Illustration MA

Develop and evolve your unique visual language to challenge conventions and expand the practice of contemporary illustration.

Our MA in Illustration welcomes a diverse range of design practitioners who want to expand their practice as critically engaged communicators and visual thinkers able to adapt to a rapidly changing professional landscape. Supported by a team of professional illustrators and academics, you will be encouraged to explore the development of your visual language and your position within this dynamic and expansive discipline. By challenging your perspectives and exploring illustrative practices from a global viewpoint, you will engage in high-profile live assignments and independently driven research projects, shaping and defining your unique authorial voice.

You’ll enhance your visual thinking, research and storytelling abilities, applying these skills to resolve complex issues systematically and creatively. Supported by our team of experts, you’ll be encouraged to take creative risks and push your work in new and exciting directions. The course will challenge you to critique the discipline, questioning norms and considering how illustration practice can be reimagined to support a more inclusive future. You will consider the role of the illustrator within the current landscape of artificial intelligence and machine learning. At the core of the course is the consideration of the social and ethical implications of your work, ensuring you are well-equipped to navigate and influence the evolving world of illustration.

Why study with us


• Advanced technical skills: Develop expertise in a wide range of media and methods, creating sophisticated analogue and digital illustrations that reflect your unique voice and style.



• Interdisciplinary approach: Benefit from collaboration with other postgraduate courses within media and visual communication, fostering a multidisciplinary environment that enhances your learning experience.



• Professional-level resources: Utilise contemporary technology and industry-standard tools, including design studios, media labs, 2D & 3D workshops, licensed specialist software, and a media resource centre. These resources support you in transforming ideas into tangible outcomes and crafting practical solutions to project briefs.



• Ethical and inclusive research: Adopt an ethical approach to your work, focusing on social and ethical implications, accessibility, diversity, equality, and sustainability within illustration practice.



• Professional portfolio development: By the end of the course, create a professional body of work that reflects your interests and prepares you for industry, enhancing your ability to visually communicate research and ideas.



• Innovative problem-solving: Engage with complex visual and conceptual problems through project-based learning, promoting original and innovative approaches to illustration and professional practice.



Course structure

This course is part of our suite of Master’s in Visual Communication, offering a collaborative framework across various specialisations, including MA Animation, MA Advertising, and MA Illustration. This provides students with opportunities to engage with peers from different disciplines while working on individual assignments. Such collaboration mirrors the professional dynamics in the creative industries today, allowing students to gain valuable experience in interdisciplinary teamwork and real-world problem-solving.

This programme is a one-year course including 30 weeks of direct teaching time and a 15-week final project. You will need to complete five units and one 60-credit major project (180 credits in total). All units on the course are compulsory and must be passed in order to complete the award. If you study part-time your modules will be split across two years. Full course details, including aims and assessment criteria, will be provided in the course specification upon validation.