Is it worth doing graphic design at university?

I'm currently in year 12 and I'm thinking of doing graphic design at university, however is it really worth it and I can't find any good universities for it. I also don't know much about the topic in general and I just feel really lost. can anyone help?

Reply 1

CoolCavy

Volunteer Team

What do you mean by 'good' good as in what people deem to be a prestigious university or good for the course. If you mean the former then you will be disappointed as creative courses are often stronger at less traditional universities. There are plenty of unis that have amazing courses with strong links to industry.
Graphic design is an excellent course, the creative industry in this country is huge and plenty of jobs in marketing, advertising and design ask for a design degree and the software experience that comes along with it (adobe packages, CAD programmes etc). It's kind of risky to choose a subject if you have no experience of it, you might not actually enjoy it when you get there. Out of interest why do you want to choose it? What subjects are you currently taking (some unis specify you must have a creative subject)?
@PQ

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 2

dbains

I don’t know anyone who does graphic design at uni, but I’ve been learning it for free during quarantine. I think it’s a great industry that is constantly growing and in high-demand, but I don’t think it’s a great degree. A lot of the stuff you can learn online, and get experience by just trying new stuff. A lot of graphic design software is free, so it’s easy to get into the industry. Hope this helps😄👍🏽

Reply 3

CoolCavy

Volunteer Team

Original post by dbains

I don't want to dismiss your experience but the shaw academy 4 week graphic design course isnt a substitute for the degree, i did product design at university and can assure you we learn the software in much greater depths and also use others such as solidworks that courses like that don't teach you.
If you look for jobs plenty specify 2-3 years experience, a 2:1 in a design subject degree and use of packages such as Adobe photoshop, illustrator and indesign - none of which are free to download and are the softwares that industries run on.

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 4

Li_violet

Original post by CoolCavy

I do art, eng lit and history rn for a-levels. I looked at UAL but the reviews from their students really put me off as lots of them discussed how the teachers were **** and barely put any effort into teaching them. Personally I really ****ed up with my a-level choices as with them I can't get a high paying job, I'm not smart enough to go into law and I dont see the point of a history or english degree so I decided I could get a masters in Graphic Design and then become a creative director as I love film, Im chosing not to do a film degree at uni as their employablitlity rate isnt that diverse unlike graphic design

Reply 5

CoolCavy

Volunteer Team

Original post by Li_violet

Art should be sufficient to get you in, it's also quite similar to design in aspects so if you enjoy it you have a better chance of enjoying a design degree. That is one university though, Brighton, Nottingham Trent, Loughborough, Arts University Bournemouth, Falmouth, Bristol are just some of the universities that have really strong design courses.
If you love film you may be better going in that direction despite your hesitation, graphic design isn't really linked to film and just having a masters in it won't guarantee you a film position. If you do still want to do design the master's isn't really necessary for what you want to do in terms of employment, you would be better off doing a master's in media after your graphic design degree. It should be noted though that GD is mostly related to static images i.e the stuff you see on advert posters, company flyers etc. If you are interested in film then it may be wiser to do something like games design or animation as these have a stronger link to CGI and stuff like that (you will likely learn how to use Maya for instance).

Reply 6

Clearing and Applications Advisor

https://www.peopleofprint.com/best-of/top-10-universities-for-graphic-design-and-illustration-in-uk/ Is worth a read

You’re right that UAL doesn’t have great reviews. They don’t have a great reputation for teaching their students (they tend to recruit high numbers and so there’s limited studio space and students have to commute across London which doesn’t help the student experience).
There are lots of good universities for graphic design.

Tbh though it sounds like you’re not really sure what you want to do. I would recommend taking a foundation diploma in art and design at a local college or university to find out more about different creative pathways and careers (as well as trying out studying art/design full time before committing to a degree).

If you’re interested in working in the film industry then a film degree or a performance design or modelmaking/prop making degree might be a better option than graphic design. Or you might be better suited to visual communication instead of GD.

Reply 7

chrisball241

I would highly recommend doing a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at a college that has a digital visual media/graphics section - this will really help you understand what you want to do in terms of a future degree course.

CoolCavy, if you are able to respond to my post I'd appreciate it! Here is the link: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6633110

Reply 8

insidedesigner

Original post by Li_violet

The UK has some of the best graphic design courses in the world. Students travel from all around the world to study the subject here.

If you want to know more about the subject, educate yourself over the summer. Buy a book or magazine you like the look of and read it, follow famous designers and agencies on social media, watch talks/tutorials etc on Youtube. There's some much information available and doing this off your own back, rather than waiting for a teacher to tell you, will advance your knowledge and skills no end.