Everything you need to know...
International/EU: £15,860 per year (£1,200 for placement year)
Employability
94% 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
- Respond to social, technological, economic and political challenges through your work.
- Experiment with a variety of techniques and materials in state-of-the-art studios.
- Work with practising illustrators who bring their experience and networks to the course.
- Master the traditional, new and technological skills you'll need for a successful career.
As you progress through the course you'll develop solutions to illustration problems of increasing complexity. You’ll be supported to create unique and personal responses that embody what the future of illustration can be.
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.
Graduate View
BA (Hons) Illustration graduate Will Rea talks about why he chose to study the course at Sheffield Hallam and how it helped him establish himself as a freelance illustrator and muralist with his recognisable artwork bringing popular venues to life across Sheffield.
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 experiment, engage, contextualise and apply your illustration to a number of professional contexts. You’ll work with external industry partners and have the opportunity to apply for placements. The distinctive portfolio of work you create will demonstrate your unique strengths and prepare you for a successful career after graduation.
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
- 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 Illustration students, visit the course Instagram.
Course leaders and tutors
Applied learning
Work placements
You'll have opportunities to arrange single or multiple work placement/s in between your second and third years. Placements give you real-world experience 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 in each year of the course, working with external partners and live briefs. Our students have worked with Museums Sheffield, Wessex Archaeology and Grimm & Co (Apothecary to the Magical).
Field trips
You’ll have the opportunity to go on study trips and visits 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 the opportunity to meet guest lecturers, graduates and industry practitioners – both within our studios and on field trips to practitioners' studios.
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 Association of Illustrators annual competition and highly commended for the Penguin Books Student Design Award.
Future careers
This course prepares you for future study and careers in
- illustration
- animation
- printmaking
- motion, interactive and games
- children’s books
- surface pattern design
- publishing
- art direction
- digital publishing
Previous graduates of this course have had work commissioned by
- Sheffield Council
- Twinkl Educational Publishing
- BBC Publications
- Wessex Archaeology
- New Balance
- Everton FC
- The Sunday Times
- The Big Issue
- The Economist
- Which Magazine
- Hodder Children’s Publishing
- Templar Children’s Publishing
- Harper Collins
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 software and equipment
- printmaking facilities
- life drawing
- professional print output
- laser printers and risograph
- textile printers
- ceramics
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(to include a relevant subject such as Art, Design and Technology, Textiles, Graphics or Media). 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 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 an art & Design 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.
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: Drawing Processes For Illustration | Credits: 60 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Illustration In Professional Contexts | Credits: 60 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Year 2
| Module | Credits | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Module: Narrative, Character & Animation | Credits: 60 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Illustration In Professional Practice | Credits: 60 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Year 3
| Module | Credits |
|---|---|
| Module: Placement Year | Credits: - |
Final year
| Module | Credits | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Module: Graduation Projects (Illustration) | 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.
