Graphic Design BA (Hons)

Study level: Undergraduate
Student holding their portfolio in front of a wall of students' graphic design works

The future graphic designer needs to be visionary, informed, responsible and technically adaptable. This course is designed to support your development in these areas through critical thinking, practical skills and creative exploration.

Year of entry

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time
Sandwich

Duration

3 years full-time
4 years sandwich

Course code

W211

Start date

September 2026


Course overview

Designed for ambitious creatives, this course helps you develop a diverse set of graphic design skills and build a distinctive portfolio. You’ll have the opportunity to grow your confidence and professional understanding to pursue roles in established studios or explore your own design ventures.

  • Comprehensive design foundation: gain practical experience with essential design principles across multiple areas, including branding, advertising, information design, editorial and web design, typography, motion graphics and UI/UX.
  • Creative ownership: take charge of your learning by selecting projects that align with your passions, honing your skills and shaping your own perspective on design.
  • Portfolio development: build a standout portfolio that showcases your skills and creativity, helping you clearly define and pursue your individual career 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

City buildings next to a tree.

Top 5 Student City in England (Coventry)

QS Best Student Cities Index 2026

Why you should study this course

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

  • Exploration: foster ways of working that encourage creative discovery through play and experimentation with analogue and digital mediums, methods and techniques embedded in all modules. While informed by industry standards, this course does not aim to replicate the working world; instead, it provides a supportive space for innovation, risk-taking and imaginative thinking.
  • Employability: prepare to be a productive force within industry. Develop 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&AD.2
  • Technical skills: take pride in the work that you make. Attention to detail and industry-standard designs are developed through practised skill and iteration. Craftsmanship is considered just as important as a clever idea.
  • Critical thinking: an inquisitive and investigative mindset leads to original designs. Learn to gather data, ask questions and draw conclusions to justify design decisions. In a world of questionable news and misinformation, an informed and inquisitive designer can begin to make a change in local, national and global communities.
  • Storytelling: channel the power of design to connect and engage with people. Use design to solve problems, accessing its ability to enchant and activate emotions through storytelling.
Joint 15th

for Career Prospects in Graphic Design

Guardian University Guide 2025

About the School of Arts and Creative Industries

  • Our hands-on, practitioner-led approach is rooted in project-based learning. This creates opportunities for cross-disciplinary working and engagement with external collaborators. Where appropriate, you may work with peers from other courses, bringing specialist skills to interdisciplinary projects in ways that reflect the collaborative nature of creative studios and agencies in the creative industries.
  • Our learning and teaching mirror the needs of the creative industries, so our graduates have the opportunity to develop the skills and attributes needed to become industry specialists, leaders and innovators.
  • Our studio culture seeks to ensure you are socially responsible in our creative community and develop critical thinking in research and making processes.
  • Our global initiatives aim to give you skills to become a collaborative communicator and make you culturally competent.
  • Our industry links typically enable us to host an exciting programme of guest speakers2 covering topics such as:
    — type design: previous speaker Jonathan Barnbrook
    — design culture: previous speaker Craig Oldham
    — branding: previous speaker SEA Design London.
  • Past students have worked on projects such as wayfinding design for the Coventry Biennial 2025 and branding for Innovatoire CIC.

Graduate Showcase 2025

Check out what our School of Arts and Creative Industries students produced for their final projects to showcase at Coventry University's Graduate Festival.

Attended by hundreds of industry professionals, family and friends, across multiple weeks, our students' work was showcased at our very own Phoenix Film Festival, live performances from our theatre and music students and an on-campus exhibition.


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)

Modules

Modules

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

Modules

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

Teaching and learning methods may include:

  • lectures
  • seminars
  • tutorials
  • presentations
  • group projects
  • workshops
  • practical studio sessions
  • practical workshop sessions.

Teaching contact hours

As a full-time undergraduate student, you will study modules totalling 120 credits each academic year. You will normally study one 30-credit module at a time. A typical 30-credit module requires a total of 300 hours of study made up of teaching contact hours, guided and independent study.

Teaching hours

Teaching hours may vary depending on your year of study and selected modules. During your first year, you can expect 12-15 teaching hours each week. You will also have the option to attend additional 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 methods that vary by module. These approaches are intended to prepare you for the complex and evolving contexts of professional practice. Assessment methods may include:

  • artefacts
  • practical coursework
  • digital coursework
  • individual work
  • group work
  • live/video presentations
  • video/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.

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

Typical entry requirements:

Requirement What we're looking for
UCAS points 112
A level BBC
GCSE GCSE English at grade 4 / C or Functional Skills Level 2, or other equivalent Level 2 awards.
BTEC DMM
IB Diploma 29 points
Access to HE The Access to HE Diploma. Plus GCSE English at grade 4 / C or above.

Portfolio

You may be required to attend a portfolio showcase, activity session or audition or submit a portfolio via email (as is appropriate to your course), either virtually or face to face, as is practical to arrange. Invites for these sessions will be sent directly to your contact email.

Each application will be considered on its merits.

Other qualifications and experience

Our students come from a variety of backgrounds, each with a unique story. We recognise a breadth of qualifications. If your qualifications differ from the above, contact our Admissions Team who will be happy to discuss your qualifications and routes into your chosen course.

Contextual offers and Fair Access Scheme

If you meet the criteria for our Fair Access Scheme, you could automatically receive a contextual offer that may be up to 24 UCAS points lower than our standard entry requirements. View the criteria for our Fair Access Scheme.

Select your region to find detailed information about entry requirements:


You can view our full list of country specific entry requirements on our Entry requirements page.

Alternatively, visit our International hub for further advice and guidance on finding in-country agents and representatives, joining our in-country events and how to apply.

Portfolio

You may be required to attend a portfolio showcase, activity session or audition or submit a portfolio via email (as is appropriate to your course), either virtually or face to face, as is practical to arrange. Invites for these sessions will be sent directly to your contact email.

Each application will be considered on its merits.

English language requirements

  • IELTS: 6.0 overall, with at least 5.5 in each component area.

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

For more information on our approved English language tests visit our English language requirements page.


Fees and funding

Student Full-time Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man 2026/27 fees TBC
2025/26 fees: £9,535 per year
Not available
EU 2026/27 fees TBC
2025/26 fees: £9,535 per year with EU Support Bursary**
2026/27 fees TBC
2025/26 fees: £19,850 per year without EU Support Bursary**
Not available
International 2026/27 fees TBC
2025/26 fees: £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.


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.

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).

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.


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 careers 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
  • BOND Agency
  • Exient
  • FutureDeluxe
  • Havas Lynx Group
  • IBM
  • Kaizen
  • New Genre
  • Rebel Creatives
  • Scholastic
  • Simon & Schuster
  • Sky TV
  • Springetts
  • Tata Motors
  • 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.

The graduate destinations listed above illustrate potential career paths. You may need to gain additional qualifications or practical experience, pass professional examinations, complete training, cover associated costs and meet specific visa or immigration requirements to secure employment in these fields.

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.

Two students sat at a desk working on a laptop

Discover Phoenix+

Phoenix+ brings you together with other students to learn, experience and develop essential knowledge and skills. Whatever destination you choose, it's about preparing you for life after university.

Learn more about Phoenix+

How to apply

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