Curious about studying Art and Design - BA (Hons)at University of Leeds? We've gathered all the key details—entry requirements, modules, fees, and more. Hear from real students by checking out reviews, or take the next step by booking an open day to explore it for yourself.
Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Main Site
Full Time
Sep 2026
4 Year
Studying our BA Art and Design course teaches you to become a creative and critical thinker, engaging with society and exploring practical applications of art and design. You’ll be equipped with a broad range of resilient skills that are adaptable within the ever-changing design landscape. Through a variety of modules, you’ll learn about creative technologies, art and design theory, and develop the ability to respond creatively to social and environmental challenges in a lasting and positive way.Our course values research activities and contextual studies and sees them as integral to contemporary creative practice. Through making, reading, and writing, you'll become a creative thinker and critical practitioner. You’ll work in multidisciplinary and connected ways in collaboration with others to address the problems and challenges that require imaginative responses.Learning through doing, you’ll develop imaginative and rapid approaches to artefact and image making that utilise the exciting fabrication and digital opportunities of the School of Design. You’ll learn skills in developing and making traditional and digital images and objects, design history and design research, utilising a range of practical skills to critically examine, question and address contemporary challenges.At every stage, you can tailor your optional modules to address your passions and concerns. In addition, you are offered the transformational opportunity to undertake a year in industry or study abroad. The course prepares you to develop final projects that address future challenges and provides you with the skills and knowledge to develop your distinct and personalised approach to creative practice to support your future career.Specialist facilities and supportTake a virtual tour of our facilities.The School of Design offers excellent facilities and technical support for developing your creative skills. We have a range of dedicated spaces where you can work independently. We also have several practical workshop studios and specialist facilities: sculpture programme studio, studio spaces, fashion design studio, knit and weave studio, photography studio, digital print workshop, laser cutting and 3D print workshop, printmaking workshop, XLab for Immersive Technologies and 3D workshop. We provide you with access to a team of excellent technicians across the full range of skills who can help you to realise your work to reach its potential.We also provide a range of other support to enhance the student experience and prepare students for the workplace: free dedicated software, a wide range of technical induction programmes, free access to LinkedIn Learning Tutorials, free camera and video recorder loan, supporting a Degree Show, external promotion, Yorkshire Fashion Archive, visiting speakers from industry or other institutions around the world.Internship opportunity - from 2025/26All School of Design masters students and final year undergraduate students can apply for our internships. Two successful candidates will work with the PACE creative team for six months after finishing their course. Find out more about our Professional Academy for Creative Enterprise (PACE).The internship has helped me grow not only in technical skill but also in adaptability—qualities that are essential in a professional environment.Lucy Clanfield, PACE Intern.Find out more about Lucy Clanfield's experience.
This module involves a range of rapid and team-led design jams as you are taught a variety of design thinking skills that are both broad and discipline specific. Being able to visually communicate design solutions in a range of formats is fundamental to this module – principles of type choice, layout and image usage are taught.
This module provides opportunities to develop the foundational skills of scholarly research, academic writing and critical thinking. You’ll be immersed in key issues and debates informing the changing values and future of design and consider how these have been influenced by social and historical forces. It will equip you with the skills to read and understand academic texts and apply theoretical ideas to your own design practice. You’ll also be introduced to research methods for finding and analysing texts and images.
This module introduces you to the processes of research, design thinking, visualisation, experimentation, development and delivery of images, artefacts and objects integral to contemporary art and design practice. You’ll explore a selection of 2D, 3D, 4D, craft, industrial and digital making processes. The relevance of processes and making to contemporary art and design practice are discussed and you will reflect on the meaning of creative choices and strategies through visual and written research into current critical debates and global challenges addressed by artists, designers and the creative industries.
This module will develop your research and analysis skills and show you how these can be used to tackle the complex challenges faced by society today. You’ll learn how to apply a range of different research methods to explore the role design plays in our lives. This module will equip you with an understanding of how you can use design research to create positive change in the world and the confidence to put this knowledge into practice.
This module teaches skills in planning and designing post digital experiences. Team-based demonstrations introduce you to the potential of emerging technologies that may shape the future of design. You will engage with new media theories that help contextualise your work. Practical principles of designing for physical interaction (such as designing installations or digital experiences) are introduced and you learn how best to present your creative responses using a range of techniques.
This module introduces more advanced methods for the research, development and consolidation of ideas in order to arrive at a critical understanding of the relationship between materials, concepts and processes. You’ll be introduced to visual research methods appropriate for a more focused engagement with creative practice through an advanced understanding of ideas, material processes and critical appraisal.
This module introduces you to innovative ways to present work, research and on-going practice to diverse audiences. You’ll be introduced to relevant and current modes of engaging different audiences, publics and stakeholders in art and design.
The module provides students with the opportunity to explore in-depth concerns that are relevant to contemporary art and design practice. It builds upon skills and understanding developed at Levels 1 and 2. You’ll select from the various media, materials and technologies available on the course to create and develop design, artworks and or artefacts informed by the use of selected references and related research material.
In your final year, you’ll carry out an academic research project, building on the research and analytical skills developed throughout your studies. You’ll select from a range of project types, enabling you to focus on a subject of specific interest, developing the skills required for your future career.
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