About the course

Reasons to study

1. You could undertake a work placement, providing real-world experience of what it's like to work in a range of illustrative practices.
2. We'll give you the chance to work on live projects and briefs set by our contacts in the industry to boost your professional profile.
3. Your hard work and achievements will be celebrated at our annual summer degree show, a highlight of the academic year.

Perhaps you already have your own style of illustration and want to explore it further. Or you’re looking to get a good grounding in the possibilities available. We take a wide-ranging approach, letting you experiment and focus on your individual creativity. You’ll have the chance to develop your unique style across a wide range of media, and get to know more about the current trends and practices in illustration.

We like to keep the course as open as possible, to help you find your own areas of interest.

Why study Illustration?

• In your first year you’ll have the chance to experiment with a range of materials and concepts, which will enable you to develop your practical skills and your individual strengths.
• On to second year you can expand on what you’ve learnt, and we’ll also take a look at what’s going on in the wider field of illustration. From industry and cultural contexts through to the latest professional practice, we’ll aim to get you thinking about what steps you might take in your career.
• We'll also give you the chance to work on live projects, and briefs set by our contacts in the industry.
• You'll have the opportunity to go on a placement year after the second year if that takes your fancy, providing real-world experience of what it’s like to work in a range of illustrative practices, developing your professional skills.
• In your final year you'll consolidate what you've learnt and build up your own portfolio. We know what employers are looking for, we know what employers are looking for, the course structure ensures that you will fine tune your portfolio to the highest professional standard, to provide excellent opportunities.

During your time here there will be plenty of chances to hear talks from guest speakers and professionals from the world of illustration and art. We are college members of the Association of Illustrators, and our industry links could get you involved in live projects, competitions, awards and exhibitions. And we’ll arrange field trips to events and galleries too.

The course is part of a suite of three that also includes Contemporary Art BA(Hons) and Contemporary Art and Illustration BA(Hons). Whichever one you enrol on, you can switch to any of the other two courses while you’re here with the agreement of your tutor. We really are truly flexible, as we want you to develop your own path. You only have to apply for one course from the suite, but you could go off in any direction once you get here.

Course detail

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3 - optional placement year

Final Year

Teaching and Assessment

Teaching excellence

Global Professional Award

Entry requirements

BBC-BCCat A Level or equivalent.

112-104UCAS tariff points from a combination of Level 3 qualifications.

Meritat T Level.

DMM-MMMin BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma.

Access to Higher Education Diploma with 45 Level 3 credits at Merit or above. 112-104 UCAS tariff points from International Baccalaureate qualifications. Pass in Diploma Foundation Studies in Art and Design combined with A Level or BTEC qualifications, to total an equivalent of 112-104 UCAS tariff points.

As a centre of creative excellence, we look forward to hearing about your own creative experiments and ambitions through a discussion of your portfolio at interview.

Read our guidance on developing your portfolio and what to expect from your interview.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.0 overall with no element lower than 5.5, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our Where are you from information pages.

Other suitable experience or qualifications will be considered. For further information please see the University's minimum entry requirements.