Graphic Design BA (Hons)
Farnham
Course overview
From branding to typography, UI/UX design to print media and digital publishing, BA (Hons) Graphic Design at UCA Farnham introduces you to the many exciting avenues within the industry, with an added business focus.
You’ll take part in challenging live projects, competitions and extra-curricular industry placements, so that by the time you graduate you’ll have a wealth of knowledge and experience to take forward into your career.
The course will enable you to specialise in your area of interest while building a strong entrepreneurial skill set, and you’ll be encouraged to collaborate, socialise and share ideas within our unique community of creative students.
Recent students have designed window displays for Benetton’s flagship stores, worked with Sky on the creation of a new TV channel and undertaken live projects for Bestival.
From 2022 entry you have the option to complete a Professional Practice Year as part of this course. This will give you the opportunity to develop your professional, academic and personal potential, equipping you to be confident and engaged in creative workplaces. Employers widely recognise these qualities, and a significant proportion of placement students are offered graduate-level jobs or go onto postgraduate study.
Check out the @gdfarnham.uca Instagram to see some of our day-to-day activities and student work-in-progress.
Our standard three year undergraduate degree for those who meet the entry requirements for higher education.
UCAS Code for 3 year/standard: W217
A four year degree programme, including a foundation year to help develop your creativity before you embark on year one of a degree.
UCAS Code for course with Integrated Foundation Year: W21A
A four year course, specifically designed to provide international students with the English language and creative skills before they embark on year one of a degree.
UCAS Code for course with Integrated International Foundation Year: W21C
A four year programme, which sees you spend an entire year gaining valuable industry experience prior to your final year of study.
UCAS Code for course with Professional Practice: W216
A five year course, including a foundation year to help develop your creativity before you embark on year one of a degree, and a year on a professional placement gaining valuable industry experience prior to your final year of study.
UCAS Code for course with Integrated Foundation Year and Professional Practice Year: W21B
A five year course, including an international foundation year concentrating on English language and core creative skills before you embark on year one of a degree, and a year on a professional placement gaining valuable industry experience prior to your final year of study.
UCAS Code for course with Integrated International Foundation Year and Professional Practice Year: W21D
Course Details
The content of the course may be subject to change. Curriculum content is provided as a guide.
UCA’s Integrated Foundation Year is designed to give you the skills you’ll need to start your degree in the best possible way – with confidence, solid knowledge of creative practice, study skills and more.
You’ll explore a range of creative techniques and develop your portfolio, with your chosen subject in mind. We’ll work with you throughout the year to ensure you’re on the right track and give you the tools to achieve your highest potential on your degree.
For our students coming from a non-UK educational background, UCA has launched an Integrated International Foundation Year, based at UCA Farnham to bring students from around the world to one hub of creativity.
This year of preparatory study is designed to give you the skills you’ll need to start your degree in the best possible way – with confidence, solid knowledge of creative practice, study skills and the English speaking and writing skills you’ll need to succeed.
You’ll explore a range of creative techniques and develop your portfolio, with your chosen subject in mind. We’ll work with you throughout the year to ensure you’re on the right track and give you the tools to achieve your highest potential on your degree.
Launch
The launch week is intended to be a community-led programme that brings together students from across the course – you’ll take part in peer bonding sessions, research trips, design sprint exercises and talks.
Design Concepts
You’ll explore graphic experimentation, with emphasis placed firmly on communication. It focuses on the practical use of graphic principles as a means of conveying information across a variety of outcomes and media types and formats.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion 1
As visual practitioners, we are responsible for the socio-political make-up of our lives and the lives of others. You’ll think critically about how our worlds are created, and how they work together within relationships, communities, and collectives.
Typographic Studies 01
You’ll focus on the investigation, testing and application of the guiding principles and processes associated with Graphic Design, with three main focal points – typography, creative methodology and the overarching principles of visual communication.
Opportunity
Opportunity Week is a Hackathon - an opportunity for students to work across year groups to produce and replicate industry practice. You’ll undertake a live brief set by industry, collaborate with students from other courses, and present your results at the end.
Design Thinking
You’ll further develop your understanding of principles within a broad range of graphic design outcomes, with increasing depth of enquiry and knowledge of contemporary visual communication methods and processes. You’ll explore the use of narrative through multiple outcomes to encourage applied testing of consistent and dynamic graphic language.
Design, Creativity and Innovation
There are massive-scale problems and opportunities in the world. As designers, we approach these challenges with the aim of developing critical and meaningful ways to articulate and build cultural change. You’ll be asked to translate abstract issues into tangible design proposals, grounding projects in real-world social, cultural, technological, and economic issues. The content is concerned with the social, cultural, environmental, and ethical consequences of contemporary life.
Proclamation
This unit provides an opportunity to reflect on your activities over the year and present your findings to the wider world. It will offer time and space to resolve and collate the work you have produced over the year and present it back to the public sphere via publication, exhibition or happening.
Launch
The launch week is intended to be a community-led programme that brings together students from across the course – you’ll take part in peer bonding sessions, research trips, design sprint exercises and talks.
Multimodal Approaches to Design
One important aim of this degree programme is to view graphic design as a collection of principles, processes, and methodologies. A key objective of the second year is to explore multimodal approaches to design and relate them to your own practice and to the professional world. You’ll be encouraged you to reflect on your achievements so far while looking forward into the second half of the course and beyond.
The Conscious Practitioner
Visual media form the atmosphere and aesthetics that shape, and determine how we navigate, our worlds. This means that as visual practitioners, we have a responsibility towards the socio-political make-up of our lives and the lives of others. You’ll think critically about how our worlds are created, and how we work together within relationships, communities, and collectives, and interrogate visual culture and communication practices from a global perspective.
Typographic Studies 2.0
This unit explores the critical thinking, creative and technical skills you need when working with large amounts of text. You’ll develop an awareness of the many interpretive possibilities of even simple texts by experimenting with their typographic presentation and configuration, while learning the knowledge and techniques needed for editorial design and exploring the opportunities and challenges of working internationally.
Opportunity
Opportunity Week is a Hackathon - an opportunity for students to work across year groups to produce and replicate industry practice. You’ll undertake a live brief set by industry, collaborate with students from other courses, and present your results at the end.
Design for Screen
You’ll be introduced to design, narrative and sequence as thematic concepts that can be applied to screen-based outcomes. You will be asked to consider how visual language, such as words, images, format and structure can support communication. The unit will also introduce the key principles of graphic identity by asking you to consider the role of a designer in producing digital outcomes.
Building on Identity
You’ll explore in greater depth the working world of the professional designer and creative practitioner. The main aim is to help you prepare for work experience and post-graduation and to give you the opportunity to research the world of current graphic design practice in a range of related industries and associated career paths.
Working in the Creative industries
As a practitioner in the creative industries, you will need a thorough knowledge of the sector and the ability to operate within it. You’ll focus on applying the theoretical knowledge and skills gained in your previous years’ study to the working world, and have opportunities to gain an in-depth understanding of the creative industries.
If you opt to complete a professional practice year, this will take place in year three. You will undertake a placement within the creative industries to further develop your skills and CV.
While on your Professional Practice Year, you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee for that year. This fee will be determined using government funding regulations. Based on current regulations, we expect this to be a maximum of 20% of the tuition fee rate that you are charged for your second year of study. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during this year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this as you approach your Professional Practice Year.
Please note: If you are an international applicant, you will need to enrol onto the course ‘with Professional Practice Year’. It will not be possible to transfer onto the Professional Practice Year after enrolment
Launch
The launch week is intended to be a community-led programme that brings together students from across the course – you’ll take part in peer bonding sessions, research trips, design sprint exercises and talks.
Industry-led competitions
You’ll have the opportunity to work on one or more industry-led student competitions – including Red Dot, D&AD, the International Society of Typographic Designers and YCN.
Contextual research
As a graphic designer you are not a neutral practitioner – your work responds to and shapes the world around it. This unit encourages you to interrogate a particular theme or topic, research it, gather material and analyse how it informs your ideas and your design practice. You’ll develop a position and a perspective in relation to contextual research and theoretical frameworks, and develop a portfolio of contextual research that informs, augments and reflects upon practice.
Opportunity
Opportunity Week is a Hackathon - an opportunity for students to work across year groups to produce and replicate industry practice. You’ll undertake a live brief set by industry, collaborate with students from other courses, and present your results at the end.
Final Major Project
The Final Major Project gives you the opportunity to demonstrate the fluency of your design and communication skills, and to examine a subject or theme in depth through a self-determined and challenging assignment. Your Final Major Project will benefit from your increased understanding of theoretical issues developed over the previous few years of study - how these inform and contextualise your practical work, your research skills and your creative/strategic design abilities.
This course offers the opportunity to study abroad for part of your course. To find out more please see the Study Abroad section:
Tuition fees
2022 course fees for Year 1 entry and Integrated Foundation Year:
- UK students - £9,250
- EU students - £9,250 (see fee discount information)
- International students - £16,950
If you opt to study the Professional Practice Year, for 2022 you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee of £1,850 (UK students) and £3,390 (International students). You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during your Professional Practice year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this.
Additional course costs
In addition to the tuition fees there may be other costs for your course. The things that you are likely to need to budget for to get the most out of a creative arts education will include books, printing costs, occasional or optional study trips and/or project materials. These costs will vary according to the nature of your project work and the individual choices that you make. Please see the Additional Course Costs section of your Course Information for details of the costs you may incur.
Further information
For more detailed information about our course fees and any financial support you may be entitled to please see our fees and finance pages.
The fees listed here are correct for the stated academic year only. Costs may increase each year during a student’s period of continued registration on course in line with inflation (subject to any maximum regulated tuition fee limit). Any adjustment for continuing students will be at or below the RPI-X forecast rate.
Industry placement
offer
Preparing graduates for successful careers underpins everything we do, and all students on this course will be offered an industry placement anywhere between two weeks and a year in length, depending on their individual needs. We’ll draw on our wide range of contacts within the creative industries to ensure you’re offered opportunities that align with your interests and future career aspirations.
Course specifications
Please note, syllabus content indicated is provided as a guide. The content of the course may be subject to change in line with our Student Terms and Conditions for example, as required by external professional bodies or to improve the quality of the course.
-Graphic-Design,-UCA-Farnham_2020.jpg "Joana Nunes, BA (Hons) Graphic Design, UCA Farnham")
-Graphic-Design,-UCA-Farnham_2020.jpg "Alana Georgiou, BA (Hons) Graphic Design, UCA Farnham")
-Graphic-Communication---Farnham1.jpg "Ellie Atkinson, BA (Hons) Graphic Design, UCA Farnham")
-Graphic-Communication,-UCA-Farnham_2021.jpg "Keelin Wright, BA (Hons) Graphic Design, UCA Farnham")
-Graphic-Communication,-UCA-Farnham_2021.jpg "Caitlin Carter, BA (Hons) Graphic Design, UCA Farnham")
-Graphic-Communication,-UCA-Farnham_2021.jpg "Lara Thurgood, BA (Hons) Graphic Design, UCA Farnham")
-Graphic-Communication,-UCA-Farnham_2021.jpg "Marcelina Slabuszewska, BA (Hons) Graphic Design, UCA Farnham")
-Graphic-Communication,-UCA-Farnham_2020.jpg "Yasmin Nabe, BA (Hons) Graphic Communication, UCA Farnham")
-Graphic-Communication---Farnham-3.jpg "Becky Bradford, BA (Hons) Graphic Design, UCA Farnham")
-Graphic-Communication,-UCA-Farnham_11.jpg "Rebecca Druett, BA (Hons) Graphic Communication, UCA Farnham")
-Graphic-Communication,-UCA-Farnham_2020.jpg "Charlotte Higgs, BA (Hons) Graphic Design, UCA Farnham")
Facilities
This course has dedicated graphics studios which offer spaces for group tutorials and personal working. There are campus digital media suites with Macs and PCs with latest programmes for film editing as well as general design work. Open access printmaking studios with screen printing as well as letterpress facilities, 3D printers and book binding facilities. There is also a modern library with a wealth of books, journals, special collections and online resources.
Graphics studios, UCA Farnham
Print studios, UCA Farnham
Digital Media suite, UCA Farnham
Library, UCA Farnham
Course connections
Interaction with the industry is fundamental to our degree. We engage with industry through studio visits, work placements, 'live' projects and tasks either set by or co-authored by industry practitioners, as well as international competitions and collaborations. Students regularly win D&AD student awards, such as the Yellow Pencil for Best Packaging Design in 2011.
Our connections include:
- Barnbrook
- Boeing
- Channel 4
- Dalton Maag
- Design Bridge
- Design Museum
- The Designers Republic
- Fabrica
- Fitch
- FutureBrand
- Holmes & Marchant
- Landor Associates
- Naked
- MetaDesign
- Mother
- Preloaded
- SEA
- Sky (television)
- The Stool Pigeon
- VCCP.
Graduates from the course have achieved high-profile roles with many leading companies, including:
- Apple
- Bloom
- Bulletproof
- Cartlidge Levene
- Curious
- Cyprus University of Technology
- Design Studio
- Elmwood Singapore
- ForPeople
- GIRRBACH Sü.warendekor GmbH / Germany
- Harrods
- Hasbro
- Lego
- LessRain
- Lidl Stiftung
- Navy Blue
- Pearlfisher
- Pentagram
- Pocket App
- Preloaded
- Something Big
- Springetts
- Waitrose
- Yahoo! Hong Kong
- Zak Agency.
Our recent graduates have been appointed in areas such as branding, typography, editorial design, graphic design, freelance design, consultancy and brand strategy.
You may also like to consider further study at postgraduate level.
Our Staff
"I loved how broad the work you produce could be. I’d never have thought I could create what I did during the three years. The course encouraged me to try new things, embrace my strengths and helped me grow into the designer I wanted to become."
Entry requirements
BA (Hons) course
BA (Hons) course with Professional Practice Year
The standard entry requirements* for these courses are one of the following:
- 112 new UCAS tariff points, see accepted qualifications
- Pass at Foundation Diploma in Art & Design (Level 3 or 4)
- Distinction, Merit, Merit at BTEC Extended Diploma / BTEC National Extended Diploma
- Merit at UAL Extended Diploma
- 112 new UCAS tariff points from an accredited Access to Higher Education Diploma in appropriate subject
- 27-30 total points in the International Baccalaureate Diploma with at least 15 IB points at Higher level, see more information about IB entry requirements.
And four GCSE passes at grade A*-C and/or grade 4-9 including English (or Functional Skills English/Key Skills Communication Level 2).
Other relevant and equivalent Level 3 UK and international qualifications are considered on an individual basis, and we encourage students from diverse educational backgrounds to apply.
BA (Hons) course with Integrated Foundation Year
BA (Hons) course with Integrated Foundation Year and Professional Practice Year
The standard entry requirements for these courses are one of the following:
- 64 new UCAS tariff points, see accepted qualifications
- Pass at Foundation Diploma in Art & Design (Level 3 or 4)
- Merit, Pass, Pass at BTEC Extended Diploma / BTEC National Extended Diploma
- Pass at UAL Extended Diploma
- 64 new UCAS tariff points from an accredited Access to Higher Education Diploma in appropriate subject
- 24 points from the International Baccalaureate, see more information about IB entry requirements.
And four GCSE passes at grade A*-C and/or grade 4-9 including English (or Functional Skills English/Key Skills Communication Level 2).
Other relevant and equivalent Level 3 UK and international qualifications are considered on an individual basis, and we encourage students from diverse educational backgrounds to apply.
BA (Hons) course with Integrated International Foundation Year
BA (Hons) course with Integrated International Foundation Year and Professional Practice Year
For these courses you need to have completed 12 years* of schooling (with good grades) and show strong evidence of your ability to successfully complete the programme and progress onto your chosen degree.
*We occasionally make offers which are lower than the standard entry criteria, to students who have faced difficulties that have affected their performance and who were expected to achieve higher results. We consider the strength of our applicants’ portfolios, as well as their grades - in these cases, a strong portfolio is especially important.
Don't meet the international entry requirements or English language requirements?
You may be able to enter the course through the following entry pathways:
BA (Hons) course
BA (Hons) course with Professional Practice Year
For these courses, we’ll need to see your portfolio for review. We’ll invite you to attend an Applicant Day so you can have your portfolio review in person, meet the course team and learn more about your course. If you would prefer to upload a portfolio digitally, there is also the option to submit it online via your UCA Applicant Portal. Further information will be provided once you have applied
BA (Hons) course with Integrated Foundation Year
BA (Hons) course with Integrated Foundation Year and Professional Practice Year
These courses don't require a portfolio. If you receive an offer, you’ll be invited to attend an Applicant Day where you can meet the course team and learn more about the course.
BA (Hons) course with Integrated International Foundation Year
BA (Hons) course with Integrated International Foundation Year and Professional Practice Year
These courses don't require a portfolio. If you receive an offer, you’ll be invited to attend an Applicant Day where you can meet the course team and learn more about the course.
Apply Now
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UCAS Institution
C93
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UCAS Code for 3 year/standard
W217
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UCAS Code for course with Professional Practice
W216
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UCAS Code for course with Integrated Foundation Year
W21A
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UCAS Code for course with Integrated International Foundation Year
W21C
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UCAS Code for course with Integrated Foundation Year and Professional Practice Year
W21B
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UCAS Code for course with Integrated International Foundation Year and Professional Practice Year
W21D
Get in touch
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