Program Overview

This course aims to help you develop into an independent, creative thinker with the ability to deliver critically and visually engaging work. You will do this within the professional context of contemporary illustration and the wider creative industries. This is a growing industry with demand in, for example, music and sports design, fashion, and comic and children’s book illustration.

Central to the course is your development, understanding, and use of traditional and new media, theory, and production methods. There are fantastic opportunities for you to grow as a creative practitioner with access to new technologies and industry-standard software such as Photoshop and Illustrator.

You will have opportunities to apply your skills across a range of illustrative applications, including, but not limited to, editorial, publishing, packaging, product, print, music design, advertising, character, and animation. We support you to generate networking and exhibition opportunities, and collaborating on multi-disciplinary projects with other students in our large workshops and breakout spaces.

You will benefit from excellent links with professional illustrators and creatives, agencies, and experts across the arts industries. Live projects, competition briefs, and industrial experience will enhance your awareness of the professional opportunities available to you.

What You'll Study

Year One – Explore a range of approaches to the communication of ideas through image-making, with an emphasis on experimentation and reflection. You’ll develop your practical, theoretical, and contextual understanding of the discipline through projects and seminars alongside workshops. There is an ongoing focus on discovery through making, supported by a lively program of studio briefs.

Year Two – You’ll further explore a range of approaches to communicating ideas, concepts and messages through processes and visual language. Apply your work to industrially relevant contexts and products while studying the theory and methods behind your practice. You will also learn essential business skills and explore the postgraduate opportunities available to you. Likewise, you will grow in confidence and understanding to make informed decisions about your future.

Year Three – In your final year you will focus on your professional ambitions and further develop the business-related skills required for becoming a professional creative. You’ll negotiate your own creative projects and activities such as competitions, live briefs, industrial research, and work experience. Building a portfolio that reflects your focus and talents is essential as you learn to respond to the demands of the creative industries.

Work Experience

Work experience covers a broad range of activities and students are encouraged to undertake work placements during their time at the university. As well as guidance from the course team our Careers, Employability, and Enterprise teams offer support that enhances employability skills and underpins engagement with the industry.

Destination Careers

Graduates can work as freelancers, as employed illustrators, or as part of a creative collective/studio. Careers include illustration for commercial, alternative, and children’s publishing, editorial, site-specific works, advertising, entertainment, packaging, product, and retail. They may also work for illustration agencies as studio managers or creative directors. Graduates may also continue to postgraduate study.