BA (Hons) Graphic Design (Graphic Illustration) Bachelor's degree at the University of Suffolk
BA (Hons) Graphic Design (Graphic Illustration) at University of Suffolk. Graphic Illustration offers you the chance to develop creative and technical skills whilst working on briefs set by industry professionals, giving you genuine exposure to how design operates in practice.
About this course
Discover Graphic Design (Graphic Illustration) at Suffolk. Develop your creative and technical skills, work on industry-set briefs and gain real-world experience. From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Graphic Design (Graphic Illustration) is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at the University of Suffolk. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Design, and creative and performing arts graduates from this provider, 100% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 80% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £23,500. (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)
Limited evidence Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 100% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2021-23. Continuation 80% (2021-23; 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 1 3 modules
- Design Fundamentals
Module details
Design Fundamentals introduces four cornerstones of graphic design: idea generation; visual language; creative digital literacy; and formal typography, where you will work on experimental responses to short quick-fire activities through studio practice, digital workshops, and drawing and print exercises.
- Typographic Exploration
Module details
Typographic Explorations builds on design fundamentals by exploring how typography can be used creatively and expressively for both formal and experimental outcomes through studio practice and digital and 3D workshops.
- Social Contexts of Design & Illustration
Module details
This module explores the social impact of design and illustration through a focused lecture programme looking at the historical and contemporary contexts of design, with you responding to lecture themes through print media outcomes in specialist printmaking studios.
Year 2 5 modules
- Applied Design & Illustration
Module details
Applied Design & Illustration extends the learning developed through previous modules focusing on sequential narratives and their application through print and digital outcomes, developing an understanding of design and illustration as a tool for storytelling.
- Visual Identity
Module details
This module builds on the skills and knowledge introduced at Level 4 to deepen your understanding of contemporary visual identity, branding, design systems and guidelines, working on negotiated projects with a focus on professional standards.
- Illustration for Screen
Module details
Illustration for Screen introduces user interface design, (UI), and user experience design, (UX), alongside sequential narratives for screen and action prompts, through negotiated projects that allow you to explore user-personas, lo-fi to hi-fi modelling and wireframing for web and app-based outcomes for creative outcomes.
- Studio Practice
Module details
This module introduces you to studio practice, exploring themes of professional conduct, workplace environments, working with clients, managing workflows, studio set-ups, pitching, and contemporary practice, to contextualise your learning to date.
- Critical Perspectives
Module details
Critical Perspectives builds on Level 4 Social Contexts of Design & Illustration to develop your research methods, critical thinking and questioning, towards a choice of written and textual outputs, while establishing the underpinning skills required for academic study at Level 6.
Year 3 6 modules
- Professional Illustration Practice
Module details
Professional Illustration Practice allows you to gain experience of working on client-facing live projects, accompanied by employability focused activities and exercises, providing 'real-world' and experiential learning through industry focused projects.
- Work Based LearningOptional
Module details
Work Based Learning is an optional module which replaces Professional Design Practice, giving you the opportunity to organise and complete a work placement, and use your experience towards your degree.
- Research into Practice part 1
Module details
Research into Practice explores the importance of research to both visual and text-based outcomes. It provides you with the opportunity to reflect on previous work you've done at Level 4 and 5, and your working processes, before developing research around a personal discipline interest, as the first steps towards creating a graduate portfolio aligned to future employment or postgraduate education options.
- Research into Practice part 2
Module details
Building on Research into Practice part 1, this module introduces industry focused projects and competitions alongside portfolio reviews to help you test your emerging graduate ambitions. You also complete a personal research focused written or textual project, as an extension of work started in part 1, developing skills for post-graduate study while widening your employment potential and further relating the importance of research to situated design practice.
- Independent Project and Illustration Portfolio part 1
Module details
This module works from the foundations laid down in Research into Practice, allowing you to focus on a societal issue, through personally led independent project research + development, towards completing a significant, multifaceted outcome, while continuing to hone your graduate portfolio towards your graduate ambitions.
- Independent Project and Illustration Portfolio part 2
Module details
Developing work started in part 1, alongside working towards your degree show and finalising your personal portfolio of work, you complete your significant and multifaceted project while developing a graduate employability toolkit to best position yourself for post-degree opportunities and in preparation for leaving the course.
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 develops your creative and technical skills through a combination of design principles, studio practice and industry-set briefs. In Year 1, you'll establish foundations in visual studies, materials and processes, and contextual understanding of design history. Year 2 moves into sustained studio work, digital media and live client projects. In your final year, you'll typically specialise in depth, such as graphic design, illustration, fine art, fashion and textiles, or UX and digital, whilst building your professional portfolio and preparing a major project for public exhibition. Throughout, you'll gain real-world experience working to live briefs and competing deadlines.
Who it's for
You're suited to this course if you think visually, enjoy problem-solving through design, and want to understand both the theory behind visual communication and how to execute it technically. You should be comfortable with independent project work and willing to respond to briefs from the ground up. If you're drawn to illustration, typography, or visual narrative, and want to see how these fields operate in real workplaces, this course will feel natural. You'll need curiosity about the creative process and the discipline to develop work iteratively.
Careers & job market
Nationally, 87% of Art & Design graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating, with 55% in highly skilled roles or continuing their studies. Starting salaries across the field range from £22,000 to £27,000, rising to £20,825–£29,400 after five years. Your progression depends on the roles you pursue and your own practice development, design careers span in-house studio positions, freelance illustration, branding agencies, publishing, and digital media.
University & format
This is a 3-year full-time Bachelor's degree (BA Hons) in Graphic Design (Graphic Illustration) at the University of Suffolk, taught in English. Suffolk is a recognised UK degree-awarding body; your degree is nationally recognised. The university received a Bronze 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.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
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 | 80% |
| Other | 20% |
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.
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 W293). 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
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at University of Suffolk →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 | £23,500 | £21,000 – £28,500 | 10 |
| 3 years after | £19,000 | £15,500 – £23,000 | 95 |
| 5 years after | £23,000 | £17,000 – £27,500 | 100 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. 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. Limited evidence. Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. 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.
- Information Technology ProfessionalsSOC 2020 213 · 30% of published destinations · ASHE median £55,357
- Web and Multimedia Design ProfessionalsSOC 2020 214 · 30% of published destinations · ASHE median £32,574
- Teaching and Childcare Support OccupationDiscover Uni category · 10% of published destinations
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
- Sports and fitness occupationsSOC 2020 343 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £13,819
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
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: 15; response rate: 75%. 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
100% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £23,500. 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 9.1 out of 10: NSS 94% · in work or study 100% · continued 80%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
University of Suffolk
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 University of Suffolk
1,566 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 Suffolk from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £16,440 / 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 University of Suffolk’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 Suffolk and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at University of Suffolk
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
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