BA (Hons) Graphic Design

Level 6 encourages you to confirm your particular creative aspirations and to extend the scope and depth of their enquiry.

All subsequent units require you to define your study through Learning Agreements, which you’ll negotiate with the teaching team. These provide a focus to enable you to demonstrate the integration of your learning on the course.

The Major Project unit provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate the maturity of your creativity, intellectual enquiry and expressive abilities. Your final major projects will focus on your identity as an individual designer. You’ll be encouraged to view your project as a springboard into a career and use it to open doors into industry.

Likewise, the ‘Investigative Study’ unit affords opportunities to pursue a programme of advanced independent research, consider links with the Major Project, or demonstrate that the level of skills in research; analysis, criticism and communication are appropriate for entry in employment or postgraduate study.

All students are registered for the award of BA (Hons); however, exit awards are available if you leave the course early, having successfully completed one or two levels. If you successfully complete a level of the course, you will automatically be entitled to progress to the next level.

For the award of a Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE), you must have achieved a minimum of 120 credits at Level 4. This qualification may be awarded if you leave the University following successful completion of the first year of your course.

For the award of a Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE), you must have achieved a minimum of 240 credits of which a minimum of 120 must be at Level 5. This qualification may be awarded if you leave the University following successful completion of the second year of your course.

For the award of a BA (Hons) you must have achieved a minimum of 360 credits of which a minimum of 240 must be at Level 5 or above, of which a minimum of 120 credits must be at Level 6. This qualification will be awarded upon successful completion of your course.

A BA without Honours may be awarded if you have achieved 300 credits, at least 180 of which are at Level 5 or above, and at least 60 of which are at Level 6.

The course objectives are met by structuring the learning progressively and by incorporating a wide variety of learning and teaching methods and experiences. Including: project-based learning, workshops, lectures, seminars, educational visits, group critiques and tutorials.

You'll develop creative cognitive skills, including research methodologies, critical analysis, problem-solving, communication and presentation as well as specialist technical skills.

You'll be encouraged to experiment, take risks, and try out new things. The moment when new-found skills and knowledge are connected to your existing skillset and understanding, is seen as an opportunity for insight, creativity and learning. Projects involve phases of research discovery, problem finding, insight gathering, problem-solving, and spotting opportunity for innovation.

Throughout, the programme integration of theory, critical thinking and practice is promoted. The learning experience emphasises the disciplines required of a creative practitioner and promotes the development of transferable skills, preparing you for a variety of employment routes and postgraduate study.

A team of staff that include professional Graphic Designers, researches and relevant visiting practitioners delivers the course. The course is outward facing and works closely with design agencies and other organisations at local, national and international levels.

Staff are responsible for co-ordinating individual units of study, and for selecting appropriate methods of delivery according to subject matter and student experience.

The study time allocated to each unit in the course incorporates a balance of formal teaching, tutorial support and independent learning.

Midway through the larger 40 credit units Formative Assessment will take place to help you keep on track, monitor your progress and support your achievement.

You'll have the opportunity to take part in major graphic design competitions, for example in second year, Creative Conscience, and in final year, the International Society of Typographic Designers Licentiate scheme that gives the opportunity to attain a specialist professional qualification and the Royal Society of Arts Student Design Awards as well as Design and Art Direction new Blood student awards offer opportunities to participate in industry-based briefs.

The course is structured progressively to provide increased opportunities for independent learning as you reach the final year of the course.

The tutor leading the unit will use a variety of methods of delivery in order to encourage your participation in the learning process. Progressively teaching is directed at providing you with the critical judgement necessary to take increasing responsibility for the management of your own learning towards individual goals. Throughout the units within a year and (year on year) across the course, you are encouraged to gradually become more autonomous, and to consider yourself as a professional designer.

Teaching is both directed at individual learning and working in teams to enable you to learn the value of peer collaboration.

For every unit of your course, we will inform you of what you are expected to learn; what you have to submit; how your work will be assessed; and the deadline for presenting your work for assessment. This is made available through Unit Information, which is on your course blog.

You will receive a final mark for each unit in the form of a percentage, which will be recorded on your formal record of achievement (transcript). Each component of assessment is graded using a notched marking scale, whereby only certain marks are used within each grade. The only marks available within any ten-point band are *2, *5 and *8 (e.g. 62, 65, 68). These marks correspond to a low, mid, and high level of achievement within each grade band.

The University has agreed that, during 2019/20, it will run a pilot project. This will mean that on some courses, one unit at Level 4 will be assessed on a Pass / Fail basis only, with written feedback but no numerical grade. If your course has been selected for the pilot, your Course Leader will tell you this, and the details will be clearly expressed on the Unit Information Sheet.

All learning outcomes must be passed to successfully complete the unit.

On successful completion of your Honours degree course, you will be awarded a degree classification based on your unit marks. The final classification is determined using all unit marks at Levels 5 and 6 using two different algorithms, which are detailed in the HE Student Regulations. If the two algorithms produce different results, you will be awarded the higher class of degree.

If you have joined Level 6 through either the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) route or having completed a Foundation Degree (FdA), the final classification is determined using only your unit marks at Level 6.

For further information on assessment, progression, awards and classifications, please visit https://viewpoint.aub.ac.uk

Careers include:

• Graphic Designer
• Brand Strategist
• Brand Consultant
• Motion Graphic Designer
• UX/UI Designer
• Packaging Designer
• Art Director
• Social Media Strategist
• Experience Designer.

Some graduates choose to take postgraduate courses before embarking on their career.

You'll also be supported in your career planning by AUB Advantage Career Hub

The success of this course is represented by the sheer number of awards that our students win, from D&AD New Blood Awards, Creative Conscious Awards and Shine Awards. Here our some other awards our students have achieved:

• • ISTD Accreditation Award
  • Coley Porter Bell, Shine Award, Winners 2019/2020
  • RSA Student Design Awards, one winner and eight finalists
  • Three Creative Conscience winners, Gold/Silver/Bronze
  • JDO Mash-up Award, three finalists
  • Adobe Awards finalists 2019/2020
  • Dragon Rouge, Bronze