We are in the process of finalising our postgraduate taught courses for 2027/28 entry. In the meantime, you can view our 2026/27 courses.
Elevate your creative practice and shape culture through visual design with our highly practical BA Art and Graphic Design degree.
Our four-year programme is designed to build your skills, your portfolio, and your creative career.
Study at one of the top-ranked design schools for graphic design with an internationally recognised School of Art.
As a BA Art and Graphic Design student at Reading, you’ll develop as an artist, designer, and creative, supported by experts and practitioners from Reading School of Art and the Department of Typography & Graphic Communication.
You'll also:
Artwork image credit: Jony Hodgson.
In art, you'll discover the practice, theory, and history of art, engage in new and emerging forms, and refine your own skill set and expression in our studio.
In graphic design, you’ll explore different ways of thinking about design – practical, historical, and theoretical. You’ll develop the ability to express your design ideas confidently, learn how to solve real-life graphic communication challenges, and understand how design principles respond to user needs.
Throughout your studies, you’ll develop into a well-rounded ‘thinking designer’ – an approach that is highly sought after by the design industry.
Our flexible degree structure is designed to give you freedom to explore before choosing your specialist path. You’ll focus on either art or graphic design in your final year – but will graduate with strong practical experience in both disciplines. This will give you a competitive edge, opening the door to a wide range of creative careers.
At certain points in your degree, you'll also have the option to switch to BA Art or BA Graphic Communication – ideal if you're still deciding which creative discipline is right for you.
At least once a week during teaching time, a member of the creative community visits to speak or conduct workshops as part of our visiting artist series. You'll have direct access to a wide range of professionals across the creative industry – from renowned artists and creators to writers, gallerists, arts organisers, professional designers, and potential employers, such as IBM, Penguin Books, Sky, Expedia, BBC, and Oxford University Press.
These sessions offer insight into practice, career journeys, and the realities of working in the arts. You’ll have the chance to ask questions, build connections, and learn directly from those in the field.
You’ll join a collaborative community of high-profile international artists, curators, and designers. Through their research and practice, they’ve accumulated rich professional experience and world-leading understanding of their subjects.
Under their guidance and drawing on their experience, you’ll be encouraged to engage with pressing global issues, expand your creative practices, and explore new ideas.
93% of our students said teaching staff are good at explaining things (National Student Survey 2025, 93.3% of responders from the Department of Typography and Graphic Communication).
Our art studios are open 24/7 during semester time, giving you freedom to work whenever inspiration strikes. In the School of Art, you’ll have your own workspace in our recently opened art building, designed to foster creativity and collaboration. Our technicians are available to show you how to use everything and help you develop new skills.
You'll have access to:
You may have the opportunity to undertake a placement or internship, forming all or part of an optional module.
Past students have:
