Graphic Communication and Illustration

Study mode:On campus Study type:Full-time Languages: English
Local:$ 11.7 k Foreign:$ 22.1 k Deadline: Jan 15, 2025
351–400 place StudyQA ranking:2731 Duration:3 years

Photos of university / #lborouniversity

Our BA Graphic Communication and Illustration degree has an enviable reputation for developing students to be visual thinkers who excel in the creative industries.

By combining graphic communication and illustration in one degree, our course offers you the unique advantage of teaching a specialised skill-set that can be applied to a greater range of industries and technical formats.

This Graphic Communication and Illustration BA (Hons) degree is a flexible course that can be tailored to your interests, for example, in app development, animation, visual identity and branding, illustration, photography, typography and publishing, or graphic design in general. The potential is vast, with final projects having previously included; corporate advertisement campaigns, children’s book illustrations, websites, smart phone and tablet apps, brochures, computer games, illustrated comics, puppet animations, and animated films, amongst others.

As a student on our Graphic Communication and Illustration degree, you will develop creative ideas and related visualisation skills, equipping you with the fundamental ingredients to work within your chosen industry. You will receive the very best opportunities to grow as a creative practitioner, with opportunities to showcase your work.

Why you should study this course

You will have access to a range of industry projects. We are regularly contacted by companies requesting that our students gain experience by working on projects with, or for, them.

You will be encouraged to gain recognition and experience by entering industry renowned competitions. Awards recently won include; D&AD Graphic Design and Illustration Student Briefs, Association of Illustrators’ Images, Panasonic Design Awards, Nokia Student Design Campaign, American Express Student Series, and the BFI Future Film Best Documentary.

In Year 1, students are encouraged to work through an exciting array of briefs that examine aspects of the subjects, including drawing and visualising, layouts and grids, animation, filmmaking, typography, ambient media, advertising and graphic theatre.

Semester 1

  • Drawing: Discourses and Debates
  • Visual Research in Practice 

Semester 2

  • Introduction to Modern and Contemporary Art and Design 
  • Visual Methods in Practice

In Year 2, students are encouraged to sample a wide range of specialisms including sequential and narrative design, corporate identity, editorial and book design, packaging and information graphics, all deployed across a range of media.

Semester 1

  • Content and Context: Society, Culture and Economy
  • Visual Culture: Histories and Theories

Semester 2

  • Locating Practice: Interpreting Environment and Audiences
  • 19th Century Bodies (Optional)
  • African American Culture (Optional)
  • Arts Management (Optional)
  • Costume Design (Optional)
  • Creative Dissent: Protest, Activism and Art (Optional)
  • Elephants and Engines: An Introduction to Creative Writing (Optional)
  • Fashion Theory (Optional)
  • From Print to Digital: Publishing Revolutions (Optional)
  • Introduction to Multimodality (Optional)
  • Material Culture (Optional)
  • Non-verbal Communication: Body Adornment and New Technologies (Optional)
  • Philosophy, Literature and the Arts (Optional)
  • Word and Image: Verbo-visual Exchange in Art and Literature (Optional)

In the Final year, students are stimulated to recognise and test their strengths as a graphic and illustrative communicator, building confidence in the ability to develop a personal focus.

Applicants are selected on the basis of their UCAS application, and also a portfolio submission and interview in order to assess academic potential beyond that provided as part of the application. An interview also gives applicants the opportunity to visit the School, meet staff and students, see facilities and get an insight into what it is like to be a student at Loughborough.  Loughborough accepts a wide range of qualifications for entry.

What are the English language requirements to study here?

The standard University IELTS English language requirements is 6.5 overall with 6.0 in each individual element (reading, writing, listening and speaking). Some Schools/Departments may require higher levels of English language than those specified. The requirements needed, will be sent to you in your offer communication.

For Research Degrees, some Schools/Departments may ask for a higher standard of English language qualifications due to the nature of the research work involved. Details will be included in your offer letter if this applies.

For Undergraduate Degree courses, some Schools/Departments may require higher levels than those specified.  These higher levels are detailed, where relevant and more information can be found here.

Generally the English Language test should have been taken within the previous two years, but where the test is older, evidence of continuing use of English, whether in the workplace or elsewhere, in the intervening period may be required.

Future career

We have strong industry links and support our students in gaining work experience and placement opportunities in the UK and internationally.

Graduate careers have included: photography, art direction, graphic design, publishing, illustration, video production, television and film, artist, curator, art buyer, art editor, marketing, art director for advertising, branding, performing arts, exhibition and display design, app designer, comic illustrator, public relations, advertising and artists agents.

We are regularly contacted by industry requesting that our students gain experience by working on projects with, or for, them. Companies previously worked with include; Reebok, Swarovski, Ford, H&M, Radio Times, Abercrombie & Fitch, Shell and Mercedes Benz.

Similar programs:
Study mode:On campus Languages: English
Local:$ 10.6 k / Year(s) Foreign:$ 17.5 k / Year(s)
Deadline: Jan 15, 2025 200 place StudyQA ranking: 5266
Study mode:On campus Languages: English
Local:$ 9 k / program Foreign:$ 12.4 k / program
601–800 place StudyQA ranking: 1979
Study mode:On campus Languages: English
Local:$ 9 k / Year(s) Foreign:$ 16 k / Year(s)
Deadline: Jan 15, 2025 StudyQA ranking: 3860
Study mode:On campus Languages: English
Local:$ 9 k / program Foreign:$ 12.4 k / program
601–800 place StudyQA ranking: 2792
Study mode:On campus Languages: English
Deadline: Jan 15, 2025 201–250 place StudyQA ranking: 2781
Study mode:On campus Languages: English
Local:$ 9 k / program Foreign:$ 12.4 k / program
601–800 place StudyQA ranking: 11202