University of Cumbria
Graphic Design with Placement BA (Hons)
University of Cumbria

Key Course Facts

Student Reviews

Below you can see course specific reviews of 30 graduates of Graphic Design with Placement BA (Hons) and other courses in Design Studies at University of Cumbria for each of the survey questions in comparison to the average for all UK degree courses in Design Studies.

Overall student satisfaction
61 /100
30 total respondents

Primarily based on data from undergraduate degree students.

The NSS is commissioned by the Office for Students

Salary

Salary of Graduates in Creative Arts and Design

Important: Salary data below is not course specific, but contains data of all students of Design Studies at the university. Due to data collection methodology, salary data is mainly based on data related to undergraduate students.

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £19500 £17000 £20000
25-75 percentile range £15000 - £21000 £13000 - £21000 £14500 - £25000


Salary of all UK Graduates of Creative Arts and Design

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £22025 £20113 £23568
25-75 percentile range £19981 - £25071 £15144 - £24676 £17604 - £29974

Course Description

Harness your passion and kick-start a career as a graphic designer with a high-quality placement during the second year of your studies.

On our highly respected graphic design degree programme, you’ll produce exciting designs across a range of traditional and digital media, giving you the skills and experience to become a graphic designer ready to unleash your creativity on the world.

Our graduates have gone on to work for well-known names such as Time Out, MTV, Conde Naste, Future Publishing, Wallpaper & the BBC.

Course Overview

Our graphic design course will give you hands-on experience, providing the expertise, experience, confidence and creative skills needed to launch your career in graphic design.

We realise that, as a graduate, what makes you stand out from the crowd is your personality, passion, and the quality of the work in your portfolio. That's why we've designed this graphic design degree to provide you with a wide variety of projects, including a high quality placement & ‘live briefs’, to help you discover what suits you best, allowing you to focus on developing your specialties.

You will receive extensive feedback, support, and advice throughout your studies and have access to our state-of-the-art facilities and equipment.

On this course you will...

  • Learn graphic design, magazine design, illustration and typography from experts in these specialisms, and use industry-standard software, equipment and facilities.
  • Undertake a real-world creative placement where you have the opportunity to gain high-quality work experience during the second year of your studies.
  • Do real graphic design work. 80% of your studies will be practical, so you won't be just learning theory.
  • Build a robust portfolio of work for exhibits to showcase your graphic design training and display your talent to potential employers.
  • Benefit from practical demonstrations, visits, and feedback from professional designers.

What you will learn

The BA (Hons) Graphic Design aims to help you successfully transition from being a design student to a professional designer. Our graduates work for national and international design and advertising consultancies, multi-media agencies, TV companies, publishing houses, magazines and many now run their own design studios.

Year one

  • Introducing Visual Communication
  • Cultural Contexts
  • Multi-Dimensional Graphic Design
  • Collaborative Practice

Year two

  • The Designer's Toolkit
  • Type & Typography
  • Graphic Design Projects
  • Creative Economy Placement

Year three

  • Advanced Design Projects
  • Independent Research Paper
  • Graphic Design Showcase

Jobs & Career Perspectives

15 months after graduation, graduates of this course were asked about what they do and, if they are working, about their current job and their perspectives.

Current jobs

Required skill level of job after 15 months

Jobs of graduates of this course (15 months after graduation)

Example below based on all graduates of Graphic Design with Placement BA (Hons) at University of Cumbria

45% Business and Financial Project Management Professionals
20% Teaching Professionals
10% Teaching and Childcare Support Occupation
5% Artistic, literary and media occupations
5% Sales occupations
5% Administrative occupations
5% Science, engineering and technology associate professionals

Entry Requirements / Admissions

UCAS Tariff of Accepted Students for Design Studies

Requirements for international students / English requirements

IELTS academic test score (similar tests may be accepted as well)

    • 6.5
    • All Degrees
Get advice on which foundation courses are best for you to still study Graphic Design with Placement, BA (Hons), if you do not meet the minimum requirements in terms of UCAS score, A levels, or English language requirements.

Costs

Tuition Fees Graphic Design with Placement BA (Hons)

EU £9250 year 1
England UK £9250 year 1
Northern Ireland £9250 year 1
Scotland £9250 year 1
Wales £9250 year 1
International £13250 year 1

Average student cost of living in the UK

Rent £518
Water, gas electricity, internet (at home) £50
Supermarket shopping £81
Clothing £35
Eating out £33
Alcohol £27
Takeaways / food deliveries £30
Going out / entertainment (excl.alcohol, food) £24
Holidays and weekend trips £78
Transport within city £17
Self-care / sports £20
Stationary / books £13
Mobile phone / internet £13
Cable TV / streaming £7
Insurance £51
Other £95
  
Average student cost of living £1092

London costs approx 34% more than average, mainly due to rent being 67% higher than average of other cities. For students staying in student halls, costs of water, gas, electricity, wifi are generally included in the rental. Students in smaller cities where accommodation is in walking/biking distance transport costs tend to be significantly smaller.

How to apply

Application deadline:

January 1, 2025

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Possible Entry Points:

  • year 1 (Default entry point)

University Rankings

Positions of University of Cumbria in top UK and global rankings.

See all 6 university rankings of University of Cumbria

About University of Cumbria

The University of Cumbria is an institution whose stated aims are to develop the region’s talent and capabilities, and also to attract new talent into the region. The university operates out of 7 distinct campuses, two of which are situated within World Heritage sites and is the only university in the UK to be set in a national park. Each distinct campus has something unique to offer prospective students.

List of 117 Bachelor and Master Courses from University of Cumbria - Course Catalogue

Student composition of University of Cumbria

undergraduates:
5445
postgraduates:
1135
Total:
6580
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Where is this programme taught

Carlisle - Brampton Road
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