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The MA Digital and Visual Communication offers study in a broad range of digital and visual communication theory and practice.
The Course attracts students from a wide range of disciplines and from all over the world, giving it a strong international flavour. The current cohort comes from as far afield as China, Nigeria, India, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Poland, Greece and Germany, as well as the UK.
The course gives you the opportunity to develop your creative design abilities but also equips you with marketing and branding skills and knowledge essential for a career in the competitive market place that is International Visual Communications.
Areas of specialism are:
This course is designed to develop your creative and intellectual abilities through the investigation of a bespoke project aligned to your own particular interests and aspirations. The course is intended to promote ‘Thinking practitioners’ who will be well positioned to take advantage of the opportunities available within the growing global industry of Digital & Visual Communication.
The course attracts students from all over the world as well as from the UK. Current students hail from China, India, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Germany and Greece. This course has a truly international perspective reflecting the global nature of the visual communications sector.
"Studying in an artistic environment where different design disciplines are working close together and the well-balanced level of guidance and independency really helped me to investigate and improve my work in graphic communications." Yvonne John
"As an Illustrator studying for my Master degree, The MA Digital and Visual Communications course and its layout has allowed me to further develop my work and to get it out there and more importantly noticed whilst giving me a greater knowledge and understanding of professional Illustration. As well as offering me excellent opportunities to communicate with those in the world of commercial publishing, This is largely down to the expert experience and brilliance of the staff and how they run the course." Matt Jones
“The course is Interesting and it broadens the mind of any MA student, especially to those who are involve in Advertising programme.” Mohammed Abba Aliyu
Employment opportunities include:
You will gain the intellectual and creative confidence to enable you to embrace the challenges and rewards of the Global Digital & Visual Communications industry. Through the investigation of a personally designed project you will have the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge to a Masters Level, culminating in a showcase exhibition and portfolio. Opportunities exist to further develop your portfolio through PhD study within the department. From the 2010 cohort three students have progressed successfully to our PhD programme.
Graduates in the Master of Graphic Design may work in the areas of editorial design, packaging, typography, information design, generic design for television or cinema, illustration, art direction, branding, multimedia design and production of graphic design. In the advertising industry can be a creative pairs, for print advertising or television.
In the audiovisual industry, these skills can also be applied in the conduct of generic or other products where typography is applied. The teaching profession is also a professional output as well as academic research in the area of graphic design.
The Masters in Graphic Design ESAD.CR aims to provide students with the conceptual and practical skills of a high professional level in specific areas of graphic design and communication for multiple platforms, which feature contemporary visual culture.
The Master of Graphic Design ESAD.CR focuses on preparing students with a set of theoretical and practical studies in contemporary graphic design, typography applied, graphic design for contemporary means of communication and branding. Courses are complemented by seminars and research methodologies that explore the communication design conceptually and operationally, approaching simultaneously experimental and professional dimensions. The last two semesters focus on the preparation of sustained practical design work that could be replaced by an internship.
All information related to the international student application should be consulted on our International Students webpage.
This programme encourages students to take a risk, to test the boundaries of the discipline and push their design ideas beyond personally predetermined limits.
You will develop an enhanced research and design proposal, culminating in a new body of work that will showcase your development and achievements.
This unique and convention-breaking programme has a strong emphasis on personal creative freedom and design innovation, ensuring you have the best chance of employment and career development upon graduation.
You will be encouraged to challenge your existing research and design knowledge and develop new skills and networks. You are expected to experiment and explore: independent study is paramount but underpinned by a number of supporting projects, workshops and events.
We expect collaboration within the School of Design, with the creative industries and where appropriate with external clients to allow you to realise personal and project possibilities to the full. There is a strong international student input which introduces diverse experience and encourages wide-ranging thinking.
We encourage bold, lateral approaches, coupled with a clear understanding of process and technique, to produce innovative, emotive and enduring design from students who learn through intense, sustained involvement with the design process.
The curriculum is student-led with an emphasis on independent learning. With tutorial guidance, you will negotiate and develop a programme of study based on personal areas of research and practice, alongside set projects to support and inform your line of enquiry.
You will initially focus on the research and development of a study proposal. With support from our dynamic team of experienced tutors (all industry practitioners or researchers) you will be encouraged to expand on your preconceived ideas and let your findings dictate future development. We expect you to engage in sophisticated design dialogue to push your ideas to their full potential. There is a hotbed of debate and prototyping before any designs are taken into production.
The written context of the programme helps amplify and contextualise your understanding of process and this wider awareness of design feeds back into your practice-based work. You will produce written context assignments alongside studio based work.
We are committed to providing our students with enhanced career prospects and the ability to achieve at the highest level. Graduates are professionally vital and well-informed, and are able to enter the design industry with a freshness of approach and the flexibility and adaptability to be able to respond to change.
Our Graphic Design graduates work in a wide range of creative career paths. The variety of projects, approaches and opportunities on course enable graduates to apply their knowledge and experience of the design process and their considerable skills onto many disciplines. Typically though our graduates leave to become valuable members of a graphic design agency.
Our extensive links with industry built through industry-led projects and staff research, and our range of visiting speakers, ensures that graduates are aware of the full range of career possibilities and are provided with a strong footing from which to develop their chosen career.
Previous career paths have included experiential design, packaging, advertising, digital design, interaction design, exhibition design, design research, marketing, retail design, exhibition design, multimedia, design management, education. Graduates may freelance or seek employment within a company.
A specific scheme we run within the programme is the Design Agency project which, in 2013, won a Guardian University Award for Employability Initiative.
Design Agency is a flagship initiative that enables graphic design students to form their own design agencies. They create their own brand for the agency and work collectively towards a common objective based on ability, regardless of age or experience. Edinburgh-based design agencies act as ‘mentor partners’ to the student agencies. The long-term relationships that are built with mentors ensures that students have the chance to show, over an extended period rather than just a few weeks on placement, what they can contribute to potential employers.
In 2013, the ECA Design Agency won the Guardian University Awards 2013 prize for Employability Initiative, with the judges praising its ambition and said its risk-taking innovation “should be applauded.”
The Systems Analysis and Design pathway gives students an understanding of how technological information systems work, enabling them to deliver IT-based solutions, such as enterprise systems to business and organisations. You’ll learn how to manage data to deliver actionable business insight using creative, sophisticated techniques to solve complex business issues.
Commercial focus
Students will learn how systems ‘think’ and be able to apply their understanding to systems analysis and design methodology to enable them to plan, manage and design and implement information management projects.
After you’ve graduated
Our graduates leave us prepared to take on a range of jobs in the digital economy, from systems analysis and design, to product development and management consulting. Among other organisations, our alumni join financial services firms, IT companies, consulting firms, software houses, healthcare and the public sector.
Not sure which pathway to choose from 3 choices? Apply for the one that you feel fits you better and you will be able to change the pathway within the first few weeks from your arrival to the university.
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
In addition students must choose two optional module from the list below.
Please note there is no guarantee that in any one year all modules will be available.
A holistic approach
Effective leadership requires more than first-class business acumen. It also requires a degree of self-awareness and sensitivity. Henley is renowned for its well-researched, professional approach to this aspect of business education and all our postgraduate programmes examine this aspect of leadership - helping to create emotionally intelligent graduates who can be fully effective in their chosen careers.
How you will learn
Henley Business School enjoys a strong reputation for the practical application of business ideas and concepts, underpinned by academic excellence and the strength of our research. We offer high-quality technical skills training as well as a deep understanding of the importance of personal development for leaders, a thread that runs through all of our Masters programmes.
Our postgraduate masters programmes feature a mix of core and optional modules, allowing you to tailor your degree towards your individual personal development needs and career ambitions. You will complete up to 10 taught modules during your programme, totalling 180 credits. One module usually equates to 20 credits or 10 hours of work per week. Your week will include lectures, tutorials, workshops and personal study, with each accounting for 25% of your time on average. This stimulating mix of lectures and interactive tutorials provides you with the opportunity to discuss and explore the subject material in depth with your lecturers and fellow students. You will be introduced to the latest thinking and research findings and be able to challenge some of those that have created it. You will also explore real-world issues and tackle current business challenges, and interact with guest lectures and speakers from industry, giving you the opportunity to test, extend and refine your knowledge and skills.
How we assess you
You will learn and be assessed through a wide variety of teaching methods which vary depending on your chosen Masters programme. These include online materials and multimedia content, guest lectures, individual and group assignments, case studies, field visits, dealing room simulations, presentations, applied projects, consultancy work and examinations.
On average examinations form around 70% of the assessed work with the remaining 30% coming from coursework, including a written dissertation or project depending on your chosen programme. The exam period falls between April and June in the summer term, with students taking an average of 5 or 6 exams. Graduation normally takes place in December.
Ongoing support
While postgraduate students are self-motivated and determined individuals, study at this level can present additional pressures which we take seriously. Lecturers are available to discuss the content of each module and your personal tutor can meet with you regularly to discuss any additional issues. Full-time support staff are also available to help with any questions or issues that may arise during your time at Henley
Each pathway of our MSc Information Management is designed to give a rigorous academic understanding of real-life and current business issues. Graduates of the Systems Analysis and Design pathway will be equipped to manage and utilize information resources in various business fields including business & management, construction management and healthcare through a thorough understanding of systems analysis and design methodology.
A number of our students join our PhD programmes each year.
Students who pass the module INMR66 – Business Domain and Requirements Analysis with a mark of 60 or above will be eligible for the British Computer Society Professional Certificate in Business Analysis Practice.
Do you have an eye for design? Would you like to help influence the future of visual communications? Southampton Solent University’s MA Visual Communication programme is ideally suited to students who wish to better understand the academic theory that underpins a range of visual mediums.
This intensive master’s degree helps students to improve their creative skills and build a solid understanding of visual communications theory. The curriculum covers the latest innovations in visual practice, examining the way technological and cultural changes contributed to contemporary academic thinking.
Topics of study include editorial design; art direction; interactive multimedia; information design; image creation; illustration; typographic design; print-making and photographic technique. Students may have workshop sessions with the letterpress, screen-printing, etching and relief printing facilities, as well as the wet darkroom and photo studio. Depending on their creative background, graduates will be well prepared for a range of careers in the creative industries.
Critical research papers and final master’s projects are supported by the University’s expanding research base, encouraging students to make an innovative contribution to visual communication academia.
This master’s degree delivers the skills you’ll need for a wide range of visual design fields including animation, art direction, web design, publishing, branding and typography. The course includes time to develop hands-on creative skills. Students are encouraged to create work for their professional portfolio.
Aimed at those with a relevant honours degree, or with extensive experience in marketing, design or digital fields, this master’s degree is well-suited to those who are looking to develop their career into art direction, web design, publishing or branding.
Units include:
Visual Communication Practice
Visual communication practice and specialisms such as editorial design, interactive multimedia, information design, image creation, book design and typographic design. Print-making and photographic techniques including letterpress, screen-printing, etching and relief printing, wet darkroom and photo studio practice.
Digital Media
The advantages and limitations of digital media and its delivery across a range of devices, from desktop to mobile.
Project Development
Developing the appropriate design language to apply to your research findings.
Masters Project Proposal
Students will write a 3000 word proposal for their chosen Master's project.
Master’s Project
On this final project you’ll bring all your skills together to design, execute and present an individually demanding piece of work that demonstrates systematic and in-depth understanding of your particular discipline of study.
To help with creative projects and portfolio documentation, Southampton Solent provides a comprehensive media loans scheme. This scheme gives students free access to high-end photographic equipment and accessories.
Students will have access to a range of specialist facilities throughout their studies. These include Mac computers, professional creative software, digital printing facilities and traditional printing presses.
You’ll have access to a full range of print-making facilities including letterpress, screen-printing equipment, etching and relief printing, and digital resources.
Suitable roles for graduates include:
There’s a chance of progression to further study, including a PhD, on successful completion of the course.
Students will work on competition briefs for organisations such as the Design & Art Directors Association (D&AD) and the Young Creative Network (YCN). Through this course you’ll develop valuable and appropriate skillsets through engagement with the wider profession, design community and industry.
Work-orientated assignments will be offered alongside appropriate ‘live’ projects from local and national organisations. There will be opportunities to visit museums, galleries and design studios, both nationally and internationally, as part of the course.
The teaching team maintain strong links with industry, providing students with the chance to participate in live briefs, networking events, and guest lectures.
You’ll be able to engage directly with employers by organising your own work placement or work-based project, supported and encouraged by the course team as required and students will work on competition briefs for organisations such as the Design & Art Directors Association (D&AD) and the Young Creative Network (YCN).
The Business Analysis and Service Design pathway will give you the capability to use information and information management to design agile and innovative business services.
Commercial focus
Our students learn to apply their knowledge and skills to design technology-based solutions to application domains in business and management. They also gain a thorough understanding of management and leadership issues to enable them to work effectively within a variety of organisations.
After you’ve graduated
Graduates will be equipped for a variety of roles in the digital economy including business analysis, digital marketing, service development, strategic data analysis and consulting roles.
Not sure which pathway to choose from 3 choices? Apply for the one that you feel fits you better and you will be able to change the pathway within the first few weeks from your arrival to the university.
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
In addition students must choose two optional modules from the list below.
A holistic approach
Effective leadership requires more than first-class business acumen. It also requires a degree of self-awareness and sensitivity. Henley is renowned for its well-researched, professional approach to this aspect of business education and all our postgraduate programmes examine this aspect of leadership - helping to create emotionally intelligent graduates who can be fully effective in their chosen careers.
How you will learn
Henley Business School enjoys a strong reputation for the practical application of business ideas and concepts, underpinned by academic excellence and the strength of our research. We offer high-quality technical skills training as well as a deep understanding of the importance of personal development for leaders, a thread that runs through all of our Masters programmes.
Our postgraduate masters programmes feature a mix of core and optional modules, allowing you to tailor your degree towards your individual personal development needs and career ambitions. You will complete up to 10 taught modules during your programme, totalling 180 credits. One module usually equates to 20 credits or 10 hours of work per week. Your week will include lectures, tutorials, workshops and personal study, with each accounting for 25% of your time on average. This stimulating mix of lectures and interactive tutorials provides you with the opportunity to discuss and explore the subject material in depth with your lecturers and fellow students. You will be introduced to the latest thinking and research findings and be able to challenge some of those that have created it. You will also explore real-world issues and tackle current business challenges, and interact with guest lectures and speakers from industry, giving you the opportunity to test, extend and refine your knowledge and skills.
How we assess you
You will learn and be assessed through a wide variety of teaching methods which vary depending on your chosen Masters programme. These include online materials and multimedia content, guest lectures, individual and group assignments, case studies, field visits, dealing room simulations, presentations, applied projects, consultancy work and examinations.
On average examinations form around 70% of the assessed work with the remaining 30% coming from coursework, including a written dissertation or project depending on your chosen programme. The exam period falls between April and June in the summer term, with students taking an average of 5 or 6 exams. Graduation normally takes place in December.
Ongoing support
While postgraduate students are self-motivated and determined individuals, study at this level can present additional pressures which we take seriously. Lecturers are available to discuss the content of each module and your personal tutor can meet with you regularly to discuss any additional issues. Full-time support staff are also available to help with any questions or issues that may arise during your time at Henley
Each pathway of our MSc Information Management is designed to give a rigorous academic understanding of real-life and current business issues. Graduates of the Systems Analysis and Design pathway will be equipped to manage and utilize information resources in various business fields including business & management, construction management and healthcare through a thorough understanding of systems analysis and design methodology.
A number of our students join our PhD programmes each year.
Students who pass the module – Business Domain and Requirements Analysis with a mark of 60 or above will be eligible for the British Computer Society Professional Certificate in Business Analysis Practice.
This updated master’s degree program in instructional design and technology will teach you to build quality education and training experiences using employer-recognized Adobe technology.
Those who can analyze learning or training needs and design technology-supported instructional materials have seen double-digit career growth within the past four years. In this master’s in instructional design and technology program, you'll learn to apply theory, research, creativity, and problem-solving skills to a variety of technology applications in order to help reshape the way information is created, integrated, and delivered. You will also develop the skills to assess, create, and manage training materials. The combination of these skills will help you to support technology-based training in educational institutions and corporate training environments. Through your coursework, you will gain the experience needed to efficiently and effectively use technology and multimedia tools, including Adobe Captivate and Adobe Creative Cloud applications.
When you choose to earn your master’s degree in instructional design and technology from Walden, you will gain career-focused training from a leading online university that uses the tools of technology to develop cutting-edge curricula. You’ll benefit from Walden’s own experience in online content development and instructional delivery. Plus, you’ll gain firsthand knowledge of a learning management system and how it is used to provide engaging and content-rich instruction.
Graduates of this program will be prepared to:
Find detailed information for this program, including possible occupations, completion rate, program costs, and median student loan debt.
Choose the General Program or a specialization that meets your personal and professional goals.
Technology is rapidly changing the way people learn throughout higher education, businesses, and government agencies. With the advancement of emerging technologies, the dynamics of how people learn, both onsite and online, is much more accessible and interactive. The Web, social networking applications, online applications, and mobile learning are redefining the way we communicate information.
Realizing this, organizations are focused on hiring and developing talented and knowledgeable personnel to help reshape the way information is created, integrated, and delivered. Instructional designers are becoming a very important part of the curriculum-development process. Those who can analyze learning or training needs and design technology-supported instructional materials have seen double-digit career growth within the past four years.
Technology-enhanced earning trends will continue to open doors to job opportunities in explosive growth areas such as online learning in P-12 and higher education. Earning an MS in Instructional Design and Technology from Walden can prepare you with the knowledge, skills, and experience to excel in a number of positions, including:
Edinburgh College of Art: Postgrad study in Art, Design, Architecture, Music, History of Art
