Program Overview

Course Overview

The BA (Honours) in Graphic and Digital Design is a four-year undergraduate program that provides students with a unique and exciting educational experience in graphic design. The program is built on a legacy of over 40 years of art and design and is taught by a team of lecturers who are passionate about their field.

Additional Information

Graphic Design Portfolio Requirement

Contents and inspiration for your portfolio can come from many sources, including Leaving Certificate subjects such as Art, Music, Design & Communication Graphics, Technology, Construction Studies, Engineering, Computer Science, and Home Economics. Portfolio work can consist of projects you completed in Secondary School or on a PLC and which you have recorded via photographs or video. Not all the work needs to come from an educational setting. There is no formula for a portfolio; it is as individual as the person putting it together. However, we will ask you to be selective and limit it to 20 pieces. So, select the work that you feel best about and that you think represents your creativity/skillset best.

Applicants can choose to be assessed via one of the following options:

1. For assessment, we ask each applicant to be selective and limit their submission to a maximum of 20 of their best pieces. The work can be individual or related pieces and should represent the best skills of the applicant. If the applicant’s strengths are in problem-solving, they may submit research/visual development as one of the three. Again, work submitted should reflect the strengths and personality of the applicant; be that in illustration, painting, print, typography, photography, graphic design, film, or showcase the visual development/research of your work.
2. Applicants may choose to participate in an applied project, which will be carried out remotely/electronically in March 2025. Applicants who choose the applied project option will be issued with the project brief, and staff will guide them in the process through workshops and live advice online. The resultant project will subsequently be assessed.

Entry Requirements

• Leaving Certificate: Grade H5 in two subjects, plus Grade O6/H7 in four other subjects in the Leaving Certificate examination. Two of these subjects must be Mathematics and a language (English or Irish). *For all applicants, portfolio presentation is required.
• QQI: Level 5 award including a distinction grade in at least three modules.
• Mature Applicants: Mature applicants are not required to meet minimum entry requirements. For all mature applicants, portfolio presentation and interview are required.
• International Applicants: International applicants should apply directly to the International Office at TUS, allowing plenty of time for completing the visa process. Applications for September start should be made by 1st June at the latest to ensure visas are processed in time. You should familiarize yourself with visa processing times for your country of origin to ensure you make a timely application.

Course Modules

Modules at a Glance

The program comprises a series of core pillars: Design, Image, Studio Practice, and Visual Culture that advance over the four years.

• Design: Provides the student with the technical skills, design knowledge, and creative expertise to utilize the design process to fulfill design briefs. The pillar facilitates the student to become competent in creating communication systems across multiple platforms and media, including traditional design for print, design for screen, motion, user-interface, and user-experience.
• Image: Is the exploration of visual language where the student learns to communicate and build narratives using illustration, photography, animation, and film.
• Studio Practice: Builds on the personal and professional development of the student within the studio environment, allowing the student to build their profile, grow in confidence, and promote themselves as a designer. This is done through live client briefs, collaboration, and work placement.
• Visual Culture: Develops the student’s understanding of the cultural, social, and historical contexts in which the practice of art and design has evolved and, importantly, how it is essential to the development of the student’s studio practice.

Year 1

• DESIGN: Foundation (10 Credits)
• IMAGE: Illustration and Photography 1.1 (10 Credits)
• STUDIO PRACTICE: Confidence (5 Credits)
• VISUAL CULTURE 1.1: Image-Text an Intro (5 Credits)
• DESIGN: Exploration (10 Credits)
• IMAGE: Illustration and Photography 1.2 (10 Credits)
• STUDIO PRACTICE: Voice (5 Credits)
• VISUAL CULTURE 1.2: 19th Century Design & Technology (5 Credits)

Year 2

• DESIGN: Visual Thinking (10 Credits)
• IMAGE: Creation & Animation (10 Credits)
• STUDIO PRACTICE: Profile (5 Credits)
• VISUAL CULTURE 2.1: Modernism (5 Credits)
• DESIGN: Typography & Meaning (10 Credits)
• IMAGE: The Moving Image (10 Credits)
• STUDIO PRACTICE: Presentation (5 Credits)
• VISUAL CULTURE 2.2: Post Modernism (5 Credits)

Year 3

• DESIGN: Creative Direction (10 Credits)
• IMAGE: Visual Narrative (5 Credits)
• STUDIO PRACTICE: Placement (10 Credits)
• VISUAL CULTURE 3.1: Themes & Theory (5 Credits)
• DESIGN: Final Project (10 Credits)
• IMAGE: Type in Motion (5 Credits)
• STUDIO PRACTICE: Promotion (10 Credits)
• VISUAL CULTURE 3.2: Critical Perspectives (5 Credits)

Year 4

• DESIGN for Time Based Media (10 Credits)
• STUDIO PRACTICE: Live Client Project (10 Credits)
• VISUAL CULTURE 4.1: Theory to Practice (10 Credits)
• DESIGN: Interaction & Experience (10 Credits)
• DESIGN: Final Project (10 Credits)
• Visual Culture 4.2: Theory to Showcase (10 Credits)

Career Opportunities

Graduates enjoy excellent employment prospects in Ireland and overseas and are employed in graphic design for both print and screen, advertising agencies, publishing houses, printing, the arts, the film and television industries, and in teaching roles in second, PLC, and third-level courses.

Further Study

Successful graduates of this program are eligible for Level 9 and 10 postgraduate programs within TUS or elsewhere.