Graphic Design BA (Hons)

Course Overview

In today's competitive landscape, graphic design proficiency is vital across diverse industries. Our digital-first BA (Hons) Graphic Design positions you as an industry-ready professional with a deep understanding of design principles, industry trends, and client expectations, increasing your chances of securing rewarding positions and advancing your career.

Adobe Creative Cloud

You'll have free access to Adobe Creative Cloud as part of your studies. We'll guide you through integrating your newfound knowledge into your designs using Adobe tools, empowering you to master this essential tool to a professional standard.

What you’ll learn

This BA Graphic Design course will equip you with the professional, creative, and practical skills needed to excel as a graphic designer in the creative industries. Through carefully curated modules tailored to industry demands, you’ll learn why certain compositions work better than others and how to convey specific messages through design. This will enable you to produce high-standard designs and articulate how they fulfil the requirements of a given brief.

By the end of the course, you'll be ready to thrive in an ever-evolving digital landscape, presenting yourself as a well-rounded graphic designer with the knowledge and skills to succeed.

Preparing you for professional success

We prioritise your employability, ensuring you acquire valuable experience for your future career. You'll tackle authentic industry briefs, guided step-by-step from concept to completion. This process empowers you to transform creative ideas into industry-standard original designs, equipping you with the skills you need to effectively handle client briefs in a professional setting.

Course details and modules

Your course modules emphasise employability and equip you with the practical design skills to succeed once you graduate. That’s why professional portfolio development is a critical aspect of our programme, and we offer a dedicated module in your final year to help you best present your work.

Just some of the fascinating modules you’ll study on this course include:

Creative Digital Skills

Get familiar with Adobe Creative Cloud, the industry-standard software suite used across the creative sector. This module provides a solid grounding in Adobe CC tools for creative practice. You’ll become proficient in the interface and learn how to transform creative ideas into professional graphic designs.

Reading Images 1

Learn how visual communication works and gain the ability to understand and convey the context and significance of your designs. Completing this module will elevate you from a competent designer to a smart one, capable of creating visually compelling and meaningful work.

The Major Project & Creative Showcase

Tackle a self-initiated design brief, choosing your own subject matter and media to create work that reflects your unique interests and style. You’ll present this work professionally to a public audience, preparing you for real-world exposure and critique.

Study options

This course is available to students as a fully online programme, which gives you the convenience of being able to study from anywhere worldwide.

Entry requirements

At Arden University we consider applications on a case by case basis. If you have significant work experience, have qualifications you have gained elsewhere, or a degree or qualification that isn't a clear pathway to this degree - we are more than happy to discuss your application.

What you need to study with us

Our aim is to make learning as accessible as possible by ensuring that you can study in a flexible and convenient way. That's why we keep our requirements simple. All you need is a laptop or desktop PC (we recommend one running the latest version of Windows), and a good internet connection. Through ilearn, our online university campus in the cloud, you'll be able to access your course calendar, support services, learning materials, and our online library containing thousands of ebooks, as well as tools for creating assignments, keeping notes, and collaborating with other students on your course.

Meet the faculty

Professor Marcus Leaning is Head of the School of Design and Creativity. Marcus joined Arden University in 2023 and has worked in universities for over 25 years. He has taught in the UK, Thailand, Japan and Costa Rica, is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a National Teaching Fellow. He is the author or editor of eight books, numerous journal articles and has given over 80 conference papers and keynotes in over 30 countries. Marcus is particularly interested in assisting neurodiverse students achieve their potential. Outside of academia, Marcus is a practicing ceramicist / potter and specialises in medieval-influenced pitchers and other historical forms.

Prof. Marcus Leaning

Head of School of Design and Creativity

Career prospects

This course provides unique opportunities to cultivate personal creative interests and talents, empowering you to specialise in your chosen area of expertise. Beyond Adobe skills, we foster professional graphic design thinking, enabling you to integrate your knowledge into your designs. With step-by-step guidance on handling briefs, you will gain valuable skills in turning concepts into marketable products, a crucial career asset in the competitive graphic design industry.

To provide you with insight into the typical salaries within the Graphic Design industry in the UK, here are some average figures*:

Content Designer: £87,939​

User Experience Designer: £56,170​

Designer: £39,493​

Creative Designer: £37,035​

Packaging Designer: £36,718​

*Sourced from Reed Salary Tracker, 5th May 2024