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HomeStudyUndergraduate StudyGraphic Design BA(Hons)

Graphic Design BA(Hons)

With an emphasis on design thinking and crafting big ideas beautifully, this course is your springboard to a design career in the creative industries. You’ll discover how to solve challenging questions facing society and business today with great ideas delivered appropriately across print and digital platforms.

Cross made out of black ribbons of text set inside a circle made out of white ribbons of text.

Key details

LocationFalmouth Campus
Course Duration3 years
AttendanceFull-time
UCAS codeW214
Contact01326 254350

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Introduction

In your first year you’ll learn how to become an adept visual communicator, developing core skills in typography, branding, visual language, craft and critical thinking. You’ll experiment and explore as you move through the course, defining your identity and critical perspective for becoming a fully formed practitioner.

You will:

  • Head to London for a week where you’ll visit a range of different studios from the boutique Fraser Muggeridge Studio to Pentagram, the world’s largest independent design consultancy.
  • Have the opportunity to go on trips to cities abroad so you can gain global perspectives on the subject.
  • Work on briefs created with, and supported by, industry practitioners.
  • Enter creative competitions such as D&AD, ISTD and the Creative Conscience Awards.
  • Go on an industry placement in the summer before your third year.
  • Create an industry standard portfolio in your third year.
  • Students
  • Graduates
  • Course details
  • How to apply
  • Fees, costs & funding
  • Ask a student

    What our students do

    Article
    Article

    Student Shortlisted for Design Award

    24 July 2019

    Graphic Design student Danielle White has had her work recognised at the South West Design +...

    Article
    Article

    Double Accolade for Graphic Designer

    23 July 2019

    Graphic Design student Ian Walden recently received two prizes for his work.

    Ian, who...

    Article
    Article

    Falmouth Most Successful Uni at D&AD

    18 July 2019

    Falmouth is celebrating a bumper year at the D&AD New Blood Awards, where the number of...

    Article
    Article

    Award Win for Graphic Design Student

    24 June 2019

    Graphic Design student Bethany Rush has won the adult fiction category as this year's...

    Article
    Article

    Students Sweep D&AD New Blood Awards

    5 June 2019

    Only the very best creative students are awarded coveted Pencil awards at D&AD New Blood, so...

    Article
    Article

    Four Students Shortlisted for Coveted Design Award

    30 May 2019

    Four Falmouth students have been shortlisted for this year's Penguin Random House UK Student...

    Article
    Article

    Designer Awarded during Final Year Show

    29 May 2018

    Graphic Design student Jen Marsden is off to Australia after being...

    Article
    Article

    An Exchange of Ideas, Knowledge and Expertise

    3 February 2017

    Graphic Design students recently visited 36 studios across London and The Netherlands. These...

    Brightly coloured page spreads of Arabic letters made into illustrations.
    Ice cream tubs with dog snouts on.
    Wall of phone shaped coloured pieces of paper.
    Bright coloured aerosol cans with bright, bold typography.
    Salad bags with can can dancers on and salad for skirts.
    A blow up packaging bag.
    Ball shaped ice cubes with citrus fruits frozen within them.
    Silver metal bottle peeling back to reveal red coloured berries and fruit and leaves.
    Graphic design students in studio looking together at laptop.
    A journal cover of a white shirt and the bright green letters spelling Stereotypology.
    Lecturer and student in discussion in the studio.
    Studio full of students busy working at desks.
    Book cover with empty birdcage for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Next.
    Several digital devices with various imagery on for Taschen.
    Piles of household items set on various coloured backgrounds for Lego advert.
    Cutlery packaging which makes the handles look like keys on a piano.
    Recycled paper poster with the words This is Rubbish on.
    Pencil packaging made with transport patterns.
    Large collection of badges with hand drawn messages.
    Hands holding a mug of coffee, wedding finger through the the handle.
    Gold and black honey jars with rounded skyline of cities.
    Circus themed newspaper and wooden letters and coloured shoelaces.
    Collage of black and white typography created in workshop.

    What our graduates do

    Our graduates have begun their careers at places like Mytton Williams, Biles Inc, Smith & Milton, The Partners, Bisqit, Turner Duckworth, Design Bridge, Thomas Matthews and The Chase.

    Course details

    What you'll learn

    With design process and problem-solving at its heart, this course explores how creative and meaningful ideas can be made. You’ll study the historical, social and cultural issues connecting theory and practice, and gain real-world skills from live briefs and workshops from leading designers.

    • Year one
    • Year two
    • Year three
    Year one

    By taking on practical and critical work, you’ll explore and experiment with new processes and practices. Working together in our immersive studio culture, we’ll study things like how to come up with ideas, the history of design, and the latest industry innovations.

    Modules

    Design Process
    A Word in your Eye
    Narrative
    Difference and Identity

    Year two

    Focusing more on real-world, industry-facing projects, we’ll encourage you to challenge convention and produce daring, original work. We’ll study areas like information hierarchy, ethical issues and design for society, while continuing to build your core skills. You’ll also go on study trips - usually to London or Amsterdam - to learn from designer-led workshops and visit studios like Pentagram, GBH, Fitch, Mother and Trapped in Suburbia.

    Modules

    Consumerism
    Typography
    Design Directions
    Collaborative Practice

    Year three

    Your third year focuses on intense project work, a dissertation and professional practice workshops. On top of building your core skills, you’ll take a critical look at your strengths and explore various directions for your future career. Towards the end of the year, you’ll exhibit at D&AD New Blood and at our own exclusive show at the Royal Society of Arts.

    Modules

    Journeys
    Dissertation
    Destinations
    Transitions

    The modules above are those being studied by our students, or proposed new ones. Programme structures and modules can change as part of our curriculum enhancement and review processes. If a certain module is important to you, please discuss it with the Course Leader.

    From module information to course aims and assessment criteria, discover the full course details

    How you'll learn

    You’ll attend group tutorials, seminars, workshops, peer critiques and regular individual tutorials - giving you the chance to present work and hear feedback in our new, dedicated studio space.

     

    How you'll spend your time

    Year

    Timetabled teaching and learning activity

    Guided independent study

    1

    30%

    70%

    2

    30%

    70%

    3

    24%

    76%

     

    How you'll be assessed

    Year

    Written exams

    Practical exams

    Coursework

    1

    0%

    0%

    100%

    2

    0%

    0%

    100%

    3

    0%

    0%

    100%

      The above percentages relate to 2019/2020 data.

    Assessment methods

    • A variety of design briefs.
    • There’s an ongoing policy of review and feedback every week with staff and other students, while formal assessment is twice yearly.
    • In year three you’ll write a dissertation and exhibit your work for assessment as part of a final-year show.

    Staff

    Our award-winning designers, associate lecturers, technicians and other staff members specialise in traditional and digital fields. As well as frequently contributing to books and publications, they’re often invited to judge professional design awards.

    Some members of staff only teach on specific modules, and your course might not feature every member shown here.

    Staff profile
    Staff profile

    Bryan Clark

    Head of Graphic Design

    Bryan leads the subject of Graphic Design at Falmouth and is responsible for the undergraduate...

    Staff profile
    Staff profile

    Timothy Donaldson

    Associate Professor in Graphic Design

    Timothy Donaldson is a letterworker: a practising graphic designer, type designer and...

    Staff profile
    Staff profile

    Dr Robyn Cook

    MA Communication Design: Senior Lecturer & Course Coordinator

    My research is focused on (inter alia) critical pedagogy,...

    Staff profile
    Staff profile

    Matthew Rogers

    Lecturer Television

    Matthew is a multi-skilled, reliable and innovative socially-minded thinker who enjoys sharing...

    Staff profile
    Staff profile

    Andy Neal

    Senior Lecturer

    Andy's career began as a musician; composing and performing material with Detritus, and...

    Staff profile
    Staff profile

    Ashley Rudolph

    Senior Lecturer, Graphic Design

    Ashley graduated from the BA(Hons) Graphic Design course at Central St Martins in 1995, and has...

    Staff profile
    Staff profile

    Nicola Salkeld

    Senior Lecturer / Course Co-ordinator (Stage 1)

    Nicola is one half of MOTH, which is a research project, that investigates...

    Staff profile
    Staff profile

    Dion Star

    Senior Lecturer, Graphic Design

    Dion has been a senior lecturer at Falmouth University on the BA(Hons) Graphic Design course...

    Staff profile
    Staff profile

    Jon Unwin

    Senior Lecturer, BA(Hons) Graphic Design

    Following graduation from the MA Graphic Design course at the Royal College of Art in...

    Staff profile
    Staff profile

    Matthew Dixon

    Senior Lecturer

    Since graduating from Central St Martins in 1995, Matt has designed and directed campaigns for...

    Facilities

    • Large, open-plan, dedicated design studios.
    • Design lab featuring traditional and digital production equipment.
    • Photography and audio space supporting stills, moving image and sound.
    • Mac desktop and laptop computers with professional software.
    • Extensive library facilities including thousands of books, DVDs, magazines and journals.

    Take a virtual tour

    How to apply

    Apply via UCAS

    Ready to join us? If you're applying through UCAS Apply and Track, you'll need to reference the university and course codes below. 

    • University code: F33
    • Course code: W214

    Apply now

    Applying as an international student? 

    International students can apply for a course through UCAS, via an agent or directly with the university. For more information about how to apply as an international student, visit our International applications page.

     

    International applications

    • Entry requirements
    • Language requirements
    • Deadlines
    Entry requirements

    We consider all applications on their own individual merit and potential. We invite all applicants to an interview day or audition to give them the opportunity to demonstrate this along with what inspires and motivates them in their field. Applicants will also be able to show their portfolio or give a performance depending on the course. We welcome applications from all subject backgrounds, whether you’ve specialised in STEM, the arts or humanities.  

    As a guide our typical offer at undergraduate level is 104 – 120 UCAS Tariff points, primarily from Level 3 qualifications such as but not limited to A-levels, a BTEC Extended Diploma or a Foundation Diploma. 

    Check how many points your qualifications are worth

    Language requirements

    For applicants whose first language is English we require you to have or be working towards GCSE English Language Grade 4 (C), or equivalent. 

    If English is not your first language you will need to meet the same standard which is equivalent to the IELTS Academic 6.0 overall score, with at least 5.5 in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. We accept a range of in country equivalencies and approved tests.  

    If you need a Tier 4 student visa to study in the UK, you’ll need to take an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT). You can read our English Language Requirements for more information.

    Deadlines

    UK/EU applications: 15 January 2020 (for equal consideration) 

    Late applications will be considered if there are places available. 

    International fee payers can apply throughout the year. But we recommend applying as early as possible, to make time for visa and travel arrangements.

    Page
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    How to Apply

    Get application information including personal statement advice, interview tips and what to include in your portfolio.

    Page
    Page

    Portfolio Advice

    What is a portfolio and how do you make one? Read our guide.

    Page
    Page

    Personal Statement Guide

    How do you write a personal statement and what should you include? Read our advice.

    Page
    Page

    Interview Information: Graphic Design BA(Hons)

    Find out what to expect at your Graphic Design interview.

    Page
    Page

    After You Apply

    Find out what happens after you apply to Falmouth and what you'll need to do.

    What we're looking for

    We want someone who:

    • Can tell the visual story of their work.
    • Thinks about the context of their work and the relevance it would have to a specific target audience.
    • Can show the journey of their projects, the depth of your creative enquiry, and the quality of their ideas.
    • Can investigate the questions of their project work, or explore the facts and information behind their ideas.
    • Shows critical thinking and the ability to contextualise.
    • Can provide a rationale for their intended project direction.
    • Demonstrates emerging potential in visual and verbal articulation.

    Fees, costs & funding

    Tuition fees 2020-21

    £9,250 - full-time UK/EU

    £16,000 - full-time international

    Tuition fees are set annually and are subject to review each year. The University may therefore raise tuition fees in the second or subsequent years of a course, in line with inflation and/or the maximum permitted by law or Government policy. Students will be notified of any changes as soon as possible.

    Typical course costs

    • £540 - Recurring annual costs
    • £260 - One off costs for the course duration (compulsory trips, final portfolios or shows, etc)
    • £2,750 - Optional study visits and placements for the course duration

    If you need to bring equipment or materials with you, these will be outlined in your Welcome Letter.

    The figures above don't include accommodation and living costs

    Funding

    For information about funding available, please visit our undergraduate funding page

     

    Ask a student

    What better way to find out about life at Falmouth University than by asking our current students? 

    From course details, our facilities and the local area to the social scene and settling in, our students are ready and available to answer any questions you might have. Simply set up your account, send them a question and they'll get back to you within 24 hours.

     

    Open Days and Campus Tours

    See how we turn real industry experience into real careers.

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