BA (Hons) Graphic Design at Nottingham Trent University

Learn and develop as an ambitious graphic designer on this studio-based degree. You'll work alongside like-minded creatives, exploring all aspects of visual communication in a vibrant studio environment.

We’ll encourage you to think creatively during your time at NTU, gaining professional and technical skills that reflect current and future industry practice.

By the end of your degree, you’ll have a professional portfolio tailored to your own career aspirations. Graduates secure roles in fields such as art direction, advertising, branding and identity, design for screen and interactive design, editorial design, illustration, motion graphics and publishing.

Key features

• This course produces students that are in high demand - 94% of graphic design students are in employment or further study within six months of graduating (DLHE survey 2016/17).
• We're ranked 12th best University for Art and Design in the UK. (The Complete University Guide 2021).
• 92% of our undergraduate students are satisfied with the quality of this course.(National Student Survey 2020).
• Study a broad range of disciplines including branding, editorial design, graphic design, illustration, interactive design, information design, motion graphics and typography.
• Learn in a creative studio environment, using industry-standard equipment and software.
• Work on live briefs with companies like Brand Opus, JKR, Elmwood and Vault 49.
• Develop your professional skills through self-initiated work experience placements, industry competitions, collaborations with organisations and guest lectures.
• Go on optional study visits to cities like New York and Berlin.
• Opportunity to apply for a European or international exchange to one of our partner institutions, such as RMIT in Australia.
• Develop a professional portfolio tailored to your own career aspirations.
• Showcase your work at the NTU Degree Show, with the opportunity to be selected to exhibit at other portfolio events, such as New Designers and D&AD New Blood in London.
• Our graphic design degree has an excellent reputation for producing industry-ready, interdisciplinary graduates.
• Gain a professionally accredited degree – this course is accredited by the Chartered Society of Designers (CSD).
• We are proud to be in the top ten in England and Wales for Art and Design (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2020).

Careers and employability

This course has an excellent employment rate, with 94% of students in employment or further study six months after graduating (DLHE 2016/17). Many graduates secure jobs at well-known design consultancies.

Some choose to use their skills in other fields, such as teaching and management, while others go on to set up their own business or work on a freelance basis.

Graduates from this course go into a range of roles. Recent examples include:

• designer, Unidays
• junior designer, McCann Birmingham
• junior designer, Pentland Brands
• product development, Bakerdays
• freelance artist, Advocate AA
• junior designer; Landor
• junior motion designer; DixonBaxi.

YouFirst – working with our Employability team

Studying a creative degree in a large university has many benefits, none more so than having access to a large employability team.

Our friendly, experienced careers consultants from our NTU Employability team will work closely with you at every stage of your career planning, providing personal support and advice you won't find in a book or on the Internet.

You can benefit from this at any time during your studies and for up to three years after completing your course.