BA (Hons) Graphic Design with Foundation Year Bachelor's degree at the University of Salford
BA (Hons) Graphic Design with Foundation Year at University of Salford is nationally recognised and the university holds Silver for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
About this course
The shared Foundation Year provides the perfect opportunity for people who want more time to explore the key principles of art, design and media. The course is designed to help you develop your creative skills, it gives you a chance to build a larger portfolio, and provides a good transition period to familiarise yours From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Graphic Design with Foundation Year is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at the University of Salford. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.
For Design studies graduates from this provider, 89% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 64% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £24,500. (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: 40; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 89% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 90% (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.
Foundation year 5 modules
- Introduction to the Creative Industries
Module details
Allows you to explore the creative industries and its career opportunities. You'll learn about a range of subjects including responsible design and future trends within your chosen area of art and design. It will allow you to build on the technical skills that you gained in the first semester to produce a creative publication.
- Creative Methods
Module details
Enable you to examine the creative and professional practice of others as a way of reflecting on your own practice. You'll create a range of outcomes to help you build a dedicated portfolio as well as learning about major influences in art and design.
- Creative Risk Taking
Module details
All about challenging your creative thought and highlighting the importance of creative risk taking. The briefs allow you to produce a range of outcomes that underpin all of the main art and design disciplines as well as giving you the flexibility to interpret the brief to your area of interest.
- Creative Practice Major Project
Module details
Designed to allow you to bring together all your prior learning from the previous modules. It gives you the opportunity to propose and create your own brief based on a theme, topic, or issue that you are passionate about. Within this module you'll be supported by tutors who will guide you in creating a meaningful body of work that demonstrates confidence in your chosen area. Your work will be exhibited in the Salford School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology's end of year Degree Show.
- Digital Media Applications
Module details
Helps you to become more familiar and confident with technology. As well as learning creative software and photography skills, it will allow you to explore a creative subject of your choice and give you essential time management and research skills.
Year one 3 modules
- MAKE40 credits
Module details
Introduces a variety of approaches to developing an applied understanding of the fundamental design principles used within graphic design practice. Through a series of practical workshops and projects you will explore/experiment with process and production. The impact in relation to demographics and end users will also be explored to fully understand design problems.
- THINK40 credits
Module details
Aims to challenge and develop an awareness of the graphic design sectors. You will be introduced to the constraints inherent in designing for specific purposes and encouraged to fully explore design problems. Focus will be placed on the application of previous learning, the development of design processes and capabilities regards the generation of ideas and use of creative thinking.
- ENQUIRE A40 credits
Module details
Will introduce you to the key skills required for graphic design. The introduction of several technologies and processes relating to graphic design will be the basis of the learning. As part of the learning a critical reflection will form part of the submission which will inform the thinking and direction of your work.
Year two 3 modules
- WORK40 credits
Module details
Will challenge you to produce design outcomes that are relevant to your own personal aspirations. Having identified the area of graphic design you aspire towards in the future you will produce a professional portfolio of work that aligns to these career aspirations. You will also be required to develop and implement a strategy for your own personal promotion and employment.
- ENQUIRE B20 credits
Module details
Will introduce you to the current skills and thinking required in graphic design. The introduction of several technologies and processes relating to graphic design will be the basis of the learning.
- ENQUIRE C20 credits
Module details
Will introduce you to the current thinking required to be a graphic designer. By looking at the world of graphic design you will develop your own plans, and identify what this will look like.
Year three 3 modules
- EXPLORE40 credits
Module details
Offers the opportunity to consolidate specialist interests by enabling you to select from a range of projects that allow flexibility of process, media, and outcome. These projects will be either course set, industry partnered or from a range of design award schemes.
- AUTONOMY40 credits
Module details
Designed to allow you to bring together and synthesise your prior learning and experiences on the course through the definition, negotiation, and implementation of a self-determined programme of study.
- ENQUIRE D40 credits
Module details
Will introduce you to the future knowledge and skills required in graphic design. The introduction of several new and emerging technologies and processes relating to graphic design will be the basis of the learning. A positioning project and a critical reflection will form part of the submission which will inform the future thinking and direction of your work.
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 combines a shared Foundation Year with specialist graphic design study, allowing you time to explore core principles of art, design and media before progressing. You'll develop creative skills across a broader foundation, building a strong portfolio and gaining a settled transition into higher-level work. A course like this typically begins with visual fundamentals, colour, composition, form and design principles across different media, alongside hands-on workshops in print, textiles and digital fabrication. Contextual studies ground your practice in art and design history. In the second year, you'll move towards sustained studio work, digital and emerging media (such as creative software, motion or 3D), and take on live briefs with real deadlines. From the third year onwards, you'll focus deeply on your chosen specialism, such as graphic design, illustration, fine art, fashion and textiles, or UX and digital work, whilst developing professional practice and positioning your portfolio for employment. You'll conclude with a final major project and degree show.
Who it's for
This course suits students entering with A-levels or equivalent qualifications. The foundation year provides additional preparation before progressing to the main degree. Most accepted students had UCAS tariffs between 96 and 111 points. The course is designed for those committed to developing practical and conceptual skills in graphic design.
Careers & job market
Across Art & Design courses nationally, 87% of graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating. Of working graduates, 55% are in highly skilled work or further study. National graduate earnings data shows starting salaries (at 15 months) typically range from £22,000 to £27,000, rising to £20,825–£29,400 after five years.
University & format
This is a 4-year full-time degree, taught in English at The University of Salford, a public university founded in 1896. The Bachelor's degree (BA Hons) is recognised as a UK degree-awarding body and nationally recognised. The University holds a Silver award for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
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.
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 | 100% |
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. 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 University of Salford →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 | £24,500 | £24,000 – £27,000 | 40 |
| 3 years after | £19,500 | £17,000 – £23,500 | 225 |
| 5 years after | £24,500 | £19,000 – £29,000 | 225 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 40; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23.
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: 40; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. 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.
- Design occupationsSOC 2020 342 · 22% of published destinations · ASHE median £35,957
- Web and Multimedia Design ProfessionalsSOC 2020 214 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £32,574
- Sales occupationsSOC 2020 71 · 14% of published destinations · ASHE median £15,975
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: 175; response rate: 56%. 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
89% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £24,500. 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 8.8 out of 10: NSS 85% · in work or study 89% · continued 90%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
The University of Salford
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 Salford University
10 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 University of Salford from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by University of Salford; 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 University of Salford’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 University of Salford and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at University of Salford
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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