BA in Illustration

Our BA (Hons) Illustration degree course aims to give those with a passion for image making and illustration the skills they need to capture and communicate ideas through pictures. We celebrate the challenge of finding your individual visual voice through experimenting, risk-taking and critical reflection. You will also explore how your work can be applied across a wide range of contexts, from commercial work to personally-driven projects.

This course provides an opportunity to develop a wide range of transferable skills and design process knowledge that is highly desirable to employers.

What's covered in this course?

Our challenging and exciting Illustration course will help you develop new skills and different ways of thinking, enabling you to find your own individual, visual voice and prepare you for the ever-changing creative industry.

The course celebrates the synthesis between illustration and all the other visual communication subject disciplines, leading to the development of strong student collaborations that again aims to reflect industry practice.

We support a lively creative community, encouraging the value of peer learning. This learning is supplemented by an integrated workshop programme that provides the opportunity to work alongside and be informed by, industry experts from a wide range of disciplines.

Professional placement year

This course offers a professional placement year. This allows you to spend a whole year with an employer, between the second and third years of your degree and is a great way to find out more about your chosen career. Some students even return to the same employers after completing their studies.

The University will draw on its extensive network of local, regional and national employers to support you in finding a suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study. If you do not find a suitable placement, you will be automatically transferred back to the standard, non-placement version of the course.

Please note that fees are payable during your placement year, equivalent to 20% of the total full-time course fee for that year (£1,850 for UK students).

Why choose us?

1. 93% of students are satisfied with this course (NSS 2022)
2. There will be opportunities to exhibit at high-profile London graduate shows, such as New Designers.
3. You will receive industry insight from significant practitioners. Visitors to the course include Lawrence Zeegen, Aleesha Nandhra, Raj Dhunna Laura Carlin, Russell Cobb, Sarah Fanelli, Le Gun, NoBrow, Joel Millerchip, Luke Tonge, Jonny Hannah, Isobel Greenberg, Dr Sketchy’s Anti-Art School, Paper Cinema, Fabric Lenny, Owen Davey, Lizzie Stewart and Jo Todd-Stanton.
4. Live project partnerships include Tiny Tree Books, Baxter and Bailey, Birmingham Design Festival, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, DanceXchange, Flatpack Film Festival, Playground Games, George at Asda, and Moonpig.
5. Professional practice and core business skills are delivered by outside agencies such as the Association of Illustrators and other external specialists.

First Year

With the support from staff within the School, you will start to develop a real depth of knowledge of illustration practice, as well as other design-related areas. Towards the end of your first year, and into the second, you will receive guidance helping you to select your chosen area of practice within illustration and possible career progression.

Your modules will cover the processes of production within the field of illustration. You will develop entrepreneurial and collaborative skills through the Introduction to Visual Communication module, as well as develop connections across the four different subject disciplines, preparing you for the life of an illustrator.

In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following core modules (totalling 100 credits):

• Introduction to Visual Communication
• Principles & Practice of Illustration
• Enterprise of Illustration
• Discourse

In order to complete this course you must successfully complete at least 20 credits from the following list of optional modules.

• Narrative (Space and Place)
• Narrative (Time and Sequence)
• Narrative (Sound and Movement)
• Narrative (Text and Image)
• Narrative (People and Identity)

Core modules are guaranteed to run. Optional modules will vary from year to year and the published list is indicative only.

Second Year

In your second year of study, you will develop your practice, producing successful commercial outputs through a wide range of different projects and contexts. Your studies will focus on contextualising your chosen discipline within specific aspects of contemporary practice.

Live projects, industry links and competitions form a key part of the curriculum from this stage of the course onwards. We will encourage you to reflect upon your strengths and weaknesses and advise you to build upon achievements in order to improve your performance. Active participation through various workshops and masterclasses is a key part of the second year.

During your second year, you will begin to focus on a specific area of illustration, preparing you for your final year of study. Working alongside a specially assigned tutor, as well as small groups you will identify and research a specific area of illustration practice. This will be supported by seminars and lecturers from industry experts.

In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following core modules (totalling 100 credits):

• Context of Illustration
• Identifying Direction
• Live Project

In order to complete this course you must successfully complete at least 20 credits from the following list of optional modules.

• Work Placement
• Collaborative Practice

Core modules are guaranteed to run. Optional modules will vary from year to year and the published list is indicative only.

Final Year

You will develop sustained and original work which will demand a lot of independent studies. This will culminate in a dissertation, where you will develop and refine your specialist knowledge of a particular area of practice.

Your final year focuses on your professional future, ensuring your project work provides you with the research and skills you need to prepare yourself for after graduation.

You will have the opportunity to showcase your final year project at our Visual Communications graduate show, as well as have the chance to be nominated for a Visual Communication Graduate Award. In the past, we have had award sponsors such as illustrator Dave McKean, photographer Brian Griffin and Trevor Beattie.

In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following core modules (totalling 120 credits):

• Critical Practice
• Major Project

Enhancing employability skills

Throughout the course, you will discover and refine a portfolio of practice which best suits your motivations and aspirations. Through this, you will develop as a creative individual, equipped not only for a career within the illustration spectrum but with the transferable skills to benefit a whole range of professional contexts.

This degree is designed to enhance your skills and aptitude, preparing you for a career within a landscape that is continuously changing. You’ll develop specialist knowledge and understanding within the field of illustration. As a creative practitioner and graduate of this course, you will be able to generate a range of potential ideas and visual solutions. You will have the ability to produce creative work that demonstrates sound judgements in accordance with the theories and concepts of illustration and visual communication subjects, responding to the demands of the industry.

You will develop an in-depth understanding of the relationship between theory and practice through research, allowing you to create meaningful, well-informed work and preparing you to take on further study. You will gain an understanding of the underlying concepts and established principles that govern creative practice.

Alongside this you will establish a range of working strategies, methods and materials, learning how to apply these to production. You will also discover, and respond to, the influence of audiences, clients, markets and other participants in relation to visual communication practice.

Placements

As an Illustration student, you will be encouraged to develop your professional networks. We strongly believe that creating relationships with the industry will enable you to develop your profile and enhance your professional networks. Networking is vital to furthering your opportunity to undertake work placements and paid jobs.

While placements are not a compulsory aspect of this degree you will be encouraged to engage with industry, incorporating this throughout your work. Engagement with industry is a core focus throughout this programme.

You will also be presented with the chance to attend trips and visits which will widen your insight into the working practices of the industry. In addition to this, as a School we have multiple working relationships with organisations, allowing our students to take on professional roles and gain experience.