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  • About the course
  • Why choose this course?
  • What will I learn?
  • How will I be assessed?
  • Entry Requirements
  • Career prospects
  • Fees and Funding
  • Extra Costs
  • Facilities
  • How to Apply
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Illustration BA (Hons)

Link to https://www.ucas.com
Link to https://www.beds.ac.uk/international
Link to https://www.beds.ac.uk/apply
Link to https://www.beds.ac.uk/enquire/

About the course

The course combines an innovative, experimental and critical approach to the practice of Illustration. Supporting the full scope of contemporary illustration practice, from craft based techniques and drawing through to digital and sequential moving image based work, the course explores how the explosion of possibilities that digital media have created for producing, distributing and publishing graphic work, are changing the role of the designer and design in society through a critical engagement with different forms of contemporary design practice and cultural history.

Taught in a cluster of Communication Design courses including Animation and Graphic Design, it combines narrative and documentary drawing with a reflective and outward looking emphasis on how storytelling affects change, through creative problem solving, collaboration and entrepreneurship.

  • Apply Via - UCAS
  • Course Level - Undergraduate
  • UCAS Code - W220
  • Campus Location - University Square Campus, Luton
  • Start Dates - Feb,Oct
  • Duration - 3 Years
  • Attendance - Full-time | Part-time
  • Download Course Specifications

This course has the option to be taken over four years which includes a year placement in industry. Undertaking a year in industry has many benefits. You gain practical experience and build your CV, as well as being a great opportunity to sample a profession and network with potential future employers.

There is no tuition fee for the placement year enabling you to gain an extra year of experience for free.

*Only available to UK/EU students.

​

A Degree with a Foundation Year gives you guaranteed entry to an Undergraduate course.

Whether you’re returning to learning and require additional help and support to up-skill, or if you didn’t quite meet the grades to pursue an Undergraduate course, our Degrees with Foundation Year provide a fantastic entry route for you to work towards a degree level qualification.

With our guidance and support you’ll get up to speed within one year, and will be ready to seamlessly progress on to undergraduate study at Bedfordshire.

The Foundation Year provides an opportunity to build up your academic writing skills and numeracy, and will also cover a range of subject specific content to fully prepare you for entry to an Undergraduate degree.

This is an integrated four-year degree, with the foundation year as a key part of the course. You will need to successfully complete the Foundation Year to progress on to the first year of your bachelor’s degree.

Why study a degree with a Foundation Year?

  • Broad-based yet enough depth to give you credible vocational skills
  • Coverage of a variety of areas typically delivered by an expert in this area
  • Gain an understanding of a subject before choosing which route you wish to specialise in
  • Great introduction to further study, and guaranteed progression on to one of our Undergraduate degrees

The degrees offering a Foundation Year provide excellent preparation for your future studies.

During your Foundation Year you will get the opportunity to talk to tutors about your degree study and future career aspirations, and receive guidance on the most appropriate Undergraduate course to help you achieve this; providing you meet the entry requirements and pass the Foundation Year.

 

Why choose this course?

  • Study in small, lively and committed groups, in spacious, well-equipped studio
  • Study sequential illustration, creative typography, professional practice, printmaking and book binding
  • Develop the drawing, photography and digital media skills you will need to develop a career in areas such as film, animation, music videos, advertising, publishing, video games and app design
  • Gain confidence and experience with excellent technical support and regular one-to-one contact with teaching staff
  • Explore the boundaries and possibilities of your individual creative development
  • Challenge current thinking about the social, political and environmental contexts of design in contemporary society
  • Benefit from well equipped facilities in digital media, motion graphics, book making, stop motion, risograph and screen printing.
Visit the School of Art and Design

 

Unit Information - What will I learn?

Units

  • Communication Design: Exploring Materials And Methods (ART058-1) Compulsory
  • Context And Ideas (ART057-1) Compulsory
  • Introducing Studio Practice (ART063-1) Compulsory
  • Thinking Through Making (ART064-1) Compulsory
  • Animation And Illustration: Developing Materials And Methods (ART057-2) Compulsory
  • Collaborative Enterprise (ART052-2) Compulsory
  • Context And Meaning (ART053-2) Compulsory
  • Developing Professional Practice (ART051-2) Compulsory
  • Creative Futures (ART029-3) Compulsory
  • Critical And Creative Contexts (ART030-3) Compulsory
  • Final Major Project: Illustration (ILL002-3) Compulsory

How will I be assessed?

A range of appropriate assessments will enable you to grow in confidence and demonstrate your acquisition of knowledge and skills. The formative and summative assessment methods used across the course include: -In the first year, the focus is to inculcate creative thinking skills to allow the student to engage with study skills in general, preparing students for assessments in units. Research is introduced as an important element in studio practice and all studio units have an assessed research portfolio, or viva. This relationship between research and practice allows student to develop critical thinking, reflection and higher education learning practice including referencing, note taking, essay and report writing - including virtual learning environments. - Assessments based on individual and group presentations. - Portfolio reviews are a key means of assessing but they are also important for collating work for a professional portfolio. This installs in students the right attitudes towards professional work whereby you can use your portfolio to promote yourself in professional contexts. - Essays and reports feature in developing students writing skills, helping you to express ideas in a variety of ways and styles and to develop academic writing skills that are of particular benefit in producing the final year contextual rationale for your major project. - An online blog/personal website - A midpoint Formal Formative Assessment to review all work in progress. - Key Skills relevant to Illustration and creative enterprise are embedded in the teaching and learning of the course and will be taken into account in all assessments. - The assessments will develop incrementally across the course and allow you to gain skills, confidence and knowledge, receive feedback and develop as a practitioner, thus allowing you to implement this knowledge and feedback into subsequent assessments. - At the end of the course, completion of the assessments will demonstrate your ability to analyse current design practice in relation to photographic practices - and communicate this, in both written and visual formats, as well as demonstrate a range of transferable skills relevant to your professional employability.

Entry Requirements

  • UK
  • EU
  • International

We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for breadth and depth in your current studies and enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.

UCAS Tariff Points

  • At least 80 points with 64 points from 2 A level passes at C or above
  • At least 80 points with 64 from Merit Merit in two BTEC Subsidiary Diplomas or one BTEC Diploma
  • At least 80 points with Merit Merit Pass in the BTEC Extended Diploma
  • A completed Access to Higher Education Diploma Equivalent qualifications such as Irish Leaving Certificate, OCR Nationals, International Baccalaureate and CACHE Level 3 awards.

You can work out how many UCAS points your qualifications are worth with the UCAS tariff calculator

Contact the Admissions Team for additional guidance on whether the qualifications you currently hold or are taking would be suitable for entry.

T: +44 (0)1582 743500
E: admission@beds.ac.uk

As a general guide, to apply for a place on an undergraduate course (BA/BSc) at the University you need to have completed your high school education and have the required English qualification.

We have students from all the European Union member countries so we are quick to make decisions on most qualifications. See your country page for more details

Check Your Country page to confirm that your local qualifications are suitable or contact your International Admissions Team

  • Portfolio review

How will this course improve my career prospects?

You will be helped with the preparation of a professional portfolio; including a CV and social media skills needed to promote yourself in a social-mediated art and design world.

After completion of your degree you might find a career in any of the following areas: illustration; graphic design; editorial and book publishing; advertising; digital and interactive design; animation; television and video; public or community arts participation; museum and exhibition work; arts education; freelance creative practice; and teaching.

Many of our students go on to further study at Masters level (Level seven), for example, Illustration, Animation, Graphic Design, Visual Communication and Motion Graphics.

Fees and Funding

  • UK
  • EU
  • International

The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the Academic Year 2020/21 is £9,250 per year. You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for your tuition fees. You can also apply for a maintenance loan from the Government to help cover your living costs.

See www.gov.uk/student-finance

The University of Bedfordshire offers a number of scholarships and bursaries to help you finance your studies.

See www.beds.ac.uk/scholarships

The University reserves the right to increase tuition fees by no more than inflation.

Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk

The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the Academic Year 2020/21 is £9,250 per year. You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for your tuition fees.

See www.gov.uk/student-finance

The University of Bedfordshire offers a number of scholarships and bursaries to help you finance your studies.

See www.beds.ac.uk/scholarships

The University reserves the right to increase tuition fees by no more than inflation.

Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk

The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the academic year 2020/21 is £12,350 per year. A prompt payment discount is available if you pay the full Year 1 fee before or at registration. There are also special scholarships available.

See www.beds.ac.uk/intfees

The University reserves the right to increase tuition fees by no more than inflation.

Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk

Extra costs for this course

During your course you will need to buy some materials. We estimate that the total spend will be around £220 to £295.

Things you will need to pay for include:

  • A3 Portfolio
  • Drawing materials
  • Photographic sundries
  • Degree show sundries
  • Printing

*The information above is for guidance only. Exact costs may vary.

Find out more about additional costs while studying at Bedfordshire. Click here

Facilities

Postgraduate & CPD Centre

Postgraduate & CPD Centre

Campus Centre

Campus Centre

Campus Library

Campus Library

STEM Building

STEM Building

Campus Centre Interior

Campus Centre Interior

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Luton campus centre

Luton Campus Centre

The Campus Centre brings together all our student services under one roof including the Students’ Union and spaces to eat, drink, relax and learn.

There's a large central lecture theatre as well as a range of study rooms & breakout spaces on the upper floors.

Luton campus accommodation

Luton Campus Accommodation

The University guarantees accommodation to all new students. Fitzroy Court and Wenlock Court, the two main halls of residence, are located on campus so getting to lectures, shopping in town and participating in events and activities is easy.

STEM building

STEM building

The STEM building is home to courses in the subject areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Opened in Autumn 2019, its cutting edge facilities provides four computer laboratories; workshops for subjects such as automotive engineering, cyber-security and robotics, along with three large teaching labs, and four specialist containment labs. 

Luton campus library

Luton Campus Library

The library is a modern 9-storey building dedicated to study and learning.

As well as traditional library provisions it offers individual and group study spaces, a cafeteria on the ground floor and a ‘Study Hub’ offering guidance and workshops on academic writing and research skills to ensure all Bedfordshire students get the help they need to succeed in their studies.

Aspire gym - Luton

Aspire Gym - Luton

The Aspire Gym has state of the art cardiovascular equipment with smart phone compatibility. There is also an extensive range of fixed resistance machines and a small free weights area.

Changing rooms with showers and lockers are available for members to use.

PG and CPD centrew Luton

PG and CPD Centre

The Postgraduate & CPD Centre at Luton campus is home to our University's postgraduate courses and continuing professional development (CPD) students from industry.

The Centre has modern lecture theatres and seminar rooms and a large ground floor lounge area where careers fairs and speaker events take place.

TV studioMedia Arts

Our Media Arts Centre has state-of-the-art facilities for students on our journalism, media and writing degrees.

Facilities include broadcast television and digital radio studios, digital video editing suites, electronic newsrooms, white space studio, multimedia suites, and additional studios for online and design work.

School of Art and Design

Luton Cultural Quarter

The School of Art and Design is located in the Cultural Quarter of the town.

The Cultural Quarter is a regeneration project to convert the old hat manufacturing area of Luton into a hub for the creative industries.

London luton airport

Luton - Location

The Luton campus is right in the centre of town next to a large shopping mall and within easy walking distance of train and bus stations. Luton is the largest town in Bedfordshire, approximately 50km north of London which is a 30-minute train journey away. Luton has excellent transport links to the rest of the UK and Europe.

How to Apply

  • UK
  • EU
  • International

Application for most full-time undergraduate and foundation courses is via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

We expect to receive UCAS applications between 1 September and 15 January for courses starting in the following academic year, but may consider applications received after this date should places be available.

Please contact admission@beds.ac.uk for further details.

All UK schools and colleges are registered with UCAS to manage their students' applications. Advice on how to submit your UCAS application is available from your school or college.

If you are not at school or college (including mature students) you should apply independently via UCAS

EU students applying for a full-time undergraduate degree at the University of Bedfordshire should apply via UCAS or direct using our admissions form

International students applying for a full-time undergraduate degree at the University of Bedfordshire should apply direct using our admissions form or via our representatives in your home country

You can also apply online

Find out more about how to apply as an International student

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