Overview
Graphic designers communicate a wide range of messages utilizing a diverse range of skills and media. This degree course has a strong professional and vocational approach, delivered in a supportive environment where students are set challenging projects to help develop creative individuality. At the same time the course integrates and encourages direct professional links through visits, workshops, collaborations, graduate scholarships and competitions. The course equips students with the broad technical and intellectual skills required to compete within the creative industry.
The curriculum is delivered in a professional environment using traditional and contemporary media. The course encourages students to develop their own interests within Graphic Design in order that they produce inventive, high quality, and vocationally relevant work. Lectures and demonstrations set the scene for practical activities and multi-disciplinary project work undertaken individually or in groups. Transferable knowledge and skills are embedded throughout the teaching and learning experience enabling students to become enterprising and employable graduates.
Applicants with qualifications in art, design and media related subjects are welcomed, these traditionally include A Level, National or Extended Diplomas, and Pre-Degree Foundation Studies. Non-traditional applicants and mature learners are welcomed with relevant life experience.
Graduate employment from the course sees students progress into a diverse range of local, national and international organisations. The majority gain employment within graphic design studios, or work as freelance illustrators. Recent graduate employers have included The Big Issue, National Theatre, British Museum, Cartoon Network and Random House Publishing. Students have also started their own successful design businesses, or have gone on to work in design related fields such as marketing. Some, however, choose to continue their studies at PGCE or MA level.
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Click here to look at the Graphic Design course folio
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Click here for further information on the Graphic Design course
Content and Modules
The course is delivered as a series of related modules that cover the technical, creative and contextual aspects of graphic design and enhance students' personal development and career ambitions. Throughout there is a strong emphasis on teaching transferable skills to equip the student with the broadest base from which to graduate. There are five single and one double modules taught in the first and second years, with three double modules making up the final year with considerable freedom to tune individual studies to follow special interests and abilities within the subject.
The first year focuses on providing students with digital and traditional skills while orienting them within the subject of graphic design. Modules include Ideas Generation, Type As Image, Graphic Media and Digital Studies. This is supported by units in Drawing, Professional Studies, History of Graphic Design, and Group Project work. The second year gives more scope for research and investigation while enhancing professional competence. Modules undertaken include Applied Ideas, Interactive Screen Design, Graphic Identity, Advanced Design Practice, and Negotiated Projects. Personal research into the theories and contexts of graphic design are developed through Critical & Creative Approaches to Design. There is also an option to take a Work Based Learning module in the second half of the year.
The third year brings these experiences together to provide a body of knowledge and a portfolio of work that will take students into future employment or further study. Modules studied include Portfolio Development, Collaborative Project and Dissertation & Critical Review. At all levels, seminars and discussions are underpinned by individual tutorials, regular visits and presentations by professional practitioners and external agencies.
The academic year consists of 24 taught weeks divided into two semesters, with the addition of assessment and tutorial weeks. A typical teaching week consists of 12 taught hours across a range of modules. Technical support is offered throughout, both embedded within modules as well as through enhancement workshops open to all students. Generous open access opportunities exist for students to complete work set in taught sessions.
Further course information
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Click here to look at the Graphic Design course folio
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Click here to look at course facilities
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Click here for further information on the Graphic Design course
Further Information
Work placements
Students are encouraged to investigate and liaise with all areas of the graphic design industry either through the curriculum or individually. This helps to contextualize their study and develop their career aspirations. The course has excellent industry links both locally and nationally to help students gain work placements and scholarships could be offered to appropriate graduates by, for example, TCM London.
Assessment
There are a variety of assessment methods including coursework, academic tutorials, evaluation reports, reflective journals, seminar presentations and critical reviews.
Professional and industry links
The course has excellent industry links both locally, nationally and internationally with individuals and groups who interact with students as visiting lecturers, provide opportunities for studio visits, and help students gain work placements and internships. Course Patrons include typographer and designer Jonathan
Barnbrook, motion designer Daryl Goodrich and illustrator and Visiting Senior Fellow Brian Grimwood. Our graduates work within design studios as freelance illustrators or establish their own design businesses, while others develop careers in teaching or decide to study at Masters level. Employers of our recent
graduates include Random House Publishing, the National Theatre, the British Museum and the Cartoon Network.
Course Patrons The course is proud to have the following as patrons:
Jonathan Barnbrook is a typographer and designer best known for his work with David Bowie, Damien Hirst and Adbusters magazine. His 'Friendly Fire' exhibition at the Design Museum and book, 'The Barnbrook Bible', were both met with critical acclaim.
Daryl Goodrich is an ex-student of the course. He won a Royal Television Society award in 2005 and made both the official London 2012 Olympic bid film and the launch film for Eurostar's historic move to St Pancras Station.
Brian Grimwood is founder of The Central Illustration Agency and has been credited by Print Magazine as having changed the face of British Illustration.
Turner Classic Movies (TCM), provide a unique work placement scheme with the course.
Claire Parker is an ex-student of the course and after graduating won an internship at TCM and now works as a graphic designer for the National Theatre.
After the course
Graduates have gone on to a wide range of careers in graphic design and related areas involving media and communications, as well as further postgraduate level study at UCS. Excellent scholarships are awarded by TCM London.
Student testimonial
After graduating I immediately jumped straight into the design industry after
winning the TCM Adam Easdon Internship Award. After impressing the team
over this period, I was offered a nine month freelance contract working across
print, web & motion platforms. The course at UCS was highly beneficial to me
in a number of ways. One of the most important things I took away was being
able to develop creative concepts and not to let technology dictate my designs.
As well as teaching design, the course helped us as students enormously in
developing the attributes needed for ‘real world’ work.
Sean Scannell, BA (Hons) Graphic Design Graduate
Watch Alex Rawlins - Current BA (Hons) Graphic Design student - talk about his favourite aspects of the course
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Click here to look at the Graphic Design course folio
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Click here to look at course facilities
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Click here for further information on the Graphic Design course
Contact us
Graphic Design Department
School of Arts and Humanities
University Campus Suffolk
Neptune Quay
Ipswich
Suffolk
IP4 1QJ
Email: graphicsucs.ac.uk|