
Ones to watch
Chelsea's BA Graphic Design Communication graduates are using their skills and talent to highlight some of today's global issues.
BA Graphic Design Communication at Chelsea College of Arts actively engages you in the creation and understanding of the rich visual culture that now surrounds us.
Molly Burdett.
Rosie Howe.
Chelsea's BA Graphic Design Communication graduates are using their skills and talent to highlight some of today's global issues.
4,000 people came to the private view at Chelsea to see installations, performances and work by our graduating students.
Each year students from BA Graphic Design Communication submit award-winning entries to real life design briefs from D&AD and this year has seen their success continue; congratulations to the six […]
In the lead up to the 2018 Undergraduate Summer Show, we interview graduating students about their life at Chelsea and how their learning experience has shaped their practice. Originally from […]
This course aims to help you develop a practical and conceptual set of creative tools, while introducing you to the community and practice of graphic design communication. It places a strong emphasis on live projects in collaboration with the creative industries. You will develop your digital and technical skills as well as defining your own practice.
The course has strong links with the creative industries. Our BA Graphic Design Communication students gain commercial experience through exclusive commissions, award schemes and live projects. Many of these lead to job offers on graduating.
BA Graphic Design Communication is offered in full-time mode. It is divided into 3 stages over 3 academic years. Each stage consists of 30 teaching weeks. You will be expected to commit an average of 40 hours per week to your course, including teaching hours and independent study.
A short description of each unit and what you can expect.
This unit is an introduction to your course, the college and the university.
The aim of this unit is to define what a designer’s toolset can be beyond technical skills and approaches to media. You will become aware of a set of creative attributes for you to position and apply to your thinking and making in answering the designer’s brief.
How to develop your own voice and begin to express it. This unit focusses on you as a designer, your skills and your choices.
Introduction to professional practice and the range of models for communication.
Enables you to investigate and engage with contemporary professional practice. You will grow your skills in collaboration, group-working and collective practice.
This unit aims to introduce you to different ways in which collaborative practice can focus and enhance your own creative strengths. The unit has 3 core purposes:
This unit encourages you to further develop your visual literacy skills and knowledge. It will expose you to a wide range of material culture and its’ use in design and society. It will give you an understanding of the function of the designer as both an encoder and decoder of meanings. It will help you to develop the critical skills needed to operate as a flexible practitioner in our fast-changing world.
During this unit you will be exploring personal approaches to design.
This unit consists of a major critical project based around a contemporary argument relevant to the themes of your developing practice and an industry-linked, collaborative live project.
Between year 2 and 3 you can opt to undertake the Diploma in Professional Studies or the Diploma in Creative Computing.
We are committed to making university education an achievable option for a wider range of people and to supporting all of our students in achieving their potential both during and after their courses.
We welcome applications from people with disabilities. If you have a disability (e.g. mobility difficulties, sensory impairments, medical or mental health conditions or Asperger’s syndrome) we strongly encourage you to contact us on disability@arts.ac.uk or +44 (0)20 7514 6156 so that we can plan the right support for you. All enquiries are treated confidentially. To find out more, visit our Disability & Dyslexia webpages.
The standard minimum entry requirements for this course are one or a combination of the following qualifications:
Entry to this course will also be determined by the quality of your application, looking primarily at your portfolio of work, personal statement and reference.
Applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered in exceptional cases. The course team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:
Each application will be considered on its own merit but we cannot guarantee an offer in each case.
All classes are taught in English. If English isn't your first language you must provide evidence at enrolment of the following:
We look for:
Portfolios should show the following:
Please remember:
You must apply through UCAS, where you’ll need the following information:
We recommend you apply by 15 January for equal consideration.
However, this course will consider applications after that date, subject to places being available.
Entry to Year 2 or Year 3:
If you have successfully completed 120 credits (year 1) or 240 credits (year 1 and 2) in the equivalent units or modules on a degree course at another institution and wish to continue your studies at Chelsea College of Arts, you can apply to transfer to year 2 or year 3 respectively. The Admissions Tutor will consider applicants for entry to year 2 and 3 on a case by case basis, subject to places being available on the course. You must apply through UCAS and indicate POE 2 for entry to year 2 or POE 3 for entry to year 3 on your application. Further information can be found in our UAL External Student Transfer Policy.
Deferred entry application:
This course will consider deferred entry applications.
After you’ve submitted your application, you’ll receive a confirmation email providing you with your login details for the UAL Portal. We’ll use this portal to contact you to request any additional information, including inviting you to upload documents or book an interview, so please check it regularly.
We check your application to see if you meet the standard entry requirements for the course. If you do, you’ll be invited to or asked to book onto a suitable date to attend an interview selection event.
You will be expected to bring your portfolio, which will be reviewed by the academics conducting the event.
Please be prepared to talk about your work, what inspires you and your influences. We may not discuss all of these topics at the event.
The event will also give you a chance to meet current students, take a tour of the college and see the facilities.
More details about your interview selection event will be emailed to you once you have chosen or been allocated your date.
Selection for Home/EU applicants happens in a variety of different ways:
If you choose phone or Skype, you will be sent an email requesting that you upload a digital portfolio using UAL’s online portfolio review system.
You will receive the final outcome of your application through UCAS track.
Please note that applicants for this course may be given an alternative offer. This decision will be based on our assessment of your creative and potential interests.
There are 3 ways international students can apply to an undergraduate course at Chelsea College of Arts:
If you are applying via UCAS you will need the following information:
You can only apply to the same course once per year whether you are applying via UCAS, UAL representative or using the UAL online application system. Any duplicate applications will be withdrawn. Read the UAL international application advice for further information on how to apply.
We recommend you apply by 15 January for equal consideration.
However, this course will consider applications after that date, subject to places being available.
Entry to Year 2 or Year 3:
If you have successfully completed 120 credits (year 1) or 240 credits (year 1 and 2) in the equivalent units or modules on a degree course at another institution and wish to continue your studies at Chelsea College of Arts, you can apply to transfer to year 2 or year 3 respectively. The Admissions Tutor will consider applicants for entry to year 2 and 3 on a case by case basis, subject to places being available on the course. You must apply through UCAS and indicate POE 2 for entry to year 2 or POE 3 for entry to year 3 on your application. Further information can be found in our UAL External Student Transfer Policy.
Deferred entry application:
This course will consider deferred entry applications.
After you’ve submitted your application, you’ll receive a confirmation email providing you with your login details for the UAL Portal. We’ll use this portal to contact you to request any additional information, including inviting you to upload documents or book an interview, so please check it regularly.
Whether you’re applying online via UCAS, through a UAL representative or by direct application you will need to complete an Immigration History Check to establish whether you are eligible to study at UAL. If you don’t complete the check we won’t be able to proceed with your application.
We check your application to see if you meet the standard entry requirements for the course. If you do, you will be asked to upload a digital portfolio. Once you have uploaded your portfolio, you’ll be invited to or asked to book onto a suitable date to attend an interview selection event.
You will be expected to bring your portfolio, which will be reviewed by the academics conducting the event.
Please be prepared to talk about your work, what inspires you and your influences. We may not discuss all of these topics at the event.
More details about your interview selection event will be emailed to you once you have chosen or been allocated your date.
Selection for international applicants happens in a variety of different ways:
If you choose phone or Skype your portfolio that you uploaded via UAL’s online portfolio review system will be used during the interview.
Please note that applicants for this course may be given an alternative offer. This decision will be based on our assessment of your creative and potential interests.
Through the Study Abroad programme international students can apply to join an undergraduate course.
For information on how to apply visit the Study Abroad section.
£9,250 (2020/21).
Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students, in line with an inflationary amount determined by government. Please visit our undergraduate tuition fees page for more information.
£22,920 (2020/21).
In addition to tuition fees you are very likely to incur additional costs such as travel expenses and the cost of materials. Please read the information on our additional costs page.
Find out about the accommodation options available and how much they will cost.
Use our search tool to find out more about the scholarships and awards available to students.
The course's links with the creative industries provides our students with opportunities to engage in work-based learning, and often leads to job offers on graduation.
Many of our former students are freelance designers, art directors and moving image specialists. Others have worked for companies including:
Adidas, AKQA, ASOS, Bench, Bompass & Parr, Bradley & Pablo, Burberry, Canon Europe, David James Associates (DJA), Dazed Media, Ditto Press, Dream Works TV, Forth Studio, GFSmith, Glamour magazine, Grey London, Guerrilla Games, Harper Collins, Hato Press, INT Works, It's Nice That, Koto, LEGO Interactive, LOVE magazine, Liquid TV, M&C Saatchi, MSL group, MTV, Mario Testino, Matter Productions, Mother, Net-A-Porter, Nice & Polite, Nike, ODD, Ogilvy & Mather, Orlebar Brown, Passion Pictures, Pentagram, Puma, Radley Yeldar, Rankin Photography, Rattling Stick, Rogue Films, SHOW studio, Sky Arts, Someone, Studio Moross, Suburbia, Temperley London, The Mill, The Office of Optimism, VIACOM, Village, WGSN, Wednesday, Wolff Olins, Wonderland magazine, BBH, Channel 4, Elle magazine, IDEO, Spring Studios, Vogue magazine.
Find out how careers and employability helps our students and graduates start their careers.