Program Overview

Overview of the Graphic Design BA (Hons) Degree

The Graphic Design BA (Hons) degree at Loughborough University has an enviable reputation for developing students to be visual thinkers who excel in the creative industries. This is a flexible degree that can be tailored to your interests – for example, in app development, animation, visual identity and branding, illustration, photography, typography and publishing, or graphic design in general.

Course Structure

The course focuses on teaching practical and creative skills in traditional and new, analogue, and digital media, as well as an understanding of relevant social, cultural, economic, ethical, and sustainable contexts. Graphic Design at Loughborough is a highly competitive course that provides the very best opportunities for budding creative practitioners and many invaluable opportunities to showcase their work.

Year 1

• Compulsory modules:
  • Creative Production: The aims of this module are to support the development of core digital competencies for the creative production of visual outputs and introduce core industry standard digital production skills.
  • Graphic Design Context: The aims of this module are to introduce core ideas and concepts of graphic design practice within a critical, historical and theoretical context, establish creative design processes that emphasise research, iterative development, experimentation and criticality, and provide an opportunity for establishing a learning community through collaborative working and formative peer feedback.
  • Type and Language: The aims of the module are to provide a practical, critical, historical and theoretical introduction to typography and writing systems and equip students with the basic skills and understanding required to produce typographic outcomes.
  • Visual Thinking: The aims of the module are to introduce a variety of applied visual methods and processes for undertaking creative enquiries and develop technical knowledge and confidence across digital and analogue image-making techniques.

Year 2

• Compulsory modules:
  • Social Design: The aims of this module are to provide a practical and theoretical introduction to social design and equip students with the skills, methods and understanding required to undertake social design projects.
  • Visualisation: The aims of this module are to introduce a variety of visualisation techniques, methods and rationales, develop conceptual and experiential knowledge of the various tasks performed by different types of visualisation techniques including data visualisation, knowledge visualisation, network visualisation, system mapping and information graphics, and develop technical knowledge and confidence in the production of different visualisation types across multiple practical applications.
  • Narrative and Sequence: The aims of this module are to critically examine how graphic design practices utilise narrative and sequence to achieve intended goals and provide students with technical, practical and conceptual skills for undertaking narrative and sequential graphic design practices.
  • Collaboration: The aims of this module are to introduce a variety of collaborative and participatory design processes, develop a practical and reflexive understanding of the role of the designer within a variety of professional scenarios, and promote innovation through co-design, stakeholder engagement and consultation.

Optional Modules in Year 2

• Arts Management: The aims of this module are to give students an awareness and understanding of arts management as a discipline, in the context of arts organisations and the creative industries, provide students with a context in which to explore ideas and practices related to professional environments they may wish to progress to post-graduation, and present students with the opportunity to evaluate and apply information, resources and ideas to a scenario relevant to their career futures.
• Responsible Practice: Making your Manifesto: The aim of this module is to equip students with both the skills and mindset to uphold and reflect on the values of Responsible Design, namely design that is ethical, pluriversal, planet-centric, decolonial, transdisciplinary, and optimistic, in both the processes and outcome of the creative agenda.
• Creative Dissent: Protest, Activism and Art: This module highlights the social production of art. It explores the extent to which art and cultural production contributes to protest movements and activates social and political transformation. Addressing historical and contemporary connections between art and activist practices, it will provide students with an understanding of the complex relationship between art, politics and wider social movements.
• Creative Placemaking: The aims of this module are to explore how creative interventions can transform how spaces function and develop theoretical and practical understanding of how creative practitioners can actively work to inform placemaking.
• Drawing Characters: Representation and Identity: The aims of this module are to raise student's awareness of identity and representation issues in character designs and equip students with transferrable character design skills that could be applied to a wide range of creative arts subject disciplines.
• Story Design for Creative Industries: The aims of this module are to learn basic elements of creating narratives for the story industry, to include film, TV, stage, animated film, and video games, and to provide a forum in which these skills can be practised.
• Fashion to Function: Designing Clothing and Wearable Products: The aims of this module are to understand the core principles of human-centred design and fashion design, and how they apply to clothing and wearable products, develop effective communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills in multi-disciplinary teams for the successful execution of fashion design products for a specific consumer, and compile a portfolio showcasing individual and team contributions to clothing/wearable product designs, highlighting the integration of human-centred design principles and fashion design processes.
• The Ethics and Aesthetics of Generative AI in Design: The aim of this module is to imbue students with the capability to utilise generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and an understanding of the ethical implications of GenAI tools in design practice.
• Phantom Threads: Fashion, Costume and Culture in Film: The aims of this module are to introduce a range of theories and concepts related to costume and clothing, pertaining to fashion in film and apply these concepts to a variety of relevant cinematic contexts including historical period, the wearing of uniform, the construction of fantasy, the function of specialist dress, fashion as symbols of community, ritual and identity.

Final Year

• Compulsory modules:
  • Negotiated Project: The aims of this module are to enable students to develop high level graphic design practice in a subject specialism and promote independent, creative, intellectual and professional enquiry.
  • Major Project: The aims of this module are to enable students to produce a substantial body of expert practice in a subject specialism, promote a culture of collaboration, enterprise and innovation, and ensure students develop a professionally presented portfolio of work that is ready for exhibition beyond the studio.

Optional Modules in Final Year

• Dissertation: The aims of this module are to give students the opportunity to select, design and conduct independent research on a topic relevant to their creative practice, degree programme or career aspirations, equip students with the relevant skills, knowledge and understanding to embark on their independent research, enable students to develop their organisational skills in planning, time management, preparing and producing an extended written account of their work, and guide students in developing a specialist understanding of their chosen topic and the communication skills to convey this understanding in a rigorous and compelling way.
• Industrial Report: The aims of this module are to provide students with the opportunity to originate, negotiate and assume responsibility for the production of independent research in an area of industry related to their creative practice, enable students to identify and critically engage with specific concepts related to their area of industry through a rigorous exploration of its practical and contemporaneous framework: formal, social, cultural, political, environmental, technological and industrial contexts, develop organisational skills in planning, researching, preparing and revising a substantial piece of written work, and enable the students to pursue an industry-focused route in a way that may enhance and inform their own studio practice.

Entry Requirements

To learn more about the qualifications we typically accept, please select your country from the drop-down menu below.

General Entry Requirements

The entry requirements for each course should be read alongside the University’s general entry requirements which give further details on acceptable subjects, alternative UK and international qualifications and minimum English language requirements.

Contextual Admissions

The University’s admissions process uses contextual information to provide insights into the context in which your academic qualifications have been achieved. This may influence the typical offers listed below.

Country-Specific Requirements

• Australia: Typical offers for students from Australia are based on the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR). Typically, we would require a score between 85.00 and 94.00. For students from Queensland, requirements from the Overall Position (OP) would typically be between 8 and 4.
• Austria: For students taking the Austrian Reifeprüfung (Matura), we typically require an average score between 2.2 and 1.2 from 6 written or spoken exams. Where courses have specific subject requirements, a score of 2 or 1 will normally be required in each.
• Bahrain: Students who have studied the Tawjihiyah/Thanawiya amma (General Secondary Education Certificate) will need to complete a suitable Foundation Year.
• Bangladesh: Students taking the Higher Secondary Certificate will need to complete a suitable Foundation Year.
• Belgium: The Certificat d’Enseignement Secondaire Supérieur (CESS) and Diploma van Secundair Onderwijs (DSO) are both acceptable qualifications for direct entry into first year undergraduate courses. We typically require an overall score ranging from 75% to 85%. Where courses require specific subjects, these should be taken as 4-hour subjects.
• Brazil: Students taking the Brazilian High School Certificate will need to complete a suitable Foundation Year.
• Brunei: Students with A Level or IB qualifications will be considered for direct entry to undergraduate degree courses. Please see the undergraduate prospectus for specific course requirements.
• Bulgaria: For students taking the Diploma za Sredno Obrazovanie, we would typically ask for an overall score ranging from 5.3 to 6.0 overall with specific subject marks required for some courses.
• Canada: Typical offers for students from Canada are based on having completed Grade 12. The information below outlines the requirements for different states.
• China: Students taking the Senior Middle Examinations will need to complete a suitable Foundation Year.
• Croatia: For students taking the Croatian Matura (Svjedodžba o Maturi), we typically require an average score between 4.0 and 5.0.
• Cyprus: The Apolytirion is not accepted for direct entry to the University when studied on its own. However, we are happy to consider students taking the Apolytirion alongside either 1 or 2 A Levels.
• Czech Republic: For students taking the Maturita (Vysvědčení o Maturitní Zkoušce), we typically require an average ranging from 2.00 to 1.00 from best 4 subjects with specific subject marks (either 1 or 2) required for some courses.
• Denmark: For students taking the Bevis for Studentereksamen (STX), typical offers range from 8.0 to 10.5 in the weighted average mark from the STX. Some courses may require marks (either 10 or 12) in specific Level A subjects.
• Egypt: Students who have studied the Thanaweya A’ama (Certificate of General Secondary Education) will need complete a suitable Foundation Year.
• Estonia: For students taking the Gümnaasiumi lõputunnistus with the Riigieksamitunnistus, we typically require a high average grade between 4.3 and 4.8 as well as an average between 87% and 90% from best 4 state exams.
• European Baccalaureate: For students taking the European Baccalaureate, we typically require an overall average mark between 78% and 88% with specific subject marks (normally 8.0 or higher from a 4 or 5 period subject) required for some courses.
• Faroe Islands: Students taking the Studentsprógv would normally be required to achieve a score between 8.0 and 10.5 with specific subject marks (either 10 or 12) required for some courses.
• Finland: For students taking the Ylioppilastutkinto / Studentexamen, typical offer requirements would normally be based on achievement in best 4 subjects. Offers will typically be expressed as four letter grades ranging from MMMM (achieve Magna cum laude approbatur or higher in four subjects) to LEEE (achieve Eximia cum laude approbatur or higher in four subjects with at least one subject at Laudatur).
• France: For students taking the new French Baccalauréat Général (assessed from 2021 onwards), we typically require an overall result between 13.0 and 15.5 with results of 14-15 in two speciality subjects. Specific speciality subjects are required for some courses.
• Germany: Students taking the typically require an overall score ranging from 1.3 to 2.0 with specific subject marks required for some courses (normally between 12 and 15).
• Ghana: Students taking the WASSCE will need to complete a suitable Foundation Year.
• Greece: Students taking the Greek Apolyterion are normally required to also take the Panhellenic Exams. Typical offers are based on the General Access Grade in the Panhellenics and range from 16.5 to 19.0 depending on the course applied for.
• Hong Kong: Typical offers for students taking the vary by course and range from ‘5, 4, 4’ – ‘5*, 5, 5’ from best 3 subjects, of which 2 must be electives and excluding Liberal Studies and Chinese. Where courses require specific subjects, we would be looking for grades between ‘4’ and ‘5’ in these subjects.
• Hungary: For students taking the Hungarian Matura (Érettségi Bizonyítvány), we typically require an average ranging from 70% to 83% from best 5 subjects which must include at least 2 higher level exams.
• Iceland: For students taking the Stúdentspróf, we typically require an overall grade between 8.0 and 9.3 with specific subject marks (between 8 and 10) required for some courses.
• India: Typical offers are based on the Standard XII school leaving qualifications. When awarded by CBSE, ISCE or West Bengal Exam Boards, we typically ask for results in the region of 78% - 88% average performance from best 4 subjects. For other state boards, we would be looking for achievement between 83% - 93% from best 4 subjects.
• Indonesia: Students who have studied the Ijazah: Sekolah Menengah Atas/Madrasah Aliyah (SMA/MA) will need complete a suitable Foundation Year.
• Ireland: Students who have taken the Leaving Certificate under the new grading system (post 2016) would normally be required to achieve 5 higher level passes with grades ranging from H2 H2 H3 H3 H3 to H1 H1 H2 H2 H2. Where courses have specific A Level subject requirements, these should be taken at higher level.
• Israel: For students taking the Bagrut, we would require students to have studied at least 21 study units. Typical offers will be based on average percentage from 3 best 5-unit level subjects with requirements ranging from 78% to 92% depending on the course. Please note that we do not use the Optimal Average and do not consider bonus points as part of our offers.
• Italy: For students taking the Diploma di Esamo di Stato, we typically require an overall score ranging from 85% to 98% overall. Where courses require specific subjects, we would be looking for marks between 8 and 10 in school assessment.
• Japan: Students taking the Kotogakko Sotsugyo Shomeisho (Upper Secondary School Leaving Certificate) will need to complete a suitable Foundation Year.
• Jordan: Students taking the Tawjihi (General Secondary Education Certificate) will need to complete a suitable Foundation Year.
• Kazakhstan: Typical offers for students from Kazakhstan are based on the Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools (NIS) Grade 12 Certificate. Typically, we would require a score between AAA and BBB from Advanced level subjects. Where courses have specific subject requirements, these will be expected to be studied at Advanced level.
• Kenya: Students taking the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education will need to complete a suitable Foundation Year.
• Kuwait: Students who have studied the Tawjihiyah/Thanawiya amma (General Secondary Education Certificate) will need to complete a suitable Foundation Year.
• Latvia: For students taking the Atestāts par Vispārējo Vidējo Izglītību, we typically require a high average grade between 9.2 and 10.0 as well as an average between 87% and 95% from best 4 state exams.
• Lebanon: Students taking the Baccalauréat Général will need to complete a suitable Foundation Year.
• Lithuania: For students taking the Brandos Atestatas, typical offers generally range from 9.0 to 10.0 overall. We would also typically ask for an average percentage from the best 3 state exams between 80% and 94%. Where courses require specific subjects, we would typically require these to be taken as state exams.
• Malaysia: For students taking either the Matrikulasi (Matriculation Certificate) or the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysian (STPM), we would typically require grades ranging from AAA-BBB from best 3 (core) subjects excluding general studies.
• Malta: For students taking the Advanced Matriculation Exam, typical offers would normally be based on achievement in 2 advanced level subjects (typically between BB and AA) and 3 intermediate level subjects excluding Systems of Knowledge (typically between BCC and AAA).
• Netherlands: For students taking the Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs (VWO), typical offers range from 6.6 to 7.4 average from the VWO with specific subject marks (between 7 and 9) required for some courses.
• New Zealand: For students taking the National Certificate in Educational Achievement (NCEA) Level 3, typical offers will be based on overall achievement in the NCEA plus a required number of credits achieved at the next level up. For example, where A Level requirements are ABB, we would normally require a Merit overall with 20 Level 3 credits achieved at Excellence.
• Nigeria: Students taking the WASSCE will need to complete a suitable Foundation Year.
• Norway: For students taking the Vitnemål for Videregående Opplæring, typical offers range from 4.00 to 5.25 average of all Final Assessment Grades.
• Oman: Students who have studied the Tawjihiyah/Thanawiya amma (General Secondary Education Certificate) will need to complete a suitable Foundation Year.
• Pakistan: Students taking the Intermediate/Higher Secondary School Certificate will need to complete a suitable Foundation Year.
• Poland: For students taking the new Matura, typical offers are based on average achievement from 3 extended level exams and offers normally range from 75% to 85%. Where courses require specific subjects, these should be taken as extended level exams and we would normally look for marks between 75% and 90%.
• Portugal: Students taking the Diploma de Ensino Secundário would normally be required to achieve a score between 16 and 18 with specific subject marks (between 17 and 19) required for some courses.
• Qatar: Students taking the Shahadat Al-Thanawaya Al-Aama (Senior School Certificate) will need to complete a suitable Foundation Year.
• Romania: For students taking the Diploma de Bacalaureat, typical offers range from 8.6 to 9.4 overall. Where courses require a specific subject, we would be looking for this to be studied as the optional subject within the Diploma de Bacalaureat with marks between 8.6 and 9.8.
• Russia: Students taking the Certificate of Unified State Examination will need to complete a suitable Foundation Year.
• Saudi Arabia: Students who have studied the Tawjihiyah (General Secondary Education Certificate) will need to complete a suitable Foundation Year.
• Singapore: For students with Singapore A Levels, typical offers normally range from BBC to AAA from three H2 Level subjects and offers are typically one grade lower than the typical A Level requirement as stated in the undergraduate prospectus due to the comparative difficulty.
• Slovakia: For students taking the Slovakian Matura (Vysvedčenie o maturitnej skúške), typical offers range from 2.00 to 1.00 average from best 4 subjects with specific subject marks (either 1 or 2) required for some courses.
• Slovenia: For students taking the Maturitetno Spričevalo, we typically require an overall total score of between 22 and 30 out of 34.
• South Africa: For students taking the National Senior Certificate (NSC), typical offers range from 6,6,6,6,6 to 7,7,7,7,7 from the best 5 subjects, excluding Life Orientation.
• South Korea: Students taking the High School Diploma will need to complete a suitable Foundation Year.
• Spain: For students taking the Titulo de Bachillerato, we typically require an overall score of 7.50 – 9.50.
• Sri Lanka: Students with A Level or IB qualifications will be considered for direct entry to undergraduate degree courses. Please see the undergraduate prospectus for specific course requirements.
• Sweden: For students tasking the Avgångsbetyg / Slutbetyg från Gymnasieskola, typical offers are normally based on an average score from 2500 credits with an ‘A’ counting as 20 points, a ‘B’ counting as 17.5 points, a ‘C’ counting as 15 points etc. Typical offers range from 16.0 to 18.8 average from 2500 credits.
• Switzerland: Students taking the following qualifications would be considered for direct entry to undergraduate courses: Certificat de Maturité, Attestato di Maturità. Typical offer requirements are based on average achievement from best 12 subjects and offers typically range from 4.8 to 5.5. Where courses require specific subjects, we would be looking for marks between 5.0 and 6.0 in school assessment.
• Taiwan: Students taking the Senior High School Diploma will need to complete a suitable Foundation Year.
• Tanzania: The Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (ACSEE) is acceptable for entry into the first year of undergraduate courses. Typical offers are the same as for UK A Levels as stated in the Undergraduate Prospectus.
• Thailand: Students taking the Certificate of Secondary Education/Maw 6 will need to complete a suitable Foundation Year.
• The Caribbean: For students taking the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), we typically require a range from ‘2, 2, 2’ – ‘1, 1, 1’ achieved from three 2-unit exams with specific subject marks of ‘1’ or ‘2’ required by some courses.
• The Gulf: Students who have studied the Tawjihiyah/Thanawiya amma (General Secondary Education Certificate) will need to complete a suitable Foundation Year.
• Turkey: For students taking the Anadolu Lisesi (Anatolian High School Diploma) or Fen Lisesi (Science High School Diploma), will typically require a pass mark of higher than 80%.
• Uganda: Students with A Level or IB qualifications will be considered for direct entry to undergraduate degree courses. Please see the undergraduate prospectus for specific course requirements. The Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) is also acceptable with grades equivalent to the typical A Level offer requirements.
• Ukraine: Students taking the Atestat pro Povnu Zagal'nu Sersdniu Osvitu/Certificate of Complete General Secondary Education will need to complete an appropriate Foundation Year.
• United Arab Emirates: Students who have studied the Tawjihiyah/Thanawiya amma (General Secondary Education Certificate) will need to complete a suitable Foundation Year.
• United States of America: For students studying in the USA, typical offers for entry onto undergraduate level courses are based on obtaining 3.2/4.0 GPA in the High School Graduation Diploma, in addition to a combination of any three of the following: Advanced Placement (AP) Exam, IB Higher Levels, College level class credit, Honors classes.
• Vietnam: Students who have studied the Bằng Tốt Nghiệp Phổ Thông Trung Học will need to complete an appropriate Foundation Year.
• Zambia: Students who have studied the General Certificate of Education will need to complete a suitable Foundation Year.
• Zimbabwe: Students with A Level or IB qualifications will be considered for direct entry to undergraduate degree courses. Please see the undergraduate prospectus for specific course requirements.

Tuition Fees for 2026 Entry

UK Fees

• Full-time course per annum: £9,535
• Placement year: Approx. 20% of the full-time fee

International Fees

• Full-time course per annum: £24,700
• Placement year: Approx. 20% of the full-time fee

Your Future Career

Every year our students enter and are recognised by a variety of award schemes, both industry-focussed and institutional. These include RSA, YCN, RBS Creative Conditions, and D&AD. Through participating in these external activities, students can boost their employability and promote their work to major employers.

Graphic Design graduates have gone on to pursue a wide range of careers, in areas including photography, art direction, graphic design, publishing, illustration, video production, television and film, curating, art buying, art editing, marketing, advertising, branding, performing arts, exhibition and display design, app design, and comic illustration.

Career Support Services

Your time at Loughborough University will form a launchpad from which you can build an exciting career. With so many opportunities available, you’ll never be short of ways to improve your employability.

Our award-winning Careers Network team is here to help and support you, offering everything from CV workshops, one-to-one advice sessions and mock interview practice sessions to high-profile employer events. We’ve got everything you need for a really successful future.

Companies Students Have Worked for After Graduating

ASOS, IBM, Hotel Chocolat, Real Sociedad, Debenhams, Agent Provocateur and Headline Publishing.