What You'll Study
Year One — We will introduce you to a number of themes and core skills, to explore and develop your practice in creative thinking and making, drawing, colour, digital design and print. We will help you to identify, develop and express your creative interests, aesthetic sensibilities and approaches to creative practice.
Year Two — You will develop your creative and practical skills, with an emphasis on live briefs, industry competitions and employability along with an outward facing approach to briefs, through which we produce work for national and global clients and audiences. You will be encouraged to develop a personal design ‘handwriting’ that you can apply to your choice of design and specialist interests.
Year Three — You will be encouraged to consolidate and plan your own programme of work in response to your chosen design concerns and personal creative hand. Through this you will develop the experience and professional portfolio you require to confidently present yourself to the design industry.
Work Experience
Work experience covers a broad range of activities and students are encouraged to undertake work placements during their time at university. The course has a range of industry links, both in the UK and internationally, which you will be introduced to throughout your studies. As well as guidance from the course team our Careers, Employability and Enterprise team offer support that enhances employability skills and underpins engagement with industry.
In the past our students have secured placements at: Acne Studio (Stockholm), ASDA Living, NEXT, Bay & Brown, Alexander McQueen, Hallmark, Tenue de Ville, Mitwill Europe (Mulhouse, France), Studio Liz Casella (LA), Joules, Belstaff, Duchamp, Trend Bible, Mary Katrantzou, Caroline Gardner, Lemon Ribbon, Winston & Wright design studio, Keeler Gordon, Monsoon, Ted Baker, Holbrook Studio and others.
Accolades
Students have won national and international design awards. Recent successes include:
- New Designers – 2020 ND Harlequin award, 2020 ND Colour in Design award ‘One to Watch’
- PV Awards NextGen award in mix media and print categories
- i-dott 2019 Wallpaper design awards including grand prize winner
- Textile Society Bursary Award Winners (2013-2020)
- The Society of Dyers & Colourists ‘Colour in Design’ International Student Design Competition - 2019 winner for North of England Heat and runner-up for UK
- Heimtextil 2019 – International University Competition- winners of sponsored alumni stand
- Bradford Textile Society - (2013-2020) multiple award winners including 2019: two student travel bursary awards To Maison et Objet trade fair and the course winning the Designers Guild Plaque for outstanding work
Course Specification
Contact Hours and Teaching/Learning Methods
Undergraduate degree courses at Leeds Arts University are delivered and supported through a range of teaching and learning strategies. Courses are made up of modules, these are elements of study that are taught and assessed separately. Each module carries a clearly identified credit value, the accumulation of which will allow you to progress to the next level of the course. 100 hours of learning are expected for every ten credits of the course. Each level (year) of the course is made up of 120 credits and therefore requires 1200 hours of learning. This equates to 40 hours of study per week throughout the academic year.
For every 100 hours of study, approximately 25 hours are delivered as taught or staff-led sessions and the remaining hours are a combination of other types of supported learning and independent study.
For further information visit Undergraduate teaching & learning at Leeds Arts University.
Destination Careers
Our graduates have secured jobs in: textile print for fashion and interior; design products and furnishings; wall coverings; flooring and carpets; cards and gift wrap; media and publishing; product and packaging; trend research; fashion marketing; styling; buying; and numerous other allied industries. Others set up their own businesses, producing work as freelance designers, working for private commissions or major brands. Graduates may also continue on to postgraduate study.
Entry Requirements
We’re looking for students with the best potential to succeed - irrespective of their background. That’s why we welcome a wide range of qualifications and experience.
Click here to view our entry requirements
Tuition Fees and Other Costs
Tuition Fees
Our current fees are listed here
Other Costs
Further costs of study are related largely to the costs of materials and depend very much on how individual students choose to respond to University briefs. At the start of the first year you will be provided with a starter kit of equipment and materials that will help you during the first few months of the course. You will be provided with basic materials to help you complete set briefs. As you progress through the course, you will incur additional costs depending on the level and complexity of the work you are making and the materials you use.
The costs below are the result of asking our students to state how much they spend during the year and creating an average, as such they are indicative only.
Equipment & Materials
A list of essential equipment is provided each year, such as metal ruler, scalpel, brush-es etc. Most of this you will already have accumulated from previous study. If buying from scratch this will cost in the region of £45 but can be collected much cheaper with some shopping around.
- Level 4 (First Year) Materials and processes - £120-£160
- Level 5 (Second Year) Materials and processes - £150-£250
- Level 6 (Third Year) The individual exploration of design ideas at Level 6 means there is a much greater variety of expenditure, based on personal interests, ranging from £150-£800, with £500 as an average.
Computers & Digital Equipment
Our course is offered using a blended learning model which means you will need to access some course materials and video conference using a computer or mobile de-vice (eg laptop, tablet or smartphone). If you are intending to buy a computer for your studies we suggest that you wait until you commence your studies. You will quickly find out what you need and what you don’t need. The Course Team will be able to offer you advice on what to buy and where to purchase it from based on your creative needs and budget. If you do not have access to a mobile device and are unable to afford one you may be eligible for further support from our hardship fund, more information can be found here.
Educational Visits & Offsite Activities
Due to current travel restrictions and the uncertainties caused by the pandemic no residential trips are planned for the autumn 2020 term. This situation will be assessed and reviewed as the course progresses so that opportunities for educational visits further afield can be explored. Costs for such trips are in addition to other costs but attendance is not mandatory.
We provide support for undergraduate students dependent upon their financial circumstances. Visit Undergraduate Financial Support for further information.
Terms & Conditions and Key Information
International Opportunities / Visiting and exchange students
We are delighted to welcome undergraduate visiting and exchange students from Europe and around the world who would like to spend a semester or a full academic year taking credits from our exciting range of courses. You will be fully integrated into the academic and social life of the University during a period of full-time supervised study and your credits transferred back to your home institution.
You can join us through programmes such as Erasmus+, individual university partnerships or as an independent applicant. Please see here for more information and how to apply.
Leeds Arts University students interested in spending some time overseas can find information on the international opportunities available during your course here.
Questions? Contact international@leeds-art.ac.uk
@lau_textiledesign
