2024/25 Undergraduate Programme Catalogue

BA Art and Design (For students entering from September 2024 onwards)

Total credits: 360

Entry requirements:

Entry Requirements are available on the Course Search entry

School/Unit responsible for the parenting of students and programme:

The School of Design

Examination board through which the programme will be considered:

Relevant QAA Subject Benchmark Groups:

Art and Design

Programme specification:

The information on this page is accurate for students entering the programme from September 2024. For students who entered the programme before September 2024, you can find the details of your programme:

BA Art and Design

The BA Art and Design course supports students to become creative and critical thinkers, engaging with society and exploring practical applications of art and design. Students will be equipped with a broad range of resilient skills that are adaptable within the ever-changing design landscape. Through a variety of immersive modules, students will learn about innovative technologies, art and design theory, and develop the ability to respond creatively to global challenges in a lasting and positive way.

The course values research activities and contextual studies and sees them as integral to contemporary creative practice. Students will work in multidisciplinary and connected ways in collaboration with others to address the problems and challenges that require imaginative responses.

Learning through doing, students will develop creative rapid approaches to artefact and image making that utilise the exciting fabrication and digital opportunities of the School of Design. Students will learn skills in traditional and digital image making, sculpture, design history and design research, utilising a range of practical skills to critically examine, question and address global challenges.

In the first year, students will learn about design culture, the histories and technologies relating to art and design, and how societal change drives creative practice. Students will gain research and analysis skills and write critical essays in response to contemporary and historical design perspectives. We introduce skills in visual communication for a range of purposes. At Level 1 students will also be creatively challenged by varied design ‘jams’ to establish skills in rapid creative idea generation. Simultaneously, students will engage with an exciting range of practical design projects, starting to build their portfolio from Year 1. 

In the second year, students develop an awareness of professional standards within art and design as they expand their portfolio of practical work. Students use their academic knowledge to conduct and undertake critical analysis and evaluation, creating art and design-led responses to a variety of creative challenges.

Students will also study skills in interaction and experience design to understand how emerging technologies are shaping the creative industries across a range of disciplines. They will also learn about more advanced ways of conducting research in industry.

Between year 2 and year 3 students are offered the opportunity to take part in the Study Abroad scheme or a placement year (Year in Industry). For many students the placement year is a great opportunity to experience the reality of the art and design industry, applying the knowledge and skills they’ve developed on the programme in commercial contexts.


All of this will prepare students for their final year, in which they’ll apply all of the practical and academic skills already gained. This will culminate in creative projects, where students demonstrate their advanced art and design insights and communication skills. They are given room to expand their interests with two independent projects that will demonstrate in-depth research and rigorous responses to a topic in the field.


Given the balance of research and practice skills students will graduate with the flexibility, adaptability and resilience that employers are looking for. Students also develop excellent communication and digital skills during their studies.

Year1 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

Compulsory modules:

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory modules

Optional modules:

Candidates will be required to study 20 credits from the following optional modules:

Candidates can choose to take one of the following modules, or 20 credits of Discovery modules.

Discovery modules:

Year2 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

We are currently refreshing our courses to make sure students have the best possible experience. Full module details for years 2 and 3 are not yet available. Before you enter years 2 and 3 details of modules for those years will be provided.

Compulsory modules:

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory modules

- Ideation, Technologies and Material - 40 Credits
- Design Studies: Exploration - 20 Credits
- Design for Interaction & Experience - 20 Credits

Optional modules:

Candidates will be required to study 20 credits from the following optional modules:

- Book Arts - 20 Credits
- Advanced Branding - 20 Credits

Candidates can choose to take one of the following modules, or 20 credits of Discovery modules.

- Contemporary Photography - 20 Credits
- Advanced Colour - 20 Credits

Discovery modules:

Year3 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

We are currently refreshing our courses to make sure students have the best possible experience. Full module details for year 3 are not yet available. Before you enter year 3 full details of modules for that year will be provided.

Compulsory modules:

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory modules

- Self-directed Project - 40 Credits
- Major Research project - 40 Credits
- Art & Design Innovation - 20 Credits

Optional modules:

Candidates can choose to take one of the following optional modules, or 20 credits of Discovery modules.

- Social Design - 20 Credits

Discovery modules:

Last updated: 29/04/2024 16:04:45

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• Undergraduate module catalogue
• Taught Postgraduate module catalogue
• Undergraduate programme catalogue
• Taught Postgraduate programme catalogue

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