Graphic Design (BA (HONS))

BA Graphic Design here at BCU is an exciting, engaging, and stimulating course that will equip you with the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to enter the creative industries.

Our team of experienced and knowledgeable staff will support you on your journey, helping you to bring your creative ideas to life. You’ll develop a variety of design approaches and creative problem-solving techniques, giving you the resilience to succeed in your chosen career path.

As designers, we play an important role in society, and we have the ability to make meaningful change to our world. You will be encouraged to develop a critical eye through briefs that challenge you to go beyond the surface, providing sustainable and culturally-conscious solutions to real-world issues.

This course offers an optional professional placement year. This allows you to spend a whole year with an employer, following successful completion of your second year, and is a great way to find out more about your chosen career. Some students even return to the same employers after completing their studies.

If you choose to pursue a placement year, you will need to find a suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study. You will be able to draw on the University’s extensive network of local, regional, and national employers, and the support of our Careers teams. If you are able to secure a placement, you can request to be transferred to the placement version of the course

What's Covered In This Course? 

Our BA (Hons) Graphic Design course will enable you to stand out through your imaginative thinking, passion and commitment to new ideas and international perspectives.

You will study a course that will enhance your design skills and challenge your creative thinking, helping you identify the latest directions in design communication on a world stage.

We aim to attract independent learners who are creative, imaginative, playful, full of passion and aware of the power they possess to facilitate change, inform opinion and make their mark in industry. Many graduates have gone on to become leaders in their field of specialism and they often return to the University to share this knowledge.

During your time with us, you will develop the practical and intellectual skills required to succeed in a dynamic and ever-changing environment. Our modules are designed to provide you with exciting and engaging learning experiences which will prepare you for your onward journey. Our first year of study focuses on creative play and risk-taking, along with building up core skills and an understanding of design principles and areas of practice.

In your second year, you will get the chance to work on live briefs and to gain real-world industry experience, along with advancing your creative and technical skills to a higher level.

Our final year is all about developing autonomy within your practice, cultivating a deeper approach to critical thinking and readying yourself to enter the world of creative work.

On the course you’ll get the chance to explore a wide range of areas of practice within graphic design, including branding, packaging, motion design, editorial, typography, UX/UI, art direction, and advertising, as well as delving into emerging technologies such as VR/AR and 3D rendering.

Rather than specialising in just one of these areas of practice, we encourage our students to adopt a multi-disciplinary approach, making them desirable to employers and giving them the adaptability, they need to flourish in their creative futures.

Collaboration is not only facilitated but actively encouraged on our course, and you’ll have the chance to work with students from other disciplines including illustration, photography, digital marketing and more.

You will immerse yourself in our vibrant studio culture and creative community, based at our City Centre Campus, where you will find traditional and digital print-making facilities, photographic studios, 3D printing, Adobe software training and large format print facilities to enhance your design work. You will also have the opportunity to study abroad for part of the course, or to go on trips to destinations such as New York, Berlin or Paris.

One of our main focuses is employability, and all students who study with us will receive targeted support with professional skills and will leave with an industry-ready portfolio.

The course has excellent links to industry, both here in the West Midlands, and nationally too, with opportunities to get involved with live briefs and placements from some of the top design agencies in the country.

Previous students have worked on live projects with Turner Duckworth, Superunion, Conran Design, Design Bridge, Man Vs Machine, Studio BLUP, Moonpig, Bulletproof, The Times and The Pratt Institute (New York).

We are also fortunate to have great links with Birmingham Design Festival, an event which provides access to an inspiring line-up of internationally renowned designers and creatives. Many of our students have volunteered at the festival, building up their industry networks and confidence.

Your tutors are enthusiastic about their areas of practice, which fosters an invaluable knowledge transfer within the course. We have exceptional levels of external engagement, with visiting lectures given by nationally and internationally-recognised practitioners such as David Carson, Jonathan Barnbrook, Neville Brody, Morag Myerscough, Jim Sutherland, Adult Art Club, Gail Anderson, Adrian Shaughnessy, Becky Smith and Patrick Thomas.

As well as having numerous links with industry, you will engage in workshops, seminars, masterclasses, careers advice, portfolio reviews, mentorships and placements.

• Our focus on employability means that our graduates have excellent prospects after their time with us. All students receive targeted support with professional skills, and will leave with an industry-ready portfolio. Our alumni also receive three years of ongoing careers support after graduating.

• Live project partnerships include Turner Duckworth, Superunion, Conran Design, Design Bridge, Man Vs Machine, Studio BLUP, Bulletproof, The Times, and The Pratt Institute, with many award winners offered placements which have led to permanent employment. Competitions help inform the curriculum; we take part in D&AD’s global student awards scheme, RSA, ISTD, Creative Conscience, and Starpack Awards.

• This course has arranged design agency tours in Birmingham, London, and New York to support your creative output and to provide valuable industry insight, including visits to world-renowned Pentagram and Design Bridge.

• Birmingham is a vibrant and diverse city with a thriving and supportive design scene. It’s also the youngest city in Europe, which means it’s a great place to be a student.

• The design sector is a major and fast-growing contributor to the UK economy. Digital design in particular is seeing significant growth, and our course is well provisioned to meet the increased demand for these skills.