Curriculum Information

Document Version

QAA Benchmarks

Educational Aim

Learning Outcomes

Course Structure

Level 4 Modules

Level 5 Modules

Level 6 Modules

Teaching and Assessment

Learning and Teaching Methods

Employer Engagement

Visiting Speakers

• Each year a selection of 3-4 industry relevant visiting speakers will be invited in to talk with students, provide workshops and seminars. In the first instance these may be targeted towards the learning and teaching of a certain module, however, general talks which apply to all areas of illustration or creative practice will also be considered.

Volunteering

• Students will be encouraged to volunteer in various modules as appropriate to their learning. For example, in the Year 1 module Illustration Fundamentals, students may require deeper understanding of a subject matter and therefore may benefit from volunteering in that sector – this type of experiential learning would also apply to year 2 and 3 modules.

Fieldwork

• Drawing on location, observation work and study outside the classroom/studio set up is encouraged, specifically within modules such as Visual Skills.

Fieldtrips

• Excursions and fieldtrip to museums, collections, galleries, exhibitions, events, talks and conferences will be encouraged each year. The modules Communication Studies 1, Communication Studies 2 and Professional and Promotional Practice will all have a required number of hours given to fieldtrips. Additional, optional trips abroad will also be provided as a Faculty wide scheme to enhance the student experience.

Work Placements

• Work placements feature in the module Client Studies and students are required to complete up to 70 hours on a relevant placement within the creative industries.

Other

• Live project briefs are delivered in each year, with the appropriate levels of support and progression. Working with external clients in very important to the course and will ensure students have a well-rounded and real-world experience of illustration practice and the creative industries.
  

Means of Assessment

• Case Study
• Essay
• Oral Assessment
• Oral Presentation
• Portfolio
• Project Output
• Practical Assessment
• Written Assignment
• Dissertation

Learning Support

Induction

• All students will be given a full induction to the illustration course in their first week, enabling them to adjust to university life, get to know the teaching team, their PAC tutor and their peers, plan their studies and understand how the university works. The induction includes, a full explanation of teaching timetables, overview of the course handbook and student charter along with team building activities and networking events helping foster a sense of community between all illustration students and year groups.

Personal tutor

• All students will be allocated a Personal Academic Coach (PAC). The role of the PAC will be to work with students to consider their academic and profession progress on the course and in university life overall, not just individual assignments or modules. They will also be able to direct students to the best support on any financial, health, disability, learning difference or personal issues students may have. 
• Where possible and dependant on staff availability the Personal Academic Coach will remain consistent thorough the student's progression on the course.

 Office hours

• The course team will all have a set amount of office hours, students will be notified when and where lecturers are available for drop-in sessions to discuss course work or any other issues.
• The course team are generally available throughout the week during standard office hours, either in the studios or in their office, in case of any enquiries or emergencies.

Tutorials

• Tutorials can take the form of a one-to-one or group discussion with a tutor to discuss progress on a module. By nature, illustration is a practice-based discipline and the emphasis will be on the practical application of skills learnt so contact needs to be flexible. Modules may also be delivered in different ways depending on the module and the skills required, so tutorials may take the form of in class demonstrations, informal advice or supervised time in studios. Tutorials for Client Studies and Critical Research Dissertation modules are normally provided by an allocated supervisor who has expertise in the area of study.

Seminars

• A seminar is normally a groupdiscussion with a tutor in which a small number of students where they can discuss their progress together. This is beneficial as students get an opportunity to see their peers progress, helping build their confidence by providing constructive support to others. This format of learning is well suited to both practical and the theoretical based modules within the course.

Formative Assessment

• The nature of practice-based work means that students will regularly receive formative feedback on their work in a less formal way – during seminars and class presentations or group work. More formal examples of formative assessment and feed-forward would be, for example, written feedback given after a one-to-one tutorial, feedback on work sent via email, immediate feedback during pitches and regular progress meetings.

Progress meetings

• Progress meetings are facilitated by the module’s teaching team and cover aspects such as scheduling, technical trouble shooting, advice on progress, and critique.

Research Supervision

• For modules such as Critical Research (Dissertation) and Client Studies, where students are expected to be working largely independently, they will be allocated a supervisor who will guide them throughout their research. Students and staff will keep in touch using a variety of methods including email, studio practice and regular supervision meetings. Staff will offer ‘office hours’ for drop-in discussions and will schedule meetings with students.
• Students will be able to book meetings via online scheduling tools such as Doodle and staff provide the opportunity for sign-up sheets for one to one appointments.

Online Resources

• The University’s online learning environment, UniLearn, provides access to information about the course, through the Course Organisation, and materials and resources for each of the modules to support the students learning as set out in the University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Minimum Requirements Policy.
• As well as the course VLE (virtual learning environment) the course team uses a variety of methods to provide and links to online resources including: Articles, course blogs, Instagram feed.
• Learning Analytics will be used to enable tracking of students’ progress and engagement. All staff have received training on using DataX Jisc Learning Analytics and will appropriate this for online registers and PAC Tutorials.
• Students are encouraged to develop their own online professional presence and to share useful resources and inspiration with others. Professional collaboration tools such as: Google Docs are used to support team working and project management when working with live briefs.

Advice Centres

• Advice Zones are the first point of contact for advice and information regarding university life. Advice Assistants offer confidential, impartial guidance and advice on a range of issues including extenuating circumstances. Advice Assistants are also able to answer and advise on queries, questions or concerns regarding booking appointments with specialist teams such as Counselling, Disability and Dyslexia, Money Advice and Progression Advice.

DDS Service

• The Disability Service provides information, advice and guidance to and co-ordinates support for USW students who have disabilities, including physical, sensory, mental health or unseen disabilities, specific learning difficulties (e.g. dyslexia) and autism.A confidential service where students can discuss their individual requirements. DDS can advise on what support is available and help students apply for it.
• The Disability Service also has a key role in ensuring the University meets its commitment to providing an inclusive environment for disabled students. See our Policies and Equality Scheme.

IT/Library

• IT and media resources are a common thread behind many of the activities which help to enhance students’ learning experience, such as their online student account (giving access to email, printing and payments and more), UniLearn (the online learning environment), open access to computers on each campus, printing services, and media equipment.
• USW has a strong commitment to providing technology-based learning environments to support students. Whether studying on campus, at home or elsewhere, students have web access to their course materials anytime and anywhere.
• The recently refurbished Library is where students can get the help of librarians who can offer advice on finding resources for their course. The library contains a wide range of books including copies of every set or recommended text for each of their modules. USW also provides access to journals related to the discipline so students can keep up to date with the latest thinking and developments.
• There is also a periodicals collection with newspapers and magazines. Many of these resources are also available digitally.
  

Course Exit Points

Progression Route

Graduates will be able to progress into a wide range of roles within or related to Illustration and the creative industries. Graduates from the course may establish freelance careers or set up creative communities or companies of their own. The graduate's skillset and transferable skills obtained from the course would enable them to move into other design and digital disciplines such as, art direction, animation, pre-production work, storyboarding or visualisation for TV or Games. Graduates could also progress into further education, within USW on the MA in Graphic Communication, or other masters-level provision at other institutions

Entry Requirements

Admission to the course is typically through the following qualifications:

The entry criteria below show the qualification range within which the University will make offers. Most offers we make are at the top of the range, but we take all aspects of an application into consideration and applicants receive a personalised offer. Combinations of qualifications are acceptable and other qualifications not listed here may also be acceptable.

Interview

An interview and portfolio presentation are required for the Illustration degree. The portfolio should demonstrate strong artistic and design abilities, preferably produced during the most recent course of study, and can include any personal work or projects.

Typical A-Level Offer

BCC - CDD to include a relevant art and design subject (this is equivalent to 104-80 UCAS tariff points).

Typical Welsh BACC Offer

Pass the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Diploma with Grade C/D in the Skills Challenge Certificate and BC - CD at A Level with a relevant art and design subject (this is equivalent to 104-80 UCAS tariff points).

Typical BTEC Offer

BTEC Extended Diploma Distinction Merit Merit - Merit Merit Pass in a relevant subject (this is equivalent to 112-80 UCAS tariff points).

Typical IB Offer

Pass the International Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum score of 29 overall including 5 or above in English at standard level

Typical Access to HE Offer

Pass the Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 80 UCAS tariff points

Additional Requirements

GCSEs: The University normally requires a minimum 5 GCSEs including Mathematics/Numeracy and English at Grade C or Grade 4 or above, or their equivalent, but consideration is given to individual circumstances

International Entry Requirements

In general, international applicants will need to have achieved an overall IELTS grade of 6.0 with a minimum score of 5.5 in each component.

However, if you have previously studied through the medium of English IELTS might not be required, but please visit the country specific page on theinternational website for exact details.

English Requirements

We also welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications. Please visit the country specific pages on our international website for exact details.

Inclusive Curriculum Statement

The University of South Wales operates a policy of inclusive learning, teaching and assessment to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to fulfil their educational potential. Course teams will have considered ways of designing out any potentially disadvantageous element of courses during the course design process. However some specific needs may remain, details about how to apply to have your needs assessed can be found at: http://unilife.southwales.ac.uk/pages/3040-disability-and-dyslexia-service/

Addendum for Delivery at a Partner Institution

N/A