Illustration BA(Hons)

Become an original thinker within the rapidly evolving visual communications industry. You’ll strengthen your drawing ability and develop a unique visual language as we encourage you to challenge yourself, push your boundaries and realise your potential.

Key details

Course Duration	3 years
Attendance	Full-time
UCAS code	W221
Location	Falmouth Campus
Contact	01326 254350

Introduction

You'll learn to analyse a text, generate strong conceptual solutions, compose an image and use colour effectively. Illustration at Falmouth is renowned and respected for its emphasis on professional practice and its connection to the industry. We'll teach you core business skills like marketing, copyright and managing tax, and train you in software like Photoshop and Illustrator. You'll even have the chance to gain real-world experience with live projects.

What our students do

Claudia Scaccianoce, BA(Hons) Illustration

Study in the UK: Nigel Owen – The Changing Times of Illustration

Article

Street Draw Raises Awareness of Homelessness

1 October 2018

Work created by Illustration students and staff during #streetdraw24...

Article

Riko's Reflections

23 May 2018

We sat down with this year's Carmelite Picture Book Prize winner, third-year ...

Article

Students Shortlisted for Illustration Awards

21 May 2018

Third-year Illustration students have been shortlisted in several...

Article

Student Creates Illustration for Charity Auction

6 April 2017

Last week Illustration student Olivia Healy saw her work up for auction at BBH London's She...

What our graduates do

Our graduates have won awards like the Kate Greenaway Gold Medal, the Guardian Clearing Cover Illustration, and the Pushkin Press Student Illustration Award. They’ve also gone on to work in areas like graphic design, branding and packaging, tactile imagery, and book design.

Article

Illustration Graduate Commissioned by VOGUE

11 December 2018

Sophie Melissa, 2017 BA(Hons) Illustration graduate, has been commissioned by British VOGUE...

Article

Illustration Graduates Listed at Blue Peter Book Awards

14 November 2018

Two Illustration graduates, Lauren Humphrey and Joe Lillington, have been recognised at the...

Article

Advertising Award for Illustration Graduate

21 August 2018

Illustration graduate Charlotte Jones has...

Article

Illustration Graduate Publishes First Book

31 July 2018

Illustration graduate Ella Kasperowicz has written and illustrated...

Article

Award-winning Illustrator goes Global

23 May 2018

Every artist has a dream. For actors, it's their name in lights on Broadway, for writers, it's...

Article

Alumni Illustrate Winning Talent

22 February 2017

Illustration talent has again been recognised by the country's most prestigious children's book...

Article

Alumni Win Prestigious Publishing Prizes

17 February 2017

Two Illustration graduates are amongst this year's Bologna Ragazzi Award winners for their...

Course details

What you'll learn

You’ll cover everything from drawing and visual studies to historical and cultural studies - developing peer and self-evaluation skills for the professional world. We’ll teach you core business skills in licenses, copyright and tax, and essential technical skills in Photoshop, Illustrator and Dreamweaver. You’ll learn to analyse a text, come up with strong ideas, compose an image, and properly market yourself when you enter the industry.

Year one

Beginning with visual problem solving, you’ll develop your conceptual skills as you explore a range of thinking strategies. You’ll also take part in life drawing and other themed visual studies sessions, and learn about critical theory and illustration’s historical contexts.
Travelling to London, you’ll learn about illustration in the design industry from influential art directors and illustration agents, and take part in a major illustration forum.
Modules
Visual Problem Solving
Visual Studies 1
Applied Illustration
Visual Studies 2

Year two

You’ll start with a series of applied illustration projects, covering advertising, book cover design, editorial illustration, children's book illustration and information illustration.
Putting your knowledge into practice, you’ll then manage and develop your own projects - finding a unique direction and focusing on a certain area of the industry.
Modules
Contextual
Visual Language 1
Negotiation 1 (Development)
Visual Language 2

Year three

You’ll develop a physical and digital portfolio of work, write a dissertation and produce a portfolio website. There’ll also be opportunities to participate in industry placements.
Finally, you’ll get the opportunity to show your portfolio abroad. This is your chance to get real feedback on your work from the best designers and art directors in the business.
Modules
Negotiation 2 (Consolidation)
Dissertation
Negotiation 3 (Completion)

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.

How you'll learn

Balancing creativity with professional practice, you’ll gain hands-on knowledge and experience through project work, live briefs and client meetings. Supporting this will be lectures, seminars, tutorials and optional study trips.

Our visiting speaker series has seen our students learn from Dave McKean, Noma Bar, Laura Carlin, McFaul, Nobrow, Sue Coe, Paul Slater, Sara Fanelli, Russell Cobb, Graham Rawle, Matthew Richardson, Posy Simmonds, Jason Ford, Kai & Sunny, Owen Davey and John Vernon Lord.

How you'll spend your time

Year	Timetabled teaching and learning activity	Guided independent study	Placements
1	31%	69%	0%
2	36%	64%	0%
3	18%	82%	0%

How you'll be assessed

Year	Written exams	Practical exams	Coursework
1	0%	0%	100%
2	0%	0%	100%
3	0%	0%	100%

Assessment methods

Assessment will take place at the end of each semester, and you’ll get feedback and evaluation throughout the year. You'll be assessed through visual, verbal and written assignments, including your portfolio, as well as a dissertation or final-year project.

Staff

Our teachers are practising illustrators with experience working for the Wall Street Journal, the Lancet Medical Journal, United Airlines, and Varoom. They’re often key in helping our students find work connections and opportunities.

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

Staff profile

Keryn Bibby

Level 3 Co-ordinator, BA(Hons) Illustration

Keryn Bibby is qualified with a BA(Hons) in Graphic Information Design from the Falmouth School...

Staff profile

Nicholas Mott

Senior Lecturer

Nick Mott is a musician and founder member of the cult experimental music group Volcano The Bear...

Staff profile

Nigel Owen

Head of Illustration

My role as senior lecturer and head of Illustration at Falmouth University has always...

Staff profile

Sue Clarke

Senior Lecturer, Illustration

Graduating from St Martin's School of Art in 1989, Sue Clarke has been a highly successful...

Staff profile

Hugh Frost

Lecturer

Working mostly on the 2nd year of the illustration course as a studio-based tutor....

Staff profile

Rachel Dunn

Lecturer, Illustration

Rachel Dunn's background is as colourful and varied as her artwork and illustrations. She has...

Staff profile

Linda Scott

Senior Lecturer

Linda joined Falmouth University in 2004, relocating from London where she worked as a freelance...

Staff profile

Dr Carolyn Shapiro

Senior Lecturer

Dr Carolyn Shapiro received her MA and PhD in Performance Studies from New York University (2004...

Staff profile

Dr Caroline Pullee

Academic Lead, Quality Assurance & Enhancement

Caroline is currently academic lead for Quality Assurance and Enhancement and senior lecturer in...

Staff profile

Cally Gibson

Senior Technician

Cally Gibson works at Falmouth University as a senior technician, solving software queries and...

Staff profile

Laurence North

Senior Lecturer

I have worked at Falmouth University for almost 25 years, during this time I have worked ...

Staff profile

Ashley Hold

Associate Lecturer, Drawing

BA(Hons) Fine Art, PGCE, MA 20th Century Art & Design

Academic interests/teaching...

Facilities

Dedicated open plan studios and seminar rooms.
Dedicated desk space for every student.
Printmaking workshop.
Life drawing studio.
Range of IT facilities with full software and printing facilities.
Access to over 140,000 books, comprehensive electronic journal resource and DVD library featuring over 17,000 titles.

Take a virtual tour

How to apply

Entry requirements

104 - 120 UCAS points, primarily from Level 3 qualifications like A-Levels, a BTEC Extended Diploma, or a Foundation Diploma.

Check how many points your qualifications are worth

We’ll also consider you based on your individual merit and potential. So get in touch if:

You’re predicted points below our requirements
You’re thinking about transferring from another institution
You have other qualifications or professional experience

Language requirements

GCSE English Language Grade 4 (C), or equivalent.

We also accept qualifications equivalent to the IELTS Academic 6.0 overall score, with at least 5.5 in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening.

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).

Apply via UCAS

Enter these codes at UCAS Apply and Track

University code F33
Course code W221

Deadlines

UK/EU applications: 15 January

Late applications will be considered if there are places available.

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

Next steps

Once you’ve applied, you’ll receive a Falmouth Applicant Portal login, where you’ll find more details about these requirements.

What we're looking for

We want someone who:

Has visual problem-solving skills, with a specific focus on generating ideas.
Shows development of visual language in drawing, life drawing, media, mark-making experimentation, reflective analysis and finished pieces.
Has a good contextual understanding of what illustration is.
Is confident in their abilities and prepared for the challenges of higher education.
Can communicate effectively.
Has a theoretical understanding of visual arts issues.

Fees, costs & funding

Tuition fees 2019-20

£9,250 - full-time UK/EU

£15,000 - full-time international

Typical course costs

£250-£550 - Recurring annual costs
£100 - One off costs for the course duration (compulsory trips, final portfolios or shows, etc)
£1,400 - 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

Open Days and Campus Tours

See how we turn real industry experience into real careers.

Visit us

Illustration BA(Hons)

Key details

Introduction

What our students do

Claudia Scaccianoce, BA(Hons) Illustration

Study in the UK: Nigel Owen – The Changing Times of Illustration

Street Draw Raises Awareness of Homelessness

Riko's Reflections

Students Shortlisted for Illustration Awards

Student Creates Illustration for Charity Auction

What our graduates do

Illustration Graduate Commissioned by VOGUE

Illustration Graduates Listed at Blue Peter Book Awards

Advertising Award for Illustration Graduate

Illustration Graduate Publishes First Book

Award-winning Illustrator goes Global

Alumni Illustrate Winning Talent

Alumni Win Prestigious Publishing Prizes

Course details

What you'll learn

Modules

Modules

Modules

How you'll learn

How you'll spend your time

How you'll be assessed

Assessment methods

Staff

Keryn Bibby

Nicholas Mott

Nigel Owen

Sue Clarke

Hugh Frost

Rachel Dunn

Linda Scott

Dr Carolyn Shapiro

Dr Caroline Pullee

Cally Gibson

Laurence North

Ashley Hold

Facilities

How to apply

Entry requirements

Language requirements

Apply via UCAS

Deadlines

Next steps

What we're looking for

We want someone who:

Fees, costs & funding

Tuition fees 2019-20

Typical course costs

Funding

Open Days and Campus Tours