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Graphic Design BA (Hons)

Undergraduate

Student holding their portfolio in front of a wall of students' graphic design works

The future graphic designer is visionary, informed, responsible and technically adaptable. Coventry University’s Graphic Design BA (Hons) course challenges and guides you to become just that.

Year of entry

2025-26 2026-27

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time
Sandwich

Duration

3 years full-time
4 years sandwich

Course code

W211

Start date

September 2025

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Available through Clearing

We recognise a breadth of qualifications and relevant experience and may be able to consider your portfolio or other examples of your practice-based work even if you do not have the required points. Speak to one of our advisers today for more information. Your portfolio and/or practice-based work will be reviewed by the Course Director who will make a final decision.*
*Applicant offer decisions are final and there is no right of appeal.

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Course overview

The course aims to get you industry-ready, whether that means joining a design business or starting up your own. During the course, you should develop an all-round grasp of graphic design and a bespoke portfolio of work that suits your personal career aspirations.

The course aims to offer you:

A comprehensive design foundation: you will be equipped with key design principles and experience across a range of design contexts. Through an intensive exploration of today’s vast graphic design landscape and crucial design principles you’ll delve into branding, advertising, information design, editorial and web design, type design, motion graphics and UI/ UX design.
Creative ownership: you will be empowered to take control of your own learning. Through select modules you will get to choose your own briefs, practice skills you’re passionate about and formulate your own views on design.
Expand your portfolio: your aim will be to develop a strong portfolio of work, and proactively define and pursue your own interests and long-term goals.

A star in the centre of a rosette.

Rated Gold Overall

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023

Five stars in a speech bubble.

5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

Top 5 Student City in England (Coventry)

QS Best Student Cities Index 2025

Why you should study this course

Graphic designers harness the power of visual language to shape our perceptions of the world. Graphic Design at Coventry University isn’t just about making ‘pretty pictures. Instead, the course enables you to practice graphic design as a means of making meaningful contributions to the world. Here is how:

Exploration: the course fosters ways of working that encourage creative discovery. Play and experimentation with analogue and digital mediums, methods and techniques is embedded in all modules. The course is attuned to industry standards, but it does not aim to replicate the working world; instead, it provides a safe space for innovation and uninhibited imagination.
Employability: the course should prepare you to be a productive force within industry. The course aims to provide you with key professional skills by working on authentic design briefs, with real clients, taking part in studio visits and portfolio reviews, attending guest and alumni talks and showcasing your work through participation in renowned competitions such as D&AD².
Technical Skill: the course wants you to take pride in the work that you make. Attention to detail and industry standard designs are developed through practiced skill and iteration. Craftsmanship is considered just as important as a clever idea.
Critical Thinking: the course believes that an inquisitive and investigative mindset leads to original designs. You will learn to gather data, ask questions and draw conclusions to justify design decisions. In a world of questionable news and misinformation, an informed, inquisitive designer can begin to make a change in local, national and global communities.
Storytelling: the course channels the power of design to connect and engage with people. Not only will you use design to solve problems, but also through storytelling methods you will also access design's ability to enchant and activate emotions.

Joint 13th

for Career Prospects in Graphic Design in the UK

The Guardian University Guide 2024

Art and Design Graduate Showcase 2024

The Coventry Degree Showcase is an annual event to celebrate and showcase our graduating students’ work.

What you'll study

This course has a common first year.

The common first year enables you to work alongside students doing similar courses to you, to widen your knowledge and exposure to other subject areas and professions. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with other students, so you can share your insights and experience which will help you to develop and learn.

If you discover an interest in a specific subject you have studied, upon successful completion of your first year, you could swap degrees with another course in your common first year (subject to meeting progression requirements).

Common first year courses:

Automotive and Transport Design BA (Hons)
Graphic Design BA (Hons)
Product Design BA (Hons)

In the first year, the learning objectives are shared across related courses allowing you to gain a cross-disciplinary grounding in the discipline before further graphic design specialisation in your second and final year.

In your common first year you will explore the fundamentals of design. With a focus on process, you will explore techniques, technologies and research-inspired design as you work on both individual and team projects.

Modules

Design Exploration - 20 credits

This module introduces you to a series of fundamental analogue processes, tools and techniques used in the expression and communication of design ideas. Through experimentation with hands-on tools, techniques and methods for exploration and idea generation, you will learn key foundational skills and how to apply them in graphic design work.

Compulsory

Design Visualisation - 20 credits

This module introduces you to some of the key graphic design software and principles that you will need to develop and finish work on the course. With an emphasis on the exploration of digital skills and processes, you will learn where and how to effectively apply techniques, and you will learn about essential formatting and file conventions.

Compulsory

Design Enquiry - 20 credits

This module focuses on research: what it is and why it’s useful. You will be asked to produce graphic design work that draws on design theory and history for inspiration. You will analyse and critique designs past and present in order to generate and justify your own design solutions. As a result, you will come to understand your own design decisions as part of the ongoing story of graphic design.

Compulsory

Design Reflection - 20 credits

This module encourages you to explore and engage with the world of graphic design, as well as critically reflect on your learning journey and potential career trajectory. You will be invited to broaden your design awareness and consider both your strengths and areas of improvement. In doing so, you will take ownership over your professional development.

Compulsory

Design Context - 20 credits

This module challenges you to approach graphic design from a problem-solving perspective. In doing so, you will be factoring real-world issues into a design project. For instance, you will consider how your work might be manufactured and how an audience will use it. In doing this, you will become more adept at making functional and feasible pieces of graphic design.

Compulsory

Design Experience - 20 credits

In your second year, you will begin to think more professionally about graphic design. Projects will build up on your first year experience and aim to develop your skills across editorial and web design, app design, type design, awareness campaign and professional design writing.

All of this will help you to make more concrete decisions about your interests and aspirations.

Modules

Design System - 20 credits

This module pushes you to devise a commercially viable ‘design system’. Design systems provide continuity and commonality across a range of design assets that help unify them as a single piece of work. Systematic thinking is crucial to graphic design, and you’ll get to develop this skill through the creation of your very own typeface!

Compulsory

Design Interaction - 20 credits

This module asks you to balance audience needs, behaviours and motivations in the design of a fit-for-purpose app. You will look at UI / UX conventions in relation to accessibility, usability, and user expectations and needs, and you will be taught how to build and test your app using relevant software.

Compulsory

Design Narrative - 20 credits

This module allows you to explore the power of design to tell engaging stories. You will look at editorial and web design as narrative mediums that not only allow you to communicate content effectively, but also take audiences on a journey of discovery. In the design process you will learn key editorial tricks and fundamental web coding skills that are increasingly sought after in industry.

Compulsory

Design Activism - 20 credits

This module focuses on the practice of design-for-change and asks you to use online and offline channels to deliver compelling calls to action in service of a cause. You will look at historic and contemporary campaign work to establish likely successful approaches, and with this knowledge you will devise your own awareness campaign that is relevant to well-defined target audiences.

Compulsory

Design Profession - 20 credits

This module challenges you to further explore graphic design professional practice in team assignments for real clients. You and your team will negotiate briefs and deadlines and you will be responsible for meeting your client’s needs in the production of publishable work. You will be supported by your tutors who will oversee the work and help you develop your project management skills.

Compulsory

Design Specialism - 20 credits

This module allows you to explore and interrogate a specialism of your choice from the broad spectrum of graphic design fields of professional practice. You will use a public-facing platform to document discoveries and participate in design discourse with your peers. To consolidate your research, you will be invited to articulate your design insight through a written piece.

Compulsory

There’s no better way to find out what you love doing than trying it out for yourself, which is why a work placement² can often be beneficial. Work placements usually occur between your second and final year of study. They’re a great way to help you explore your potential career path and gain valuable work experience, whilst developing transferable skills for the future.

Modules

UK Work Placement– 0 credits

This module² provides you with an opportunity to reflect upon and gain experience for an approved placement undertaken during your programme. A placement should usually be at least 26 weeks or equivalent; however, each placement will be considered on its own merits, having regard to the ability to achieve the learning outcomes.

Optional

International Study/Work Placement – 0 credits

This module² provides you with an opportunity to reflect upon and gain experience for an approved international study/work placement undertaken during your programme. A work/study placement should usually be at least 26 weeks or equivalent; however, each placement will be considered on its own merits, having regard to the ability to achieve the learning outcomes.

Optional

In your final year, you will take ownership of the development of your portfolio in readiness for the world of work. You will personalise your approach to module briefs to suit your individual career aspirations.

With your accumulated understanding of graphic design contexts and theory, an inquisitive mind and process driven design, you will be encouraged to challenge graphic design’s boundaries through speculative projects and participation in renowned design competitions.

Modules

Design Agility - 20 credits

Design Identity - 20 credits

This module picks up where your second year ended by advancing your professional thinking and positioning. You will consider your likely future career and prepare personal branding, write and design your CV and draw up plans for your exit portfolio which you will continue to build throughout the rest of this year.

Compulsory

Design Experiment - 20 credits

This module challenges you to redefine what graphic design can be and push the boundaries of the discipline. Through research as practice, you will get to explore aspects of design that interest you through an experimental mindset. You may therefore produce innovative work that defies standard definitions of design, but which allows you to freely pursue ideas and develop skills you may have always been curious about but never got the chance to practice.

Compulsory

Design Adventure - 20 credits

This module draws on an external national or international competition brief for which you will design and submit solutions in a team. Your challenge is to exploit this opportunity to practise your expertise as part of a large project that capitalises on each team-member's strengths. You will be provoked to be adventurous in project definition and realisation, step outside of your comfort zone and explore the limits of your abilities.

Compulsory

Design Showcase - 20 credits

This module requires you to prepare, pitch and develop ideas for your end-of-year graphic design showcase. Working both individually and in teams, you will devise and implement a comprehensive design identity that acts as a framework for the presentation of your collective portfolio of work to potential employers.

Compulsory

Design Culture - 20 credits

This module gives you space to demonstrate your intellectual prowess in the interrogation and debate of a graphic design idea related to your own practice and aspirations. You will draw on careful research (history, theory, etc.) to produce a critical, thoughtful and nuanced essay (written or video) that observes academic standards. This is your chance to give back and contribute to graphic design knowledge and culture.

Compulsory

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.

How you'll learn

The course prides itself on a holistic approach, which exposes you to a wide range of graphic design contexts and outputs. You will experiment and practice with materials, methods and technologies as you learn about the creation, production and distribution of design work.

Theory, research and critical enquiry are seen as integral to the design process and will guide the development of work on most modules. Technical skills instruction sessions introduce you to fundamental practical and software tools, including the Adobe suite. The course encourages play and whilst it has employability at its core it does not aim to fully replicate the industry environment, making space for creative exploration and the uninhibited investigation of ideas that could pave the way to future innovation.

You will achieve increasing levels of control over what you make and how you make it as your confidence and creative voice becomes more established during your Coventry University Graphic Design journey.

This course is taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, seminars and workshops. The course is not prescriptive, instead it proposes lines of inquiry which you are encouraged to engage with and study outside of class.

Teaching contact hours

As a full-time undergraduate student, you will study modules totalling 120 credits each academic year. A typical 20 credit module requires a total of 200 hours study. This is made up of teaching contact hours, guided and independent study.

Teaching hours:

Teaching hours vary each semester, year of study and due to module selection. During your first year you can expect 15-18 teaching hours each week. You will also have the option to attend optional sessions including time with a progress coach or to meet with staff for advice and feedback. As you progress through your studies, teaching hours may reduce.

Guided and independent study:

Throughout your studies, you will be expected to spend time in guided and independent study to make up the required study hours per module. You’ll be digging deeper into topics, review what you’ve learned and complete assignments. This can be completed around your personal commitments. As you progress through your studies, you’ll spend more time in independent study.

Online learning:

As an innovative university, we use different teaching methods including online tools and emerging technologies. So, some of your teaching hours and assessments may be delivered online.

Assessment

This course is assessed using a variety of methods that recognise module-specific skills and learning. You are predominantly assessed by coursework and assessment methods prepare you for the diverse contexts in which your design work may exist.

Assessment methods may include:

practical coursework
digital coursework
individual work
group work
live presentations
video presentations
video essays
academic essays.

The Coventry University assessment strategy aims to ensure that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.

International experience opportunities

Throughout the course, graphic design projects are set with an international focus, enhancing your global experience and broadening your mindset. Students will also engage in Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) projects with partner institutions and other international universities around the world².

Please note that all international experience opportunities may be subject to additional costs, competitive application, availability, and meeting applicable visa and travel requirements, and are therefore not guaranteed².

Community is what makes this course special. Whether we’re preparing students to join professional networks, going above and beyond to nurture creative mindsets in the studio or forging cross-disciplinary relationships, community is at the heart of what we do. We don’t just simply say so, our students have said so by voting us Course of the Year at the Student Voice Awards 2024.
Paula Murarescu, Course Director (2024)

Paula Murarescu

Entry requirements

Clearing places available on this course

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You may have enough points for this course

Congratulations on your results!

With those grades, we may be able to make you an offer to study at Coventry University.
Call our Hotline now to see if you're eligible.

02476 888 888

UCAS details

1

Course name: Graphic Design BA (Hons)

2

Course code: W211

3

Course location: Coventry University (Coventry)

Typical entry requirements:

Fees and funding

Student	Full-time	Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man	£9,535 per year	Not available
EU	£9,535 per year with EU Support Bursary £19,850 per year without EU Support Bursary	Not available
International	£19,850 per year	Not available

If you choose to study this course with a professional placement² or study abroad year, you will need to pay a tuition fee³ to cover your academic support throughout your placement year. Students commencing their professional placement in the academic year 2027/28 will pay £1,500 if they are paying UK fees, or £1,800 if they are paying international fees.

For advice and guidance on tuition fees and student loans visit our Undergraduate Finance page and see The University’s Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.

The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permits an increase in tuition fees, the university may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

If you choose to study this course with a professional placement, the University will charge the tuition fees stated above for those on a placement during Academic Year 2027/28. The University will review professional placement tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study, but such that it will be no more than 5% above inflation.

For international students, we may increase fees each year, but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.

We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them. Find out what's included in your tuition costs.

The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:

Any optional overseas ﬁeld trips or visits: £400+ per trip.
Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad).

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.

**EU Support Bursary

Following the UK's exit from the European Union, we are offering financial support to all eligible EU students who wish to study an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree with us full-time. This bursary will be used to offset the cost of your tuition fees to bring them in line with that of UK students. Students studying a degree with a foundation year with us are not eligible for the bursary.

How do you know if you need to pay UK or international tuition fees?

We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Your fee status determines your tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available to you. The rules about who pays UK (home) or international (overseas) fees for higher education courses in England are set by the Department for Education. The regulations identify all the different categories of student who can insist on paying the home rate. The regulations can be difficult to understand, so the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) has provided fee status guidance to help you identify whether you are eligible to pay the home or overseas rate.

If you meet all the criteria required by any one category, including any residence requirements, your institution must charge you the home rate. You only need to find one category that you fit into.

Facilities

The Delia Derbyshire building provides you with a range of facilities you can use to enhance your skills through practical applications. You will have the opportunity to work both independently and collaboratively while using a hyper studio designed for cross-disciplinary projects; immersive studios with cutting-edge virtual reality and mixed-reality technologies⁴.

Our current digital and industrial workshops are of industry-standard quality and house 3D rapid prototyping, laser cutters and milling machines. These facilities are available to all students on our courses at no extra cost. These are subject to availability.

We also have a ceramic and small-metal-working workshop, a large digital print bureau, and clay modelling studios where you can realise your creative artistic and design solutions.

The fashion workshops have digital embroidery machines, digital printers and a printmaking workshop that includes etching, screen printing and a rare, one of only three in existence in the UK, letterpress studio.

In our Mac and PC CAD labs, you can become digitally literate in presentation and design skills using the Adobe suite of software. You can also learn other software packages including Alias, Toom Boom, Revit, and Maya that maybe relevant to your studies.

Facilities are subject to availability. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.

Student using the facilities in the digital design workshop

Print-making workshops

Our print-making space features silk-screen printing, relief printing and etching facilities that you can use to generate artwork for your graphic design projects. (Location: Delia Derbyshire Building)

Metal letters for use in a press to print

Letterpress workshop

Our letterpress workshop provides the opportunity to typeset using authentic metal and wooden type, and print your text on an original handpress.
(Location: Delia Derbyshire Building).

Student in a Mac studio

Software suites

Our studios are equipped with the latest Adobe software, meaning you have cutting-edge digital tools with which to design print or multimedia products. (Location: Delia Derbyshire Building).

Careers and opportunities

The structure of the course, the experiences and support made available to you are all designed with a view to developing the skills, competencies and imaginative thinking necessary for a creative career in a demanding, competitive and rapidly changing work environment.

Whether you choose to enter employment in a design agency or studio upon graduation, or have dreams of becoming self-employed, the course aims to produce graduates that are flexible, responsive and resilient. Whatever your career trajectory, we work together to make you industry ready.

The university's Talent Team is on hand to offer tailored career and enterprise support if you wish to gain employment or take advantage of professional practice opportunities within course specific industries. It aims to provide specialist careers information, advice and guidance to all our students from their first year through to final year and beyond graduation, helping them receive the opportunities to reach their desired career outcome.

Our Graphic Design students have previously won reputable design competitions such as D&AD and the Penguin Cover Design Award, and they received many YCN commendations. Our graduates have gone on to create award winning advertising campaigns for Silver Spoon and moving imagine work for The Mill, user interfaces for IBM, marketing work for premier UK football teams, and campaign touchpoints for Vintage Books’ release of Kamala Harris’ New York Times bestselling book 'The Truths We Hold'.

Where our graduates work

Arsenal
New Genre
IBM
Springetts
Scholastic
Tata Motors
Havas Lynx Group
BOND Agency
Exient
FutureDeluxe
Kaizen
Rebel Creatives
Sky TV
Simon & Schuster
The Football Association
THG
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club
Whiteroom Agency

Our graduates have also produced freelance work for organisations including MTV, Natwest, Xbox, Nike, HEAD, BBC, Channel 4, Sports Relief and Children in Need.

Further study

You may be entitled to an alumni discount on your fees if you decide to extend your time with us by progressing from undergraduate to postgraduate study.

The course allowed me to gain both practical and theoretical knowledge that I can take into the future. It helped me gain confidence in my design work and enabled me to work alongside different studios in London and Liverpool to gain real experiences and network in the community. In addition, the lecturers were really helpful and encouraged me to produce my best work that allowed me to graduate from the course with a strong portfolio.
Rhiannon Young (Graphic Design graduate, 2021)

Student in front of wall of graphic design examples

Two students sat at a desk working on a laptop

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How to apply

Institution code

View our courses on UCAS

UK students

Full-time students can apply for this course through UCAS. Read our application pages to find out your next steps to apply.

If this course has a part-time option you will need to apply directly to the university.

Apply via the portal

If you'd like further support or more information about your course get in touch with us today.

+44 (0)24 7765 2222

ukadmissions@coventry.ac.uk

Complete our contact form

International students

International codes:
AHU090

How to apply

For further support for international applicants applying for an undergraduate degree view our International hub.

You can also download our International mini guide for an overview of study options and why you should study with us.

Get in touch with us today for further advice and guidance.

+44 (0)24 7765 2152

ioadmissions@coventry.ac.uk

Complete our contact form

Disclaimers

Coventry University together with Coventry University London, Coventry University Wrocław, CU Coventry, CU London, CU Scarborough, and Coventry University Online come together to form part of the Coventry University Group (the University) with all degrees awarded by Coventry University.

¹Accreditations

The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery.

²UK and international opportunities

Please note that we are unable to guarantee any UK or international opportunities (whether required or optional) such as internships, work experience, field trips, conferences, placements or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be unpaid and/or subject to additional costs (which could include, but is not limited to, equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable travel, public authority guidance, decisions or orders and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand any visa requirements, please contact the International Office.

³Tuition fees

The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

If you choose to study this course with a professional placement, the University will charge the tuition fees stated above for those on a placement during Academic Year 2025/26. The University will review professional placement tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study, but such that it will be no more than 5% above inflation.

For international students, we may increase fees each year, but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.

⁴Facilities

Facilities are subject to availability. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.

Student Contract

By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the current 2024/2025 contract is available on the website for information purposes however the 2025/2026 contract will apply for the 2025/2026 intake. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.

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