BA (Hons) Graphic Design Bachelor's degree at Oxford Brookes University
BA (Hons) Graphic Design at OBU covers core theory, research and methods, applied practice, specialist options, an independent project, and professional skills.
About this course
Graphic Design, BA (Hons), degree course from the School of Arts at Oxford Brookes University From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Graphic Design is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at OBU, based in Oxford Campus. It is studied part-time; duration varies by route.
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Art & Design, see the sections below.
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 6 modules
- Critical Thinking: Research skills & methodsCompulsory
Module details
This module serves as an introduction to the fundamental research methods and offers valuable insights into the ever-evolving field of critical thinking. Through engaging in critical analysis of various works and presenting your findings to peers, you will sharpen your research skills and develop a research journal or blog. Additionally, you will undertake the task of producing a comprehensive literature review, which will deepen your understanding of the subject area. By the end of this module,
- Design Practice: PrinciplesCompulsory15 credits
Module details
Immerse yourself in the fundamental principles of graphic design with the module "Design Practice: Principles." As a central part of Level Four, this module provides a comprehensive understanding of the languages, methods, practices, and contexts associated with graphic design. Through a program of practical study, you will embark on a journey of exploration, discovering a wide range of approaches to creating impactful design work. Throughout the year, you will also have the opportunity to engag
- Design Process: Strategies & TechniquesCompulsory
Module details
This module covers how to generate your ideas and develop them imaginatively; a creative skill that is greatly sought after in the workplace.
- Critical Thinking: Theory & PracticeCompulsory
Module details
The module aims to foster a deeper understanding between the theories in semester one and contemporary design agencies, roles and practices. A fusion of historical and current evolving practices. This module will encourage independent proactive thinking and further develop your ability to respond to a broad range of work making connections between your own work and the work of others through contextual analysis.
- Design Process: Context, Communication and AudienceCompulsory
Module details
This module will have you working collaboratively as a group with your fellow students to design and execute a creative project. Working as a team is a must have skill for any workplace.
- Design Practice: ApplicationCompulsory
Module details
This module aims to confirm understanding of design processes and principles. It allows you the opportunity to apply some of the skills and processes taught in semester one. You will respond to projects individually and learn more about basic production techniques exploring digital and analogue skills. Towards the end of this module you will have the opportunity to personalise your application, informed by your independent research in critical thinking modules.
Year 2 6 modules
- Critical Thinking: Design & SocietyCompulsory
Module details
Building upon your previous engagement with Critical Thinking at level 4, this module will help you cultivate a profound understanding of the historical and cultural influences on design, engage in stimulating debates, and unravel the intricate relationship between theory and practice. By critically evaluating the profound impact of social, political, cultural, and technological contexts on design practices, you will gain a holistic perspective, enabling you to comprehend the multifaceted nature
- Design Practice: Integrated Projects 1Compulsory
Module details
This module aims to cultivate both a deeper critically reflective approach to your learning and an opportunity extend the skills and processes you have learnt in Level 4. The module will provide opportunities for you to undertake research and further explore processes and applications through studio-based projects which enable you to begin to work with a design process that reflects external professional practice, from briefing to delivery. The module will have tutor led briefs with an emphasis
- Visual SystemCompulsory
Module details
One function of Graphic Design is to synchronise and co-ordinate different kinds of material and content in order to communicate a coherent and comprehensible flow of information. This module explores ways of constructing systems of rules, scripts, specifications and templates to constrain and focus graphic expression. Such visual systems can range from typographic grids, which can be designed in such a way as to permit a designer to produce a wide variety of layouts, to a tightly defined system
- Design Process: Issues, Ethics and Social ResponsibilityCompulsory
Module details
The aim of this module is to extend your group learning and deepen your understanding of a designers' social responsibility and the term discuss the term 'Design Activism'. Working in teams you will respond to an issue that affects society at either a local, national or global level and explore how as designers you can make a positive impact. You will continue to develop your creative and production skills throughout.
- Design Practice: Integrated Projects 2Compulsory
Module details
This module aims to establish a framework for specialist practice, brief analysis and project management. The module will allow you to further explore independent and collaborative processes, skills and methods and work towards the development and distribution of content driven design solutions whilst continuing the ethos of risk-taking and experimental approaches to practice. Your will identify, research and engage with specific/appropriate audiences and external contexts in the production of a
- Professional PracticeCompulsory
Year 3 (placement year) 1 modules
- Career Development PlacementOptional
Module details
The aim of this module is to develop your professional profile and professional confidence of through experiential learning opportunities and engagement with external organisations by undergoing work placements, internships and industry experiences. It aims to enable you to manage
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
Who it's for
This course suits those seeking flexible, part-time study in graphic design whilst balancing other commitments. It's designed for students who want to develop both theoretical understanding and practical expertise across the discipline, from foundational concepts to specialist areas and independent project work.
Careers & job market
Across Art & Design courses nationally, 87% of graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating. Of those working, 55% are in highly skilled roles or pursuing further study. National earnings data shows starting salaries (15 months post-graduation) typically range from £22,000 to £27,000, rising to £20,825–£29,400 after five years. These figures reflect the broader graduate population; individual outcomes vary.
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
Part-time application dates vary by provider. UCAS dates
What is a contextual offer? Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
Work placement. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Opened 2 July 2026; last choice 19 October 2026. Check vacancies now. A cached page never claims a place is still available.
Entry & how to get in
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code W214). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by Apply directly to the provider
Part-time application dates vary by provider. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at OBU →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Art & Design graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in art & design · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Art & Design nationally
National figures for Art & Design graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
Job market & outlook
How Art & Design graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Art & Design graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Design studios & agencies
- In-house brand teams
- Games & media companies
- Freelance & self-employed
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Art & Design graduates.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Oxford Brookes University
Design, and creative and performing arts across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Oxford Campus
900 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Art & Design right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to OBU from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £17,250 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check OBU’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with OBU and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at OBU
Common questions
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates earn?
What will it cost me?
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