BSc (Hons) Digital Design and Web Development

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Passionate about design? An interest in creating digital platforms that provide an excellent user experience (UX)? This digital design and web development degree blends creative and technical skills, preparing you for an exciting career in digital communications.

The course maintains a strong practical emphasis with a key focus on UX and usability – and you’ll be introduced to professional design and development workflows, user research, gathering requirements, sketching ideas, creating concepts, building prototypes, undertaking user experience (UX) evaluation and finally coding up digital products and applications.

Thanks to the course team’s extensive links with industry, you’ll be supported to gain contacts and work experience opportunities – there is also a chance to attend the regular ‘Happy Hour Digital Industry’ talks where you can gain a fantastic insight in the digital world. Recent speakers have included professionals from LUSH Digital, IBM, Westermo and LittleBigBox. Industrial consulting is also enabled through a final year unit which gets students industry ready to confidently go forward into the workplace.

You will also be guided to promote yourself as a professional practitioner by developing online profiles to showcase your skills and expertise, and will be encouraged to attend local networking events to gain invaluable real-world experience and feedback.

Close links with industry enable you to benefit from a program of regular guest speakers offering vital industry insight

What does this course lead to?

Recent web design graduates have gone onto various roles in the digital and technology industries at organisations including Monzo Bank, Dyson, CleverTouch Marketing, Hinge Agency, Comparethemarket.com, Redweb, Atelier Studios and Core Creative Limited.

Who is this course for?

Solent’s Digital Design and Web Development course is ideally suited to students who wish to develop their design and technical skills in digital product design such as websites and applications.

Tuition fees

The 2020/21 fees are not yet available. For guidance, the 2019/20 fees were:
UK and EU full-time fees: £9,250 per year
International full-time fees: £12,875 per year
UK and EU placement year fees: £1,385
International placement year fees: £1,750

For further information, please visit our tuition fees page.

Bursaries and scholarships

Solent University offers a range of bursaries and scholarships that provide financial assistance or waive fees for tuition or accommodation. Each bursary or scholarship has specific eligibility criteria. Check out our bursaries and scholarships pages to find out more.

Graduation costs

Graduation is the ceremony to celebrate the achievements of your studies. For graduates in 2018, there is no charge to attend graduation, but you will be required to pay for the rental of your academic gown (approximately £45 per graduate, depending on your award). You may also wish to purchase official photography packages, which range in price from £15 to £200+. Graduation is not compulsory, so if you prefer to have your award sent to you, there is no cost.

72 - 96 UCAS tariff points from A-levels or equivalent

A-levels, a BTEC Extended Diploma at MMM or BTEC Diploma at DD or equivalent, which comply with the minimum entry requirement of 72 UCAS points.
Direct entry into year two or three may be considered for this course.
A BTEC Subsidiary Diploma will be considered in conjunction with other qualifications.
Alternative entry is available through the Computing Foundation Year.
If you are applying from outside the UK, find information about entry requirements, visas and agents for your country here.
For further information about UK, EU and international qualifications, please refer to our course entry requirement statement.

English language requirements

Applicants who do not have English as their first language will be required to demonstrate an approved level of proficiency in the use of the English language. The agreed minimum requirements for this course are:

IELTS minimum 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each individual component
TOEFL IBT minimum 80 with a minimum of 19 in each individual component
or equivalent.

Qualifications are checked before enrolment, and international students must bring their original certificates or certified copies when coming to study at the University.

The University also offers a pre-sessional English programme for international students who wish to improve their level of English before starting a degree course.

The team

Course team members come from technical programming and project management backgrounds, with wide-ranging experience of web design and development, software development, digital marketing and business computing.
Assessment

This course is assessed via coursework and practical assessments where you will produce reports, individual/group presentations, time constrained tests and portfolios.
Study abroad

Students may be eligible to spend a period of time studying or working in the EU through the Erasmus Mobility programme, depending on certain eligibility criteria. For more information, see www.solent.ac.uk/exchange Exchange students from our overseas partners have the opportunity to continue their studies at Solent through the Erasmus programme, and are integrated...

Study abroad

Students may be eligible to spend a period of time studying or working in the EU through the Erasmus Mobility programme, depending on certain eligibility criteria.

For more information, see www.solent.ac.uk/exchange

Exchange students from our overseas partners have the opportunity to continue their studies at Solent through the Erasmus programme, and are integrated into our year two teaching groups.
The industry

This degree supports you to develop the contemporary digital design, and technology skills that are found in a broad range of jobs roles within digital teams in; the creative industries, retail, finance, music, publishing, media, public and charity sectors, manufacturing and professional services.
Student support and services

Student welfare - Solent University is committed to giving you the best possible educational experience during your time with us. As such we have a number of support services and policies set up covering funding, careers and employability, chaplaincy, counselling, international advice, student affairs, key academic skills, disability support and...

Student support and services

Student welfare - Solent University is committed to giving you the best possible educational experience during your time with us. As such we have a number of support services and policies set up covering funding, careers and employability, chaplaincy, counselling, international advice, student affairs, key academic skills, disability support and general student advice. Find out more about our approach to student welfare.

Accommodation - Solent University has a range of student accommodation available. All student residences are in the city centre and within easy walking distance to the city campuses. Accommodation costs vary depending on the size and type of room. Find out more about the cost of living in our student residences.

University facilities - You will have access to a modern, comfortable and efficient study environment, including the Mountbatten library and learning resource centres. Solent offers a wide variety of sports halls, gyms and sports equipment, plus superb IT, media, and cutting-edge specialist facilities. Find out more about our first-class facilities here.

Living in Southampton - Southampton is a modern, vibrant student city brimming with arts and culture, top high street brands, green spaces and a buzzing nightlife. Studying at Solent means that you’ll be at the very heart of it. Find out more about being a student in Southampton.

Solent Students’ Union - Run by students for students, Solent Students’ Union is on hand to offer independent advice and support while you’re at university. Visit the Students’ Union website for more information.

Study location

East Park Terrace

Got a question about this course?

Contact our Ask Solent team:

admissions@solent.ac.uk 023 8201 5066

How to apply

Any student applying for the first year of a full-time/sandwich undergraduate course must apply through UCAS (University and Colleges Admissions Service). This includes mature, overseas and EU students.

Nearly all schools and colleges offer their students the facility of applying electronically through the UCAS website using 'Apply'; it may also be used by those applying independently in the UK and overseas. This facility and all course information can be found on the UCAS website: www.ucas.com.

Your application should reach UCAS by 15 January if you hope to enter a course the following autumn. Early application is advised for the most popular subject areas. Late applications may be made until the end of June. The UCAS code for the University is S30, code name SOLNT.

Please click the links below to apply through UCAS:

Mode of study	Duration	Apply
Full-time	3 years	Apply
Placement Year	4 years	Apply

Computing Foundation Year route:

Mode of study	Duration	Apply
Full-time	4 years	Apply
Placement Year	5 years	Apply

How to apply

Core units

Problem Solving Though Programming
Digital Creativity
UX
Introduction to Databases
Systems Analysis and Design
Web Technologies

Core units

UI
Web Application Development
Digital Marketing
Research Methods Project
Human Computer Interaction
Interaction Design

Core units

Dissertation Project
Industrial Consulting Project
Contemporary Web Applications

Options

Data Science
Internet of Things
Immersive Technologies
UX Strategies

Please note: Not all optional units are guaranteed to run each year.

Programme specification document

Web-based learning

Solent's virtual learning environment provides quick online access to assignments, lecture notes, suggested reading and other course information.

The Student Hub

The Student Hub is a central space where you can access all of the information and support you need during your time at University.

Professional and experienced staff can help resolve any query, and if they cannot answer the question themselves they will find the person who can.

Career support

85%

Assessment by coursework

15%

Practical exams

Jennifer Muskett Head of Subject View profile

Martin Reid Course Leader View profile

Shakeel Ahmad Senior Lecturer View profile

Jomo Batola Senior Lecturer View profile

Prins Butt Senior Lecturer View profile

Mohammed Al-Husban Senior Lecturer View profile

Neville Palmer Senior Lecturer View profile

Joe Appleton Lecturer View profile

Craig Gallen Associate Lecturer View profile

The university cannot guarantee any particular members of staff will teach specific aspects of the course in the future, but will endeavour to ensure the teaching team maintains their balance of experience and qualifications.

To aid learning and help gain practical skills, students enjoy full access to the University’s extensive laboratory facilities, which include specialist computer labs containing industry-standard software including the industry-leading Adobe suite, networking and computing systems; and a usability lab, with TechSmith’s Morae usability software and a Tobii eye tracker.

Students will also have access to our new devices lab, a special test area consisting of a range of the latest mobile devices mounted on flexible tethers - allowing you to test websites and apps on real equipment.

Showcase your final year work at an end of year summer showcase – in which industry are invited to attend.

/facilities/computing-usability-lab.aspx

Computing and usability lab

Cisco networking labs

Graduates will be able to pursue a wide range of career options in digital product design and service design, in areas such as:

User Experience (UX)
User Interface designers (UI)
Digital designer
Web developer
Digital marketing
Interaction design
Web design
Front-end developer
Back-end developer
Full stack developer
Digital product designer

The course team run a guest speaker program called ‘Happy Hour Digital Industry Talks’ these sessions are designed to offer an insight into working in the tech and digital industries. Talks are mostly focused on students’ early career, or how to get into the industry.

We also guide and encourage you to get involved in attending local tech meet-up and Hackathons to further hone your skills and knowledge.

This course has a work placement year option, the course team will support and offer guidance but you will be expected to secure your own placement.