What can you do with an Art and Design degree?
An Art or Design degree is an opportunity to channel your creative flair by exploring a range of media techniques to refine your practice.
Career options
From book covers and bedside lamps to the apps on our phones and art on the walls, we experience art and design every day. One of the benefits of studying a degree in Art or Design is that you’re not pigeonholed to one specific job; an Art or Design degree will teach you skills that are relevant for multiple industries so you can follow a career path that is truly fulfilling for a lifetime.
Some Art graduates establish successful careers as professional artists, selling their work in galleries or taking paid commissions.
Other graduates choose to work in the arts sector as curators or gallery managers, while some choose to share their creative skills by working in education.
A degree in a Design subject also offers multiple industries to work in. Sectors such as advertising, branding, publishing, product design and interior design all require people with strong and adaptable creative skills.
- Professional Artist
- Freelance Illustrator
- Graphic Designer
- Product Designer
- Interior Designer
- Curator
- Gallery Manager
- Art Consultant
- Animator
- Printmaker
- Art Critic
- Copywriter
- Architectural Assistant
- Architectural Technician
- Teacher
Graduates in the spotlight
Our Art and Design graduates have gone on to carve successful careers in the following roles:
- Freelance Illustrator for Vogue, Lego and National Geographic
- Designer at the Telegraph
- Junior Art Director at Cravens
- Copywriter at Google
- Senior Creative at The&Partnership
- Furniture and Lighting Designer at Tom Raffield
- Production Assistant at Theatre Peckham
- Interior Designer at Sybarite Architects
- Development Engineer at Heathcoat Fabrics
- Senior Designer at Empire Design
Design advice from five sector-leading creatives
13 February 2025
Students from across our Graphic Design BA(Hons) community recently had the chance to hear the uniqu...
Q&A with Graphic Designer, George Sutton
12 February 2025
George Sutton is a practicing designer - and alumni of Graphic Design BA - with an eye for cross-sec...
Illustration graduate receives global recognition for design agency Kingdom & Sparrow
11 February 2025
Falmouth illustration graduate, Johnny Paton, is celebrating the success of his design agency, Kingd...
‘Design is Play’ Symposium: A Look into our Collaborative Graphic Design Event
10 February 2025
A group of innovative and engaging graphic designers came to Falmouth this January as part of an ins...
Graduate Spotlight: Textile Designer Lucy Martin
03 February 2025
Nature-loving textile design graduate Lucy Martin’s career has got off to an exciting start. Hot o...
Credit: Oliver Holmes
From CHANEL to Queen Camilla: a catch-up with Textile Design graduate Beth Somerville
10 December 2024
2023 was a big year for Textile Design BA (Hons) graduate Beth Somerville. From being named overall ...
Aimee Shardlow: Fine Art Graduate starts her own business
09 December 2024
Fine Art Graduate Aimee Shardlow tells us about her experience as an independent artist living near ...
Anna at Palazzo Monti, 2024.
Fine Art graduate joins The Great Women Artists Residency in Italy
21 November 2024
Maltese artist Anna Calleja’s career is endlessly inspiring. Since graduating from Fine Art BA(Hon...
Louise outside The Fish Factory in Penryn. Photo: The Fish Factory
Graduate Spotlight: illustrator and entrepreneur Louise Lane
05 November 2024
For Louise Lane, there is nothing more important than community. Since moving to Falmouth to study I...
Chantelle's five designs in print
Online Illustration student creates Cornish town map covers for Little Birdie Guides
23 August 2024
Knowledge and skills
A degree in an Art or Design subject gives you a platform to broaden your creative horizons by experimenting with a range of media and tools.
Through lectures and workshop-based teaching, our students develop knowledge and skills in areas such as printmaking, bookbinding, life drawing, colour theory, typography, storyboarding, graphic layout and studio photography.
Our academic and technical staff are on hand to support students with digital prototyping technologies such as 3D printing, 3D scanning and CAD software as well as training in CNC milling and laser cutting. Students can also experiment with hands-on making through joinery, casting and metal fabrication – our professional-standard facilities really do make the difference when it comes to a hands-on art or design specialism.
Transferable skills
As well as these specialist skills, students develop a range of transferable skills that are desirable to many employers. These include:
- Ability to work towards live self-directed and/or client-led briefs
- Leadership skills through project management and collaborative outputs
- Creating innovative solutions to problem solving and a willingness to take creative risks
- Strong research, observational and analytical skills
- Verbal and written communication skills, including presentation and pitching
- Interpersonal skills through critiques, peer reviews and group tutorials
- Entrepreneurial skills in marketing your work and building professional networks
Career support
Our Art and Design degrees mirror a real-life studio setting, providing an environment where students can experiment alongside their peers and build those ever-important networks. Students have the opportunity to seek national and international placements, exhibit their work at public exhibitions, work on live briefs set by industry partners and connect with some of the sector's most influential figures through our guest speaker programme.
When you study at Falmouth, you also have access to our dedicated Employability Service. We offer weekly career workshops and events, support with practice interviews and advice on writing your CV or even going freelance.
By the time our students graduate, they have their own professional identity and portfolio to start bringing their business ideas to life.
Our Art and Design courses
Student work by: Elinor Hain
Fine Art BA(Hons)
This highly-respected course aims to support the development of your practice as it evolves over the...
Drawing BA(Hons)
Become a rigorous and innovative critical thinker and practitioner. Build your skills, expertise and...
Illustration BA(Hons)
Become adept at problem solving and creating your visual language on this Illustration degree, renow...
Illustration BA(Hons) (Online)
Gain the professional practice and entrepreneurial skills needed to turn your talent into a successf...
Graphic Design BA(Hons)
Graphic Design is one of the most versatile visual disciplines, embracing words and pictures, form a...
Designed by Florence Mitchell
Sustainable Product Design BA(Hons)
Become a conscientious and innovative product designer with the professional practice skills to make...
Interior Design BA(Hons)
Delve into the world of built spaces, interior environments and the people who inhabit them. Through...
Interior Design BA(Hons) (Online)
Test the bounds of what's possible to achieve in interior spaces and develop the entrepreneurial kno...
Textile Design BA(Hons)
On our textile design degree, you’ll be part of a vibrant, supportive community of multidisciplina...
Architecture BA(Hons)
Learn through making on this RIBA and ARB accredited course. Working on live briefs in a studio envi...
Architectural Design & Technology BSc(Hons)
This course is no longer available. Explore similar courses.
Interior Architecture BA(Hons)
Uncover the impact and potential of the spaces in which we work, rest and play, on this future-focus...
Visual Communication BA(Hons) (Online)
Get ahead in the vibrant, ever-evolving field of visual communications with this exciting online cou...
Creative Advertising BA(Hons)
Turn your ideas into powerful advertising campaigns with impact.
Integrated Foundation Year BA/BSc(Hons)
Explore your creativity and expand your professional skills by entering the creative industries on a...
Get in touch
Any questions?
If you have any questions about undergraduate study at Falmouth, get in touch with our Future Studies team.