Graphic and Digital Design, HND

Program Overview

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Graphic and Digital Design, HND

Study a HND in Graphic and Digital Design at the University of Greenwich. This HND allows you to fast track into a career in graphic design.

Course Overview

The HND Graphic and Digital Design is an undergraduate course that runs over two years and aims to provide a practical and theoretical grasp of design through professional practice.

The course reflects the changes and developments of creative industries and gives you the opportunity to focus on different areas of design as well as understand the interrelation between them. This includes typography and graphic design, branding and advertising, fine art and visual communication information and interaction design, photography, data visualisation and moving image.

The HND Graphic and Digital Design programme is specially tailored for mature students who would like to return to education or have professional experiences in other disciplines or a creative portfolio. In the final year, you will be able to make fast-track application to the BA Hons Graphic and Digital Design programme.

UCAS Points

72 (view full requirements)

Course/Institution Codes

012W G HND/GDD

School

Design

Location

Greenwich Campus

Duration

2 years full-time

Start Month

September

Fees

Home/International Fees 2025/26

£6,165 / £17,500

What You Should Know About This Course

• The aim of this course is to encourage you to explore visual communication in a diverse and interdisciplinary way
• It helps to develop your creative and aesthetic sensibilities in a rich and varied environment
• The course is designed to encourage an individual creative approach through the development of craft and technical skills
• This course will equip you with the knowledge and understanding of the critical and cultural dimensions of your discipline
• Overall the course will contribute to developing your communication and information skills and the critical awareness required to articulate your learning

What You Will Study

Full Time

• Year 1:
  • Experimental Design Practices (30 credits)
  • Graphic Design Principles (30 credits)
  • Typographic Studies (30 credits)
  • Art and Design in Context (30 credits)
• Year 2:
  • Graphic Design in Branding and Advertising (30 credits)
  • Narrative and Sequence (15 credits)
  • Creative Professional Practice (15 credits)
  • Interdisciplinary Spaces (30 credits)
  • Critical Practice-Research (30 credits)

Entry Requirements

UK Citizens and Permanent Residents

• 72 UCAS Tariff points
• We accept A Levels, T Levels, BTECs, Access to HE and all other qualifications with UCAS Tariff points

Contextual Admissions

• We make Contextual offers to this programme
• Applicants that meet specific eligibility criteria will be made a contextual offer with a reduced tariff of up to 16 UCAS Tariff points
• Other entry requirements such as GCSEs, Interview, etc., will still need to be met

International Entry Requirements

• The University of Greenwich accepts a broad range of international qualifications for admission to our courses
• For detailed information on the academic and English language requirements, please find your country in our directory

How You Will Learn

Teaching

• Learning takes place through a combination of timetabled learning and independent study
• Seminars and workshops enable you to discuss and develop your understanding of topics covered in lectures in smaller groups
• You will also be able to meet your personal tutor

Overall Workload

• If you are studying full-time, you should expect the workload to be similar to a full-time job
• For part-time students, this will reduce in proportion with the number of courses you are studying

Assessment

• Each module you study towards this degree is worth 15 or 30 credits
• These represent around 150 or 300 study hours respectively
• If you receive 100 contact hours for a 30-credit module, you should expect to commit 200 hours to independent study to complete it successfully

Careers and Placements

Will I Have a Work Placement?

• Whilst there is no compulsory placement element of this course, we have two dedicated modules that address professional practices, connection and exposure to industry, establishing networks, and development of design portfolios and materials for seeking professional placements and employment

How Long Is My Placement?

• Not applicable

What Are the Financial Arrangements?

• Not applicable

Are Internships Available?

• Students are encouraged to take up Summer internships during the Summer holidays, though it is up to the student to find them
• Support is available to students from the Employability and Careers Service when applying for placements and internships

Do You Provide Employability Services?

• Employability activities take place all the time at Greenwich and students are encouraged to take part in as many opportunities as possible
• The central Employability and Careers Service provides support for students preparing to apply for placements and graduate roles, such as CV clinics, mock interviews and employability skills workshops
• In addition, your School has a dedicated Employability Officer who will be organising work-related activities throughout the year which will help you to build you industry knowledge and networks

Accommodation

• Living in halls of residence is a great way to make new friends and get into the social side of university life
• With four great locations, all minutes away from the campus and the centre of historic Greenwich, you will be at the heart of one of the most beautiful university settings in the UK
• Rooms start at £146.30/wk and include Wi-Fi, utility bills, access to our on-campus gym and 24-hour security - and just a 10-minute train journey to central London
• Students based at our Greenwich campus can also choose to live the Student Village at Avery Hill, which is only a short ride on our free shuttle bus

Support and Advice

Academic Skills and Study Support

• We want you to make the most of your time with us
• You can access study skills support through your tutor, our subject librarians, and our online academic skills centre
• Where appropriate, we provide support in academic English and mathematics
• If you need to use particular IT packages for a specific module, we provide training for this

Do You Provide Employability Services?

• Employability activities take place all the time at Greenwich and students are encouraged to take part in as many opportunities as possible
• The central Employability and Careers Service provides support for students preparing to apply for placements and graduate roles, such as CV clinics, mock interviews and employability skills workshops
• In addition, your School has a dedicated Employability Officer who will be organising work-related activities throughout the year which will help you to build you industry knowledge and networks

Fees and Funding

Tuition Fees

• Cohort | Full time | Part time | Distance learning
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  Home* | £6,165 | N/A | N/A
  International | £17,500 | N/A | N/A

Other Costs

• Trips: Any compulsory field trips are funded by the school
• Resources: For Architecture, Landscape and Design courses, you will produce portfolios of large format plots plus CNC/3D printed models etc. Costs will vary but could reach £250 a year for printing, £100 for model making, and £50 for visiting the sites
• Software: We provide Adobe software and Lynda.com online video tutorials. You will also have access to Nvivo, SPSS Modeler and SPSS Amos. Any licenses for software outside of our range will come at your own cost

Scholarships and Bursaries

• We offer a wide range of financial help including scholarships and bursaries
• The Greenwich Bursary
• EU Bursary

Financial Support

• We want your time at university to be enjoyable, rewarding, and free of unnecessary stress, so planning your finances before you come to university can help to reduce financial concerns
• We can offer advice on living costs and budgeting, as well as on awards, allowances and loans

Not Quite What You Were Looking For?

• We've got plenty of other courses for you to choose from
• Browse our undergraduate courses or check our related courses below

Design at the University of Greenwich

• Develop your creative and professional abilities on one of our design courses
• Study in a building purpose-built for our creative courses in the heart of vibrant Greenwich

Design Degrees

• Animation, BA Hons
• Graphic and Digital Design with Foundation Year, BA Hons
• Graphic and Digital Design, BA Hons
• Graphic and Digital Design, HND

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Mode of Study

• Select from the dropdown below
• UK September 2025/26 (Full-time)
• International September 2025/26 (Full-time)

Course Level

• Undergraduate

UCAS Code

• 012W G HND/GDD

Duration

• 2 years

Location

• Greenwich Campus

Apply Now

• If you are a UK student or have settled/pre-settled status (EU) and you want to study full-time then you apply through the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS)
• If you are a UK student or have settled/pre-settled status (EU) and you want to study part-time then you can apply directly via our online application form
• If you are from outside the UK, you can apply via UCAS, directly via our online application form or via one of our in-country representatives
• If you require a student visa, you cannot study part-time at undergraduate level

Need More Help?

• Telephone:
• Live chat
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• More information

Program Outline

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Degree Overview:

The HND Graphic and Digital Design is an undergraduate course that runs over two years and aims to provide a practical and theoretical grasp of design through professional practice. The course reflects the changes and developments of creative industries and gives you the opportunity to focus on different areas of design as well as understand the interrelation between them. The HND Graphic and Digital Design programme is specially tailored for mature students who would like to return to education or have professional experiences in other disciplines or a creative portfolio. In the final year, you will be able to make fast-track application to the BA Hons Graphic and Digital Design programme. The aim of this course is to encourage you to explore visual communication in a diverse and interdisciplinary way. It helps to develop your creative and aesthetic sensibilities in a rich and varied environment. The course is designed to encourage an individual creative approach through the development of craft and technical skills. This course will equip you with the knowledge and understanding of the critical and cultural dimensions of your discipline. Overall the course will contribute to developing your communication and information skills and the critical awareness required to articulate your learning.

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Outline:

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Year 1

• Graphic Design Principles (30 credits)
• Typographic Studies (30 credits)
• Experimental Studio Practices (30 credits)
• Art and Design in Context (30 credits)

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Year 2

• Graphic Design in Branding and Advertising (30 credits)
• Narrative and Sequence (15 credits)
• Creative Professional Practice (15 credits)
• Interdisciplinary Spaces (30 credits)
• Critical Practice-Research (30 credits)

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Assessment:

Students are assessed through a combination of assessment methods depending on the modules chosen. Each course has formal assessments which count towards your grade. Some courses may also include 'practice' assignments, which help you monitor progress and do not count towards your final grade.

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Teaching:

This degree course employs a range of innovative teaching and learning methods. Lectures and labs/tutorials are dynamic and interactive. You will be taught by an experienced team of lecturers, which includes senior academics, technical officers, and practitioners with industry experience.

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Careers:

Whilst there is no compulsory placement element of this course, we have two dedicated modules that address professional practices, connection and exposure to industry, establishing networks, and development of design portfolios and materials for seeking professional placements and employment. In addition, in Year 2, students respond to a series of live industry briefs and attend awards shows - last year we had 6 overall winners for international design competitions. Students are encouraged to take up Summer internships during the Summer holidays, though it is up to the student to find them. Support is available to students from the Employability and Careers Service when applying for placements and internships.

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Other:

The following data is based on the compulsory modules for this programme.

• Compiled from modules taught on 2023-2024 courses.
In a typical week learning takes place through a combination of: Overall12 Learning takes place through a combination of timetabled learning and independent study. Seminars and workshops enable you to discuss and develop your understanding of topics covered in lectures in smaller groups. You will also be able to meet your personal tutor. Timetabled learning may fall between 9am and 9pm depending on your courses and tutorials. Overall workload If you are studying full-time, you should expect the workload to be similar to a full-time job. For part-time students, this will reduce in proportion with the number of courses you are studying. Each module you study towards this degree is worth 15 or 30 credits. These represent around 150 or 300 study hours respectively. If you receive 100 contact hours for a 30-credit module, you should expect to commit 200 hours to independent study to complete it successfully. Employability activities take place all the time at Greenwich and students are encouraged to take part in as many opportunities as possible. The central Employability and Careers Service provides support for students preparing to apply for placements and graduate roles, such as CV clinics, mock interviews and employability skills workshops. In addition, your School has a dedicated Employability Officer who will be organising work-related activities throughout the year which will help you to build you industry knowledge and networks. More about careers.

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• Home/international fees 2024/25

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Home

£6,165

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International

£17,000