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Graphic Design BA Honours

Unleash your creativity in the heart of London's thriving graphic design scene. Begin your creative career with expert guidance, strong industry connections, and like-minded individuals
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Code
W210
Start
September 2024
Duration
3 years full-time
Attendance
Full-time
Fees
£9,250 (UK)*
£16,600 (INT)*
Course leader
Claire Lewis

Visual communication through graphic design touches and shapes many aspects of modern life. From mobile apps and interactive posters to pop-up shows and global branding – graphic design is everywhere. Our graphic design degree prepares you for an exciting career that can take you on many diverse paths.

Why choose BA Graphic Design at Middlesex?

Our highly knowledgeable staff will guide you to develop your own creative voice. You'll embrace the recent advancements, developments, and changes taken by the creative industries.

We'll provide technical support to develop your skills using our cutting-edge facilities. These include design workshops such as photographic studios, print rooms and an extensive art and design library.

You will be part of a vibrant community of creatives. Taking part in study trips to London's art galleries and design studios. And our north London location means that you’re able to explore your interests in this design-minded city.

We host regular guest lecturers so you can learn from leading industry professionals. Past lectures have included designers from Media Arts Lab, Futerra, Graphic Thought Facility, Penguin and the BBC. Many of these consistent connections to industry and London result in invaluable work placements and live briefs.

What you will gain

Year after year our students produce outstanding industry-standard work and leave the course with an impressive portfolio to launch their careers – take a look at some of the work from our Creative Graduates 2022 exhibition site.

In your final year, you will develop a professional portfolio that will bring your three years of study together creating a portfolio that represents who you are as a designer. Your portfolio will be exhibited at our degree show, ensuring that creative industry employers see your hard work.

We have a focus on employability and have excellent industry links with many of our students undertaking work placements at top design companies during the second year. Our graduates have gone on to work at places such as the BBC, Penguin, Warner Brothers, Apple and Wolff Olins.

3 great reasons to pick this course

  • Student satisfaction
    90% of students were positive about the level of support from teaching staff (National Student Survey 2023)
  • Wide range of specialist graphic design equipment, print rooms and photography facilities on-site
    You will have open access to fully staffed studios and workshops with expert support to help develop your work
  • Recent graduates work for magazine publishers, design consultants, advertising agencies and media providers all over the world
    including the BBC, Stylist, Penguin, Amazon, Pentagram, Interbrand, Imagination, 20/20, JKR, Ogilvy & Mather and Leo Burnett.

Global experiences at Middlesex

We offer unique global experiences which could include studying part of your degree abroad and doing a placement or volunteering in another country, as well as many international opportunities in London. You'll build your cultural awareness and understanding and get a competitive edge in the job market. You may even qualify for grant funding under the Turing Scheme. Find out more about how studying at Middlesex will increase your global experience.

What you will learn

You'll work on briefs that closely resemble the professional world, gaining transferable experience right from the start.

Throughout your three years practical project work will help you learn how to communicate your ideas. This will be accomplished through a series of assignments in subjects such as branding, typography, editorial design, advertising, art direction, UI/UX, web design and moving image.

The course will equip you with a wide range of employable skills that are highly valued in the industry. Some of the key employable skills you can expect to gain from this course include:

  • The principles of graphic design and visual communication
  • Digital proficiency: you will gain proficiency in using various digital design tools such as Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, and other software applications
  • The development of your creative skills and the ability to learn how to generate unique and innovative design solutions to meet client needs
  • The development of effective communication skills, including presenting ideas and concepts to clients and working collaboratively with other team members
  • Learning how to identify problems and create solutions that meet the needs of clients and target audiences
  • Time management: you will develop skills in managing your time effectively and meeting project deadlines.

Keep informed

Sign up to receive the latest information about studying at Middlesex University London.

Our communications are designed to support you in deciding your future and keep you up to date about student finance, employment opportunities and student activities available at Middlesex University.

Students on BA Graphic Design get to investigate a variety of subjects such as Typography, Branding, Illustration, Motion Graphics, Photography, Interactive, Editorial and Font design to create innovative and effective design solutions.

Please take a look at the galleries below for examples of our students’ work.

BA Graphic Design at Middlesex embraces an experimental, innovative and playful approach to designing for communication.

The flexible structure of the course offers you the opportunity to develop a range of skills across typography, branding, illustration, motion graphics, photography, interactive, user experience (UX) and editorial design.

You will find the right tools and refine your skills to create effective design solutions. This multi-disciplinary approach enables you to find your creative voice and find your place within the dynamic landscape of contemporary graphic design.

Year 1

As you start your degree course at Middlesex, the first year gives you an opportunity to explore and experiment with a wide range of approaches to graphic design. The first year is designed to build your foundational knowledge of typography – the art of working with text which underpins all areas of graphic design practice. You will also engage with a range of media and design skills, from photography to digital illustration, from printmaking to design thinking. Divided into four modules, projects are designed to encourage experimentation and hands-on making, with a focus on the design process, as much as final outcomes. You are invited to think critically about your work by engaging with a range of design ideas, both contemporary and historical.

Year 2

The second year is a stepping stone towards developing your skills, knowledge and identity as a professional designer. Building on key design skills developed in the first year, you will be pushed to strengthen your ability to problem-solve and develop effective design solutions to a range of experimental as well as live briefs. Working across specialist subject areas, such as advertising, editorial design, moving image, branding, and interactive or web design. You are also encouraged to start developing your own creative language and distinctive design skills. In this year you will make a shift towards independent learning and professional practice, preparing you for your future career while still experimenting with your design and growing your critical thinking.

Year 3

In your final year of study, you will concentrate on solving visual communication problems to a professional standard and develop an individual portfolio. Using the skills and knowledge developed in your first and second year, you'll develop self-initiated projects that push the boundaries of graphic design both in terms of your conceptual thinking and visual style. In addition to your Final Major Project, you'll engage with a range of projects and briefs in branding, publishing, publicity, advertising, retail, and interactive media, as well as internationally recognised creative industry competitions. This allows you to develop a rich and diverse portfolio of work, and prepares you for a future career in the industry.

BA Graphic Design at Middlesex is known for its exceptional facilities and studios, which allow you to develop design skills to the highest level. Supported by staff with in-depth knowledge in specialist areas of graphic design – from editorial design and typography to advertising or web design – you are given the tools needed to enhance your learning.

Students are able to develop skills in letterpress, risograph, screen-printing or photography, as well as digital skills through the use of specialist software and technology. You will be guided by staff and technicians, while also using the specialist facilities independently to develop projects and studio briefs to the highest professional standard.

Modules

  • Year 1

    • Design Exploration (30 credits) - Compulsory

      This module will introduce you to a variety of design thinking processes within the field of Graphic Design. You will develop your conceptual ability and come up with creative solutions to a brief. You will be shown how to use typographic content and imagery with contrast, hierarchy and scale change to create original graphic content.

    • Creative Typography (30 credits) - Compulsory

      This module will introduce you to the creative communications potential of typography by providing a strong grounding in fundamental typographic principles such as structure, hierarchy, layout, and terminology. Throughout this module, you will be encouraged to use conceptual creative thinking when exploring the possibilities of typography.

    • Graphic Design Creative Workshops (30 credits) - Compulsory

      This module will provide you with an opportunity to explore a variety of different graphic media so that you can gain an understanding in the value of these media for visual communication. You will be introduced to areas of design such as printmaking, image making, photography, digital design and design thinking. You will be encouraged to have an inventive and experimental response to the use of processes and materials in workshop and studio areas.

    • Understanding Visual Communication (30 credits) - Compulsory

      This module aims to deliver a rich understanding of the chronological development of Graphic Design from its earliest origins to the present day. You will be introduced to the ‘isms’ of Art in the 20th Century and a timeline showing the development of design from early writing to the recording of words and language “the codex” or book.

  • Year 2

    • Graphic Design Practice (60 credits) - Compulsory

      This module will encourage the exploration and development of a graphic visual language within professional practice. You will be taught to integrate and enhance the practices of problem solving and typography developed in earlier modules. You will be encouraged to focus on exploring and refining imaginative visual communication concepts, resolving details and further developing the time management skills needed to meet the deadlines of professional external requirements. Professional practice is an important element of this module and opportunities will be provided to help you develop practice skills through a choice of briefs from internationally recognised design competitions. Advice on building relationships with industry by encouraging you to participate in self initiated placements will be provided. You will also be given the opportunity to investigate design with a social conscience, exploring how design can have a positive impact on society.

    • Graphic Design Communication Workshops (30 credits) - Compulsory

      This module will develop your understanding of specialist subject areas of creative practice through studio and workshop based activities. You will be able to further develop individual approaches in using creative processes analysing, evaluating visual pieces of work and presentation methods. The acquisition of intermediate specialist skills to work effectively in creative workshop areas such as editorial design, moving image, letterpress, coding, three-dimensional design and digital design will be encouraged.

    • Graphic Design Cultures (30 credits) - Compulsory

      This module aims to contextualise contemporary Graphic Designer and current design thinking with developments in technologies and society in the digital age. You will be given the opportunity to develop ideas connecting the recent developments of technologies, looking particularly at the digital nature of design. You will then look at societal changes made possible by the new digital age and to the more fluid role of Graphic Designer in society, including areas of design such as service design and interdisciplinary design. This will all be underpinned by looking in detail at current designers, asking questions about what is coming next.

  • Year 3

    • Graphic Design Major Projects (60 credits) - Compulsory

      This module will enable you to deliver a critical and contextual research project and pursue creative major projects and graphic authorship. You will consolidate the development of skills such as project identification, research organisation and development, time management, visual analysis and critical argument. You will go on to extend the ability to think creatively about the presentation of conceptual, critical and contextual material in both written and visual form. This module aims to enable you to identify and deliver a practice-based research project related to your studio practice which will explore the dialogue between theory and practice. You will be encouraged to develop an individual graphic design style and working methodology to and above the standard required by industry and postgraduate study. One way this will be done is through a self-initiated project to explore the idea of graphic authorship and experimental graphic design.

    • Graphic Design Professional Practice (60 credits) - Compulsory

      The module will enable you to develop your professional practice and extend your range of specialist skills through producing a professional portfolio. You will also be enabled to develop an individual graphic design style and working methodology to and above the standard required by industry and postgraduate study. This will include developing a range of specialist skills in graphic design and visual communication to pursue creative problem-solving projects. You will be provided with the knowledge you need to be at the forefront of your profession and have the confidence to gain successful employment. You will then be able to develop a high-quality portfolio that best reflects your abilities and professional goals

To find out more about this highly regarded course, please download the Graphic Design BA Honours specification (PDF).

  1. Teaching and independent learning
  2. Coursework and assessment

Facilities

The facilities, studios and workshops at our £18 million purpose-built Art and Creative Industries teaching spaces are recognised as amongst the best in the country. With a wide range of specialist equipment, software, and digital media facilities on-site, you'll benefit from unique levels of access to both the latest forms of technology and traditional tools with expert support to help develop your work.

Student support

We offer lots of support to help you while you're studying including financial advice, wellbeing, mental health, and disability support.

Additional needs

We'll support you if you have additional needs such as sensory impairment or dyslexia. And if you want to find out whether Middlesex is the right place for you before you apply, get in touch with our Disability and Dyslexia team.

Wellness

Our specialist teams will support your mental health. We have free individual counselling sessions, workshops, support groups and useful guides.

Work while you study

Our Middlesex Unitemps branch will help you find work that fits around uni and your other commitments. We have hundreds of student jobs on campus that pay the London Living Wage and above. Visit the Middlesex Unitemps page.

Financial support

You can apply for scholarships and bursaries and our MDX Student Starter Kit to help with up to £1,000 of goods, including a new laptop or iPad.

We have also reduced the costs of studying with free laptop loans, free learning resources and discounts to save money on everyday things. Check out our guide to student life on a budget.

How can the BA Graphic Design support your career?

Our Graphic Design degree has an excellent reputation within the design industry and has very strong links with employers. Many of our students undertake placements at top design companies in their second year and our industry partners support us with live projects and give visiting lectures. Hundreds of design agencies, organisations and other employers also attend our final year degree show each year.

Graduate employers

Graduating from this course opens up a wide range of exciting career opportunities. Recent graduates work for magazine publishers, design consultants, advertising agencies and media providers all over the world, including the BBC, Stylist, Penguin, Amazon, Pentagram, Interbrand, Imagination, 20/20, JKR, Ogilvy & Mather and Leo Burnett.

Graduate job roles

Our graduates have the suite of skills and knowledge and creativity to be able to work in a variety of roles in communication design which include:

Art Direction

Art Direction

Account Management

Animation

Book Design

Brand Consultancy

Corporate Design

Design Management

Digital Design

Experience Design

Font Design

Games and App Design

Editorial Design

Environmental Graphics Design

Exhibition Design

Graphic Design

Film

Illustration

Information Design

Interaction Design

Mac Operator

Magazine Design

Motion Design

Packaging Design

Photography

Production Design

Project Management

Retail Design

Strategic Design

Studio Management

Typographic Design

UI/UX Design

Visualiser

Wayfinding Design

Web Design

 

We also support you in securing part-time work, placements, internships, and volunteering opportunities, and offer an enterprise support service for those looking to start their own business.

Further study? You can go on study courses such as our Masters in Graphic Design, Children's Book Illustration and Graphic Novels and Photography.

MDXworks

Our employability service, MDXworks will launch you into the world of work from the beginning of your course, with placements, projects and networking opportunities through our 1000+ links with industry and big-name employers in London and globally.

Our dedicated lifetime career support, like our business start-up support programme and funding for entrepreneurs, has put us in the top 10 UK universities for students who want to be CEOs and entrepreneurs (Hitachi, 2021).

MDXcelerator Student Start-Up Support

Want to be your own boss? You'll have the chance to pitch your business to gain mentoring and grants of up to £15,000.

Global network

You’ll study with students from 122 countries who’ll hopefully become part of your global network. And after you graduate, we'll still support you through our alumni network to help you progress in your chosen career.

  1. UK entry
  2. International entry
  3. Interview and portfolio
  4. How to apply

The fees below are for the 2024/25 academic year:

UK students1

Full-time: £9,250

Part-time: £77 per taught credit

International students2

Full-time students: £16,600

Part-time students: £138 per taught credit

Additional costs

The following study tools are included in your fees:

  • Free access to resources, learning materials and software you need to succeed on your course
  • Free laptop loans for up to 24 hours
  • Free specialist software for your course
  • Free printing for academic paperwork
  • Free online training with LinkedIn Learning.

The following course-related costs are not included in the fees, and you will need to budget for these:

  • Your art materials, for example, a portfolio. (around £100 per year)
  • Optional field trips (approx. £200)

Scholarships and bursaries

To help make uni affordable, we do everything we can to support you including our:

  • MDX Excellence Scholarship offers grants of up to £2,000 per year for UK students
  • Regional or International Merit Awards which reward International students with up to £2,000 towards course fees
  • Our MDX Student Starter Kit to help with up to £1,000 of goods, including a new laptop or iPad.

Find out more about undergraduate funding and all of our scholarships and bursaries.

Fees disclaimers

1. UK fees: The university reserves the right to increase undergraduate tuition fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation and any government guidance or decisions. The tuition fees for part-time UK study are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

2. International fees: Tuition fees are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

Any annual increase in tuition fees as provided for above will be notified to students at the earliest opportunity in advance of the academic year to which any applicable inflationary rise may apply.

Claire Lewis
Programme Leader

Claire has a particular interest in typography and letterpress. She graduated from Staffordshire University and completed her postgraduate studies at the London College of Communication. She is currently combining teaching with professional practice.

Amanda Sleet
Lecturer in Graphic Design

Amanda studied at the Royal College and the Rietveld Academy, Amsterdam. Designer working across disciplines to innovate through design, science and technology, to capture insight into human centred problems.

Janet Ameer
Lecturer in Graphic Design

Janet worked for several leading London design groups and as creative director of Revolution. She is currently working independently as Ameer Design Limited specialising in identities, literature and design for print.

Tom Merrell
Associate Lecturer in Graphic Design

Tom is a digital designer and web developer with 10 years’ experience working for a broad range of clients across culture and commerce with a key understanding of both the design and development of digital products.

David Levett
Graduate Academic Assistant in Graphic Design

After graduating from BA Graphic Design at Middlesex University, David worked at Liquid Investments assisting the Head of Design. He went on to create work for Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Sainsbury’s, London Councils, Euromoney and CRU. David is now recognised as Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

  • Victoria Talbot

    Graphic Design BA graduate

    During her studies at Middlesex University, Victoria won the following awards: Middlesex University Achievement Scholarship; Middlesex University Chancellor's Academic Scholarship; Precedent Communications Scholarship; RSA Design Directions Award; D&AD Student Awards; YCN Book 08-09 Graduate Showcase; Wallpaper* Graduate Directory 2009. Upon graduating Victoria secured a job at her chosen design company, The Church of London, a creative agency specialising in communication through innovative design and creative content where she is now Art Director.

    I came to Middlesex with a great enthusiasm and passion for graphic design. I was encouraged and supported, with a wide range of disciplines and briefs to respond to, which helped me find my own direction. It was fantastic to have so many hands-on creative opportunities from the outset with photography, letterpress, printmaking and 3D design. By the time I reached my third year I had a very clear idea of what I wanted to do when I left.

    I had an opportunity to complete an internship as a part of the course, and exhibited at a Free Range exhibition in central London, which as a new graduate was great exposure. I found the tutors to all be supportive and inspiring people to work with, and the general feeling on the course to be friendly, collaborative and highly motivated.

  • Holly Alderson

    Graphic Design BA graduate

    Holly graduated from Middlesex University having already kicked off her career as a digital designer at a prestigious design agency.

    M & C Saatchi Mobile came to the University during my second year and I took the opportunity to speak to them. I showed them my portfolio to get some feedback, and then found out they had an internship available, which I was ultimately chosen for. In February, I received an email telling me a position for Junior Designer had come up and was offered the job after the second interview.

    I love the facilities at Middlesex. You have the studio space where you can work and see other people’s projects, and you can get inspired by your classmates. Then, you go to the library and mix with other students, such as fashion students, and you can really get inspiration from others’ work too.

  • Henrik Dønnestad

    Graphic Design BA graduate

    My years of studying at Middlesex not only allowed me to find myself and my creative way, but also enhanced and bettered everything I do. Each tutor really understood who I was and helped me accordingly, they gave me advice that drove to knock each project out of the park beyond my own expectations. With their help I really found my direction and for that I’m truly glad. Each brief was a new challenge, helped my learning and tested out new skills. Never had I imagined all these things I would learn beyond graphic design. I had never felt more inspired, motivated and confident before my time at Middlesex University.

    After I graduated from Middlesex University with a first class honours degree and a diverse and strong portfolio, I returned home to Norway where I got hired at the leading newspaper Agderposten Medier as the team’s designer. I have also opened my own online shop where I sell my art and continue to freelance under my brand SPACE BOY.

  • Sebastian Koseda

    Graphic Design BA graduate

    Whilst studying at Middlesex, I found that the professional experience of the tutors truly shone through. Their experience ranges from conceptual development to practical programme knowledge in both digital and print design. I graduated with a diverse but commercially viable portfolio that design studios really respect. The department also has great connections to the industry, which gives you the opportunity to get hands on work experience that looks great on your CV. I did internships for several companies including The Sunday Times and the multi award winning studio Stranger and Stranger.

    With various awards under my belt and a first class degree I was hired within the first month of graduating by my current studio FEED, where I love working. I will be starting my Masters course in September at the Royal College of Art.

  • Michael Harper

    Graphic Design BA graduate

    Upon graduation, Michael was highly praised in the design press for his project BeatCity.

    My experience at Middlesex University has been great. I've graduated with first class honours and I couldn't be happier. I'm the first one out of my immediate family to go to university. The tutors have been a major help throughout. BeatCity was my final major project where we had to select an area that we were personally interested in. I chose branding as this area allows you to explore lots of different areas of design. Having internships throughout the course and straight after graduating has been amazing. I would definitely recommend Middlesex for graphic design.


We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.

Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.

Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.

At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.

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