4 years with the foundation
This year will prepare you for the rest of your course. We’ll focus on general skills such as researching and referencing, numeracy and ICT, and communication. But we’ll also start to look at topics such as art history, and develop our practical design skills using both traditional and digital media.
Introduction
Hone your illustration skills and learn how to succeed as a professional artist while studying in the creative powerhouse of Cambridge.
With its vibrant studio culture and small class sizes, combined with excellent printmaking, 3D, photography and life-drawing facilities, our illustration course has consistently high student satisfaction ratings.
We know that our students want to learn from the best, so all of our tutors are professional illustrators. They’ll help you find your visual style and kick-start your career. But they’ll never forget the reason you chose to study illustration in the first place. At Cambridge School of Art, you’ll find there’s always time to experiment, discover, discuss and create.
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Our studios and workshops are second to none, and you’ll spend lots of time working there.
But you won’t be restricted to the studio: you’ll also go on gallery visits, local drawing trips, and our annual overseas visit to cities such as Porto and Seville.
There’s even the chance to study abroad for a semester, in the Netherlands or Poland – with funding on offer to help cover the costs.
We know that your future career is important and you want to build your CV. So we’ll encourage you to grab every opportunity for real-world experience – entering national and international competitions, working on live industry briefs, and taking up internships.
As an illustrator, a world of possibilities awaits you. You could illustrate books, become a graphic artist, design stage sets or product labels, and even work on animated films.
Let us show you where your talents can take you.
Take a look at some of our BA (Hons) Illustration students' work.
Studios and workshops
As well as our dedicated illustration studio, where you’ll have your own desk, you’ll have use of the following facilities:
- a printmaking workshop
- a 3D workshop
- a digital photography lab
- photography studios and darkrooms
- Mac and PC suites.
Industry-standard equipment
All our Illustration students have access to facilities including:
- the full Adobe Creative suite
- Apple iMacs
- wide-format printers and scanners
- vintage printmaking presses
- letterpress machine
- photography equipment, including digital cameras and lighting kits.
Our team of technical officers will be on hand to offer training and support.
Take a closer look
Our Creative Showcase shines a spotlight on what makes ARU creative and cultural – our spaces, places and people. Find out more about our community, the difference we make, the stories we tell, and the things that inspire us.
Meanwhile, Present is an exhibition that you curate for yourself. Explore the work of our graduating students in this eye-catching virtual degree show.
Careers
The creative industries are booming in the UK, employing more than two million people. With a wealth of careers to choose from, our graduates have found success as book illustrators, graphic designers, luxury homeware designers and more.
How can you follow in their footsteps?
Well, firstly, we work with employers to make sure you graduate with the knowledge, skills and abilities they need. They help us review what we teach and how we teach it – and they offer hands-on, practical opportunities to learn through work-based projects, internships or placements.
Cambridge is the perfect place to gain experience – a creative hotspot that’s home to thousands of established businesses and start-ups.
There are plenty of opportunities to get your work seen, too. At the end of your final year, you’ll take part in our degree show and the New Designers graduate exhibition in London – the perfect launchpad for your career.
Graduation doesn’t need to be the end of your time with us, of course. You might decide to stay at ARU and study for a Masters, such as our renowned MA Children’s Book Illustration. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and get 20% off your fees.
Careers
The creative industries are booming in the UK, employing more than two million people. With a wealth of careers to choose from, our graduates have found success as book illustrators, graphic designers, luxury homeware designers and more.
How can you follow in their footsteps?
Well, firstly, we work with employers to make sure you graduate with the knowledge, skills and abilities they need. They help us review what we teach and how we teach it – and they offer hands-on, practical opportunities to learn through work-based projects, internships or placements.
Cambridge is the perfect place to gain experience – a creative hotspot that’s home to thousands of established businesses and start-ups.
There are plenty of opportunities to get your work seen, too. At the end of your final year, you’ll take part in our degree show and the New Designers graduate exhibition in London – the perfect launchpad for your career.
Graduation doesn’t need to be the end of your time with us, of course. You might decide to stay at ARU and study for a Masters, such as our renowned MA Children’s Book Illustration. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and get 20% off your fees.
My name is Kavisha Prince Anthony, and I always had a dream of studying abroad. Thankfully, that dream came to life since I applied to the Study Advisor. I was able to receive my visa within four days. I also had some visa refusals in the past; I had about six UK visa refusals in the past, but thankfully, it was not an issue since the Study Advisor was able to make things work this time. I highly recommend Study Advisor for your dreams of going abroad, whether it be the UK or any other European country there is.