FdA Graphic Communications
Start Date: 13th September 2021
- Length 2 years
- Study Full-Time
- Location Rye Hill Campus
More about the course
Explore emerging trends and technologies on this graphic communication degree, which will help you build a solid foundation in graphic design, advertising and web and app design.
Learn traditional design values, specialist technical skills and develop your creative excellence by responding to real client briefs with imaginative solutions.
In your second year, choose where your passions lie and develop your personal style while creating a specialist portfolio of work.
If you are innovative, love to take creative risks and throw yourself into every aspect of design, this could be the degree for you.
Entry requirements
64 UCAS points from a related subject.
If you are a current Newcastle College student and successfully pass your Level 3 course in an appropriate subject, you will be guaranteed a place on a degree course.
If you are not currently a Newcastle College student, or have not studied a relevant Level 3 course, you will be asked to interview to ensure this degree is right for you.
What will I learn?
Year one:
- Personal Development or Recognition of Prior Learning
- Academic Study Skills
- Work Related Learning
- Language of Design
- User Experience and Interface Design
- Contextual Studies 1
Optional modules
- Narratives for Cross Platforms
- Responsive 1
- Typographic and Editorial Design for Print and Digital
- Practice Enrichment
Year two:
- Professional Development
- Work Based Learning
- Digital Skills Application
- Contextual Studies 2
Graphic design pathway
- Graphic Design Production
- Graphic Design Final Practice
Digital design pathway
- App Design
- Digital Production Techniques
Advertising pathway
- Narrative Storytelling for Advertising
- Art Direction and Copywriting
- Advertising Concept and Idea Development
Optional modules
- Emerging Techniques
- Responsive 2
How is the course taught?
- Independent study
- Group work
- Lectures
- Seminars
- E-learning
- Practical activities
How am I assessed?
- Portfolio of work
- Final show exhibited to industry
- Progress files
Work experience
Similar to a design agency, you will respond to industry-linked projects and live briefs to gain valuable experience of working in the visual communication industry.
You will visit agencies to experience day briefs, take part in portfolio surgeries and attend guest lectures.
Where can I progress?
On successful completion of this course you can progress onto a Graphic Communications (Top-Up) degree.
Alternatively you could start working in the creative design and communications industry as a graphic designer, advertising creative, web and app designer or anything in between.
Course costs
Tuition Fees for full-time undergraduate UK and EU students is £9,000 per year. Read more about financial support.
Get In Touch
Meet our staff and students
Jessica Cornforth
Level 3 in Photography"I struggled at school, but I worked hard especially in maths and English, I was so relieved to pass both subjects at GCSE. I chose to study at college as I don’t like exams and hands on learning was better for me."
Chloe Johnson
Level 1 in Digital Arts"The tutors at the College are very open, honest and respectful. The college experience I have had has given me a different perspective on education. I am able to study my GCSEs here alongside my level 1 course access course."
David Bell
BA (Hons) Photography"The biggest highlight of studying at the University Centre was when I was offered the job at the Handbag Clinic as an in house photographer. Without the course and everything that I’ve learnt while studying here, I wouldn’t have had that opportunity."
Digital Arts at Newcastle College
What can I do with a qualification in Digital Arts?
Daily tasks:
- Directs the arranging of conferences, exhibitions, seminars, etc. to promote the image of a product, service or organisation.
- Stays abreast of changes in media, readership or viewing figures and advertising rates.
- Reviews and revises campaign strategy in light of sales figures, surveys, etc. and takes appropriate corrective measures if necessary.
- Conceives advertising campaign to impart the desired product image in an effective and economical way.
- Defines target group and implements strategy through appropriate media planning work.
- Liaises with client to discuss product/service to be marketed and develops the most appropriate strategy to deliver the objectives.
Daily tasks:
- Activates the 'live' website.
- Tests website interaction and performance prior to going 'live'.
- Writes and publishes content for the website.
- Establishes methods to ensure appropriate website security and recovery.
- Designs and develops web interfaces for relational database systems.
- Develops the website and applications.
- Designs web pages including graphics, animation and functionality to maximise visual effectiveness and facilitate appropriate access.
- Presents design options to the client.
- Liaises with internal/external client in order to define the requirements for the website.
Daily tasks:
- Deals with copyright issues and negotiates fees.
- Liaises with client on the appropriate image/s to be used.
- Researches images for clients in a wide range of media using specialist picture libraries and archives, museums, galleries etc., or commissions new images.
- Presents findings in the required format, via written reports or presentations.
- Provides support to criminal intelligence or to military or other security operations by gathering and verifying intelligence data and sources.
- Provides administrative support for programme development such as booking facilities.
- Briefs presenters, scriptwriters or journalists as required via verbal or written reports.
- Research sources for accurate factual material, finds suitable contributors to programmes or print features and deals with any copyright issues.
- Liaises with production team to generate and develop ideas for film, television and radio programmes.
Daily tasks:
- Arranges conferences, exhibitions, seminars, etc. to promote the image of a product, service or organisation.
- Stays abreast of changes in media, readership or viewing figures and advertising rates.
- Reviews and revises campaign in light of sales figures, surveys, etc..
- Conceives advertising campaign to impart the desired product image in an effective and economical way.
- Liaises with client to discuss product/service to be marketed, defines target group and assesses the suitability of various media.
Daily tasks:
- Produces works on commission basis for clients.
- Markets and sells finished work directly to customers.
- Liaises with writers and publishers to produce book illustrations.
- Uses artistic skills to restore damaged artworks.
- Approaches managers of galleries and exhibitions in order to get finished work displayed.
- Builds up composition into finished work by carving, sculpting, etching, painting, engraving, drawing, etc..
- Prepares sketches, scale drawings or colour schemes.
- Selects appropriate materials, medium and method.
- Onceives and develops ideas and ways of working for artistic composition.
Daily tasks:
- Produces or oversees creation of the final product.
- Liaises with other parts of the production team to ensure graphic design fits with other elements, processes and timescales.
- Prepares specification and instructions for realisation of the project.
- Prepares sketches, scale drawings, models, colour schemes and other mock-ups to show clients and discusses any required alterations.
- Undertakes research into project, considers previous related projects and compares costs of using different processes.
- Liaises with client to clarify aims of project brief, discusses media, software and technology to be used, establishes timetable for project and defines budgetary constraints.
Daily tasks:
- Operates sound mixing and dubbing equipment to obtain desired mix, level and balance of sound.
- Manages health and safety issues.
- Operates equipment to record, edit and play back films and television programmes.
- Checks operation and positioning of projectors, vision and sound recording equipment, and mixing and dubbing equipment.
- Controls transmission, broadcasting and satellite systems for television and radio programmes, identifies and solves related technical problems.
- Takes, records and manipulates digital images and digital video footage.
- Photographs subject or follows action by moving camera.
- Operates scanning equipment to transfer image to computer and manipulates image to achieve the desired effect.
- Inserts lenses and adjusts aperture and speed settings as necessary.
- Arranges subject, lighting, camera equipment and any microphones.
Daily tasks:
- Liaises with production staff in checking final proof copies immediately prior to printing.
- Selects material for broadcast or publication, checks style, grammar, accuracy and legality of content and arranges for any necessary revisions.
- Writes articles and features and submits draft manuscripts to newspaper, magazine, periodical or programme editor.
- Determines subject matter and undertakes research by interviewing, attending public events, seeking out records, reviewing written work, attending film and stage performances etc..
Daily tasks:
- Applies decorative designs and finishes to glassware, optical glass and ceramic goods by grinding, smoothing, polishing, cutting, etching, dipping, painting or transferring patterns or labels.
- Cuts and joins unfired stoneware pipes to form junctions and gullies, moulds sealing bands on clay pipes, prepares and joins porcelain or earthenware components and assists crucible makers and stone workers with their tasks.
- Throws, casts and presses clay by hand or machine to form pottery, stoneware or refractory goods such as bricks, crucibles, ornaments, sanitary furnishings, saggars, cups, saucers, plates and roofing tiles.
- Makes models and moulds from moulding clay and plaster for use in the making and casting of pottery and other ceramic goods.
- Makes artificial eyes, laminated glass sheets or blocks, glass fibre tissue, wool, filament and matting, marks optical lenses and assembles rimless spectacles.
- Uses hand tools and operates machinery to heat, bend, shape, press, drill and cut glass.
Good to know
Levels Explained
What's happening?
Either
- The level required to start the course
- The level rewarded when completing the course
UK and EU Students
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