Curious about studying Illustration - BA (Hons)at University of Staffordshire? 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)
Stoke-on-Trent Campus
Full Time
Sep 2026
3 Year
Our Illustration degree is ideal if you're interested in image-making, visual communications, printmaking, visual storytelling or animation. You’ll become a versatile illustrator and will establish a personal voice and vision within an engaging portfolio of work. With an emphasis on creative visual thinking and craft, this course reflects the rich and diverse nature of contemporary image-making, inviting you to challenge its boundaries through both digital and craft-based media. Our flexible studio space fosters an integrated approach to learning and we encourage you to collaborate, experiment and engage in a wide range of related visual practices. These include: image making techniques, drawing for illustration, illustration for information and promotion, photography and art direction, visual storytelling, editorial/book illustration, and crafts and animation. On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: BA (Hons) Illustration
This introductory contextual module enables you to explore diverse cultural identities and examine how they influence creative expression. You will choose a topic related to your discipline and undertake guided research that informs the development of a creative artefact or technical output using materials and processes of your choice. Through investigating and celebrating cultural identities, you will develop a stronger understanding of the relationship between culture and creative practice, supporting your transition into higher-level study.
Ready to discover your visual voice as an illustrator? This Level 4 module introduces you to the foundations of illustration and its place within the creative industries. Through a series of practical briefs, youll experiment with drawing, mark making, printmaking, life drawing, and both traditional and digital image-making. Youll develop observation, research, and visual problem-solving skills while building confidence in your own visual language. The module supports your progression into visual communication study and creative practice.
How do images tell stories and communicate meaning across platforms? In this module, youll build on your illustration practice by exploring visual storytelling and sequential image-making. Through experimental briefs, youll develop narrative, character, composition, colour, and pacing while working across traditional, digital, and hybrid media. Youll explore how different media shape meaning, including animation principles and storyboarding, to expand your visual language. The module strengthens your creative thinking and problem-solving skills, supporting your progression in illustration and visual communication practice.
How can creative practice respond responsibly to the challenges facing society today? This module introduces you to key social issues and explores how culture and creative work can reflect, question, and respond to them. You may investigate topics such as sustainability and climate change, inequality, representation, migration, or social justice. Working in a small group, you will create a sustainable and ethical creative project informed by research and contextual understanding. Through reflection, you will develop teamwork, communication, and critical thinking skills that support your growth as a socially aware creative practitioner.
How do creative teams tackle real-world problems together?In this module, youll collaborate in interdisciplinary teams to explore themed, problem-based projects that respond to contemporary social and cultural challenges. Youll develop collaborative, reflective and creative thinking skills through teamwork, co-design and professional-style project processes. By engaging with diverse perspectives and working across creative disciplines, youll gain insight into your own strengths and contributions, supporting your development as a confident, adaptable creative practitioner within your overall qualification and future career.
How can illustration communicate powerful ideas drawn from both fact and fiction?At Level 5, this module asks you to apply and share your developing illustration practice through clear intent and audience-focused visual storytelling. Youll explore how imagery can advocate, inform, and add meaning to written content, working across factual and fictional narratives. Through research-led experimentation using digital and analogue media, youll develop professional outcomes that demonstrate strong visual literacy, ethical awareness, and effective communication for diverse audiences, supporting your progression within contemporary illustration practice.
How can illustration influence, inform, and inspire real audiences?In this Level 5 module, youll apply your illustration skills to convey meaning and create impact through powerful visual communication. Working on industry-relevant briefs, youll explore how imagery can advocate and inform, creating illustrations that matter. Through research-led experimentation across digital and analogue media, youll develop professional, audience-focused outcomes that strengthen your visual language to prepare you for contemporary illustration practice and creative careers.
Is there an area of cultural production that you are passionate about, and you want to find out more? This module gives you that opportunity to conduct a significant critical investigation to explore an aspect of creative practice and culture more deeply than you have before. Whether you produce a written report, an audio essay, or an interactive digital publication, the process that you follow in this module will enable you to further enhance your critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills, and ultimately help you to gain a better understanding of your specialist field.
In this self-directed module, youll develop a major project that reflects your specialist skills, creative ambitions, and professional direction. Through independent research, concept development, and creative outputs, youll work through the full cycle of creative practice, from proposal to resolved outcome. Youll consider audience, context, and industry relevance while refining your work to a professional standard, preparing you for future creative practice or progression within the Creative Industries.
In this module, you explore career pathways, enterprise opportunities, and the expectations of the creative and cultural sectors. Youll learn how to communicate your ideas professionally, develop your portfolio, and build skills in networking, planning, and self-promotion. Through investigating different professional contexts, youll identify where your strengths and personal style fit within the wider landscape of employment, freelance work, or postgraduate progression. By the end, youll feel more confident, independent, and ready to take informed next steps towards your chosen creative career.
CCC Grades/points required
Not currently available, please Contact University for up to date information.
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