Art and Design

Art and design is a broad and vital field that encompasses visual art, graphic design, illustration, photography, and a range of hybrid and interdisciplinary practices. Studying it at degree level develops not only technical skill and creative imagination but the critical thinking, visual literacy, and professional awareness that practitioners need to work effectively in a sector that is constantly evolving.

At the University of Bedfordshire, the programme is taught by practising artists, designers, and photographers who exhibit their work internationally and use their industry connections to develop live briefs and real-world projects that mirror contemporary working environments. This means that even as a student you will be engaging with clients, deadlines, and briefs that reflect what professional creative practice actually looks like. You will explore a range of approaches and media, developing your own creative voice through sustained practice and critical reflection.

Studio work, critique, and contextual study are all important parts of your education: you will learn to make decisions about your own work, to articulate your intentions and evaluate your outcomes, and to situate your practice within the broader history and theory of art and design.

This is a three-year full-time programme with a typical entry tariff of 104 UCAS points.

Graduates from art and design programmes go on to careers as illustrators, graphic designers, art directors, photographers, visual artists, set designers, and UX designers, as well as in arts education, curating, arts administration, and community arts. Many also progress to postgraduate study in fine art, design, illustration, or curating, or pursue independent creative practice alongside other professional work.