Program Overview

BA (Honours) Illustration with Foundation Year

Course summary

This course prepares students for a career in illustration, developing their skills, knowledge, and attributes to become professional illustrators. The foundation year is designed for students who don't meet the entry requirements for the BA Illustration course or would like extra preparation before starting degree-level study.

How you learn

• Studio practice
• Workshops
• Technical demonstrations
• Group work and collaboration
• Crit activities
• Lectures
• Guest talks
• External visits and field trips
• Live projects

Modules

Year 1

• Foundation Projects — Developing Creative Practice
  • Credits: 60
  • Assessment: Coursework (100%)
• Foundation Skills & Methods
  • Credits: 60
  • Assessment: Coursework (100%)

Year 2

• New Adventures In Illustration: Methods, Tools, Technologies
  • Credits: 60
  • Assessment: Coursework (100%)
• Pencils & Pixels: Drawing Foundations For Illustration
  • Credits: 60
  • Assessment: Coursework (100%)

Year 3

• Future Now: Collaboration In Action
  • Credits: 20
  • Assessment: Coursework (100%)
• Illustration In Action: Character, Narrative & Sequence
  • Credits: 60
  • Assessment: Coursework (100%)
• In Here, Out There: Illustration Agency
  • Credits: 40
  • Assessment: Coursework (100%)

Year 4

• Undergraduate Sandwich Placement Applied Professional Diploma
  • Credits: -
  • Assessment: -

Year 5

• Future Paths: Illustration Portfolio
  • Credits: 60
  • Assessment: Coursework (100%)
• Future Proof: Illustration Practice
  • Credits: 60
  • Assessment: Coursework (100%)

Future careers

This course prepares students for careers and future study in:

• Illustration (agency and freelance)
• Animation
• Motion, interactive and games
• Children’s books
• Surface pattern design
• Publishing
• Art direction
• Digital publishing
• Printmaking

Equipment and facilities

• Industry-standard computer software and equipment
• Adobe Creative Cloud
• Digital and analogue print facilities including screen-printing, etching, and risograph
• Life drawing
• A photographic studio and creative media centre
• Digital fabrication and rapid prototyping
• Stop-motion rostrum facilities
• Virtual reality equipment and software for coding
• Textile printers
• Ceramics

Entry requirements

• UCAS points: 80
• GCSE: English Language or Literature at grade C or 4
• Portfolio review: required

Fees and funding

• Home students: £9,535 per year (2025/26)
• International students: £18,000 per year (2026/27)

Additional course costs

• General course additional costs
• Additional costs for Sheffield Creative Industries Institute (PDF, 745.6KB)