Curious about studying Graphic Design - BA (Hons)at Bucks New University? 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)
High Wycombe Campus
Full Time
Oct 2026
3 Year
With the support of our industry-savvy teaching team, you’ll be encouraged to push boundaries and experiment across a variety of media. You’ll master the fundamentals of graphic design. From typography and layout to narrative structure and conceptual thinking, you’ll graduate with a stand-out portfolio, that’ll blow employers away.
Why study BA (Hons) Graphic Design at BNU?Industry ConnectionsWith a history of delivering industry-standard graphic design education for more than 30 years, this established course is well-known within the industry. Many of our course alumni are now making waves within the design world, both nationally and internationally, and often come back for guest visits, talks, workshops and even to set a brief or two! Led by our enthusiastic and dedicated team of design practitioners and experienced academics, you’ll benefit from their industry knowledge, as well as the network of professionals they bring to the course. You’ll benefit from direct access to guest lectures and live project briefs, master classes, and plenty of networking chances. As well as this you’ll have the opportunity to enter a range of industry-established competitions.
FacilitiesOur Graphic Design course is situated in an open plan studio alongside the creative advertising and illustration courses, meaning you get to experience how a working advertising and design agency would run in the real-world.The course is located within the School of Art, Design and Performance, giving you access to a community of creative learners and diverse resources to help you achieve your creative outcomes. You’ll be encouraged to explore both traditional and current mediums to craft your design solutions, you can do this through our:silkscreen equipmentplotter cuttersletterpress equipmentphotography studioslitho equipmentlaser cutting3D printing technologyiMac Suites with Adobe Creative CloudYou also benefit from our specialist technicians and demonstrators on site, who can support you in bringing your ideas to life.
What will I study?On this graphic design course, you’ll develop your individual for individual visual and creative problem-solving skills, whilst also gaining the knowledge and confidence to enter and negotiate your career in this challenging, but exciting field.Over the course of the graphic design degree, you'll be given lots of opportunities to explore the diverse world of graphic design and its practice, including vital skills in creative image making, research methods, team working, project management, presentation skills, design strategy, art direction and independent learning. Through practical hands-on, project-based learning you'll explore the fundamental core aspects of the subject like typography, narrative structure, hierarchy, layout and composition, information design, image creation and conceptual thinking skills.You’ll also develop your historical perspectives, research, and writing skills and gain the academic grounding on which to develop critical understanding and practical application. During your studies you’ll be encouraged to take risks in your work and learn to challenge established languages and processes through questioning and individual experimentation. All our modules on this course reflect this ethos, they’re in place to help you form and consolidate presentation, critical and strategic thinking, and complex problem-solving skills, whilst at the same time developing and refining practical design abilities.This course is also offered as a four-year programme, including an initial Foundation Year. The Foundation Year is a valuable stepping-stone, enabling you to enhance your academic study skills, bolster your confidence, and identify your individual strengths and areas for growth as you prepare for progression into the undergraduate program.
This interdisciplinary theory-based module introduces you to the skills and perspectives needed to research, analyse, speak and write about images, objects and designed spaces. It familiarises you with historical and contemporary topics and issues, alongside the development of skills in research, critical analysis and communication, and interpretive strategies appropriate to studio-based art & design disciplines.
This module will introduce you to a range of creative skills taught in the Red Shed Workshops, as well as through Adobe technologies. These are skills you will use throughout your time at BNU and into industry. You'll develop a range of approaches and develop executions that communicate across a range of media to reach a defined audience. You will be able to evaluate the specific skills you are learning and contextualise the appropriateness of each through creative briefs, as you start to hone your creative and communication skills.
This module supports you to explore, critically reflect, and understand how the various applications of type and image can be employed for the purpose of communicating messaging and meanings to an intended audience. This module has been designed to provide orientation in initiating and executing a project via a brief.
This module provides the basis for establishing key methods of working which are fundamental to a conceptual and creative course. Its key purpose is to change the way you think in your approach to solving problems and idea generation, through a series of diverse activities and projects to broaden your perceptions, experience, and reference points.
This is a practical hands-on module comprising of workshop-based activities and projects based on the design cycle to manifest ideas utilising the following: Sketch book skills, hand drawn and digital typography, collaging and mastering a range of drawing techniques.
On this module you’ll be presented with key global debates which impact our lives and could influence your creative practice and positions as creatives in ever-changing professional industries. Through research and critical reflection, you’ll explore these issues which may be related to sustainability, politics and other ecological or socio- economic factors, and respond to them creatively using your chosen discipline-specific practice.
Drawing on the knowledge, understanding and skills acquired at Level-4, this module offers a more focused and critical approach to issues and concerns surrounding visual and material culture, and contemporary art & design practice.
This module aims to support your employability by encouraging you to consider and evaluate your graphic design and illustration practice within a professional context, and to develop an understanding of the key considerations required to develop and support practice.
This module requires you to explore and expand your subject knowledge of editorial design, both intellectually and practically. You’ll have the opportunity to utilise, either or both, digital and print contexts, through the creative act of generating ideas, content, development, visualising using type, image, layout, composition, and sequencing.
The module helps you to identify and/or solve a problem/s, compare and test a variety of ideas, and explore and experiment with intellectual and creative content to effectively apply creative and professional outcomes within the context of a branded experience.
This industry focused module helps you better understand the creative standards needed to work in a contemporary design and communications industry and encourage a wider appreciation and understanding of the creative sector, and its social and ethical responsibility.
You are provided with an opportunity to sustain the creative dialogue between your research and subject-based practice, enabling you to establish your professional and creative identity through a self-directed brief/proposal.
The Level 6 Contextual and Historical Studies Dissertation is a distinguishing feature of a BA (Hons) studio-based discipline. The dissertation is a response to your emerging, subject specific interests and a chance to showcase your academic and communication skills in your chosen format.
This module will enhance your understanding and appreciation of the roles, relationships, and responsibilities that can play a major part in progressing and sustaining your professional practice. Extending your work in relation to career aspirations, you’ll develop visual, verbal and written presentation skills to support communication with employers.
This puts focus on knowledge and skills to support professional practice in the visual arts, design and the creative industries. You’ll develop in-depth knowledge of your chosen field of practice, which will support the critical appraisal process and inform the social and professional context for your work.
This module encourages you to respond to a relevant work-based learning opportunities including industry briefs, competition entries or a personally initiated live project by negotiation with your tutor.
4.4Bucks New University (BNU) is a student-focused university based in High Wycombe, with over 130 years of educational his...
