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Undergraduate
Courses / Undergraduate / Graphic Arts (BA)

Graphic Arts (BA)

Award
Bachelor of Arts
Duration
3 years
Course Type
Full-time
Campus
Winchester
UCAS Course code
W210

About this course

As part of revalidation, the course title for BA Graphic Arts will change to ‘Graphic Communication Design’ for 2023/24 entry.

Learn to create innovative and effective visual communications using a variety of physical and digital media, exploring the fields of graphic design, illustration, motion design and photography. Opportunities to engage with external practitioners are integral to the programme, giving you an in-depth understanding of professional practice and enhancing your employability.

Working in our superb studio spaces, you’ll develop the practical and critical skills of a graphic artist and use research insights to guide your design. Our strong links with industry ensure the curriculum is at the forefront of current creative practice.

In your first semester you’ll work across 4 specialist pathways:

  • graphic design - with a focus on creating consistent visual communications across different media; from print and editorial design, typography, branding and advertising through to user experience (UX) design and emerging media

  • illustration - the art of visual storytelling for editorial publications, publishing, branding, games, digital animation and much more

  • motion design - moving image for video and animation, and visual communication across multi-screen and interactive environments

  • photography - exploring commercial, editorial and fine art approaches

Having gained a deeper understanding of different disciplines, you’ll then choose a specific pathway as a focus for your practice.

As part of your degree you can:         

  • spend a semester studying overseas at one of our partner universities in Germany, Norway, Spain, Switzerland or Turkey

  • attend lectures and workshops by leading design studios

  • visit studios, galleries and cultural spaces in London and overseas

  • take part in exhibitions such as the Winchester School of Art degree show, and the London graduate showcase, Other Forms, which are both attended by professionals from the creative industries

We'll encourage you to prepare entries for prestigious international competitions, such as the Penguin Student Design Awards and the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) Student Design Awards.

Six of our recent students were awarded professional membership of the prestigious International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD). Another student won a £10,000 RSA award to develop her own design idea.

Revalidation

Validation is the process by which we approve our programmes of study. Every taught undergraduate programme leading to a University of Southampton award must go through programme validation, and then be revalidated every few years. This ensures that we uphold our high standards for quality of teaching. You can learn more about the validation process in our Quality Handbook.

What's it like to study Graphic Arts at Southampton

Find out more about the undergraduate degree in Graphic Arts at Winchester School of Art from our staff and students.

Course location

This course is based at Winchester.

Awarding body

This qualification is awarded by the University of Southampton.

Download the Course Description Document

The Course Description Document details your course overview, your course structure and how your course is taught and assessed.

Changes due to COVID-19

Although the COVID-19 situation is improving, any future restrictions could mean we might have to change the way parts of our teaching and learning take place in 2022 to 2023. This means that some of the information on this course page may be subject to change.

Find out more on our COVID advice page.

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