Graphic Design BA (Hons)
Length:
3 or 4 year options
UCAS Code:
W210 (3 Year)
W216 (4 Year)
Institution Code:
N39
Optional Diploma Years:
Creative Professional Development (1 year, Level 5 diploma), or Creative Computing (1 year, Level 5 diploma), available between years 2 & 3
Be inspired to apply innovative and creative solutions to branding, packaging, and promotional design for commercial markets.
This course is highly respected in the industry for its contemporary and ideas-led approach, with a focus on branding, identity design and sustainable planet-friendly packaging. You’ll have the opportunity to work on a wide range of design problems, including brand promotion, editorial design and digital design, with an emphasis on creating multi-channel brand worlds for a range of businesses including brand creation for the premium food and drink industry, and cultural organisations. Typography, copywriting, imagery, print, motion design, materials and physical making are all integral to your projects and learning.
Recent awards:
- Wood Pencil awarded to two Graphic Design students at D&AD New Blood Awards 2022
- Bronze awarded to a Graphic Design student, Pentawards 2022
Why study with us
- Share your first year with other graphics students, and continue to work alongside each other, allowing for a unique cross fertilisation of knowledge, skills and experience.
- Develop skills in typography, printing, layout, photography, design research, idea generation, visual narrative and storytelling.
- Learn technical skills in design-related digital software like InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator, while exploring print, paper, materials, formats and handcraft/making skills.
- Become adept at understanding and deciphering a brief, researching and generating ideas, problem-solving, developing the most successful concept and executing and presenting the final work.
- Work with expert staff, all talented designers and educators, many are practising designers working with clients week in, week out.
- Participate in workshops and classes run by external professionals, undertake project briefs initiated and taught by designers from industry, and enter national and international design competitions judged by the design industry.
Course Content
Integrated Foundation Year (optional)
Our Integrated Foundation Year is designed to equip students with the necessary skills, knowledge and confidence to thrive in their chosen degree subject. The course provides a comprehensive introduction to various disciplines, blending critical thinking and creative problem-solving with practical hands-on experience. This year serves as a bridge to undergraduate studies, allowing students to explore their interests within a supportive and inspiring environment, while familiarising themselves with the campus, workshops, and tutors.
Year 1
In the first year, the curriculum is shared across related graphics courses, enabling you to gain a broad grounding in the discipline before going on to specialist units in your chosen field in the second and third years. In your common first year, you will explore the fundamentals of design. With a focus on process, you will explore techniques, technologies, and research-inspired design as you work on individual and team projects. The course expands to cover a huge range of experimental processes, platforms, and technologies, meaning that you will build a strong portfolio demonstrating your design skills and innovative practice. This unit also introduces theories and ideas of design and visual culture and teaches you how to use them in your practical work.
40 credits
In this unit, you will explore and experiment with techniques, materials, and media. You will explore the fundamental principles of visual communication and develop skills in typography, printing, layout, photography, design research, idea generation, and storytelling. You’ll learn technical skills in various design-related software, such as InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Figma, and After Effects. You’ll be introduced to essential skills in organising and presenting complex data and information using typography, illustration, infographics, and wider graphic language, as well as how people view, process, and act on the wealth of visual information they receive every day.
80 credits
The first week of each academic year is called Wayfinding week. It’s an opportunity get your bearings, establish new connections and, after your first year at Norwich, re-establish old ones. Your course team will talk you through the year ahead and explain the expectations for the year. We’ll help you navigate new encounters and identify areas to focus on as you progress through your course.
An important element of Wayfinding Week is taking part in our annual ‘Make it Manifest(o)’ project. Your course team will introduce the project in which we’ll ask you to consider your hopes and vision of the year ahead at Norwich and work with students in other year groups to bring your ideas to life. The project culminates in a celebratory display of work across the campus. The project will help you to develop your critical creativity through different approaches, concepts, and mediums. You’ll encounter diverse perspectives and build friendships and networks within our university community.
Interchange weeks are opportunities to step away from your disciplinary studies and engage in projects, workshops, visits and talks that extend your knowledge and understanding of the world. Whether you learn a new skill or take part in a global challenge project with students from other courses, you will come away with new insights to take back to your course. Interchange is part of the schedule for all Norwich students with sessions held across and beyond the campus led by university staff, visiting lecturers and students.
Year 2
This unit will develop your ability to creatively respond to graphic design challenges through real-world problem-solving exercises. You’ll work on a series of specialist live client projects and competition briefs that will give you the experience and confidence of working in a professional environment. Developing skills and knowledge of idea generation, typography, imagery, copywriting, motion, print, and making, are key areas of your study. This learning is supported by projects including branding, visual identity, packaging design, editorial design, image-making, design for social media and digital platforms, advertising, and promotional media. Throughout this unit you’ll explore materials and processes through making, folding experimenting with formats and specialist print finishing. You’ll develop a portfolio of work demonstrating your ability to document a design process, including evidence of design research, experimentation and exploration of design ideas, and appropriate presentation skills. You will also explore the historical and theoretical issues relating to graphic visual culture globally, helping you develop your own critical opinions about graphic design’s role in society.
80 credits
This unit focuses on how you work with your peers and clients to take ideas from concept to presentation to build your in-depth knowledge of the graphic design industry. You’ll learn how collaborative work can help you focus and enhance your creative thinking, exposing you to new processes and approaches. You’ll gain confidence exploring a range of skills, including teamwork dynamics, resilience, and adaptability, emphasising the value of alternative perspectives and consider the opportunities and challenges of collaborative work. You’ll build your knowledge in time and project management and your creative decision-making. Learning is supported through team tutorials with tutors and art directors from the publishing industry, and project development review meetings to produce physically printed/made 2D or 3D objects and digital assets such as animations, motion and interactive work. This is an opportunity to build a portfolio of work that reflects your interests, and identify your long-term plans.
40 credits
The first week of each academic year is called Wayfinding week. It’s an opportunity get your bearings, establish new connections and, after your first year at Norwich, re-establish old ones. Your course team will talk you through the year ahead and explain the expectations for the year. We’ll help you navigate new encounters and identify areas to focus on as you progress through your course.
An important element of Wayfinding Week is taking part in our annual ‘Make it Manifest(o)’ project. Your course team will introduce the project in which we’ll ask you to consider your hopes and vision of the year ahead at Norwich and work with students in other year groups to bring your ideas to life. The project culminates in a celebratory display of work across the campus. The project will help you to develop your critical creativity through different approaches, concepts, and mediums. You’ll encounter diverse perspectives and build friendships and networks within our university community.
Interchange weeks are opportunities to step away from your disciplinary studies and engage in projects, workshops, visits and talks that extend your knowledge and understanding of the world. Whether you learn a new skill or take part in a global challenge project with students from other courses, you will come away with new insights to take back to your course. Interchange is part of the schedule for all Norwich students with sessions held across and beyond the campus led by university staff, visiting lecturers and students.
Diploma Year (optional)
Students have the opportunity to spend a year after the second of their degree (or the third year if studying for a degree with an Integrated Foundation Year) enhancing their employability options through a Level 5 Diploma. They can choose from courses designed to provide:
- opportunities to gain industry insight, developing employability skills through a series of supported experiences, expanding professional networks and building confidence in the workplace, or
- an introduction to creative computing, building an understanding of how coding skills can be used to advance and complement creative practice.
Final year
This is the first, and shorter, of the two units that make up your final year of undergraduate study. In this unit you are setting the agenda for your research and creative practice, which will help you begin to define your final portfolio and career goals. The focus in this unit is on research, experimentation, and development of your individual creative practice. You’ll undertake and initiate creative activities from a range of set projects and choose from competition briefs set by established professional bodies and client briefs. This will allow you to explore and experiment with a broad range of communication ideas, approaches to content, and materials, including analogue and digital outcomes. You’ll apply various research methods informed by your approach to your creative practice and future career aspirations. Due to the open and creative nature of the studio work, you will be encouraged to explore new processes and production methods relevant to the communication of your ideas. The Graphics Talk programme will allow you to network with industry leaders and participate in national and international competitions.
40 credits
Your final unit allows you to research, conceptualise, and create a self-determined final-year project(s), building on the skills, knowledge and understanding you have gathered throughout the programme. You’ll consider your creative route and receive expert guidance towards completing your chosen project(s). The unit focuses on reinforcing the process of applied theories, fundamentals, and principles particular to branding, visual identity, packaging design, editorial design, image-making, design for social media and digital platforms, advertising, and promotional media to support your transition from student to designer. There are opportunities to engage in national and internationally recognised student design competitions judged by the design industry, as well as live project briefs (internal and external) taught by designers from the industry. Through the weekly Graphics Talk programme and regular tutorials with industry, you’ll get to meet and network with established and respected practitioners and discuss your work and portfolio with visiting lecturers. You’ll have the opportunity to display your final year project as part of our degree show, Grad Fest, which allows you to showcase your work to our network of industry professionals and prospective employers.
80 credits
The first week of each academic year is called Wayfinding week. It’s an opportunity get your bearings, establish new connections and, after your first year at Norwich, re-establish old ones. Your course team will talk you through the year ahead and explain the expectations for the year. We’ll help you navigate new encounters and identify areas to focus on as you progress through your course.
An important element of Wayfinding Week is taking part in our annual ‘Make it Manifest(o)’ project. Your course team will introduce the project in which we’ll ask you to consider your hopes and vision of the year ahead at Norwich and work with students in other year groups to bring your ideas to life. The project culminates in a celebratory display of work across the campus. The project will help you to develop your critical creativity through different approaches, concepts, and mediums. You’ll encounter diverse perspectives and build friendships and networks within our university community.
Interchange weeks are opportunities to step away from your disciplinary studies and engage in projects, workshops, visits and talks that extend your knowledge and understanding of the world. Whether you learn a new skill or take part in a global challenge project with students from other courses, you will come away with new insights to take back to your course. Interchange is part of the schedule for all Norwich students with sessions held across and beyond the campus led by university staff, visiting lecturers and students.
Careers Information
Our course provides a range of employment-focused tools, allowing you to develop a professional portfolio and gain a strong sense of your career aspirations. Graduates have achieved great success, receiving multiple awards from prestigious competitions such as D&AD New Blood Awards, Pentawards (global packaging community), Creative Conscience and many agency-led competitions, leading to direct access to the design industry.
Graduates have found employment at some of the most prestigious global design agencies including Turner Duckworth, JKR, Magpie, Ted Baker, Design Bridge & Partners, Pearlfisher, Accept & Proceed, Mucho (San Francisco), Bulletproof, Ragged Edge, Pentagram, NB Studio, Elmwood and many, many more.
Typical career paths include
- Junior designer
- Graphic designer
- Packaging designer
- Creative director
- Branding designer
- Editorial designer
- Brand strategist
- Copywriter
- Marketing creative
- Photographer
- Website/app designer
- Printmaker/printer
- Teacher
- University lecturer
- Social media creator
- Digital entrepreneur
- Art director
You’ll also get specialist creative careers advice from our Business and Employability Team to help support you as you plan your career.
Jack Shorter
Tabbed Section
Typical UK offers
A / AS Levels – GCE
GCE A/AS Levels 3 A-level qualifications at grades BCC (104 UCAS Tariff points) or above. Where candidates are not taking 3 A-levels, Norwich University of the Arts will consider combinations of A-level/AS-level and other Level 3 qualifications.
BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF or RQF)
Distinction, Merit, Merit in an art, design or media related subject
BTEC Diploma (QCF or RQF)
Distinction*, Distinction* in an art, design or media related subject
T Levels
A T Level in any subject with overall grade Merit or above
UAL Extended Diploma
Merit
UAL Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
Pass
UAL Level 4 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
Pass
Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
Pass
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Art and Design)
Pass
International Baccalaureate Diploma
A minimum of 26 points
Norwich University of the Arts welcomes applicants of all ages from all backgrounds. Your application will be primarily assessed through your portfolio (if required), responses to questions asked and personal statement, so even if you have no formal qualifications or do not meet our typical offers it can still be worth applying.
If you are studying at the time of your application and your application is successful it is likely that you will receive a conditional offer.
If the qualification that you are studying is not shown, do not worry as we are able to accept other pre-entry qualifications as well as combinations of different qualifications. Please do contact our Student Recruitment Team if you have any queries.
International applications
We accept qualifications from all over the world. To find our entry requirements from a specific country, please check our dedicated international pages.
Most international students are required to hold an English language qualification. Applicants are required to have a minimum UKVI approved IELTS exam score of 6.0 overall, with a minimum of 5.5 in each section. Equivalent English language qualifications are acceptable such as, IB English language syllabus A or B/English Literature (Grade 4).
We also accept some alternative English qualifications. Learn more about our English entry requirements.
You can email us on international@norwichuni.ac.uk if you’d like to discuss your application individually.
BA (Hons) Graphic Design degree portfolio guidance
Portfolios should show examples of your work — both finished and work in progress — that demonstrate your interests and skills. Your portfolio should be made up of work that reflects your creativity, personal interests and influences, as well as demonstrating your technical skills and ability. It doesn’t have to be perfect as we can assess your potential from your work in progress.
Your portfolio should be relevant to this course, but you can include a wide range of work that shows your creativity, technical competence and understanding of innovative design.
You may wish to include some of the following:
- Drawings, painting or illustrations that demonstrate your image making skills, including life drawings, images drawn from observing people and landscapes or from your imagination
- Models or sculptural works in any medium
- Experiments in various printmaking processes
- Typography
- Editorial work
- Collages, montages and mixed media
- Web design
- Sound design
- Film or animation work
- Photography
- Work created using Adobe Creative Suite or other appropriate design software package
- Package design
- Visual identity
- Advertising
- Brand extension – how your idea works across a range of media
- Suggestions for context (i.e. where you see this work being used)
Further portfolio advice and tips
Get more advice on presentation formats, layouts and when to submit your portfolio in the application process.
2024/25 University fees for new entrants
Norwich University of the Arts will assess students’ tuition fee status using the guidance provided by the UK Council for International Student Affairs
Students from the UK or Ireland and EU students with ‘Settled’ or ‘Pre-Settled’ status will be charged ‘Home’ fees if they meet the relevant residency requirements. They will usually be eligible for a tuition fee loan from the UK government, meaning that they won’t have to pay Norwich University of the Arts’ tuition fees upfront.
Students who do not meet the necessary residency requirements will usually be charged ‘Overseas’ fees and will not be eligible for the UK government tuition fee loan. Since 2021/22, this includes new entrants from the EU, EEA, and Switzerland who do not have ‘Settled’ or ‘Pre-Settled’ status, because the UK has now formally left the EU.
| Fee status | Course | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|
| Home | Undergraduate degree (full-time three and four year degree) | £9,250 |
| Overseas | Undergraduate degree (full-time three and four year degree) | £18,000 |
Inflation in subsequent years
The rules for inflation on fees in subsequent years depend on the type of fee status and level.
- For Home undergraduate students starting in 2024, inflation may be applied to your fees in later years, if the UK government were to increase the fee cap beyond the current limit of £9,250 per year. If such an increase were to apply, we would confirm this in advance to you of each academic year, and we would limit the increase to the maximum allowed by the Office for Students.
- For Overseas undergraduate students starting in 2024, inflation will be applied to your fees in later years. We will confirm this in advance to you of each academic year, and we will limit the increase to no more than the Office for Students’ recommended inflationary measure, which is RPI-X. RPI-X is calculated by the Office for Budget Responsibility. In setting fees for the following year, we will use the Office for Budget Responsibility’s RPI-X forecast for quarter 3 of the relevant year.
For Home and overseas postgraduate degree students starting in 2024, fees will remain the same for each year of your course.
Financial support for UK students in 2024
Tuition fee loans and loans for living costs are usually available to UK and some EU students, as well as non-repayable Norwich University of the Arts bursaries based on family income. Find out more about applying for funding.
International students
We offer a range of scholarships for international students to support your studies with us.
- Group briefings
- Academic tutorials
- Group tutorials
- Lectures
- Workshops
- Critiques (crits)
- Seminars
- Finished pieces of work
- Presentations
- Written work
- Your research
- A reflective journal
Work-based Learning Opportunities
Between Years 2 and 3 of this course, you’ll have the opportunity to undertake one of the following additional qualifications:
Creative Professional Development (1 year, Level 5 Diploma)
Our Creative Professional Development Diploma gives you the chance to spend a year exploring your post-uni job options through a structured programme of input sessions and work-based learning. This year offers two much-sought-after industry placements – the first lasting six weeks, the second 12 weeks, and a group project or ‘hackathon’ exploring freelancing and business start-up.
Creative Computing (1 year, Level 5 Diploma)
Our Creative Computing Diploma introduces you to coding and computational skills that will advance and complement your creative practice. No prior experience of coding is needed, just a curiosity about creative computing and a desire to push your own practice into new realms. You’ll also develop a wider knowledge of the creative tech industries, available roles and opportunities.
Integrated Foundation Year
Four year degrees are exactly the same as our three year degrees but include an extra year of study at the beginning – an Integrated Foundation Year.
An Integrated Foundation Year is about developing the skills, knowledge and the confidence you need to successfully complete your degree course. Building on your experience from A Level or equivalent courses, the Integrated Foundation Year curriculum allows time to develop the practical, creative and conceptual skills that are critical to successfully completing an undergraduate degree at Norwich. You will achieve this, making full use of the University workshops and studio facilities.
While studying an Integrated Foundation Year on BA (Hons) Graphic Design you’ll gain fundamental design skills centred around typography, publishing, packaging and building a brand. You will first encounter four intense week-long projects, each focused on a key area of design, before progressing to explore graphic sequences and thematic design.
There are weekly critiques on progress and you will be expected to engage fully with the iterative process. There will also be an opportunity to negotiate your own brief. Regular workshops will enable you to continually build on your digital skills using industry standard software.
You’ll be taught by Graphics tutors throughout and you’ll have the opportunity to join first, second and third year students for guest lectures.
Typical UK offers and entry requirements for Integrated Foundation Year entry
GCE A/AS Levels
2 A-level qualifications at grades CC or higher.
BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF or RQF)
Merit, Merit, Pass in an art, design or media related subject
BTEC Diploma (QCF or RQF)
Distinction, Merit in an art, design or media related subject
T Levels
Pass (D or E on the core)
UAL Extended Diploma
An overall Pass
UAL Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
An overall Pass
Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
Pass
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Art and Design)
Pass
International Baccalaureate Diploma
A minimum of 24 points
Norwich University of the Arts welcomes applicants of all ages from all backgrounds. Your application will be primarily assessed through interview and portfolio review so even if you have no formal qualifications or do not meet our typical offers it can still be worth applying.
Find out more about four year degrees at Norwich
Teaching Staff
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