What You'll Study
Year One – Your first year is about experimentation. We introduce you to various themes and core skills in creative thinking and making, digital design, and print. We will help you identify, develop, and express your creative interests, aesthetic sensibilities, and approaches to creative practice. We offer design-related workshops, peer-to-peer learning, and student collaboration opportunities that give you industry-relevant skills and experiences.
Year Two – Develop your creative and practical skills through live briefs, industry competitions, and employability opportunities. You may produce work for a range of audiences including national and global clients. 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 interests and creative hand. Through this, you will develop a professional portfolio of work supporting your career aspirations. You will have regular contact time with tutors who will support your progress. Due to the course’s broad remit, former students have gained employment at high street and designer brands, in fashion, interiors, and entered self-employment.
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:
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New Designers - 2021 Wilko award, 2021 Sanderson Group award, 2021 The Mollie Makes award, 2020 ND Harlequin award, 2020 ND Harlequin award, 2020 ND Colour in Design award ‘One to Watch’
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i-dott 2021 1st and 3rd places for design categories, 2019 Wallpaper design awards including grand prize winner
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Textile Society Bursary Award Winners (2013-2020)
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Bradford Textile Society (2013-2021) - multiple award winners including 2021 2nd prize for Cloth Workers’ Company award and 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. Around 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. Teaching is split over 2 semesters; each semester has 13 weeks of teaching and 2 weeks of assessment.
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; greeting cards and gift wrap; media and publishing; product and packaging; trend research; fashion marketing; styling; buying; and numerous other creative careers. 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.
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 and 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 and Digital Equipment
Teaching and learning are supported through access to some online events and learning materials. This might include visiting speakers or the chance to review lectures that have been recorded. The University also uses a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to support learning. There are a range of computer facilities across the University available to access Monday to Saturday including weekday evenings. If you are intending to buy a computer we suggest you wait until you start your course. You will quickly find out what you do and 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.
Educational Visits and Off-Site Activities
Educational visits to enhance your experience may take place throughout the course and can range from a visit to a UK conference, exhibition or gallery, to a European or international study trip. All trips requiring a student financial contribution are optional and costs will always be kept as affordable as possible. We do not guarantee that we will run international visits. The decision is made annually based on availability, cost and the number of students required to make the trip viable.
We provide support for undergraduate students dependent upon their financial circumstances. Visit Undergraduate Finance 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
