Art and Design


Are you a budding Graphic Designer or Illustrator? Do you have a natural talent for painting and drawing or are you passionate about design?

Whether you’re looking to develop your skills with design undergraduate courses or expand your horizons with a postgraduate Fine Art degree, we have the ideal art and design courses for you. You’ll be supported along the way by experts in the field and have the option to embark on international study trips to give you a real taste of everything this creative field has to offer.

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Architectural model of a building on a table

Architectural Technology (Top-Up) BSc (Hons)

Build upon project management, design and technical skills and develop knowledge of the industry and legislation, while experiencing realistic projects.

  • UG
  • BSc (Hons)
  • UCAS: K212
Design students in a studio

Architectural Technology BSc (Hons)

Our Architectural Technology BSc course will empower you to deliver projects, from early feasibility studies to design development, construction and in-use lifecycle.

  • UG
  • BSc (Hons)
  • UCAS: BSc: K210 BSc with Foundation: K211
Close-up of student's artwork - four black and white rounds 'cushions' with large face detail

Fine Art (Top-Up) BA (Hons)

Our Fine Art (Top-Up) BA (Hons) gives you the chance to explore contemporary approaches across a range of disciplines, making use of our excellent facilities.

  • UG
  • BA (Hons)
  • UCAS: W102
Fine art student putting their project together, which consists of wooden paint rollers covered in black painted lined up on a wall.

Fine Art BA (Hons)

Explore contemporary approaches to fine art across a range of disciplines making use of our excellent facilities for printmaking, painting, photography and more.

  • UG
  • BA (Hons)
  • UCAS: BA: W100 BA with Foundation: W101
Person standing in front of artwork

Fine Art Painting and Drawing (Top-Up) BA (Hons)

Study a specialist Painting and Drawing degree and explore contemporary approaches in a lively and intellectually challenging atmosphere.

  • UG
  • BA (Hons)
  • UCAS: W122
Fine-Art-Painting-And-Drawing-Banner-Image

Fine Art Painting and Drawing BA (Hons)

This specialist course offers you the chance to explore painting and drawing in a breadth and depth not possible on a multi-disciplinary fine arts course.

  • UG
  • BA (Hons)
  • UCAS: BA: W120 BA with Foundation: W121
Design by Evy Diepenbroek, featuring a selection of magazine pages spread on a black background, containing various messages in various typefaces and graphic images.

Graphic Communication Design (Top-Up) BA (Hons)

Graphic Communication Design (Top-Up) provides you with all the skills and knowledge you will need to work in the creative industries, or progress onto a master's course.

  • UG
  • BA (Hons)
  • UCAS: W212
Design by Evy Diepenbroek, featuring bright, neon stickers on a black background, containing various messages in various typefaces.

Graphic Communication Design BA (Hons)

Graphic Communication Design is all about creatively sharing ideas, you will learn a range of techniques on this course to help you do just that.

  • UG
  • BA (Hons)
  • UCAS: BA: W210 BA with Foundation: W211
power-of-now

Subject Information


  • By pursuing an art degree or design degree with the University of Northampton, whether you choose full-time or part-time study options, you’ll learn from industry experts in art, design, photography and architecture. You will also have the opportunity to test yourself on live client projects, broaden your horizons on international study trips and benefit from our extensive range of facilities, including dedicated design studios, galleries and workshops.

    If you choose one of our specialist design courses – Product Design, Interior Architecture & Spatial Design or Architectural Technology – our industry standard design studio and technical workshops will provide the environment for you to be innovative in your production of multi-dimensional work.

  • We request that applicants ensure they meet the design and art degree entry requirements for their chosen course. As these requirements can vary by programme and level of study, we advise that you check out the specific course page for a full list of criteria.

    You can find more information on the specific entry requirements on the course pages above.

  • Our graduates work in a variety of different careers in art and design. Our courses cover such a vast array of subjects, skills and disciplines, with common art careers including illustrators, photographers, professional artists, curators, printmakers, and art teachers or lecturers. University of Northampton graduates have also gone on to pursue design careers in the fields of graphic design, animation and architecture.

    We have so much confidence in our art and design degree graduates, which is why we offer the Northampton Employment Promise. If you haven’t found paid experience within 12 months of completion of your studies with a 2:2 result or above and completion of one of our flagship awards, we will provide you with the support you need to secure a three-six month paid art or design internship to help you get on the right path.

  • Why Study an Arts and Design degree?

    You will gain a skill set that is transferable in disciplines across art and design jobs available today. As there are different subject areas within our undergraduate degrees, you can be assured to find one that will capture your interest and is targeted to your aspirations and goals. Various opportunities will be provided to expand upon your experiences of the industry and make use of resources to put your skills to practice and produce a strong portfolio of work.