Graphic Design
BA (Hons)
UCAS code: W214
Start dates: September 2025 / September 2026
Full time: 3 years, or 4 years with a work placement
Part time: 6 years, maximum 8 years
Location: Headington
Department(s): School of Arts
Overview
If you want to push the boundaries of graphic design, discover its problem-solving solutions and explore its ethics, you can do just that at Oxford Brookes University.
Each module on our Graphic Design BA blends design, practice and theory, and you’ll build a portfolio of work ready to start your career after graduation. We invite you to apply your talent in multiple creative and experimental ways. And you’ll find an inspiring mix of analogue and digital techniques to learn.
Live briefs with external and in-house clients give you real-world experience. With a focus on ethical practice and sustainability, our partnerships have included work with Greenpeace and Extinction Rebellion. New clients each year provide opportunities to grow your professional network.
This is design with a conscience. Modules integrate the ethics of design practice. And, keeping up with the times, sustainable materials are very much part of the conversation.
Take a closer look at our students work on Instagram
Why Oxford Brookes University?
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Top 10 in the UK
Graphic Design is ranked 3rd in the Guardian Graphic Design subject league ranking 2025.
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Keeping it real
Learn how to meet clients’ needs and expectations. Respond to live briefs from the likes of WeGlimpse, Greenpeace and Extinction Rebellion with your design solutions.
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It’s not all digital
We want you to understand design in the round. You’ll spend time away from the computer exploring practical skills including letterpress, bookbinding and more.
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Definitely planet aware
We’ll show you how to design with green credentials, how to work with recycled materials and the environmental costs of 21st century design.
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Go your own way
Discover your own approach to visual problem solving. You’ll graduate with technical, critical, and conceptual skills highly valued by the creative industries.
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Free language courses
Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.
Course details
Course structure
This is your destination to learn how to create, experiment and shape your style. You’ll investigate a range of design approaches and techniques: typography, animation, user experience and social design among them.
Year 1 is your general grounding in the theories, practices and processes of graphic design. Apply and develop your chosen creative strengths from a broad range of disciplines. As you push in new directions you’ll be fully supported by our in-house expertise.
With its practical modules, Year 2 is about developing your personal voice. Take risks, be a disruptor. You’ll produce innovative and imaginative solutions. And you’ll collaborate too, working in project teams drawn together from your cohort.
In your final year you’ll consolidate your practice and develop work based on your own career planning as you prepare for those next steps.
Follow the work of current students @oxford_graphics on Instagram.
Study modules
Teaching for this course takes place face to face and you can expect around 12 hours of contact time per week. In addition to this, you should also anticipate a workload of 1,200 hours per year. Teaching usually takes place Monday to Friday, between 9.00am and 6.00pm.
Contact hours involve activities such as lectures, seminars, practicals, assessments, and academic advising sessions. These hours differ by year of study and typically increase significantly during placements or other types of work-based learning.
Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from those shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.
Careers
This broad-minded course is the right choice for multiple careers. Animation, social, digital and editorial design are among its disciplines, alongside campaign and identity design.
Our tutors and associate lecturers know their industry. Helped by them, and through your own contacts, you’ll join and grow your creative network and experience.
This course opens up a wide range of careers that includes branding consultancies, digital design, illustration, publishing and advertising. Graduates freelance for a broad sweep of sectors or are employed in design agencies or larger organisations.
You’ll find your creativity, critical thinking and complex problem-solving skills are highly transferable and contribute to your employability.
You might also consider roles such as:
- publisher
- creative director
- animator
- art director
- curator
- type designer.
Student profiles
Related courses
Entry requirements
Wherever possible we make our conditional offers using the UCAS Tariff. The combination of A-level grades listed here would be just one way of achieving the UCAS Tariff points for this course.
Standard offer
UCAS Tariff Points: 112
A Level: BBC
IB Points: 30
BTEC: DMM
Contextual offer
UCAS Tariff Points: 88
A Level: CCD
IB Points: 27
BTEC: MMM
Further offer details
We welcome applications from candidates with alternative qualifications, and from mature students.
Specific entry requirements
GCSE: Grade 4 (C) in Mathematics and English
Please also see the University's general entry requirements.
Selection process
Applicants are offered places through:
- submission of a digital portfolio of an appropriate standard (see guidelines below); and
- an interview with a member of staff from the programme.
Most interviews take place between late January and the middle of March. Applicants who submit their application early may be invited for interview in December.
Portfolio guidance:
What to include and what we are looking for
Your portfolio should demonstrate your own unique world through which we can see your skills, personality and potential. It's a collection of your work demonstrating how your creativity has developed over a period of time. It shows your ability to work with different materials, themes and techniques, as well as how you research, develop and plan your ideas. Your portfolio should be professional yet human - we want to see you amongst the slides / pages.
Personality
We want to see your passion and enthusiasm for graphic design. It's not always about how advanced your skill set is but what your potential is. As creatives we put a lot of ourselves into our work, so ensure that comes across in your portfolio.
Balance process and perfection
Don't be afraid to include imperfect drawings or unfinished plans (sketchbook work), it's all part of your process and is how we understand your ability to generate ideas. We always like to see research, development and final outcomes. It's good to see a variety of process work (trial, tests, sketchbooks) and finished work, and a range of techniques and processes if possible. It's your work, so give it the best possible chance of making a good impression. Feel free to include text labels and indicators so we know what materials and creative methods were involved.
Narrative
Instead of chronological order we advise a strong narrative. Compare it to a good book design: an impactful beginning, interesting middle and a punchy end. Ensure work has room to breathe, is all the same orientation and can speak for itself (with additional labelling if required).
Be decisive
While we love to see a variety of work within your portfolio we do want to see your ability to edit. It's all about establishing a balance, don't submit everything you've ever done but don't pare it back to nothing at all. If you have lots of drawings, show us a few of your favourites.
Show us what you love
Don't assume what we want to see. It's better to include what you want us to see. You can submit unfinished pieces, independent or group work - but do remember to indicate this so we know the origins of the project and the role you played in it. You may really excel at a certain technique but show variety and endeavour to keep the work on topic without it becoming repetitive. Show us your range, keep our attention.
Building your portfolio
- Please provide a maximum of 20 slides of your work. Each slide can contain more than one image.
- The preferred format used to present your portfolio is either a single PDF document, PowerPoint presentation file (under approx 15MB) or if you choose to use an online service, such as Behance, Carbonmade or similar, you can email the link to us
- Carefully select and edit your work to produce an exciting, creative and representative portfolio which informs us about your skills, interests and ambitions
English language requirements
Please see the University's standard English language requirements.
Pathways courses for international and EU students
If you do not meet the entry requirements for this degree, or if you would like more preparation before you start, you can take an international foundation course. Once you enrol, you will have a guaranteed pathway to this degree if you pass your foundation course with the required grades.
If you only need to meet the language requirements, you can take our pre-sessional English course. You will develop key language and study skills for academic success and you will not need to take an external language test to progress to your degree.
English requirements for visas
If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Visas and Immigration minimum language requirements as well as the University's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.
Credit transfer
Many of our courses consider applications for entry part-way through the course for students who have credit from previous learning or relevant professional experience.
Find out more about transferring to Brookes. If you'd like to talk through your options, please contact our Admissions team.
Terms and Conditions of Enrolment
When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.
International qualifications and equivalences
How to apply
Application process
Full time international applicants can also apply through UCAS
Tuition fees
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
Tuition fees
* Following the government’s announcement of 4 November 2024, we expect to increase our undergraduate tuition fees for UK students to £9,535 from the start of the 2025/26 academic year. Please visit The Education Hub for more information about the changes. We will confirm our fees for 2025/26 as soon as possible.
Please note, tuition fees for Home students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by government. Oxford Brookes University intends to maintain its fees for new and returning Home students at the maximum permitted level.
Tuition fees for International students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students.
The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.
How and when to pay
Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.
- For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
- For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page
Additional costs
Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.
Compulsory costs
| Additional costs | Amount (£) |
|---|---|
Art materials |
From £100 |
Optional costs
| Additional costs | Amount (£) |
|---|---|
Personal laptop onto which you can install specialist software |
£500-1200 |
You should allow for ongoing annual printing costs for projects, process books, and experimentation. |
£80-100 |
Whilst it is not a course requirement to have your own laptop / computer, if you do choose to do so you may wish to install Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects, etc). Student discounts are available for this. |
Typically £16 per month |
It’s your responsibility to cover print / binding costs where coursework submission is required. Please note that a lot of the coursework is now submitted online. |
From £30 |
| You may choose to purchase books to support your studies. Many books on our reading lists are available via the Library, or can be purchased secondhand. | £20-60 per book |
Accommodation fees in Brookes Letting (most do not include bills) |
£94-265 per week |
Accommodation fees in university halls (bills included, excluding laundry costs) |
£122-180 per week |
Graduation costs include tickets, gowning and photography. Gowns are not compulsory but typically students do hire robes, starting at £41. |
Typically £0-200 |
Students are responsible for their own travel to and from university for classes. BrookesBus travel is subsidised for full-time undergraduate students that are on a course with a fee of £9,250 or more, or living in an Oxford Brookes hall of residence. There is an administration fee for the production of a BrookesKey. |
From £10 |
Funding your studies
Financial support and scholarships
Featured funding opportunities available for this course.
All financial support and scholarships
Information from Discover Uni
Full-time study
Part-time study
Programme changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been
published on the website. For more information, please visit our
changes to programmes page.