VISUAL COMMUNICATION

In your first year, we’ll introduce you to the communications industries and the skills you’ll need to make a career within them.

We’ll introduce you to the diverse areas of visual communication: text and image, illustration, photography, typography.

You’ll learn to think critically and gain an understanding of design methodology, as well as learning to appreciate the importance of experimentation, creativity and risk taking.

You’ll develop practical skills, such as mark-making and typography. We’ll also teach you design and software skills through workshops and learn about the different aspects of professional practice.

You’ll also have the chance to work with industry, including creating ideas for advertising campaigns or editorial design.

In your second year, you’ll add new skills to your portfolio – including digital design. You’ll also have the chance to work in a creative business.

Level 5 will see you design for both print and screen. You’ll learn about web design, the use of visual language, packaging and branding.

The main focus of the year is on gaining further insight into the broad subject discipline of visual communication, alongside an increasing appreciation of design aesthetics.

You’ll develop your conceptual skills, critical analysis, creativity and self-expression and work on a range of stimulating live projects.

You’ll discover more about industry through independent research, participation in ‘live’ projects and prestigious competition briefs.

Your practical work will be underpinned by sound theoretical principles and an awareness of cultural, social, political, ethical and environmental issues.

Your third year brings your learning together, as you use your practical skills to create solutions for industry projects.

We’ll encourage you to develop individual, independent lines of creative enquiry and demonstrate design and technical skills at an advanced level.

You’ll have the opportunity to develop your career interests by actively pursuing your practice within contemporary discourses. You’ll carry out extensive and specific research and develop your practice, gaining an understanding of the context and behaviours of an audience.

You’ll have the opportunity to work on collaborative projects with industry professionals and will leave AUB with plenty of useful contacts.

COURSE STRUCTURE

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.