Follow in the footsteps of established illustrators, designers and creators by developing your individual visual style.
In our vibrant studios and workshops, you’ll receive dedicated attention from our expert tutors – all of whom are professional illustrators – to help you find your visual style and kick-start your career.
At the same time, you’ll have plenty of space to experiment, discover, discuss and create, with full access to our facilities and expertise in printmaking, 3D, photography, storytelling, editorials, animation, text and image, and moving illustrations, and opportunities to go on local and international trips.
Why ARU?
100% believe staff value students’ views and opinions about the course, 96% that the course has developed the knowledge and skills I think I will need for my future and 91% that teaching staff have supported my learning well. NSS 2025.
Study on a course that scored highly across the board in the National Student Survey 2024
Join a course whose students are regularly recognised in national and international prizes and awards
Prepare for a variety of freelance and commercial roles, taking inspiration from our successful alumni
Display your work at our final-year Graduate Showcase, and local and national exhibitions
Visit galleries, find inspiration, and hone your observational drawing skills locally and internationally
Visit galleries, find inspiration, and hone your observational drawing skills locally and internationally
Careers
The creative industries are booming in the UK, employing more than two million people.
As a creative hotspot that’s home to thousands of established businesses and start-ups, Cambridge is the perfect place to gain crucial experience.
There are plenty of opportunities to get your work seen, too. At the end of your final year, you’ll take part in our degree show and the New Designers graduate exhibition in London – the perfect launchpad for your career.
Year 1
Digital and Moving Illustration
Drawing for Illustration
Illustration Practice
Print, Process and Page
Into ARU
Year 2
Sequence and Narrative
The Illustrated World
Ruskin Module (15 credits)
Year 3
Portfolio Development
Launchpad
Research Project *
Working in the Creative Industries *
*optional
This is a hands-on, practical course and our assessment is based on the coursework you complete for each of your modules. This includes completed project work as well as accompanying material such as sketchbooks. We’re looking to see how you research, analyse and develop your work – in other words, how you think as an illustrator. You’ll also attend lectures and produce written material including essays. We’ll look at these when we’re reviewing your progress.
This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.
Anglia Ruskin University has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?
The following entry points are available for this course:
We accept A Levels, T Levels, BTECs, OCR, Access to HE and most other qualifications within the UCAS Tariff. Preferably to include an Art, Design or Media subject at A level or equivalent level.
3 GCSEs at grade C, or grade 4, or above, including English.
ARU operates a policy of making contextualised offers for this course which may be a reduced conditional offer or an unconditional offer, using data from UCAS to make our assessment. We consider that this approach promotes the equality of educational opportunity for applicants from low participation groups in HE. ARU welcomes students from diverse backgrounds and helping them achieve their full potential. The offer of a place through the contextual offer process is at the discretion of ARU.
This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course with (learn more).
It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place.
Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.
We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.
| Location | Fee | Year |
|---|---|---|
| England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands & Republic of Ireland | £10050 |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.
https://www.aru.ac.uk/student-life/preparing-for-study/help-with-finances/undergraduate
https://www.aru.ac.uk/study/tuition-fees
International fee TBC
Email:answers@aru.ac.uk
Phone:+44 (0)1245 686868
Email:international@anglia.ac.uk
Phone:+44 1245 683680
East Road
Cambridge
CB1 1PT
At Anglia Ruskin University
