Digital Design (Degree Apprenticeship) BA

Why choose Digital Design (Degree Apprenticeship) BA 

The BA Digital Design (CDDP) degree apprenticeship programme is a new way of learning through an employer, apprentice and university partnership. Learning is achieved in the workplace and is completed while employed in industry. The apprenticeship brings benefits and opportunities to both employer and apprentice.

For employers, the CDDP degree apprenticeship is a chance to add value to your workforce by developing an apprentice’s career, watch them progress and build long-term relationships. Employers will benefit from skilled employees knowledgeable in well-designed digital content, communication, services and creative digital solutions. Apprentices are driven, ambitious employees who are looking to develop and can bring a real diversity of thinking to your company. Apprentice training is financed through the Apprenticeship Levy fund.

For the apprentice, there are no tuition fees or student loan repayments and you will ‘earn while you learn’, developing your capabilities at work as you study so you can put what you learn into practice straight away. Through the CDDP apprenticeship you will gain experience and skills to become a confident and professional Creative Digital Design graduate.

Middlesex University has a long and proud history of offering high calibre Arts and Design education and work-based learning programmes for several decades. Apprentices taking the BA Digital Design degree apprenticeship will benefit from the vast experience of both Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries and the Centre for Apprenticeships and Skills, which currently offers several degree apprenticeships programmes in Business, Policing and Nursing.

Course highlights for employers

• Your company will benefit from skilled employees knowledgeable in well-designed digital content, communication, services and creative digital solution
• Develops employees into confident Digital Design Professionals who can work across a wide range of businesses and projects
• Upskill current employees or attract new recruits
• This qualification is beneficial throughout the creative industries and creative economy as well as in the Finance, Retail, Technology and Government Departments
• Apprentices will implement design concepts to develop and communicate new products and to provide innovative design solutions
• Employers with payroll of more than £3 million can use their apprenticeship levy contributions to pay for places on apprenticeship programmes
• Employers with a payroll below £3 million are eligible for government funding that will cover up to 95% of the cost of an apprenticeship course.

To find out more about this programme, please download the BA Digital Design (degree apprenticeship) course specification (PDF).

Teaching

This is a professional programme and the apprentice will be taught via a work-integrated blended learning approach which will comprise the following:

• Work-integrated learning will consist of on-the-job development and application of knowledge, skills and professional behaviours. The apprentice’s progress will be monitored through regular progress reviews and supervised by their workplace mentor.
• Module workshops will be taught by professionals and specialist staff introducing new relevant academic and professional content
• Specialist workshops will be delivered face-to face and/or online
• Online learning includes structured individual and/or group online learning activities and tasks that involves facilitated tutor and peer group feedback to support learning development.

Assessment

All assessment for all modules will be based on coursework alone and will be graded accordingly. The apprentice will be required to submit a range of evidence of work-integrated learning in for assessment that authentically reflects aspects of practice as a Creative Digital Design Professional. 

End-point Assessment

As an integrated Degree Apprenticeship there is no requirement for a separate End-point Assessment (EPA) to complete the apprenticeship. The requirements for EPA are built into the final stage modules of the bachelor’s degree programme. 

The integrated EPA will comprise of the following two components:

1. A Final Work Based Project
2. A Panel Interview

The combination of the final work-based project and the panel interview will fully test that the apprentice meets all requirements of the standard.

Fees

• There is no cost to do a higher or degree apprenticeship for the apprentice/learner. They will earn at least the minimum wage for apprentices but many companies pay more than this, particularly for higher and degree apprenticeships
• Fees are paid by the apprentice employer, drawn from the apprenticeship levy or via co-investment arrangements
• Employers in England, can directly access their levy through the Digital Apprenticeships Service
• If an employer is a non-levy paying employer then they will share the cost of training and assessing their apprentices with government – this is called ‘co-investment’.

Entry requirements

• Apprentices must be in full time employment
• Apprenticeship programmes are not available for international students
• Apprentices would need to be working in England for a minimum of 3 years prior to starting an apprenticeship
• Apprentices should have English, Maths at Level 2 (GCSE C/4 or equivalent).
• Apprentices without level 2 English and Maths 2 (GCSE or equivalent) will need to achieve this level prior to taking the End-Point Assessment.
• UCAS tariff of 112 points
• Relevant or prior experiential learning (RPL) will be assessed at the start of the programme, and if evidenced may convert relevant university-level knowledge, skills and behaviours into credits that can be put towards a qualification.

Course specific requirements:

Applicants to the course may be invited to an interview.

Careers

The programme is specifically designed to prepare apprentices to be fully competent to undertake the role of Creative Digital Design Professional on completion of both the bachelor’s degree qualification and the apprenticeship.

For example: Application Designer, Creative Artworker, Creative Design Manager, Creative Designer, Creative Director, Digital Designer, Graphic Designer, Interaction Designer and Web Designer.

We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.

Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.

Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.

At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.