Image Be inspired by the world of graphic design and learn to think and practice like a creative designer with this industry-facing degree course.Be inspired by the world of graphic design and learn to think and practice like a creative designer with this industry-facing degree course. Play video

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UCAS Code

Start Date

September 2027

Location

Campus Code

UCAS Points

International students: £17,600*

In this section

* Overview

* Course Content

* Teaching and Assessment

* Career Prospects

* Entry and Fees

How to apply Book an Open Day

## Course Overview

Graphic communication is focused on the industry of tomorrow, taught by practicing designers ready to share their knowledge.

If you are passionate about forming clever pieces of visual communication and using innovative digital tools to produce design with real-world impact, then this course is for you.

## Why study this course?

### Build a diverse portfolio

Build a diverse portfolio as you study and graduate with a range of skills and experience

### Tackle future-facing design challenges

Develop relevant skills that are highly desirable within the creative industries

### Experience our industry respected course

Experience a real-world understanding of design through our rich interactions with industry professionals

### Creative and experimental design thinking

See the world through the lens of a designer, build confidence towards innovation and design thinking, fostering new creative concepts

### National Student Survey 2026

100% of USW BA (Hons) Graphic Communication students were satisfied with their course

## What you'll study

[Button: Year One][Button: Year Two][Button: Year Three]

Your first year will cover design principles, design thinking, and exploring revolutionary moments in Design history.

You’ll experience many practical challenges.

## Graphic Design Principles

Start the course with a series of exciting workshops to develop a practical knowledge of how commercial designers use principles to design effective visual communication.

## Design Thinking

Encourage your curiosity and understanding of the design thinking process as you apply design methods and techniques to solve practical design challenges.

## Design Revolutions

Explore how graphic design evolved throughout history in an exciting research-based module that will provide you with a key understanding of historic moments within graphic design.

## Infographics

Learn how to communicate complex messages with data and understand how information graphics can encourage behaviour change and inform public perceptions.

## Social Design

Discover how design can influence people's behavio u r through campaigns and awareness. You’ll learn how design can be used for positive social change through a practical project.

## Typography

Experiment with typography as an essential component of visual communication and develop your love and creative confidence with type as both artform and clerical information.

You’ll practice specialisms including branding, motion graphics, UX & digital design.

You’ll explore design agencies, entrepreneurship and develop your understanding of human-centered design research .

## Branding

Learn how to understand and then visually represent a company’s vision, values, behaviour, attitude, products, services, and audience through Graphic design.

## Motion Graphics

From movie title sequences, game interfaces to moving-brands, an understanding of motion graphics provides a critical component in the modern-day designers' toolkit.

## Professional Practice and Entrepreneurship

Gain valuable exposure to the business of design as you learn what it takes to run your own agency. You’ll learn to recognise the needs of businesses and organisations.

## Design Research Methods

Learn how to use design research to better understand human behaviour, recognise people's needs and gain insights to create meaningful design solutions that people value.

## User Experience (UX) Design

Explore the emerging field of UX Design, adopting a user-centred approach to learn how to better design for both digital and physical spaces.

## Digital Design in Practice

Dive into the world of digital design in practice, where you’ll learn to work in digital teams using digital technologies such as photography, animation, 2D and 3D design.

You’ll develop your professionalism, portfolio and explore self-directed design briefs that prepare you for your future career.

You’ll exhibit work in an industry-facing graduate showcase.

## Bootcamp for Creative Industries

Gain the skills you’ll need to enjoy a career in design with our creative boot camp. You’ll take part in a series of timed briefs delivered by a variety of industry professionals.

## Design Futures

Create a professional brand identity and curate your creative portfolio based on interactions and research of what design agencies are looking for in future designers.

## Design Competitions

‘Think Big’ and develop your best ideas to provide creative solutions to some of the world’s biggest design challenges. Experience a design brief from local, national and international agencies.

## Final Research Project

Investigate a design topic of your own choice to discover new design challenges. Design and publish your results in your own research document.

## Final Major Project Optional

This is your opportunity to work on your own self-directed design brief and push your design skills to show your skills for future prospective employers.

We regularly review our courses to keep pace with changing skills and employer needs. If a review leads to significant changes, we’ll contact you to explain what’s changing for the coming year.

## Teaching and Assessment

You'll research, develop and create innovative design work, applying contemporary approaches to a variety of projects and design briefs.

## [Button: How you’ll learn ]

You will learn t hrough practical workshops, live projects and guest lectures, you will tackle creative design challenges, explore your interests and build a professional portfolio. Throughout the course, you wi ll develop the skills, confidence and industry experience needed for a successful career in graphic design.

## [Button: How you'll be assessed ]

Assessment is primarily coursework-based, with a strong emphasis on practical design projects, creative briefs and portfolio development. You'll be assessed through a combination of design work, presentations, research projects and professional practice activities, allowing you to showcase your creativity, technical skills and design thinking throughout the course.

## [Button: Placements ]

On this hands-on course, you’ll be encouraged to secure placements that interest you, whether that’s with a local agency in Cardiff, a national brand or charity or even an organisation such as the BBC or Gwent Police.

Many of our design students pick up freelance opportunities and industry placements alongside the course through exposure to clients, industry practitioners and design agencies within our professional network.

There are no limits to our design students gaining experience in all kinds of institutions and students have enjoyed working at a range of places like the agency Martin Hopkins, Bright Collie and the BBC.

## [Button: Facilities ]

Positioned in the heart of Cardiff, you’ll have direct access to on campus specialist facilities including Green Screen Capture Studio, 3D Printing facilities, laser cutting machines, photography studios and printers.

Our design studios are equipped with the latest Macs with Apple Silicon, specialist software (Adobe Creative Cloud, Cinema 4D and Figma), as well as Wacom Graphics Tablets to help support you.

We can also offer specialist equipment such as DSLR cameras, MacBooks, iPads, camera lenses and lighting kits which can be borrowed through our loan services. The library also offers a great range of design books, magazines, and journals.

### Course Leader

### Stephen Leadbetter

Stephen Leadbetter is the Course Leader for BA (Hons) Graphic Communication and an award-winning designer with industry experience across branding, UX/UI design and motion graphics. Drawing on his work with creative agencies across the UK, Stephen creates a hands-on learning environment that helps students build industry-ready skills, develop their creative practice and prepare for careers in the design industry.

Email Stephen Chat with Stephen

## Career Prospects

### Career paths

Whether you aspire to work for a creative agency or an in-house design team, this course will help prepare you for a successful career in graphic communication. Our graduates work across the UK and beyond, creating design solutions for major brands, broadcasters and global organisations through a wide range of creative projects.

Potential career paths include:

Graphic Designer

UX/UI Designer

Motion Graphics Designer

Brand Strategist

Campaign and Marketing

Creative Director

Image: graphic-communication-abby-o-brien-57088

> “Every year, we work on real-world briefs from local companies... Each project offers a unique challenge, and these experiences have shown me what it’s like to work in the industry.”

Abby O'Brien, Graphic Communication student

Learn more

### Key skills

Design Thinking

Creative Problem Solving

Design Research Methodologies

Creativity and Art Direction

Digital Production Skills

User Centered Design

Project and Time Management Skills

Teamwork and Collaboration

### Salary expectations

A Graphic Communication degree can open opportunities across graphic communication and the wider design sector. Design careers offer strong earning potential:

Median wage

UK: £46.4k per annum

Wales: £42.3k per annum

Total jobs in 2025

UK: 1.14m

Wales: 39,444

### Build your own career

Your career doesn’t have to mean working for someone else. If you want to freelance, start a business or develop an idea, USW Enterprise can help with one-to-one mentoring, practical workshops and funding opportunities through the USW Enterprise Startup Fund.

You’ll also have access to Startup Stiwdio spaces in our Cardiff, Newport and Treforest campuses. After graduating, you can get free membership for up to three years, giving you workspace and a network of other founders.

Whether you choose employment, freelancing or starting a business, we’ll help you build the skills, confidence and connections to move forward.

USW Enterprise

### Industry partners

Work on live industry projects with organisations such as the BBC, Royal Mint and leading design agencies, gaining hands-on experience and valuable industry connections.

## Entry Requirements

### Additional requirements include:

GCSEs: The University normally requires a minimum 5 GCSEs including Mathematics/Numeracy and English at Grade C or Grade 4 or above, or their equivalent, but consideration is given to individual circumstances

### Contextual offers

We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended, for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer, and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.

USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.

How to apply Contextual admissions policy Ask us a question

96 UCAS points or above

#### Typical qualification requirements

A Level:

CCC to include a relevant art and design subject

Welsh BACC:

Pass the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Diploma with Grade C in the Skills Challenge Certificate and CC at A Level with a relevant art and design subject

BTEC Extended Diploma Merit Merit Merit in a relevant art and design subject

Access to HE:

Pass the Access to HE Diploma in a relevant art and design subject with a minimum of 96 UCAS tariff points

T Level:

P in a relevant Art and Design subject

### International applications welcomed:

We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence, please view our dedicated country pages .

International students Pre-Sessional English

### English language requirements

International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 4 overall and a minimum of 4 in each component or equivalent.

Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages .

If you have previously studied through the medium of English, IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.

If you do not meet the English entry criteria, please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages .

## Fees and Funding

Fees and funding Scholarships and bursaries Cost of living support

## [Button: Further information ]

Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).

*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.

Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy.

We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.

## [Button: Additional costs ]

As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.

Material (per year)*

Students are required to purchase sketchbooks to document their design process whilst undertaking practical assignments. Students may also choose to purchase additional specialist stationery or materials such as render pens, technical pencils and shape stencils to support their practice. The library has a range of design books to support student learning, but students may wish to purchase their own private copy. Costs are subject to individual requirements.

Cost: Up to £250

Printing and exhibition costs*

Students may be required to print designed outcomes for specific modules for live briefs, client presentations and assessment. Costs are subject to individual requirements.

Cost: Up to £300

Digital Devices

Students commonly purchase digital devices relevant to their practice. These may include one or several Apple iMacs, MacBook Pros, iPad Pros, PCs, PC Laptops, or DSLR Cameras. Costs are subject to individual requirements. Equipment is additionally available for loan via the university's services.

Cost: £400-£1600

Peripherals

Students commonly purchase additional digital peripherals such as Wacom Graphic Tablets, Apple Magic Mouse (or other brand), Apple Pencil (or other brand), External or Cloud-based storage and External Monitors. Costs subject to individual requirements. Equipment is additionally available for loan via the university's services.

Field Trips

Field trip to international destination.

Cost: £900-£1200

International Full-Time Fee £ 17,600

per year

## What sets us apart?

100% of USW BA (Hons) Graphic Communication students were satisfied with their course.

National Student Survey 2026

Top university in Wales and 24th out of 123 universities in the UK.

Guardian University Guide 2027

Image: Three USW students walking outside of Cardiff Campus - Atrium

10 subjects ranked in the Guardian University Guide 2027 Top 10, including two at #1.

Image: Three students studying in a pod in the library at Cardiff campus

Top in Wales for new business startups for the 6th consecutive year, and 7th in the UK. (HEBCIS)

## Explore our facilities

Image Play video

## Creative studios

Access industry-standard software, expert Adobe support and free equipment loans to bring your creative ideas to life.

## Media Loans

Access industry-standard cameras, lighting, sound and recording gear, supported by free Media Loans and experienced technicians. We have everything you need to help you experiment, refine and bring your work to life with confidence.

## How to apply

All applications for full-time undergraduate courses or foundation degrees should be made via UCAS. Take the next step: Apply through UCAS

You can apply to us directly for all part-time undergraduate courses, if you’re seeking advanced entry or you’re an international student. To apply directly, please choose the application form below for your preferred start date and mode of study (full-time or part-time).

* ### Graphic Communication

* Full-time, 3 years

* September

* Cardiff

Apply direct

* Sandwich, 4 years

## Advanced entry

If you already have a relevant qualification or experience related to the course you're applying for, you may be eligible to start at a later stage of the course. For example, students from partner colleges can ‘top up’ their qualifications to a degree by joining us in Year Two or Year Three of a course. This process is known as ‘advanced entry’, you can apply directly to the University for 'advanced entry' using the application forms provided above.

Applicants accepted through advanced entry may study a different combination of modules to those advertised, as they will be joining a course already in progress. You will be contacted and advised about these modules once your application has been processed and an offer made.

## International admissions

International applicants can apply to us directly. If the University has an in-country team in your region, your application will be assigned to them for assistance.

* Learn more

* Application toolkit

## Student Stories

> "Every year, we work on real-world briefs from local companies."

Abby O'Brien Graphic Communication student

View student profile

> "USW’s hands-on approach and excellent resources have set me up to explore this path with confidence."

Aidan Hayes Graphic Communication student

> "The hands-on experience has been fantastic, from working on live briefs to exploring creative freedom in design projects."

Ollie Clutton-Latham Graphic Communication student

> "USW stood out because of its course content and structure, which felt more aligned with my career goals than other options."

Callie Morgan Graphic Communication student

## Related stories and highlights

Image News Article

### USW top in Wales for graduate start-ups for sixth year running

Image Student Work

### The Creative Graduate Festival is an annual online showcase celebrating the final-year work of students from creative courses across the University of South Wales.

## Ready to apply?

* Apply via UCAS

* How to apply

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