Overview

Direct entry: If you’ve completed a relevant college qualification such as a Higher National Diploma (HND), you can gain direct entry into Year 3 of our BSc (Hons) Digital Design degree and graduate with an honours degree within two years. See the entry requirements for this course for full details.

Bring your ideas to life and join a dynamic community of creatives and innovators on the BSc (Hons) Digital Design (Direct Entry) course at GCU - where technology meets imagination.

Perfect for HND graduates, this two-year course is your next step into a thriving design career.

Studying digital design, you’ll explore the creation of visual design, user experience for web, mobile and motion graphics. You’ll solve complex problems with innovative, visually creative solutions and prepare for a rewarding career in the digital design industry.

Through studio-based, project-led learning, you’ll bring ideas to life using industry-standard design software and prototyping tools. You'll develop your technical expertise and boost your creative confidence. These advanced skills will enable you to create high-quality visuals and engaging digital experiences.

You’ll adopt a user-centric approach and explore user psychology. Building practical skills in user experience (UX) and user interface (UI design), you’ll create products that are functional and visually compelling.

We’ll encourage you to consider the social impact of design, empower you to apply your creativity to real-world challenges, and support you to make a positive impact.

Benefitting from our strong industry connections, you’ll collaborate on live and simulated briefs that mirror professional practice. This will give you first-hand experience of the culture, pace, and expectations of the design industry, and prepare you for the world of work.

Why study Digital Design (direct entry) at GCU?

Benefit from an industry mentor who will provide professional guidance and support throughout your final year.
Take part in the Creating Conversations design conference, bringing together industry, academics and students to discuss final year projects.
Our course is ScreenSkills Select accredited. It meets the high standards set by the UK’s industry-led skills body for screen, games, film and animation.
Train for exciting new roles in emerging areas like augmented and virtual reality, interaction design and creative coding.
Access this two-year BSc course through direct entry after completing your HND, or equivalent work experience.

What you will study

Please note that full module information is in the process of being finalised for publication and will be made available here shortly.

In the meantime, you can view and download the Programme Specification at the bottom of this page. This document provides an overview of the course structure, including indicative modules, learning content and further key information. The modules listed on the Programme Specification are for the current academic year and are intended to give you an idea of what you may be able to study on this course.

Careers

Throughout your degree, you’ll develop creative, technical and problem-solving skills, preparing you for a range of design roles. As technology evolves, new positions are being created in emerging areas like augmented and virtual reality, interaction design and creative coding.

Our graduates have built careers across the creative industries, at design studios, tech companies and in-house creative teams, while others choose to work as freelancers.

They have moved into many exciting roles, including:

Graphic Designer
Digital Designer
UX Designer
UI Designer
Web Designer
Social Media Designer
Motion Designer.

Course information

Award	Mode of study	Duration	Start date	Location	UCAS
BSc (Hons)	Full time	2 years	Sep 27	Glasgow	3K7Q	Enquire Apply
Award	Mode of study	Duration	Start date	Location	UCAS
BSc (Hons)	Full Time	2 years	Sep 26	Glasgow	3K7Q	Enquire Apply

Please note that admission to GCU is considered on a competitive basis, and the academic entry requirements stated here may be the minimum required to be eligible for an offer.

International students can get information on entry requirements specific to their country in our International Study section.

Year 3

College HND: Graded Units BB in one of the following: Graphic Design/Digital Media/Visual Communication/Graphic Design for Print and New Media/Interactive Media/Digital Design and Development/Web Development/Computer Arts and Design. Other creative disciplines may be considered.

All applicants will be expected to submit a digital portfolio to gauge creative potential, motivation and suitability for the course. Portfolios may be short-listed to allow for an interview stage from a smaller pool of applications.

English language IELTS score of 6.0 with no element below 5.5

Additional information for international applicants

Entry requirements by country
Application deadlines
English language tests
Knowledge of English - Applicants from a majority English speaking country may not be required to provide further proof of your English language proficiency. Information about this requirement is available on the Student Visa section of the gov.uk website.

Additional information for all applicants

Relevant experience (Recognition of Prior Learning)

GCU's flexible entry policies exist to allow relevant work experience and prior learning to be considered towards standard entry or advanced entry into a course.

If you do not have the typical academic entry qualifications, but can demonstrate relevant work experience and/or credits from recognised professional bodies, you may be eligible to enter this course via the University's Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) scheme.

Minimum entry requirements

Minimum entry requirements are for widening access students only. If you are from a group that is not currently well-represented in higher education you may qualify as a widening access student. This includes living in a target postcode area, attending a target school or college, attending SWAP, are care-experienced or provide care for someone else, have refugee status or are an asylum seeker.

Assessment methods

You’ll work independently on assignments, assessed through digital portfolios that showcase your practical design work. Presentations – on your own and in a group – are used to assess project concepts, development and outcomes.

While coursework is our main focus, some modules are assessed by written reports. This helps you build the academic and professional writing skills you’ll need for your final year project.

Digital design mentoring scheme

You’ll be mentored throughout your final year by a design professional. You’ll receive guidance, feedback, industry insights – and get a head start in your career. You may even stay in touch after you graduate, setting development goals together and expanding your professional network.

Guest lectures and networking events

The course is based on what’s happening in industry today. Leading professionals regularly give us live project briefs and deliver guest lectures in key subjects, including:

graphic design
communication design
web design
UI (User Interface) and UX (User Experience)
motion design
design-led social enterprise.

Throughout your degree, you’ll meet people from the wider design community through events such as the INTL Conference, the student-led Creating Conversations conference, and our final-year showcase, “Caledonian Creates”.

You’ll also be encouraged to attend local design events such as GAB and Curio, building valuable networks and professional connections.

Visit the INTL Conference website

Visit the GAB website

Visit the Curio website

Accreditation

Our course is ScreenSkills Select accredited. This means it meets the high standards set by the UK’s industry-led skills body for screen, games, film and animation. It ensures students graduate with the technical, creative and professional skills in demand across the games and interactive media sectors.

Our accredited status gives you access to exclusive opportunities, including mentorship programmes, funding support, networking events and training initiatives supported by ScreenSkills and its partners.

Visit the ScreenSkills Select website

Download the programme specification

In addition to the core modules that all students must undertake, some courses offer students a choice from a selection of optional modules to shape the focus their degree. Optional modules where available, form part of the overall credit structure of the course.

Download the programme specification for a detailed breakdown of the course structure, including modules, what you'll learn and other useful information.

Terms and Conditions

Details of the University’s terms and conditions are available here.