up so well for the next stage of my life.

Matthew Evans

Find out what makes a great portfolio

Graphic Design portfolio advice

More courses like this:

Graphic Design (Illustration) BA (Hons)

Graphic Design and e-Media Foundation Degree (FdA)

News stories

Design students take on the challenge of designing posters for national Stephen Lawrence Day

Local design agency supports DMU students to create virtual degree show

UK
EU/International

Institution code: D26

UCAS course code: W219

Duration: Three years full-time, four years with placement

Fees and funding:

2024/25 tuition fees for UK students: £9,250

Students enrolling for the 2021/22 entry of this course qualify for financial support as part of The DMU Difference. We are offering awards of £200, for students on years one to three of study*, towards specialist printing.

*Awards are available to students undertaking full-time study and pro-rata for part-time students. Students on placement and therefore not incurring such costs are not eligible for financial assistance.

Important information on The DMU Difference.

Find out about additional costs and optional extras.

How to apply

Order a prospectus

Book an Open Day

Submit a study-related enquiry

Institution code: D26

UCAS course code: W219

Duration: Three years full-time, four years with placement

Fees and funding:

2024/25 tuition fees for international students: £16,250

Find out more about available funding for international students.

Important information on The DMU Difference.

Find out about additional costs and optional extras.

How to apply

Order a prospectus

Submit a study-related enquiry

Entry criteria

A typical offer is a normally 104 UCAS points from at least two A-levels with Art and Design at grade C or above, or
Art and Design BTEC National Diploma/ Extended Diploma at DMM

Plus five GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including English or equivalent.

Alternative qualifications include:

Pass Access in the QAA accredited Access to HE Art and Design course with at least 15 credits in Art and Design at merit. English GCSE required as a separate qualification as equivalency is not accepted within the Access qualification.

We will normally require students to have had a break from full-time education before undertaking the Access course.

International Baccalaureate: 24+ points including Art and Design at higher level grade 5 or
Art and Design Foundation Diploma: Pass

Portfolio Required: Yes. You will need a good portfolio according to the course guidelines as part of your application. Portfolio guidance for Graphic Design.

Interview Required: No

We welcome applications from mature students with non-standard qualifications and recognise all other equivalent and international qualifications.

English language

If English is not your first language then an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each component (or equivalent) is essential.

English Language tuition, delivered by our British Council accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

UCAS tariff information

Students applying for courses starting in September will be made offers based on the latest UCAS Tariff.

Contextual offer

To make sure you get fair and equal access to higher education, when looking at your application, we consider more than just your grades. So if you are eligible, you may receive a contextual offer. Find our more about contextual offers.

Structure and assessment

Year One

Graphic Studies: Context and Communication
Type and Image for Graphic Design
Media and Communication Technology for Graphic Design 1

Year two

Integrated Graphic Studies
Applied Graphic Studies
Media and Communication Technology for Graphic Design 2

Year three

Major Negotiated Pathway Project
Creative Competition Project
Applied Professional Practice Studies

Click here for more detailed module information.

Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

Teaching

Taught by practising designers in a vibrant studio culture, teaching takes place through workshops, seminars, team and individual tutorials, and interactive lectures from leading practitioners. You can spend time working with professional clients through the FD10 design society. You will also have the opportunity to gain ownership of significant parts of the course on the Gurus and Grasshoppers mentoring scheme, where final year students mentor new students.

Assessment

You can choose from a wide range of specialist topics in professional graphic design; such as: advertising, interactive media, editorial typography, packaging, photography, sustainable design, creative book making, and TV graphics.

Assessment is continuous, with feedback provided as your work develops. You will typically have 15 timetabled taught hours and undertake approximately 25 hours of independent study each week.

Facilities and features

Graphic Design studios

We have specialist facilities for graphic design students, including iMac suites, open-access multi-purpose studios with excellent natural light and digital imaging equipment.

We also have dedicated drawing and visualisation studios and large photography and printmaking workshops for students to use during their studies.

You will also have the opportunity to receive support from the Leicester Media School Drawing Centre, which provides extra-curricular support for developing artists and designers to have a creative forum and discourse.

Library and learning zones

On campus, the main Kimberlin Library offers a space where you can work, study and access a vast range of print materials, with computer stations, laptops, plasma screens and assistive technology also available.

As well as providing a physical space in which to work, we offer online tools to support your studies, and our extensive online collection of resources accessible from our Library website, e-books, specialised databases and electronic journals and films which can be remotely accessed from anywhere you choose.

We will support you to confidently use a huge range of learning technologies, including the Virtual Learning Environment, Collaborate Ultra, DMU Replay, MS Teams, Turnitin and more. Alongside this, you can access LinkedIn Learning and learn how to use Microsoft 365, and study support software such as mind mapping and note-taking through our new Digital Student Skills Hub.

The library staff offer additional support to students, including help with academic writing, research strategies, literature searching, reference management and assistive technology. There is also a ‘Just Ask’ service for help and advice, live LibChat, online workshops, tutorials and drop-ins available from our Learning Services, and weekly library live chat sessions that give you the chance to ask the library teams for help.

More flexible ways to learn

We offer an equitable and inclusive approach to learning and teaching for all our students. Known as the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), our teaching approach has been recognised as sector leading. UDL means we offer a wide variety of support, facilities and technology to all students, including those with disabilities and specific learning differences.

Just one of the ways we do this is by using ‘DMU Replay’ – a technology providing all students with anytime access to audio and/or visual material of lectures. This means students can revise taught material in a way that suits them best, whether it's replaying a recording of a class or adapting written material shared in class using specialist software.

Opportunities and careers

Graduate Careers

Graphic Design graduates have gone on to work for a range of companies such as Net-a-Porter, Warner Music, Bauer Media, Morse Studio, Mammal, Commercial Art, 19 Grams, Groove Bulb, Six, New English, Tudor Rose and Bulb Studio.

Graduates have also progress into the graphic communication sector as staff designers, consultants or freelancers, in areas such as advertising, promotional design, and interactive and multimedia design.

#DMUglobal

Our innovative international experience programme DMU Global aims to enrich studies, broaden cultural horizons and develop key skills valued by employers.

Through DMU Global, we offer an exciting mix of overseas, on-campus and online international experiences, including the opportunity to study or work abroad for up to a year.

Graphic Design students have visited the Centraal Museum in Utrecht which houses the Dick Bruna Studio and been on a guided tour of the world-renowned Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, an international museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art and design.

Placements

Work placements are offered as part of this course through DMU Careers Team, and can boost your skills and experience while studying, as well as improving your chances of gaining a graduate level job.

We have links with organisations both in the UK and internationally, and the placements team will help you find a placement to suit your interests and aspirations.

Graphic Design students have taken on placements with companies such as Next, Marks & Spencer and Joules, as well as various communications and graphic design agencies.