BA (Hons) Graphic Design with Integrated Foundation Year

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Home - Sep 2026 (Register interest) International - Sep 2026

Currently reading: Course overview

Starts: Sep 2026
Duration: 4 years
Mode: Full time
UCAS code: W211
Fees: UK: £9,535 (2025/26)* / International: £17,000 (2025/26)*

*Fees subject to change for 2026/27.

Course is subject to validation and is therefore subject to change

Create visuals that shape culture, communication, and brands

Explore how visual communication shapes the world, beginning with an Integrated Foundation Year that builds your core creative and technical skills. Through studio-led, industry-focused projects, you’ll develop a versatile portfolio and gain the confidence to apply design thinking in new, immersive ways. By the end of the course, you’ll be ready to connect with global audiences and step confidently into the design industry.

Why study this degree?

Award-winning students and internationally recognised
Taught by staff who are current design professionals
Build yourself a fulfilling and future-focussed design career
Innovative, forward-thinking and industry-focused.
Work with industry practitioners to explore creative design thinking across a range of briefs
Excellent employability rates and highly successful alumni
Great career prospects with graphic designers in high demand.

Our BA (Hons) Graphic Design course has a vision of design that meets the future head-on. An ambitious course, your learning is technologically focused, open and collaborative, and applies design thinking to reach global audiences in new and immersive ways.

Students on our Graphic Design course will develop a critical eye for design and a knowledge of different design approaches and creative problem solving techniques. You will develop both the vision and the resilience to succeed in the creative industries.

This degree in Graphic Design allows you to work cross-media and explore the subject from a number of critical perspectives, challenging the different roles graphic designers can take. We value individualism and encourage concept-driven work, showing a clear understanding of design problems as well as the production of visual languages.

During this BA Hons Graphic Design degree in London, UK, you will explore novel ways of design thinking, including format, context, materials and medium. You will sharpen your creative skills and reimagine methods of communication through numerous visual platforms and environments, such as typography, editorial design, data visualisation and much more.

With access to cutting-edge facilities, you’ll work with industry practitioners to explore creative design thinking across a range of briefs. In dedicated studio spaces, you will study a blend of practice and theory-based learning strategies, including lectures, workshops, tutorials and live projects. Senior lecturers and visiting professionals will offer invaluable industry insight, as well as support your future career choices.

The programme balances preparation for entry to the commercial world of design very well with a more critical and academic approach to the discipline. I see universities like Ravensbourne as helping people develop into tomorrow’s leaders and innovators.”

—

Darren Raven , External examiner

Key study topics

Type and typography
Editorial design
Ideas and concepts
Design innovation
Information design and data visualisation
Service design and creative coding
Graphic design for promotion.

The specifics

Download course specification*

*Subject to revalidation

Year 1 introduces you to the fundamental principles of design and creative problem-solving. This foundation year gives you the time, space and support to explore your creative identity, build confidence and prepare for the demands of studio-based, project-led learning.

Modules are as follows:

• Module 1 Diagnostic exploration: making informed choices
• Module 2 Technical: Technical knowledge in practice
• Module 3 Specialist: Innovating specialist practice
• Module 4 Integration: Integrated practice for progression to Higher Education

Our first year explores the fundamentals of graphic design, looking in depth at ideas, tools and approaches, working together, digital skills, users and audiences, design and technology in culture, the future of workspaces, and utilising serious play. You are treated as a design professional from day one.

Modules include:

Fundamentals of Graphic Design 1
Fundamentals of Graphic Design 2
Message 1
Message 2
Professional Life Practice: "Developing your Practice"
Professional Life Practice: "Exploring your Practice"

The third year of the Graphic Design degree expands your design horizons, giving you a thorough grasp of the current settings for work, helping you to specialise and focusing your ambitions by offering you live briefs, collaborations, external partnerships, and work-based learning opportunities.

Modules may include:

Collaborate
Specialism
Elective
Professional Life Practice: "Applying your Practice"
Work-based learning

At Ravensbourne we accept a wide range of qualifications for entry onto our courses, whilst also considering the context in which they were achieved. For this course, we would usually require a GCSE Grade 4 or above in English in addition to any of the below;

Two A Levels at grade DD or above
BTEC Extended Diploma at grade PPP
Other/Mixed qualifications equivalent to 48 UCAS Tariff points

At Ravensbourne we take a flexible approach to admissions, as we want you to know exactly what you need to achieve in your exams to guarantee a place on the course.

Selection criteria:

Students should ideally have a background in art, creative media or design.

UK students

Simply select your chosen start date using the 'Apply now' dropdown at the top of this page, and you will be directed to the appropriate course page on the UCAS website. The UCAS code for this course is located in the course overview bar at the top of this page.

The UCAS website will guide you through the simple application process. You can also apply through your school or college using the UCAS system.

Learn more: how to apply for an undergraduate degree course

The entry requirements for this course can be found in the relevant section above.

International students

Simply select your chosen start date using the 'Apply now' dropdown at the top of this page, and you will be directed to the appropriate application form.

You can’t learn in a vacuum. At Ravensbourne University London, industry connection is ingrained into everything we do. We will equip you for success in the creative and digital industries, ensuring you are truly industry ready upon graduation. Our tutors are respected academics and practitioners with substantial experience and industry links.

You will be part of a diverse community of creatives, working collaboratively to explore new professional practices. Ravensbourne has strong industry links with a range of high-profile companies, including: Apple, Barclays, the BBC, European Space Agency, Marks & Spencer, Museum of London, the Royal Shakespeare Company, Samsung and many more.