- 3 years
- 4 years with foundation year
- 4 years with year in industry
- 5 years with foundation and industry years
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.
Why choose this course?
Course features
Placement year
If you apply for this course with a placement year, you have the opportunity to undertake a year in industry between your second and third years
Foundation year available
If you're not quite ready for a full undergraduate degree, there's alternative entry through one of our foundation years
Specialist facilities
This course has access to specialist facilities
Further studies
After successfully completing your studies, there's an opportunity to continue your studies at Solent
Top-up option
If you have an appropriate Level 5 qualification, you can top it up to a degree in just a year
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.
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.
Meet 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.
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.
Facilities
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.
Come to an open day
Fancy a sneak peek? Take a look around!
Core modules
Problem Solving though Programming
This module will introduce you to software implementation through the process of understanding how to solve problems using programming.
Digital Creativity
This module focuses on the practical skills needed to produce design components for both hardcopy and digital interactive interfaces.
UX
On this module you will learn the techniques (Qualitative and Quantitative) and tools to design, plan and develop a user research strategy.
Introduction to Databases
In this module you are introduced to the skills and concepts required to develop and use relational databases. You will learn how to write programs interacting with databases and how to create them.
Systems Analysis and Design
In this module, the key components of business information systems are identified and dissected to reveal the essential elements considered in systems analysis.
Web Technologies
On this module you’ll be introduced to common client server-side scripting technologies used in the development of web applications, such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP.
How you will learn and be assessed
You will learn by:
Collaborative Learning
Directed Learning
Guided Learning
You may be assessed by a combination of:
Coursework
Practical activities
Individual presentations
In-class tests
Online tests
Digital portfolios
Solent’s curriculum framework builds on our unique, creative and applied approach to teaching. The transformation of students’ lives is at the heart of our mission as a university, and our curriculum – informed by the latest theory – reflects this shared educational vision.
Find out moreStudy support
The student achievement team are on hand to help you succeed during your studies at Solent. They aim to contact you at key times during your time here with personalised information, advice and guidance, by email or phone.
Access Solent provides information, advice and guidance for disabled students.
All students can access Succeed@Solent, Solent's online guide to getting better grades. It offers extensive, practical information and advice on topics such as academic writing, research and presentations.
Why choose the industry?
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.
Tuition fees
The tuition fees for the 2022/23 academic year are:
- UK, EU (settled status) and Channel Island full-time fees: £9,250 per year
- International full-time fees: £14,250 per year
For further information, please visit our tuition fees page.
Extra course costs
While most course costs are covered by your tuition fees, some essential resources and optional extras may need to be paid for separately. For advice on budgeting and managing your money, please contact student.funding@solent.ac.uk.
Bursaries, scholarships and financial support
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
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. Extra guest tickets will go on sale after results publication and will be sold on a first-come-first-served basis. The cost per ticket is currently £15. Please note, we do not guarantee there will be any extra tickets available to purchase.
Financial information videos
Student finance in under three minutes Student funding - the essentials
Entry requirements
Please select an option below:
Key entry requirements
96-112 UCAS tariff points from A-levels or equivalent
- A-levels, a BTEC Extended Diploma at MMM or BTEC Diploma at DD, T-level Pass (C+) or equivalent which comply with the minimum entry requirement of 96 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.
- For further information about UK qualifications, please refer to our course entry requirement statement.
Key entry requirements
As a general guide, we look for qualifications that are equivalent to the British high school A-levels.
If you are applying from outside the UK, find information about entry requirements, visas and agents for your country here.
For further information about EU qualifications, please refer to our course entry requirement statement.
Key entry requirements
As a general guide, we look for qualifications that are equivalent to the British high school A-levels.
If you are applying from outside the UK, find information about entry requirements, visas and agents for your country here.
For further information about international qualifications, please refer to our course entry requirement statement.
Note to all international students requiring a visa:
All international applicants need to be aware that the English language requirements to attend Solent University, and the English language requirements to obtain a visa from the Home Office, may be different. This means that if you meet the Solent University language requirement to gain a place on the course, you may still have to meet additional requirements to be granted with a visa by the Home Office.
We strongly advise all applicants to visit the Home Office website which outlines all the requirements for a successful visa application and to take a look at this PDF document which outlines both Solent University and Home Office requirements for a number of language tests.
Any questions?
Contact our admissions team!Call: 023 8201 5066Email: admissions@solent.ac.uk
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 26 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.
Alternative entry options
Top-up route:
We welcome applications from students currently studying a Foundation Degree, DipHE, HNC, HND or modules of an undergraduate degree course at another university, who wish to enter directly into Years 2 or 3 of one of our undergraduate degree courses. Please contact our admissions team for more information: contact us
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 20 in each individual component
- Duolingo English Language Test - 110 overall with minimum of 90 in each 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.
Pre-Sessional English programme
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.
We will prepare you for your future
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
We will help you start your career
The Solent Futures team is committed to getting students into great careers.
While you are studying, the team can help you with finding work experience or placements, link you with a mentor, check your CV, or offer one-to-one guidance.
If you're in your final year, we also have graduate job opportunities just for Solent graduates.
Find out moreSupport at Solent
All students at Solent University have access to a range of specialist support services. Whether you are having financial difficulty, need additional help with academic skills or want advice on setting up your own business you'll find that help is always on hand.
Most of our specialist support services are based around the Student Hub, a central space where you can access all the information and support you may need during your time at University. The Student Hub is the first point of contact if you have any queries relating to your course, including questions about your timetable, options, and assessments and extenuating circumstances.
We work in partnership with the University to build a sense of pride and confidence in your Union, University and student experience.
Find out moreFurther study
Thinking about studying further than an undergraduate degree? Alumni can get up to 50% off their postgraduate study.
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Make your application
- 3 years
- 4 years with foundation year
- 4 years with year in industry
- 5 years with foundation and industry years