Graphic Design
Graphic Design is an internationally recognised programme that demonstrates how communication design is socially, culturally and economically engaged across a broad spectrum of media platforms and technologies.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | Institute of Art Design and Technology |
| NFQ Level | Level 8 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) | Major | Institute of Art Design and Technology | Level 8 NFQ |
Duration
4 years full-time.
Specific Subjects or course requirements
Min Entry Requirements
2 H5 + 4 O6/H7
English: O6/H7
Portfolio required. Combination of CAO and Portfolio Assessment Points.
For information on portfolio submission see https://iadt.ie/study/portfolio-guidelines/
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
QQI FET Applicants General Information
Applicants with QQI/FETAC Level 5 or Level 6 Awards require distinctions in 3 (of 8) modules.
Portfolio: Yes
For information on portfolio submission see https://iadt.ie/study/portfolio-guidelines/
Careers / Further progression
What will I be able to do when I graduate?
Graduates are highly sought after by industry as proven by high levels of graduate employability and many successes in national and international awards. Areas of employment include: advertising, brand identity, design consultancy, design education, design entrepreneurship, design journalism, design for print and/or screen, design for experiences, design research, design writing and research, digital product design, motion graphics for digital, film or television platforms, project management, systems and services design, user-interface and user-experience design (UI/UX).
Completion of the Graphic Design programme opens up many and varied pathways to specialist postgraduate research. Typical examples include further study in: advertising, art/design direction, data-visualisation, design entrepreneurship, design ethics, design futures, design writing and research, illustration, information design, motion design, service design, systems design, typography, UI/UX, and visual and material culture studies.
Further information
September 2026
Mature Students
We welcome applications from mature students, who must apply to the CAO.
More info for Mature https://iadt.ie/services/institute-student-services/access-social-inclusion/mature-students/
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Entry 2026 - Restricted Course
Early online application (discounted): Fee €35 Closing Date: 20 January 2026 at 5pm
Normal online application: Fee €50 Closing Date: 1 February 2026 at 5pm
Be sure to complete any action well in advance of closing dates. You should avoid submitting an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all fees are non-refundable.
Restricted Courses
Applying for a restricted course – you must have applied to CAO by 1 February 2026 at 5pm if you wish to apply for a restricted course. The restricted course must be included on your course choices list by that date, or added to your application using the facility to amend course choices (for a fee of €10) before 1 March at 5pm.
Restricted courses normally require additional assessment procedures, for example, the submission of a portfolio, an oral assessment or interview, or a written assessment. Restricted courses are identified in the handbook by the words “(Restricted - see page 3 of the 2026 CAO Handbook)" on the same line as the restricted course’s title. Please make sure to acquaint yourself with the additional requirements, if any, of the restricted course(s) that you have applied for and go to page 24 of the 2026 CAO Handbook for more information about interviews and assessments.
Exception: If a restricted course shares the exact same assessment procedures with a course you had applied for by 1 February 2026, you may be permitted to introduce it on a Change of Mind. You should consult with the relevant HEI before introducing such a course.
Mature Applicants
Mature applicants – most HEIs will require mature applicants, who wish to be assessed on mature grounds, to have applied to CAO by 1st February 2026 at 5pm, and include course choices by that date or add them using the facility to amend course choices (for a fee of €10) before 1 March at 5pm. (This restriction does not apply if the applicant wishes to be considered on the basis of school leaving qualifications only.) For more information about applying to CAO on the basis of mature years go to www.cao.ie/mature
Supplementary Admission Routes
Applying for DARE and/or HEAR – to be considered for DARE and/or HEAR, applicants must have registered on the CAO system by 1 February 2026 at 5pm. To apply to DARE, you must answer YES to Question 1 ('Do you wish to be considered for DARE?) on Section A of the fully completed Supplementary Information Form (SIF) by 5pm on 1 March 2026.
To apply to HEAR, you must indicate on your CAO application that you wish to apply for HEAR and fully and correctly complete all elements of the online HEAR form by 5pm on 1 March 2026.
Supporting documents for DARE and/or HEAR applicants must be sent to CAO offices before 10 March 2026 at 5pm
This innovative programme, with a unique focus on complex and diverse real-world problems, combines the best principles of traditional, new, and emergent graphic design practices to produce highly employable and entrepreneurial graduates with transferable skills that are much sought after by industry.
Graphic Design builds on the success of the Visual Communication Design programme, retaining its emphasis on crafting and shaping text and image into coherent and inventive stories, visual artefacts, products, systems, services and experiences.
The programme further builds on it’s core principle of interdisciplinarity, by expanding into new fields and blending practices in line with the rapidly changing nature of contemporary design and technology.
This unique offering, combined with the options of industry placements and study abroad, and in addition to small class sizes and a dedicated team of full time staff, ensures a high quality educational experience which attracts many overseas applicants.
Graphic Design has a broad range of Erasmus partnerships in Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, and Spain, and is constantly expanding this network. The option to study abroad through the Erasmus Programme is available for one semester in either Years 2 or 3.
What will I do?
Learn to become a versatile visual designer who can work as an individual and in multi-disciplinary teams, and is skilled at negotiating a wide range of platforms, media, and networks to find blended solutions to diverse communication problems
Learn the principles and core disciplines of contemporary graphic design communication
Learn how to communicate information as text (eg. copywriting, critical research and writing, typography), and as image (eg. art-direction, illustration, photography, print-making), and explore these ideas in visual and written formats
Formulate and edit stories, messages, and communication systems across multiple platforms and media, including traditional (design for print, spatial environments, broadcast); new (design for screen, motion, user-interface, user-experience, and digital products); and emergent (design for augmented and virtual experiences, systems and services, and wearable technologies)
Cost for materials and/or field trips
Approximately €1000 per year (in years 1, 2 and 3) for art and design materials. You may also have an opportunity to take part in international field trips in Years 1 and 2 (not compulsory) which cost approx. €500 per trip. Your final year exhibition is your professional showcase; we advise you to budget a minimum of €1000 for this. Please consult with your tutors before purchasing expensive equipment. This will typically comprise a laptop computer (preferably Apple, the design industry standard), a digital camera with an interchangeable lens, a heavy tripod, or a smartphone capable of computational photography. You will need external storage devices for backing up your work. You should anticipate third party software subscriptions of approx. €20 per month.
What modules will I study?
Year 1
Semester 1
Introduction to Visual + Material Culture
Design Fundamentals
Visual Thinking 1: Art Direction + Illustration
IADT Connect
Semester 2
Interdisciplinary Histories + Theories
Experiential Design: Structure + Mapping
Communication Design 1: Structure + System
Integrated Design 1: Play
IADT Year 1 Workshop
Year 2
Semester 1
Experiential Design 2: Immersive Exhibition + Wayfinding
Communication Design 2: Static + Dynamic + Interactive
Disciplinary Specific Histories + Theories
Semester 2
Exploring Visual + Material Culture
Integrated Design 2: Viewpoint
Visual Thinking 2: Storytelling + Identity
IADT Year 2 Elective
Year 3
Semester 1
Communication Design 3: Identity + UX Strategy
Critique + Disruption
Integrated Design 3: Story Telling
Business + Entrepreneurship for Creative Practice
Semester 2
Thesis Research + Proposal
Experiential Design 3: Future + Speculative Worlds
Professional Placement
Work/industry placement is compulsory in year three.
Placements abroad are also possible through the Erasmus Programme.
Year 4
Semester 1
Minor Project
Semester 2
Thesis A
Major Project A
Thesis B
Major Project B
Shirley Casey
Programme co-chair
Email: shirley.casey@iadt.ie
Hilary Kenna
Programme co-chair
Email: hilary.kenna@iadt.ie