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School of Art, Design and Architecture

BA (Hons) Graphic Design with Foundation

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UCAS tariff 32 Contextual offers
A contextual offer is an offer to study at university that takes personal circumstances that may affect grades into account.
UCAS course code W21F
Institution code P60
Duration

4 years
Course type

Full-time
Study location Â鶹´«Ã½

This course is a four-year programme of study that includes an additional foundation year, enabling you to develop the required practical, technical, academic and creative skills for your undergraduate degree at the Â鶹´«Ã½.

Careers with this subject
The course encourages creativity, experimentation and risk-taking but blends this with a strong emphasis on vocational skills and preparing students for employment. Each project that students undertake has a real-world context, with either fictional or actual clients, audiences and problems to solve.
A 'careers spine' is introduced in year 2, along with placement opportunities, and year 3 has a dedicated five-week module where students research the industry, prepare an employment strategy, develop a brand identity for themselves and apply this to CVs, business cards, social media and digital portfolios.
We have a network of over 100 professional design studios that students can be put in touch with, and we consult with them to ensure course content is industry-relevant and up-to-date.
This means the majority of our graduates find regular paid employment in the creative industries within a year of leaving university. As well as becoming graphic designers, our graduates land roles as digital designers, art directors, UX designers, motion designers, marketing executives, social media managers, account handlers, strategists, researchers and academics.
Positions tend to be permanent, full-time and salaried. As your career progresses, so does your pay:
  • Junior: £17,000 to £25,000
  • Middleweight: £21,000 to £40,000
  • Senior: £30,000 to £55,000
  • Director: £50,000 to £100,000
Here are just a few of the world-leading design agencies our graduates have worked for:
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What can you do with a graphic design degree?

Industry Liaison Day

Mid-way through the final year, we invite professional designers from our network into the studio to see student portfolio presentations. Students will typically present to six to nine designers throughout the day during three separate sessions. Afterwards, not only do they feel more confident in their abilities and fully prepared for real-world interviews, but many will walk away from the day with business cards and offers of internships.

Key features
Your foundation year will:
  • Welcome you to an engaging, experiential learning environment with a focus on active exploration, experimentation and discovery across a wide range of material, methods and media.
  • Help develop your practical, technical and creative skills through studio and workshop based projects.
  • Provide training in key learning skills for further undergraduate study and build an awareness of practice, context and theory.
  • Introduce you to the accessible community of experienced academics, practitioners and technical staff that will support you on your studies.
  • Give you access to a wide range of enviable specialist workshops, laboratories and facilities across the campus and become part of our vibrant student community through the various opportunities available within the School of Art, Design and Architecture.
  • Enable you to explore and develop your personal interests and strengths as a creative practitioner.
This course is an integrated part of the BA (Hons) Graphic Design degree at the Â鶹´«Ã½. Successful completion of your foundation year (Year 0) will not lead to a separate award or qualification in its own right but provides progression onto Year 1 of
Or one of the following related degree programmes:
When you join the BA (Hons) Graphic Design with Foundation, you’ll also:
  • Develop innovative ideas in response to design briefs, and creatively solve design problems using images and typography. The course places emphasis on graduates having industry informed expertise, ensuring you’ll stand out in the job market. Good graphic design relies on the relationship between type and imagery... this course will teach you mastery of both.
  • You’ll develop your knowledge and develop yourself by taking advantage of a learning environment that includes open plan studios with 360 degree views of a thriving city centre, the Devon coastline and Dartmoor National Park. You’ll also be prepared for a dream career, with our graduates finding creative fulfilment working for companies such as Leo Burnett, Future Publishing and IBM.
  • In your final year you can choose a specialism to match your interests and career goals with options that relate directly to the design industry. Choose from Identity and Branding, Editorial and Publishing or Information Design.
  • Have direct contact with visiting speakers from prestigious studios such as Snask, Hey Studio and Dalton Maag.
  • Present your work to practicing graphic designers during our ‘Industrial Liaison Day’.
  • Enjoy small, personalised teaching groups, with tutors who know your name and your work.
  • Explore our diverse resources, including printmaking and photographic studios, cutting-edge Mac workstations, Fab Labs and a unique letterpress workshop.

Course details

  • Year 1

  • The Founda