Spotlight on… Art and Graphics Department
Are you a visual storyteller, a creative thinker, with an eye for design?
If you love working with images, colour, fonts, and digital tools, then a career in graphic design might align with your strengths.
Whether you’re just beginning your journey into design or looking to elevate your current skills, design your future, your way, with the help of University Centre Rotherham.
Read on to find out how our studying a Higher Education (HE) course in graphic design can elevate your skills, unleash your creativity and give you the experienced needed to succeed in today’s creative world.
What is a career in graphic design and where could I work?
Graphic designers are visual problem solvers. They create impactful visuals to communicate messages, promote brands, or tell stories across digital and print platforms.
It’s a dynamic role where creativity meets communication, and no two projects are ever the same. As a graphic designer, you could go from developing brand identities and designing promotional materials to building UX and UI-friendly website layouts or app interfaces or creating motion graphics, animations and illustrations for film and TV.
As digital tech reshapes how people create, share and consume content, graphic designers are a key part of the future of storytelling, gaming, and immersive experiences. They find work in many industries, with opportunities in both traditional and digital industries.
They may join advertising or marketing agencies to develop campaigns for clients, or work as part of an in-house design team within a company.
Publishing houses employ designers for books, magazines, and editorial layouts, while tech companies hire them for website, app, and digital product design. Other opportunities exist in print and packaging, media and entertainment, non-profits, and government sectors.
Many designers choose to freelance, offering services directly to clients and enjoying the flexibility of working independently.
Some of our graduates have gone on to work with clients like UEFA, Nickelodeon and Warner Music, while one former student illustrated a children’s book for literacy charity Grimm & Co. Others have set up their own graphic design companies, creating branded merchandise or been commissioned to create illustrations of sportspeople.
Do you need a Higher Education qualification to become a graphic designer?
Many people can teach themselves how to use Canva in a few tutorials, so you may be questioning whether a HE qualification is necessary these days. But graphic design isn’t just being able to make a logo look pretty, choosing a colour scheme, or picking any font other than Comic Sans.
In today’s digital focused world, attention-grabbing visual content is king and skilled professionals in this field are more in-demand than ever. The most successful graphic designers are those who have the innate ability to combine creativity and traditional elements of typography, colour and imagery with skills in modern technology practices to create designs that inform, engage, or persuade an audience.
With their ability to combine artistic vision, technical expertise, and innovative thinking, graduates of arts and graphics programmes are well-equipped to thrive in an ever-evolving creative landscape.
Whether you see yourself as a branding specialist, web designer, creative strategist or art director, you’ll need to hone your craft to get there.
You don’t need to be an expert before you start studying, but having bags of creativity and curiosity is key. Over the course of your studies, you’ll develop a wide range of essential skills, such as creative thinking and visual communication, typography and layout design, digital illustration and image manipulation, brand identity development, motion graphics and animation, and UI/UX design principles.
If you’re serious about becoming a graphic designer, you’ll have to collaborate with and present your ideas to clients, photographers, copywriters, and developers. Undertaking a HE course also helps you develop those work-ready, transferrable skills such as communication, teamwork, time management and problem solving.
What graphic design courses can I study at University Centre Rotherham?
We offer flexible entry points into your graphic design Higher Education, depending on your background and goals:
Foundation Degree (FdA) in Graphic Design
A two-year level 5 course that introduces you to the fundamentals of design techniques and processes, preparing you for either employment or further study. You’ll work on real-life briefs, build a professional portfolio, and gain confidence in your creative process.
More about the Foundation Degree in Graphic Design
BA (Hons) Top-Up Year in Graphic Communication Design
Already have a Foundation Degree or HND in a related subject? The one-year BA top-up course allows you to convert your qualification into a full Bachelor’s degree. You’ll take your design thinking and portfolio to the next level, with a strong focus on creative independence and industry readiness.
Both pathways are accredited by Sheffield Hallam University and are focused on project-based learning, with opportunities to collaborate across disciplines and with real-world clients.
Our courses are designed to mirror industry practice while giving you the space to explore your own creative voice. You’ll learn core design principles and how to apply them, as well as how to research, develop and pitch ideas.
The HE courses are your chance to build and present a professional portfolio, as well as teaching you the importance of critical reflection, so that you fully understand the design process from initial concept to final product.
Both courses have fees of £6,900 per year of study, much less than the average of £9,250 at traditional universities.
Why choose University Centre Rotherham?
As a student in our Art and Graphics department, you’ll be based in our dedicated design studios and supported by expert staff.
Our facilities here at University Centre Rotherham include Apple Mac suites equipped with Adobe Creative Cloud software such as Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and After Effects. On campus, we also have photography and lighting studios, plus a fully-equipped library with research tools and study spaces.
There are multiple opportunities throughout the academic year to work on live briefs with real clients, giving you a head start in building your professional network. We also offer guest lectures, industry visits, portfolio reviews, and the chance to exhibit your work.
Our graphic design teaching team have built strong links with organisations such as Wentworth Woodhouse, Grimm & Co., Eleven Design, and Human Studios who set briefs for students to work on.
In previous years, students have held exhibitions at Wentworth Woodhouse, created posters for National Rail, and taken part in other creative workshops such as clay typography, screen printing and illustrative lettering.
There are also various local and international field trips throughout the year to spark fresh ideas and inspiration; previous students have visited places like Paris, Rome, Barcelona and Berlin.
One of the most valuable aspects of studying with us is the opportunity to be taught by tutors who’ve worked directly in the design industry.
Our teaching staff bring a wealth of real-world experience from across the creative sector. They’ve worked with major brands, independent clients, and international campaigns, so they understand the creative process from both a designer’s and a client’s perspective.
The programme is led by Tracy Gelder who still works in industry at Eleven Design studios in Sheffield. This industry insight helps bridge the gap between classroom and career, with Tracy having introduced new in-demand skills to the Higher Education courses here at University Centre Rotherham, including animation and UX/UI.
She’s joined by Humairaa Hussain, a former graphic design student at University Centre Rotherham who decided to pursue a career as a teacher after graduating. Her interest lies in supporting students enhance their digital software skills.
With smaller class sizes and a friendly atmosphere, the one-to-one guidance from Tracy and Humairaa will help you build not only your technical skills, but also your confidence, creativity, and understanding of what it takes to succeed in the industry.
Real stories from our graduates
Ross
Practical sessions and the opportunity to explore new techniques on the foundation degree helped Ross develop a business idea to paint portraits of sports stars and public figures onto football shirts and other sports equipment. His business, RJ Customs, which went viral on Instagram, has taken him around the world meeting people like Ronaldo, Luke Littler, Aitch and UFC heavyweight Jon ‘Bones’ Jones.
Ross says: “University Centre Rotherham has given me the confidence I need to use my graphics skills at an entrepreneurial level. Learning skills at university has given me lots of experience with cameras, and digital skills to give me well-rounded knowledge to apply to a business.”
Sam
After graduating, Sam combined his lifelong interest in hockey and design to set up a business creating graphic illustrations of hockey players including Sheffield Steelers. He says studying a Higher Education course at University Centre Rotherham equipped him with the skills and knowledge needed to break the ice.
“I can’t thank University Centre Rotherham enough for preparing me for the industry. Studying has really helped me to develop my design skills, as it has introduced me to programs like Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. I have found that I am able to turn around artwork in much faster time but still to a high standard.
“The foundation degree helped me to understand the importance of branding and creating an identity for myself. My word of advice for any person looking to start out is to keep your own style and do not follow what is popular at the time. Keep it you..”
Rebecca
A standout work placement at Wentworth Woodhouse saw mature learner Rebecca win this year’s Insprational Student Award at Sheffield Hallam’s UK Partner Inspirational Student Awards 2025.
Degree student Rebecca returned to education aged 22 to seek a seek a career that would fill her cup with hope, creativity and opportunity.
She was recognised for her outstanding dedication, creativity and resilience during her placement at Wentworth Woodhouse, which led to a paid internship as part of the Children’s Capital of Culture. She’s now assistant cultural producer, dipping her toes into every corner of the cultural world – from exhibitions and events to heritage work and graphic design.
She says: “This role has been a whirlwind of learning, experimenting and discovering where my strengths and passions truly lie.”
Ready to explore a creative future?
Explore our courses or book your free place on our upcoming open event on Wednesday 1st October to find out more.