BA (Hons) Graphic Design

The future graphic designer is curious, empathetic, responsible, knowledgeable and technically adaptable. Coventry University’s Graphic Design BA (Hons) course challenges and guides you to become just that.

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Graphic Design is a complex discipline that encapsulates a wide range of aims and outcomes. Through the use of visual language, graphic designers shape and challenge perceptions of the world around us. With this kind of power comes responsibility; designers don’t just make “pretty pictures.”

The course pushes you to become an independent designer with a conscience and boundless imagination. In doing so, you will be guided to explore your own passions, as well as adapt to changing briefs and diverse audiences. This is aligned with four key pillars that define the course’s ethos: experimentation, critical thinking, community and vocation.  As such, the course favours creative freedom and exploration of mediums, techniques and technologies to visualise research-informed concepts and innovative design strategies within a supportive network of staff, students, alumni, clients and industry guests. On this course, you are not only guided towards the development of a strong portfolio of work, but also encouraged to proactively define and pursue own interests in alignment with your long-term goals.

Ranked among the 10 best universities in the country for ‘Design and Crafts’ in the Guardian University Guide 2019, our graphic design students are regular winners of reputable design competitions such as D&AD, YCN and the Penguin Student Design Awards. Our graduates have gone on to create award winning advertising campaigns for Silver Spoon and moving imagine work for The Mill, user interfaces for IBM, book covers for the The Hunger Games, campaign collateral for Lush, and even launch their own jewelry company as worn by Lily Allen, Slothai and Mini Swoosh.

A Level :BBB

BTEC:DMM

IB Diploma :

 

29 points

GCSE requirement :

 

Minimum five graded 9-4 including English

IELTS: 6.0 overall

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a

 

pre-sessional English programme

 

before you start your course. 

The structure of the course, the experiences and support made available to you are all designed with a view to developing the skills, competencies and imaginative thinking necessary for a creative career in a demanding, competitive and rapidly changing work environment. Whether you choose to enter employment in a design agency or studio upon graduation, or have dreams of becoming self-employed, the course produces graduates that are flexible, responsive and resilient. Whatever your career trajectory we work together to make you industry ready.

As well as having the option of a year-long work placement (subject to availability, application and additional costs), you will also have the opportunity to practice design in professional contexts through live, client driven projects as soon as your second semester of your second year. You will be guided on how to position yourself within a community of practice and produce self-promotional material (CV, portfolio, website, merchandise) that represents both your skills, conceptual flair and aesthetic sensibilities.  The course continuously maintains its ties with industry and alumni, who we regularly invite for talks and portfolio guidance during our yearly conference “Future Proof”. That being said, the course doesn’t not seek to simply replicate the industry environment. Whilst observing best-practice standards, it provides space for challenging the norm, innovation and uninhibited creativity within experimental and student-driven contexts. It is our belief that such explorations add to the development of skills that would enable our graduates to not only join the marketplace, but also drive the future of design.

The university's Talent Team is on hand to offer tailored career and enterprise support if you wish to gain employment or take advantage of professional practice opportunities within course specific industries. It aims to specialist careers information, advice and guidance to all our students from their first year through to final year and beyond graduation, helping them receive the opportunities to reach their desired career outcome.

Our dedicated enterprise officers also offer valuable assistance on how to begin as a freelancer/entrepreneur.

On graduation, you have the option to continue your study by applying for postgraduate study or setting yourself up as a design consultant, independent practitioner or as part of a studio collective. You could pursue careers, both freelance and in-house, across a wide range of disciplines within the contemporary creative industries or all manner of professional service organisations – from publishing to advertising, education to local government.

We are committed to preparing you for your future career. The university's Talent Team provide a wide range of support services to help you plan and prepare for your career.

90% of our graduates are in work or further study six months after the course DLHE 2014/15

Where our graduates work

Graduates from this course have gone on to provide graphic design services for a number of well-known companies including: Image+,  Saatchi and Saatchi, the Mill, IBM, Springgetts, Interbrand, Scholastic, and Havas.