Program Overview

Course Overview

The BA (Hons) Illustration (with integrated foundation year) course is designed to help students develop the technical expertise and knowledge to progress to our highly respected undergraduate programme. The foundation year will provide students with the core skills needed to succeed in the programme.

What You Will Learn

In a professional sense, the word 'illustration' represents an exciting and very varied discipline that ranges from self-authored graphic novels and comic art, through concept art for film, TV, and games, to the more traditional work for magazines, books, advertising, animation, and much more. What links all of these disciplines is the ability to connect audiences with ideas, information, or products through engaging and memorable illustrative communications.

Key Details

• Recruiting to: UK / RoI / Settled in UK, EU / EEA / International
• Course Location: Carlisle - Brampton Road
• Institute: Institute of Education, Arts and Society
• UCAS Code: W222
• Delivery Style: Blended Learning
• Course Duration: Full-time: 4 Years
• Study Options: Illustration
• Course Start Point: September
• Award: BA (Hons)

Minimum Entry Requirements

• 48 UCAS Tariff points

Tuition Fees

• £9,535 (UK, year)
• £14,900 (International, year)

Course Structure

Year One

In your foundation year, you will develop the core skills needed to progress onto our BA (Hons) Illustration course. During this time, you will work with students from across artistic disciplines, exploring your place in the wider creative community.

• Making Images: An introduction to a wide range of conventional and unconventional image-making processes.
• Making Objects: Examine a wide range of 3D processes in relation to a specific project brief.
• Visual Enquiry: Develop your knowledge and understanding to enhance your research methods, contextual awareness, and evaluative ability.
• Environment: Explore your local environment using a range of inter-disciplinary practices such as graphic processes, drawing, 3D, photography, moving image, and collage/montage.
• Portfolio and Progression: Produce a professional and substantial portfolio of work.

Year Two

In your second year, you will gain fundamental knowledge and practical experience of visual communication, the building blocks of visual language and professional attitudes and practices. During this time, you will work closely with first-year graphic design students.

• Introducing Visual Communication: Develop effective working practices and habits.
• Cultural Contexts: An introduction to the cultural, historical, and social contexts in which creative work from a range of disciplines.
• Collaborative Practice: Work with other students to explore and practice the skills involved in creative collaboration.
• Multi-Dimensional Illustration: Explore multiple forms and formats, from traditional print to the latest digital platforms, simple symbols to complex information and ideas, ephemeral to iconic.

Year Three

• The Illustrators Toolkit: Develop and refine your image-making techniques, both digital and analogue.
• Drawing: Explore the surrounding area to improve your drawing and mark-making skills.
• Illustration Projects: Utilise the technical skills developed previously to create appropriate, targeted illustrative communications.
• The Critical Illustrator: Develop your understanding of the role of the illustrator in contemporary society.

Year Four

• Advanced Illustration Projects: An opportunity to work within a design brief and explore a particular area of interest.
• Independent Research Paper: Develop specialised and focused knowledge and understanding of a subject of your own choice.
• Illustration Showcase: An opportunity to show-off the skills, knowledge, and professionalism developed throughout the course to potential employers and the wider world.

Teaching & Assessment

How You Will Learn

A key feature of this IFY programme is the opportunity, at Level 3, to work closely with a range of specialist creative staff, as well as alongside students studying fine-art, graphic design, and photography.

• Lectures: Hosted by both studio and theory tutors using a variety of media as support. You will be expected to take notes, ask questions, and contribute to any group discussions that ensue.
• Seminars, Presentations, and Discussions: Explore issues in greater depth with both tutor and student-led formats. These will require you to engage in research and background reading and will consider the relation of theory to practice and help develop wide-ranging transferable skills.
• Practical Workshop Sessions: Provide the opportunity for you to develop specialist technical skills and knowledge. They normally take the form of tutor-led studio workshop demonstrations, designed to allow you to focus on, experiment with, develop and personalise specialised skills, media, techniques, and concepts.

How You Will Be Assessed

Throughout the course, you will be continuously involved in the assessment of your own work and that of your peers to help in the development of critical, interpersonal, and team-working skills that are vital to gaining confidence and independence as a creative practitioner.

• Crits (short for 'critique'): Lie at the heart of education in Illustration. These take place at the end of a project and will normally comprise a small group of your fellow students, and up to two members of staff, where you will be expected to present your work to the group. The effectiveness of your work and presentation will then be discussed by all present and you will receive a large amount of verbal feedback.
• Projects: Are the usual vehicle by which you develop your design knowledge and expertise. The evaluation of project work is central to this degree programme. The project work you undertake during years two and three will form the content of the professional portfolio of work you will take with you when pursuing employment at the end of the course.
• Portfolio/s: Two things make up the 'portfolio' – the qualities of the work itself (is it good design / contemporary / fully resolved); and the manner in which that work is presented on the portfolio pages (visual narrative / flow / sequencing / attention-to-detail).

Qualifications

Entry Requirements

• A-levels: A
• T-levels: P (D or E) All subjects are accepted for entry to this course.
• Access to HE: 45 Credits at Pass.
• CACHE Technical Level 3 and Level 3 Extended Diploma: D
• OCR Cambridge Technical & Edexcel/Pearson BTEC Level 3 (National) Extended Diploma: PPP
• Scottish Highers: 48 UCAS Tariff Points.
• Irish LC Highers: 48 UCAS Tariff Points.
• Other experience: Pearson Level 3 National Diploma MP.

Funding

Tuition Fees

• £9,535 (UK, year)
• £14,900 (International, year)

Additional Costs

• Books: Most core text books are available via the University's library, however students may wish to buy copies of any texts used to support your learning on your course. This could cost between £50 - £100 per year.
• Stationery: Students should budget for stationery and consumables for your own personal use. This should include notebooks, pens and pencils for taking notes in class and/or in the field. Students should also budget for the purchase of USB pen drives, as well as occasional printing and photocopying costs incurred in the preparation or submission of coursework. Whilst you will choose how much you need, expect to pay around £30 - £40 per year for these items.