The impressive job prospects for graduates from art and design courses at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) have earned a top 10 national ranking.
DMU's art and design offering ranks joint ninth in the country for graduate prospects in the 2017 Times and Sunday Times University Guide, which measures the proportion of graduates in professional jobs or graduate level study.
Students are based in the university's spectacular Vijay Patel building, designed to provide them with the space and facilities where their ideas can develop and flourish.
They are encouraged to explore the many different practices and techniques on offer, equipping them with the cross-disciplinary skills sought by the creative industries.
Ben Carpenter, Head of DMU's Leicester School of Art, said: "We've always done a lot in terms of graduate destinations and employability, so in some ways this ranking doesn't surprise me.
"Of course, we're very proud of our students who go on to become artists, designers or makers, but we also support students who don't quite know what career path they want to follow.
"We instil a strong sense of personal motivation and entrepreneurial spirit within them, so that when they graduate they have the confidence to rely on the creative instinct they developed here."
Art and design courses at DMU are varied including Fine Art, Photography and Video, Fashion Buying with Design, Architecture, Design Crafts and Contour Fashion.
Students have access to extensive workshops supporting both traditional and contemporary practice, as well as spacious studios which encourage collaboration across different disciplines.
Graduates have gone on to become renowned artists, designers and makers, while others have left with the confidence to succeed in different areas including teaching and management positions.
David Shrigley, for example, nominated for the Turner Prize in 2013 and creator of the Thumbs Up sculpture on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, came through DMU's Art and Design (Foundation Studies) BTEC Diploma.
This year's crop of graduates includes Fashion Design student Hazel Symons, winner of the Christopher Bailey Gold Award at Graduate Fashion Week, and Contour Fashion's Ellie Carta who is working as an underwear designer for global brand Tommy Hilfiger at its Amsterdam headquarters.
Interior Design graduates Milena Wiorkiewicz and Zoe Lee were both snapped up by a world-leading exhibition design company, while Fashion Buying with Marketing graduate Anna Scott is now a kidswear buying assistant for River Island.
Elissa Grainger, a 2015 Contour Fashion graduate has beaten 600 other competitors to win the ASOS Fashion Discovery competition, earning valuable mentoring and £50,000 to develop her brand.
Carolyn Hardaker, Interim Head of DMU's School of Design, added: "This ranking is a great recognition for our art and design programmes, which, while encouraging creativity and innovation, also have a keen industry focus.
"External client projects with leading brands such as Superdry, New Balance, Triumph, H&M, All Saints, Sainsbury's and Next, give students the chance to work on industry briefs and present their ideas and designs to industry.
"We are also very proud of our placements, which are another strength of our design programmes. A year in industry really enhances the student experience and can often lead to a job offer before our students even graduate."
Posted on Friday 16 December 2016