In common with all courses at the University of the Arts London, this course is credit rated. The course is 3 years, levels 4-6. Each year requires you to achieve 120 credit points. To be awarded the BA (Hons) Illustration and Visual Media qualification, you need to accumulate a total of 360 credits.

Year one

Unit summary:

• Introduction to Illustration and Visual Media (20 credits).
• Exploration 1 (40 credits).
• Application 1 (40 credits).
• Contextual and Theoretical Studies 1 (20 credits).

At the beginning of year one, you'll be introduced to a range of mediums and media in order to give you a firm base of skills which will help you realise your ideas for set projects. You will also take part in educational visits to museums and exhibitions, which will inform your project work and you'll be involved in group projects and cross year projects to increase your skills in negotiation, collaboration and time management. These are vital key skills needed for pursuing a career in the creative industries.

The year will include introductory sessions to animation, computing, photography and printmaking. The Introduction to HE unit will involve a series of tutorials, seminars and workshops to help you build on the thinking, analysis and production essential for the creative process.

In the exploration unit, you will be taken through all aspects of subject research, data collection, documentation, ideas generation and material experimentation. Workshops in the application unit will involve you in process of creating layout text and image and will teach you to consider a hierarchy of information, typographic structures and image composition. You will start to develop an understanding of narrative and sequence for a range of multimedia outputs.

Year two

Unit summary:

• Collaborative Project (20 credits).
• Exploration 2 (40 credits).
• Application 2 (40 credits).
• Contextual and Theoretical Studies 2 (20 credits).

In year 2 students are encouraged to experiment and explore an individual and personal approach to their illustration and design work. You will be supported in developing your own visual language and philosophy. Students are encouraged to choose from a range of live projects, take part in organised study trips and exhibit both internally and externally.

External industry links form a key part of this year, in relation to exhibiting and responding to live commissions (from organisations including Faber and Faber, John Brown Publishing, Time Out, ICA and the V&A); publishing your work professionally; taking part in cross year workshops and learning to curate; negotiating professional problems, visual languages, networking, self and group promotions and considering your place in professional practice.

In the Exploration unit, you will increasingly broaden your understanding of illustration and visual communication through workshops, text as image experimentation, sequence and narrative workshops. The Application 2 unit will involve the examination of professional structures and opportunities outside of the university.

A wide range of set projects and external projects will help you to consider the role of the contemporary illustrator; of professional life and its relation to your own practice. Students can also apply to take an industry placement year out called the Diploma in Professional Studies, as part of their course.

Diploma in Professional Studies

The Diploma in Professional Studies (DPS) is an optional year-long learning opportunity, allowing you to undertake a variety of internships and professional experiences for a whole academic year in Year 3, as part of a four-year degree. It is a managed year of professional experience largely undertaken in the design profession in a variety of national and international locations.

Successful candidates are selected on a competitive basis from academic performance and studentship, successful completion of the DPS bridging studies and by portfolio and proposal.

Please view the Diploma in Professional Studies Programme Specification (PDF - 164KB) for more details.

Year three

Units summary:

Route A

• Contextual and Theoretical Studies 3 (40 credits).
• Self-initiated Project (20 credits).
• Major Project Studio (60 credits).

Route B

• Contextual and Theoretical Studies 3 (20 credits).
• Self-initiated Project (40 credits).
• Major Project Studio (60 credits).

Year 3 is the culmination of your studies and focuses on your individual development and the combination of your previous teaching and learning into the production of a body of work that can be assessed academically and be presented within an industry scenario.

Via workshops, tutorial, lectures and seminars, you will form a plan that will help you to position yourself professionally. You'll apply your previous experience to a range of both course set subjects or those that you come up with yourself.

When you reach the final year, it may be that you have developed an interest in your dissertation topic and want to place greater emphasis on it - Route A allows you to do this. If on the other hand, you wish to place greater emphasis on studio work by doing a smaller dissertation, you can do so in Route B.

Learning and teaching methods

• Studio workshops.
• Lectures.
• Seminars.
• Critiques.
• Visits.

Assessment methods

• Notebooks.
• Sketchbooks.
• Blogs.
• Evaluative reports.
• Essays.

Course structure

The information outlined is an indicative structure of the course. Whilst we will aim to deliver the course as described on this page, there may be situations where it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, for example, because of regulatory requirements or operational efficiencies, before or after enrolment. If this occurs, we will communicate all major changes to all applicants and students who have either applied or enrolled on the course.

Please note that due to staff research agreements or availability, not all of the optional modules listed may be available every year.

In addition, the provision of course options which depend upon the availability of specialist teaching, or on a placement at another institution, cannot be guaranteed. Please check this element of the course with the course team before making a decision to apply.

Webpage updates

We will update this webpage from time to time with new information as it becomes available. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please complete this register your interest form.