Illustration and Graphics BA (Hons) at Coventry University

Harnessing your creative skills and turning them in to exciting career prospects is our aim on the Illustration and Graphics BA.

Supported by facilities, industry-standard software, a broad range of workshops and dedicated studio space, this exciting course aims to help prepare you to work in the growing contemporary fields of illustration, graphic design, animation and creative media both in the UK and internationally.

Providing experience in a wide variety of modern and traditional materials, processes and formats – including print, digital, 3D and moving image – we will encourage you to be imaginative, ambitious and resourceful, preparing you professionally for the challenges and opportunities of working in the global creative economy.

You will be supported by staff who are creative practitioners within the fields of Illustration, Animation, Contemporary Art, Design and Music. Their work has been featured on BBC Radio 3, BBC 6 Music, CITV, The Guardian, The Independent, Virgin, Ted Baker, Channel 4, Mixmag, Time Out, Radio Times and Macmillan. Their highly-acclaimed work includes the Guardian award-winning online comic series Dawn of the Unread, creative projects for the Cultural Olympiad London 2012, exhibitions at Bangkok Cultural Arts and Cultural Centre as well as other exhibitions and performances of work at galleries such as The MAC, Aspex, BMAG, The Herbert, The Ethnographic Museum, Krakow and The ICA.

Why Coventry University?

An award-winning university, we are committed to providing our students with the best possible experience. We continue to invest in both our facilities and our innovative approach to education. Our students benefit from industry-relevant teaching, and resources and support designed to help them succeed. These range from our modern library and computing facilities to dedicated careers advice and our impressive Students’ Union activities.

Course information

Taught by professional artists and practitioners this studio-based course will enable you to develop an exciting portfolio of creative work utilising a wide variety of media and technology that is individually directed towards your own professional career goals.

Working through a wide range of project briefs, we aim to improve your ability to generate and develop ideas, creating original and inventive design solutions. We will support you as you develop your own individual illustration style and approach, advancing your narrative storytelling, branding, typography, 3D and professional skills in order to be ready to pursue a career in the creative sector.

Typical graduate portfolios might include illustration and or graphic design for a range of purposes, including: editorial illustration; branding and packaging design; children’s picture books; graphic novels and zines; art direction; motional graphics; 2D, 3D and strop motion animation; character and concept design; printed textiles; interior and production design; and clothing brands.

You will be introduced to the wealth of professional possibilities, contexts and present-day markets for your work across the contemporary creative sector both in the UK and internationally. In fulfilling projects, you may also find yourself involved in design and publicity, the creation of exhibition/sales space, installation and presentation of work, a catalogue or other publicity or sales based materials. 

Career prospects

The course is designed to reflect the expectations of creative, professional practice, encouraging you to produce work of the highest calibre.

Professional experience is embedded into our course and you will have the opportunity to undertake a commission, live brief or competition brief to give you a sense of the demands of working for a client or external agency.

We aim to help you develop skills including independent thought, innovation, imagination, critical reflection and confidence in your practice, as well as transferrable skills suitable for employment across the full breadth of the creative industries. Whether your career goals include publishing or exhibiting, working for clients or as a self-sufficient artist or all of them – you should be able to apply your skills in a variety of contexts and do so with confidence.

Our Creative Futures employment team is on hand to offer tailored career and enterprise support if you wish to gain employment or take advantage of professional practice opportunities within course specific industries. It provides a programme of workshops, embedded learning, lectures, professional experience and one-to-one guidance to help you develop the transferable skills and enterprising habits required for a successful career. Our dedicated enterprise officers also offer valuable assistance on how to begin as a freelancer/entrepreneur. 

Coventry University is committed to preparing you for your future career and giving you a competitive edge in the graduate job market. The University's Careers and Employability team provide a wide range of support services to help you plan and prepare for your career.

Where our graduates work

Our graduates have gone on to enjoy success in a variety of national and international creative and media companies. These range from design studios, video and animation production companies, games companies, magazines, fashion brands, advertising agencies and schools. Others have found work as freelancers for clients such as record labels, streetwear brands, writers and galleries.

Employers of our recent graduates include: Lupos Films, Jam Sutton Studios, Pink Squid Limited, Applio, Strukta Group Ltd, ico Design Partners, Whisper.pr, Cogent Elliot, Abstract, Millennial Media, Extreme CSC and Herts for learning,