Everything you need to know...
International/EU: £15,860 per year (£1,200 for placement year)
Employability
98% of our graduates are in work or further study fifteen months after graduating (2019/20 Graduate Outcomes Survey).
Come to an open day
Find out more at our undergraduate open days. Book now for your place.
Course summary
- Explore and experiment with traditional and future-facing techniques and materials.
- Develop the confidence and skills required to utilise new technologies in the pursuit of innovative and creative solutions.
- Work with practising designers who bring their experience and networks to the course.
- Develop your understanding of user experience (UX) as a key part of design practice.
We prepare you for the continually expanding field of graphic design, through projects which respond to social, technological, economic and political challenges. We equip you with the knowledge and confidence required to create solutions and tell stories that make and communicate positive change in the world.
Creative UK membership
We are members of Creative UK, which means our art and design students are also members until they graduate. With 10,000 members in its network, Creative UK represents, champions and supports the UK’s creative industries, advocating on the issues that matter the most to creative communities.
View our students' work
View our gallery of student work and learn more about the exciting projects they've been working on this year.
Student View
Watch student Annie Neilson talk about what it’s like to study on this course.
How you learn
All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.
You’ll learn the emergent principles of graphic design, including user experience (UX) and digital storytelling, using creative research methods to develop and test your ideas. The distinctive portfolio of work that you create from these experiences will demonstrate your unique strengths and interests to prospective employers when you graduate.
You can opt to graduate with BA (Hons) Graphic Design, or BA (Hons) Graphic Design (User Experience Design).
You’ll learn through
- problem-based and practical activity-based sessions
- applied industry (live) projects
- group work and collaboration
- workshops
- working with industry visitors
- lectures
- self-directed study
- group and individual tutorials
- exhibitions and presentations
- study trips
- independent study
- demonstrations
- Blackboard online learning portal
- presentations and feedback sessions
Take a look at the department's Instagram and TikTok to see what innovations and creations our students have been working on. For content directly from our BA Graphic Design students, visit the course Instagram.
Course leaders and tutors
Joanne Lee
Senior Lecturer in Graphic DesignI am a photographer, writer, researcher and publisher with a curiosity about everyday things and the ordinary places in which I live and work.
Applied learning
Work placements
You’ll have the opportunity to arrange a single or multiple work placement/s in between your second and third years, to prepare you for your future career. You may also be able to work or study abroad with the possibility of funding through the Erasmus+ programme (until 2023) or the Turing scheme.
Live projects
You’ll engage in authentic work experiences with external partners and using live briefs. Our students have worked with the NHS, social change charity Good Things Foundation, the BBC, and design studios and agencies such as Why Not Associates and Graphic Thought Facility.
Field trips
There’ll be opportunities to go on study trips in the UK and abroad – with free travel and accommodation for all mandatory field trips. These could include workshops, design conferences or visits to practitioners’ studios, museums and special collections. You may further enhance your studies with optional field trips, though these will incur additional costs. Recently the course has visited Dublin, Reykjavik, New York and Tokyo.
Networking opportunities
You’ll have regular opportunities to meet guest lecturers, graduates and industry practitioners within the university, as well as on field trips to practitioners’ studios and conferences.
Competitions
You’re supported to develop and showcase your professional creative work by entering national and international competitions. Our students are winners of competitions such as the RSA Student Design Awards.
Future careers
This course prepares you for future study and careers in
- graphic design
- user experience design
- designing for environments and three-dimensional spaces
- editorial and digital publishing
- motion graphics and animation
- illustration and printmaking
- branding and identity
- advertising
- design strategy and policymaking
Previous graduates of this course now work for studios and agencies such as Jaywing, GBH and Why Not Associates. They design services and resources at major companies like BT, Coop and G4S, conduct research at the Department for Education and work as teachers, freelance photographers and entrepreneurs.
Where will I study?
You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
City Campus
City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.
City Campus map | City Campus tour | Keeping safe on Campus
Adsetts library
Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreEquipment and facilities
You'll have access to a wide variety of facilities across the university campuses – including a 24-hour learning centre, Students’ Union, cafes and eateries, lecture theatres, exhibition spaces and more. You'll be based in a fully equipped and purpose-designed studio, with state-of-the-art facilities including
- industry-standard computer hardware and software
- Adobe Creative Cloud
- digital fabrication and rapid prototyping
- a Creative Media Centre supporting photography, film and sound
- digital and analogue print facilities including screenprinting, etching, letterpress and risograph
Learn more about your department
Art and Design facilities tour - shared workshops
Take a look around the shared workshops in the Department of Art & Design at Sheffield Hallam University.
Entry requirements
All students
UCAS points
- 112
This must include at least 64 points from two A levels, or equivalent BTEC National qualifications. For example:
- BBC at A Level.
- DMM in BTEC Extended Diploma.
- A combination of qualifications, which may include AS levels, EPQ and general studies.
You can find information on making sense of UCAS tariff points here and use the UCAS tariff calculator to work out your points.
GCSE
- English Language or Literature at grade C or 4 or equivalent
• Access - an Access to HE Diploma with at least 45 credits at level 3 and 15 credits at level 2. At least 18 level 3 credits must be at merit grade or above, in a media-related programme from a QAA-recognised Access to HE course, or an equivalent Access to HE certificate.
If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills or equivalent. If your English language skill is currently below IELTS 6.0 we recommend you consider a Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve an equivalent English score.
We welcome applications from people of any age. We may be flexible in our normal offer if you can show a commitment to succeed and have the relevant skills and experience. This must show that you will benefit from and finish the course successfully.
Portfolio review
If your application is successful you will receive an email inviting you to submit your portfolio by email and submission details by an online google form.
The portfolio helps us understand whether we are able to offer you a place on the course you’ve applied for. Your UCAS statement and portfolio provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate your creative experience, potential ability and enthusiasm for the course you’ve applied for. Visit our portfolio review guidance
Please note the University will only admit students who are aged 18 or over at the point of enrolment.
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Modules
Module and assessment information for future years is displayed as currently validated and may be liable to change. When selecting electives, your choices will be subject to the core requirements of the course. As a result, selections may be limited to a choice between one of two or more specified electives in some instances.
You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.
Year 1
| Module | Credits | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Module: Graphic Design Practice | Credits: 60 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Graphic Design Principles | Credits: 60 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Year 2
| Module | Credits | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Module: Graphic Design In Context | Credits: 60 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Graphic Design In Production | Credits: 60 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Year 3
| Module | Credits |
|---|---|
| Module: Placement Year | Credits: - |
Final year
| Module | Credits | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Module: Graduation Projects Graphic Design | Credits: 120 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fee for UK students starting full-time undergraduate study in 2023/24 is £9,250 per year. These fees are regulated by the UK government and are therefore subject to changes in government policy. During your placement year you will pay a reduced fee of £1,200.
† If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2023/24 is £15,860 per year. During your placement year you will pay a reduced fee of £1,200.
Financial support for home/EU students
How tuition fees work, student loans and other financial support available.
Additional course costs
This link allows you to view estimated costs associated with the main activities on specific courses. These are estimates and, as such, are only an indication of additional course costs. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
Additional costs for Art and design courses (PDF, 272.7KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.
Financial support for home/EU students
How tuition fees work, student loans and other financial support available.
