Illustration BA (Hons)
Cardiff Metropolitan University
Student rating
This is the overall rating calculated by averaging all live reviews for this uni on Whatuni.
( 4.3) View reviews

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Different course options
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Qualification

Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

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Location

Cardiff Met - Llandaff

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Study mode

Full Time

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Start date

SEP-25

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Duration

3 Years

Course info

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Qualification

Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

Location

Cardiff Met - Llandaff

Study mode

Full Time

Start date

SEP-25

Duration

3 Years

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Subjects

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Art & Design
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Exam type

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A level
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Scottish Advanced Higher
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UCAS Tariff
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Access to HE Diploma
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International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
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Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
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OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma
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OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
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Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
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Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
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Welsh Advanced Skills Baccalaureate (first teaching September 2023)
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Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)
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England
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Scotland
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Wales
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Northern Ireland
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EU
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Course info

Illustrations are active images; they always have a purpose, making sense of complex ideas. As illustrators, you will work to enable understanding of the everyday - from enriching literature and poetry, to responding to societal issues from science and medicine to politics and economics. You will develop rich imaginative responses to build your unique practice, inviting your audiences in.With core skills in drawing and narrative you will explore and experiment with materials, developing a range ...Read more

Illustrations are active images; they always have a purpose, making sense of complex ideas. As illustrators, you will work to enable understanding of the everyday - from enriching literature and poetry, to responding to societal issues from science and medicine to politics and economics. You will develop rich imaginative responses to build your unique practice, inviting your audiences in.With core skills in drawing and narrative you will explore and experiment with materials, developing a range of both technical skills to find your own visual languages with which to tackle challenging subject matter.Through our unique curriculum you will grow a practice that is defined in its purpose not only by how you make your work but importantly by what the work is about, and how it communicates, underpinned theoretically and historically.You will test your illustrations in a variety of environments and scenarios – exploring beyond the immediate world of the illustrator through, for example; animation, film, printed and digital media to contextualise and articulate your discipline, enriching your work with a greater understanding of the environment it operates in.Illustration is constantly extending its reach. Whether it’s working with clients and collaborators or authoring and directing your own projects, you will graduate with a multitude of transferable skills.As students in illustration you will join our Vertical Studio where you will explore, examine and reveal the discipline through dynamic conversations, debates and presentations, unlocking the power of illustration.The challenge is to understand and use visual trends in a critical way, whilst developing your own unique approaches – all while taking into account the power of images in a visually saturated world. Through the three years of study you will shape your own unique practice so that it speaks in a way that is inclusive of your audience.

Key stats

WUSCA ranking:
WUSCA student ranking
These are the 2024 rankings, based on ratings given by past and current students.
20/101
CUG Subject Ranking
CUG Subject Ranking
Source: Complete University Guide 2025
27th
CUG Ranking
CUG Ranking
Source: Complete University Guide 2025
62nd
Design Studies
Drop-out rate
Drop-out rate
The percentage of students who didn't finish the course.
Calculated by 100% - (% of students continuing course + % of students completed course)
100 - 75 = 25% Drop-out rate Source: UNISTATS, 2019
25%
Employment rate
Employment rate
The percentage of students in full-time work 6 months after finishing their course.
Source: UNISTATS, 2019
95%
Average salary
Average salary
Source: UNISTATS, 2019
Design Studies graduate salary at this uni
£15,000
UK Design Studies graduate salary
£17,000
What students say
E
Edward
18 Feb 25

It's..Read more

A
Annie
18 Feb 25

It’s a bit difficult to get to but manageable I like the course tutors a..Read more

Modules

Modules (Year 1)
Modules (Year 2)
Modules (Year 3)
IDP Connect

Entry requirements

Exam type

A level

A level:

CCC - BBB Grades / Points required

Scottish Advanced Higher:

DDD - CCC Grades / Points required

UCAS Tariff:

96 - 120 Grades / Points required

Access to HE Diploma:

D:33,M:0,P:12 Grades / Points required

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme:

24 Grades / Points required

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017):

H2,H2,H2,H2 Grades / Points required

OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma:

Not currently available, please contact university for up to date information.

OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma:

MMM - DDM Grades / Points required

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016):

Not currently available, please contact university for up to date information.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016):

MMM - DDM Grades / Points required

Welsh Advanced Skills Baccalaureate (first teaching September 2023):

Not currently available, please contact university for up to date information.

Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015):

Not currently available, please contact university for up to date information.

Other grade combinations totalling 96 - 120 points considered with a minimum of two A levels.

Other grade combinations totalling 96 - 120 points considered with a minimum of two Scottish Advanced Highers.

96 - 120 points to include 2 A levels or equivalent.

96 - 120 points, other grade combinations accepted.

24 points to include portfolio.

Other grade combinations totalling 96 - 120 points considered with a minimum of two H2 grades. Minimum grade H4 considered within points.

96 - 120 points, considered in combination with other Level 3 qualifications.

Not currently available, please contact university for up to date information.

96 - 120 points, considered in combination with other Level 3 qualifications.

Not currently available, please contact university for up to date information.

Welsh Advanced Skills Baccalaureate considered as the third subject

Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate considered as the third A level

Popular A-level subjects

Design Studies

Top 5 A-levels taken by students who study this subject at uni.

Art & Design
56%
Product Design
21%
English Literature
13%
Photography
12%
Fashion & Textiles
12%
HESA

Tuition fees

Students living in

England

£9,250 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from England

This is the fee you pay if you live within England. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within England. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£9,250 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from Scotland

This is the fee you pay if you live within Scotland. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within Scotland. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£9,250 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from Wales

This is the fee you pay if you live within Wales. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within Wales. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£9,250 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from Northern Ireland

This is the fee you pay if you live within Northern Ireland. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within Northern Ireland. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£9,250 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from Channel Islands

This is the fee you pay if you live within Channel Islands. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within Channel Islands. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£16,000 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from EU

This is the fee you pay if you live within the European Union. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within the European Union. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£16,000 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from International

This is the fee you pay if you are an International student. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£16000 Per year

UCAS/IDP Connect

Latest reviews

Latest Illustration reviews

Illustration
Illustration
E
Edward
18 Feb 25
Illustration BA (Hons)
It's...
Read more
A
Annie
18 Feb 25
Illustration BA (Hons)
It’s a bit difficult to get to but manageable I like the course tutors a...
Read more
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How Illustration students rated:

Student rating
( 4.1) 29 reviews
5 star
32%
4 stars
48%
3 stars
20%
2 stars
0%
1 star
0%

How all students rated:

Student rating
( 4.3) 1,766 reviews
5 star
45%
4 stars
43%
3 stars
11%
2 stars
1%
1 star
0%
Search reviews that mention

Uni info

Cardiff Metropolitan University
Cardiff Metropolitan University , Cardiff

Cardiff Metropolitan University’s history spans over 150 years....

Student rating
( 4.3) View reviews
CUG ranking
62nd
Cardiff Metropolitan University
Cardiff Metropolitan University Western Avenue Cardiff CF5 2YB United Kingdom
Nearest train station: Danescourt  0.6 miles away
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