BA (Hons) Graphic Design Bachelor's degree at Southampton Solent University
BA (Hons) Graphic Design at SSU covers core theory, research and methods, applied practice, specialist options, an independent project, and professional skills.
About this course
Explore and experiment with digital and traditional media, discovering design techniques to show a portfolio of professional work on this graphic design course. From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Graphic Design is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at SSU, based in East Park Terrace. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Design studies graduates from this provider, 85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 65% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £24,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Art & Design, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Moderate evidence Published sample: 35; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 85% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 100% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year one 4 modules
- Intro to Graphic DesignCore
Module details
This introductory module introduces you to studying graphic design at degree level, while helping you engage with the city and creative community you're now part of. You'll explore core aspects of the creative process, encouraging idea generation, visual experimentation, and reflective development. Alongside this, you'll learn fundamental research methods to support your working process.
- Type, Layout, ImageCore
Module details
This module introduces you to the core principles of typography, grid structures and image, building a broad foundation of skills and knowledge, including typographic hierarchy, layout systems, visual composition, and image creation. Through theoretical and practice-led learning, you will understand both the technical and historical foundations of these core areas and how they form the basis of professional graphic design practice.
- Creative ThinkingCore
Module details
This module introduces you to the core principles of creative thinking, ideation, and design processes, while exploring themes within visual communication such as cultural interpretation, and the social impact of design. Through practice-led learning, you will engage with key historical and theoretical perspectives, such as modernism, postmodernism, and semiotics.
- Making Type MoveCore
Module details
This module explores the broad themes of motion graphics in its widest sense, examining the historical, current and emerging directions of the discipline. You'll learn through manual and digital motion-graphics techniques, combining experimentation with practice-led workshops and studio-based activities, and investigate varied applications of moving type and motion design, gaining the technical knowledge needed to create your own final piece for a group showcase.
Year two 4 modules
- Design InnovationsCore
Module details
This module explores the position of graphic design and technology, and the role it plays within digital industry. The historical, current and future role of graphic design within technology will be explored through a series of workshops and studio sessions and using current industry methodologies, you will prototype an outcome that attempts to solve a problem.
- Design NarrativesCore
Module details
Design narratives explores both the role of narrative in design and how to design with narrative. The module will look at the role narrative plays in design projects and the journey of an audience. You will look at fictional design, such as props for film, and explore editorial design and using typography, hierarchy and grids to create an editorial design piece.
- Brand, Strategy, CommercialCore
Module details
This module explores branding and strategy and the commercial role of graphic design. You will investigate the role of branding from a historical and contemporary setting and apply theory from areas such as market research and strategy. The legalities of the industry in areas such as IP will be covered as well as soft skills needed for industry. You'll also analyse the graphic design industry to understand how the you may position yourself in yourfuture career.
- Design for PurposeCore
Module details
This module explores design for good and the role of the designer as an agent for change. It builds on ideas of behaviour change, and introduces the designer as a creative change maker by looking at the responsibilities of the designer in the world around them and social issues at a local, national and international level.
Final year 4 modules
- Identity and Industry ToolkitCore
Module details
This module prepares you for industry through reflective practice and the creation of an industry ready toolkit and plan of action for after graduation. You will explore the idea of identity through personal branding, and participate in industry focussed sessions that also encourage the development of soft skills in practice.
- Design ChallengesCore
Module details
This module positions you in the wider context of your peers, both nationally and internationally. You'll choose competition brief(s) relevant to your career aspirations and through seminars, workshops and discussions, you will research the audience and subject, ideate, and problem-solve to develop creative solutions to the brief.
- Final Major Project: Research and DevelopmentCore
Module details
In this module you will select a research topic for your final major project. You'll interrogate different routes into subject choices and conduct thorough research, enabling you to plan and develop a written proposal for a unique final major project that is relevant to you and your position in the creative industries.
- Final Major Project: MakingCore
Module details
In this module you'll put the proposal from the research and development module into action through experimentation, exploration, problem-solving and development of proposed outcomes with a sustained focus throughout. This process will be reflected upon critically within the development book – also considering critical discussion between tutors and peers, as well as informing your decision making. This will culminate in a significant output and body of work, forming the main part of your final p
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.
What you'll study
This course emphasises exploration and experimentation across both digital and traditional media, equipping you to develop professional design work. A course like this typically begins with visual fundamentals, colour, composition and form, alongside materials and processes across print, textiles and digital fabrication, grounded in design history. Year 2 deepens studio practice through sustained projects, introduces digital and emerging media such as software, motion and interaction, and engages you with live briefs from real clients. Year 3 narrows to specialist focus, such as graphic design, illustration, fine art, fashion and textiles, or UX and digital work, whilst you develop professional practice skills and prepare a final major project for public exhibition at a degree show.
Who it's for
This course suits students interested in visual communication, design systems, and creative problem-solving. Most entrants held A-levels or equivalent qualifications; the typical UCAS tariff among accepted students was 96–111 points. You should check the university's entry requirements before applying, as these figures reflect recent patterns rather than formal prerequisites.
Careers & job market
Across Art & Design courses nationally, 87% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating. Of those working, 55% are in highly skilled roles or undertaking further study. National graduate earnings data shows starting salaries of £22,000–£27,000 at 15 months; after five years, this ranges from £20,825–£29,400. These are sector-wide figures from Graduate Outcomes and LEO data, not university-specific guarantees. Earnings and progression vary significantly depending on your specialism, location, and career choices.
University & format
Southampton Solent University is a university located in Southampton. The BA (Hons) Graphic Design is a full-time, 3-year bachelor's degree taught in English. The university holds Gold for teaching quality under the Office for Students' TEF 2023 and is recognised as a UK degree-awarding body, so your qualification is nationally recognised. Typical entrants hold A-levels or equivalent, with most recent accepted students presenting a UCAS tariff of 96–111 points.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
The provider publishes contextual-offer information. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
Placement year. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 90% |
| another higher-education qualification | 5% |
| No / unknown prior qualifications | 5% |
| Other | 5% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications and UCAS points. If you're worried about grades, this course has historically taken a wide range, and contextual offers may apply.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
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 GD01). 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 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. 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
Standard capped home fee at English providers (2026/27); Scotland, Wales & NI differ.
Check fees at SSU →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.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £24,000 | £22,000 – £26,000 | 35 |
| 3 years after | £20,500 | £15,500 – £25,000 | 365 |
| 5 years after | £25,500 | £20,500 – £31,000 | 385 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 35; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 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.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 35; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Art & Design courses at the same study level.
Compared with 1,698 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Web and Multimedia Design ProfessionalsSOC 2020 214 · 65% of published destinations · ASHE median £32,574
- Sales occupationsSOC 2020 71 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £15,975
- Teaching and Childcare Support OccupationDiscover Uni category · 10% of published destinations
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 20; response rate: 70%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
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.
Fine Art TechnicianFirst Choice StaffPharmacy Technician – Brand New State-of-the-Art HospitalCompass AssociatesArtificial Intelligence Engineering ManagerMBN SolutionsArtificial Intelligence EngineerExperis UKDelivery Driver (Part Time 24 hours) - AndoverOcado LogisticsCompliance Business PartnerNashrock Insurance RecruitmentIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £24,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.7 out of 10: NSS 75% · in work or study 85% · continued 100%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Southampton Solent 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 East Park Terrace
3,609 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 SSU from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by SSU; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. 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 SSU’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 SSU and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at SSU
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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