- Study Mode: Full time
- Location: High Wycombe
- Duration: Four Years
- Start Date: September 2022
You can also study this course:
If you are a visually creative person looking to build a rewarding career in graphic design this course is perfect for you.
Uncover, and solve, challenging visual communication problems using a combination of images, words, and storytelling. Become culturally aware and discover a passion for experimentation across a variety of creative media. Bring your ideas to life today on our Graphic Design course.
Throughout my course I’ve had so many workshops, guest lecturers and experiences. You can also expect a great variety of projects that you can tackle through the three years, each with a purpose to teach you something different. From typography and branding, to editorial, there is a bit of everything. It’s so exciting to not know exactly what your next piece of work will look like.Rebecca Cochran
Magda's BNU story
Magda originally decided BNU was where she wanted to study because of the size, facilities and location. Her time at BNU helped her grow as a person and gain the skills to enter the working-world. Magda can now be found working as a Junior Graphic Designer for Interactive Schools.
Read the full story.
Open Days
We understand that when it comes to deciding where you’d like to study, there are a lot of things to consider. Come along to our Open Day and discover why BNU could be the place for you. You can find out more about your course, meet the course team, and get all your questions answered.
Application Guide
For everything you need to know about applying, check out our Application Guide. You can find useful information for each stage of your application journey – from before you even apply to what to do if you receive an offer, and everything in between.
Why study this subject?
Graphic Design is a dynamic subject area, one that is continually evolving. Its wide-reaching impact is linked to its communicative impetus which extends into many areas of society, including economically, politically, socially, and culturally.
Stay updated with all our latest BA (Hons) Graphic Design and BA (Hons) Illustration news by following us on Instagram @bucks_graphics
At Buckinghamshire New University the thing I enjoyed the most was being able to work in the graphics studio with my friends, I had all the facilities I needed there like A3 printers, a plotter and a whole building full of different printing presses. The studios were open till 10pm so I would stay late and get my work done.Charlotte Batterbee
Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?
With a history of delivery expert craft, art and design education for more than 130 years, Buckinghamshire New University is the perfect place to start your creative career.
As a well-established course which has been running for over 30 years, we have built up an excellent network of Alumni. Many are now in senior positions in the design world, both nationally and internationally, whom we can call upon.
During your time on the course, you’ll benefit from direct access to guest lectures and live project briefs, master classes, and plenty of networking chances. As well as this you’ll have the opportunity to enter a range of industry-established competitions.
Led by our enthusiastic and dedicated team of design practitioners and experienced academics, you will have the freedom to explore all areas of graphic Design, from typography and illustration to branding and editorial design, whilst being supported in your development of design skills and strategies.
Our Small group sizes enable staff and students to work together as a friendly and collaborative community of learners and designers. You’ll have access to a range of our state-of-the-art facilities to help you bring your visions to life. This includes Adobe Creative Suite programmes and a range of hands-on methods, from silkscreen and printmaking to laser cutting and 3D printing technology.
And with London only a short journey away, you can take the opportunity to visit some of the world’s best exhibitions, galleries, and museums for inspiration.
At BNU, we will help develop vital business and working processes; including interpretation of a brief; research methods; analysis and ideas development. As well as the skills needed to successfully produce outcomes that evoke emotion, tell stories and communicate messages, so as to meet client and audience expectations.
What facilities can I use?
On the BA (Hons) Graphic Design course you’ll be encouraged to explore both traditional and current mediums to craft your design solutions, you can do this through our;
- silkscreen equipment
- plotter cutters
- letterpress equipment
- photography studios
- litho equipment
- laser cutting
- 3D printing technology
- Adobe Creative Cloud
You also benefit from our specialist technicians and demonstrators on site, who can support you in the area you want to explore.
However, that’s just the beginning, we won’t limit your ideas by the means to bring them to life - Check out our Art and Design Facility page to see what else you could use.
What will I study?
This course is offered as a four-year programme, including an initial Foundation Year. The Foundation Year will allow you to develop your academic study skills and build confidence in your abilities, identifying your own strengths and development needs for progression onto an undergraduate degree.
Studying on the course will help prepare you for this continually expanding field. Not only will we support you as an individual in the development of your visual and creative problem-solving skills, but we also equipped you with the knowledge and confidence to enter and negotiate your career in this challenging, but exciting field.
Over the course of this degree, you'll be given lots of opportunities to explore the diverse world of graphic design and its practice, including vital skills in creative problem solving, research methods, team working, project management, presentation skills, design strategy, art direction and independent learning.
Through practical hands-on, project-based learning you'll explore the fundamental core aspects of the subject like typography, narrative structure, hierarchy, layout and composition, information design, image creation and conceptual thinking skills.
You’ll develop your historical perspectives, research, and writing skills and gain the academic grounding on which to develop critical understanding and practical application. As well as this you'll explore the many workshop facilities and equipment our design department has to offer, from laser cutting and letterpress printing, to photography and the Adobe Creative Suite. Our experienced technical instructors will be there in your workshop sessions to support you with your activities and help bring your ideas to life.
We always encourage our students to take risks in their work and learn to challenge established languages and processes through questioning and individual experimentation.
All our modules on this course reflect this ethos, they are in place to help you form and consolidate presentation, critical and strategic thinking, and complex problem-solving skills, whilst at the same time developing and refining practical design abilities.
At the end of your studies, you’ll have the chance to take part in the graduate Art and Design Showcase exhibition at the University. In addition, students are offered the opportunity to put forward work for the D&AD New Blood exhibition in central London where a selected group of students are also invited to attend.
The art and design facilities, in particular the equipment in the Red Shed, is not something most universities have access to. There is also lots of opportunity to engage in competitions as well as collaborate with companies who have approached the University. We also have the benefit of smaller classes and therefore a stronger relationship with tutors.Charlotte Ketteridge
How will I be taught and assessed?
During your time with us you'll study modules that are centred around your own career aspirations and, through guest lectures from industry specialists, seminars and live industry projects, you'll build your own distinctive portfolio that demonstrates your unique strengths and interests for prospective work opportunities after graduation.
On campus you’ll work alongside a diverse community of designers and illustrators, each working on their own projects, just like a professional graphic design studio would function.
You’ll study in a close-knit Graphic Design tutor group where everyone’s input is recognised and valued. Not only will you make friends for life, but you’ll also make important connections that will last through your career, and you’ll form a network, just like you’d find in any design group.
You’ll also work with professional graphic designers and illustrators who will critique your work and help you improve your designs. As well as this we have visiting designers and illustrators also running workshop-based sessions in fields as diverse as editorial design, infographics, typography and ethical design.
Workshops, lectures and seminars with other students in the art and design department will help you prepare you for life in an agency or studio environment where you will need good presentation and ideas generation skills as you meet and impress clients.
To build your experience, we support work placements for the right students with companies that we have long relationships with. Students have worked for publishers, packagers, advertising agencies and magazines as varied as Wallpaper, Rankin, Quarto Books and Macmillan Books.
When I started at BNU, I was incredibly shy and quiet. During my time at university, I was able to develop my social skills and become more confident. The close relationships of students, tutors and staff really helped with this, as well as the homely and friendly atmosphere around the campus.Magda Wachowicz
Placements Plus
BNU is a Placements Plus university. So, whatever degree you do, you can be sure there’ll be plenty of industry-relevant opportunities on offer, to help you get into your chosen field.
We’ll also prepare you for work beforehand, with special skills for work training, further boosting your CV, and building skills employers will value. In recognition of the value we place on these skills we have incorporated this experience into your study time.
Placements Plus is all about helping you get some valuable experience under your belt while you’re a student, to increase your choices later, and help you get the graduate-level job you want.
What are the course entry requirements?
A typical offer will require a UCAS tariff score of: 32 - 56
Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements for the 3-year undergraduate programme, or those who do not feel fully prepared for a Level 4 course, will be considered for the 4-year programme including a Foundation Year. If you wish to enquire further, please send your query along with any academic evidence or references to admissions@bucks.ac.uk
Find out more about our General Entry Requirements.
Modules
This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section.
Year 1 Modules
Preparing for Success: Knowledge and Creativity
Preparing for Success: Self-development and Responsibility
Inquiry Based Learning
Photography, Design and Visual Communication
Year 2 Modules
Design Workshops
Conceptual Communications
Type and Image
Critical and Historical Studies–Historical and Critical Thinking
Year 3 Modules
Editorial Design
Design Directions: Brand Identity and Experience Design
Professional Studies
Critical and Historical Studies–Design Research and Theory
Year 4 Modules
Integrated Final Major Project
Professional Practice
Contextual and Historical Studies–Dissertation
What are the tuition fees
Home
Home, Academic Year 2022 - 2023
£9,250 per year
International
Overseas/International, Academic Year 2022 - 2023
£14,250 per year
What are my career prospects?
We have a good employment rate with many of our graduates going into work or further education after the course. As you develop a wide range of skills and abilities ready for your career, you’ll be able to specialise in a multitude of different areas.
Throughout your time with us we’ll support you on the route to your chosen career. We’ll help you to develop crucial skills, encouraging you to become enterprising, employable and good leaders. We also help you find employment after graduation. Have a look at our Careers and Employability pages to find out more.
Our BA (Hons) Graphic Design course will help prepare you for a range of career possibilities, such as:
- Graphic Designer
- Branding and Identity Design
- Editorial Design
- Illustrator
- Web Design
- Art Director
- Advertising
- Freelance Designer
You may also wish to stay on at Buckinghamshire New University and study a full-time or part-time postgraduate course.
The course often pushed me completely outside of my comfort zone, which allowed me to grow and prepared me for working in a very tough and competitive environment.Krystian Zun
BNU prepared me for the design industry by encouraging me to experiment with my work, it gave me an idea of how to work with letterpress, linocut, Adobe programs and many more.Natalia Gasior
