Design (Top-up)

This one year Top-up degree will enable students to build on the professional skills developed in Level 4/5 or HND courses, ready for a wide range of roles within the contemporary design field. The course promotes design learning with related disciplines, encouraging a creative approach to design thinking and production. We encourage our students to be innovators within chosen areas of design such as Illustration, Multi-media, Web Design, Photography and Motion Graphics.

The complex approaches to design no longer demand specialists but rather designers who work within the convergence of boundaries. With the merger of new technologies and ensuing media revolution there is an amplified need for designers who understand the multiplicity of the screen as much as conventional design practices, an opportunity to be a facilitator for change.

What previous qualifications or experience do I need?
You will require 240 Credits from the Foundation Degree in Digital Media Design. Our entry criteria asks that you have a Level 5 or HND qualification in a similar area. If you do not have these qualifications, but have related experience which you can prove, it may be possible for you to have direct entry, so please enquire.

What qualification will I achieve?
You will graduate with a BA (Hons) Design, awarded by the University of East Anglia. You will be invited to our graduation ceremony where you will collect your certificate and celebrate your achievements.

What can I do after completing this course?
The combination of design and project management experience results in a high employment success rate, with graduates going on to further study (e.g. PGCE or specialist MA courses) whilst many more find employment in the widest range of organisations in the Creative Industries such as Graphic Designer, User Experience (UX) Designer, User Interface (UI) Designer, Product Designer, Brand Designer, Web Designer, Motion Designer, Advertising Designer, Packaging Designer, Interior Designer, Illustrator, Art Director, Creative Director, Exhibition Designer, Marketing Designer, Multimedia Designer, 3D Designer.

In 2024 we were awarded an exceptional 94% National Student Survey (NSS) rating. Every university in the UK takes part in the NSS, as do many colleges. This survey gathers students’ opinions on the quality of their courses which helps to inform prospective students’ choices and provide data that supports universities and colleges to improve the student experience. East Sussex College University Courses is very proud of our extremely high score. The NSS is managed by the OfS on behalf of the UK funding and regulatory bodies.

There are 4 modules in the Top-up degree, which combine to ensure graduates have the skills to work in a wide range of contexts. These modules place special emphasis on the processes of reflective learning, through a range of embedded methods within the studio and design projects, to develop self-motivated and self-critical students, equipped with critical and creative skills vital to future employment prospects and development of the profession.

Design Entreprise is the first practical module enabling you to stretch yourself in the areas most suited to your career ambitions. This is supported by a Critical Studies module, encouraging research and deeper thinking skills, and a Professional Practice module to make sure you are ready to get gainful employment when you graduate. The Final Major Project is you chance to show your work to a wider audience in the end of course Degree Show.

You will be assessed in the four modules which are spread throughout the year. You will submit a range of outcomes for assessment, including sketch books, final outcomes, essays and personal promotional materials. Your final assessment will be presented as a Degree Show for public viewing.

To work as a teacher at a state school in England or Wales, you will need to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS). This is offered on this course for the following level:

• Course does not award QTS