Design - BA (Hons)

You will study and apply core design processes and methods, to develop a creative, technical and academic tool kit required to enter into your chosen career.

It seeks to do this by encouraging students to expand upon design thinking and a range of expertise through real-life applications and collaborations, gaining the confidence to creatively problem solve and manage across peers, projects, clients and multiple disciplines.

It aims to facilitate opportunities for students to develop both innovative and practical skills along side conceptual understanding in order that they are able to critically evaluate research, practices and approaches to gain a broad understanding of design.

Application of the knowledge gained will shape and inform their own, future, studio practice and chosen career that is able to withstand the vigour of industry.

Year one of this course is designed to give you an introduction to the key areas of design, you will study:

• Design Thinking

• Digital Communication

• Visualisation

• 3D Innovation

• Studio Practice

• Contextual Studies 1

Year two of this course is designed to give you a more specialist approach to the design disciplines. The year requires you to apply your knowledge to a number of areas:

• Studio Practice 2

• Contextual Studies 2

• Applied Digital Design

• Location Design

• Design Research

• Commercial Design

Year three is all about you critically applying your knowledge to your chosen specialist area:

• Dissertation

• Final Major Project – Pre Production

• The Creative Industry

• Final Major Project – Production

• Final Major Project – Exhibition

Assessments on this programme are varied, we look to challenge and build you skills in a number of areas during assessments, including creative research, practical studio work, essays, reports, visual presentations, group/client pitch and critical evaluations, to capture your imagination and allow you to develop in your chosen career pathway.

All applicants, regardless of formal qualifications on entry, will be interviewed, and will be required to bring a portfolio of artistic/ design work, applying creative practice. Tutors will then use this, along with the interview, to gauge suitability for the programme.

Standard Offer: Entry requirement for the degree will be 80 UCAS points, with a minimum of grade ‘C’ in both GCSE Maths and English. This equates to Merit Merit Pass at Btec National Diploma level 3, grades CCD at ‘A’ Level, and on the Diploma Foundation Studies (Art, Design & Media) this is equal to a Merit.

Non- standard Offer: In line with the widening participation brief and lifelong learning strategy, the Institute also encourages applications from non-traditional learners who lack formal academic qualifications. In these instances, students will be set an appropriate piece of academic work and a judgement made taking into account their academic potential and relevant experience.

Accreditation of Prior Learning: Students who have successfully completed another relevant programme of study at least at the equivalent level may be eligible to apply for APcL. Claim forms must be supported by the official transcript or certificate of the awarding body of the original qualification and any guidance explaining the allocation of credit and grading scheme used to enable module comparison.

Upon completion of the programme graduates are equipped with the expertise to become gainfully employed, either in a design studio or within a freelance capacity offering creative consultancy services. There are many career pathways potential areas of employment have included graphics, illustration, fashion and textiles, spatial design, interior architecture, product design and creative project management within related and chosen fields.

Students could progress to Masters provision at other Universities, or PGCE programmes to train to teach in their area.