Graphic and Digital Design with Foundation Year, BA Hons
On our Graphic and Digital Design degree, you’ll learn a wide range of creative practices, including typography, branding, photography, creative coding, AR/VR, illustration and moving image.
Our Graphic and Digital Design with Foundation Year degree combines essential visual communication skills with our three-year design degree programme of specialist topics such as typography, and branding and advertising.
In the Foundation Year, you will learn the fundamentals of visual communications, including visual languages, storytelling and strategies for communication.
After completing the Foundation Year, students can progress into the three-year Graphic and Digital Design degree, graduating with the same award; or switch to a related creative degree pathway, such as Animation or Media and Communications.
Within the three-year design degree programme, you will explore a broad range of creative practices including photography, moving image, creative coding, illustration, AR/VR, data visualisation, creative AI, and print, through technical workshops, intensive design briefs and contextual studies.
With a strong focus on the creative industries, the programme also includes courses in professional development designed to help you build an industry-ready portfolio and confidently launch your career.
Popular career options for our graphic and digital design graduates include roles in creative agencies, particularly those specialising in print, publishing, packaging, advertising, branding and interaction design.
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School
Location
Duration
4 years full-time
Start month
September
2026/27 fees
To be confirmedWhat you should know about this course
* The Department for Education has indicated that it intends to raise the Home tuition fee limit from £9,250 to £9,535 for 2025/26.
What you will study
New course - subject to approval
We continually develop new courses to reflect the needs of students, employers and professional bodies. This course is currently subject to the final stage of our approval process.
In the unlikely event that the course is not approved before the start date, we will help you find an alternative course.
Foundation Year/Year 0
Students are required to study the following compulsory modules
- Visual Languages (30 credits)
- Visual Storytelling (30 credits)
- Visual Strategies (30 credits)
- Study Skills (15 credits)
- Academic Writing (15 credits)
Year 1
Students are required to study the following compulsory modules.
- Graphic Design Principles (30 credits)
- Typographic Studies (30 credits)
- Experimental Design Practices (30 credits)
- Art and Design in Context (30 credits)
Year 2
Students are required to study the following compulsory modules.
- Graphic Design in Branding and Advertising (30 credits)
- Narrative and Sequence (15 credits)
- Creative Professional Practice (15 credits)
- Interdisciplinary Spaces (30 credits)
- Critical Practice-Research (30 credits)
Year 3
Students are required to study the following compulsory modules.
- Design Research Project (60 credits)
- Professional Practice and Portfolio (30 credits)
- Design Engagement (30 credits)
About the course team
This degree course employs a range of innovative teaching and learning methods. Lectures and labs/tutorials are dynamic and interactive. You will be taught by an experienced team of lecturers, which includes senior academics, technical officers, and practitioners with industry experience. Our research and consultancy work informs academics, and over 90 per cent of our lecturers hold a teaching qualification.
Studying graphic design to me means being able to create something visual that is very thought-provoking...
Come and meet us
We are offering virtual events so that you can still experience how Greenwich could be the right university for you.
Next Open Days
Got a question?
To find out more about our Open Days and Campus Tours or if you need any assistance, please email opendays@gre.ac.uk.
Entry requirements
Qualifications
64 UCAS Tariff points.
We accept A Levels, T Levels, BTECs, Access to HE and all other qualifications with UCAS Tariff points.
Contextual Admissions
- We make Contextual offers to this programme. Applicants that meet specific eligibility criteria will be made a contextual offer with a reduced tariff of up to 16 UCAS Tariff points. Other entry requirements such as GCSEs, Interview, etc., will still need to be met. For further information, please see our Contextual Admissions Policy.
We also accept applications if you wish to transfer from another institution, and have already studied 1 or 2 years of a relevant course at level 4 or 5 and wish to continue your education at the University of Greenwich.
For more information, use our contact form or call us on 020 8331 9000.
You can also read our admissions policy.
For more information, use our contact form or call us on 020 8331 9000.
You can also read our admissions policy.
Available to overseas students?
Yes
Can I use Prior Learning?
For entry: applicants with professional qualifications and/or four years of full-time work experience will be considered on an individual basis.
For exemption: If you hold qualifications or courses from another higher education institution, these may exempt you from courses of this degree.
How you will learn
Teaching
Learning takes place through a combination of timetabled learning and independent study.
You can view more information about how each module is taught within our 'What you will study' section.
Seminars and workshops enable you to discuss and develop your understanding of topics covered in lectures in smaller groups. You will also be able to meet your personal tutor. Timetabled learning may fall between 9am and 9pm depending on your courses and tutorials.
Class sizes
This design course is largely studio-based. The number of lectures available for support in the studio varies depending on the intake each year.
Independent learning
Outside of timetabled sessions, you are also expected to dedicate time to self-study. This will include working on visual projects, writing and group-work.
Working through the studio sessions on a regular basis is essential. Each week builds on the previous week so it is important not to get behind. We recommend that you read widely to keep on top of the subject.
You can use studios, our Stockwell Street Library and online resources to support your self-study.
During the week you can also:
- Attend additional support classes in some modules
- Attend guest lectures from industry experts
- Take part in employability and enterprise workshops
- Join Student Societies.
Overall workload
If you are studying full-time, you should expect the workload to be similar to a full-time job. For part-time students, this will reduce in proportion with the number of courses you are studying.
Each module you study towards this degree is worth 15 or 30 credits.These represent around 150 or 300 study hours respectively.
If you receive 72 contact hours for a 30-credit module, you should expect to commit 228 hours to independent study to complete it successfully.
Assessment
You can view how each module is assessed within our 'What you will study' section.
Each course has formal assessments which count towards your grade. Some courses may also include 'practice' assignments, which help you monitor progress and do not count towards your final grade.
Feedback summary
We aim to give feedback on assignments within 15 working days.
Dates and timetables
The academic year runs from September to June.
Full teaching timetables are not usually available until term has started. For any queries, please use our contact form.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
2026/27 fees
To be confirmed.University is a great investment in your future. English-domiciled graduate annual salaries were £10,500 more than non-graduates in 2023 - and the UK Government projects that 88% of new jobs by 2035 will be at graduate level.
(Source: DfE Graduate labour market statistics: 2023/DfE Labour market and skills projections: 2020 to 2035).
* The Department for Education has indicated that it intends to raise the Home tuition fee limit from £9,250 to £9,535 for 2025/26.
Other costs
Trips: Any compulsory field trips are funded by the school.
Resources: For Architecture, Landscape and Design courses, you will produce portfolios of large format plots plus CNC/3D printed models etc. Costs will vary but could reach £250 a year for printing, £100 for model making, and £50 for visiting the sites.
Software: We provide Adobe software and Lynda.com online video tutorials. You will also have access to Nvivo, SPSS Modeler and SPSS Amos. Any licenses for software outside of our range will come at your own cost.
Scholarships and bursaries
We offer a wide range of financial help including scholarships and bursaries.
The Greenwich Bursary
This bursary is worth £700 for new undergraduate students with a low household income, entering Year 0 or 1 who meet the eligibility criteria.
EU Bursary
Following the UK's departure from the European Union, we are supporting new EU students by offering a substantial fee-reduction for studying.
Financial support
We want your time at university to be enjoyable, rewarding, and free of unnecessary stress, so planning your finances before you come to university can help to reduce financial concerns. We can offer advice on living costs and budgeting, as well as on awards, allowances and loans.
Careers and placements
What sort of careers do graduates pursue?
You could pursue a career in graphic design or in its related fields.
Your skills will be well-suited to agencies specialising in print, publishing, packaging, branding, and interaction design, advertising agencies, or agencies specialising in animation.
You could also explore careers involving digital design, creative direction and management, editorial design, visual communication and signage.
Do you provide employability services?
Employability activities take place all the time at Greenwich and students are encouraged to take part in as many opportunities as possible. The central Employability and Careers Service provides support for students preparing to apply for placements and graduate roles, such as CV clinics, mock interviews and employability skills workshops. In addition, your School has a dedicated Employability Officer who will be organising work-related activities throughout the year which will help you to build you industry knowledge and networks.
Accommodation
Greenwich
Living in halls of residence is a great way to make new friends and get into the social side of university life. With four great locations, all minutes away from the campus and the centre of historic Greenwich , you will be at the heart of one of the most beautiful university settings in the UK.
Rooms start at £146.30/wk and include Wi-Fi, utility bills, access to our on-campus gym and 24-hour security - and just a 10-minute train journey to central London. Students based at our Greenwich campus can also choose to live the Student Village at Avery Hill, which is only a short ride on our free shuttle bus.
Support and advice
Academic skills and study support
We want you to make the most of your time with us. You can access study skills support through your tutor, our subject librarians, and our online academic skills centre.
Where appropriate, we provide support in academic English and mathematics. If you need to use particular IT packages for a specific module, we provide training for this.
Do you provide employability services?
Employability activities take place all the time at Greenwich and students are encouraged to take part in as many opportunities as possible. The central Employability and Careers Service provides support for students preparing to apply for placements and graduate roles, such as CV clinics, mock interviews and employability skills workshops. In addition, your School has a dedicated Employability Officer who will be organising work-related activities throughout the year which will help you to build you industry knowledge and networks.
Not quite what you were looking for?
We've got plenty of other courses for you to choose from. Browse our undergraduate courses or check our related courses below.....
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