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Postgraduate

MA Graphic Design Communication


MA Graphic Design Communication, Camberwell College of Arts, UAL
College
Camberwell College of Arts
Start date
September 2024
Course length
15 months (full time)

MA Graphic Design Communication at Camberwell College of Arts encourages a broad and diverse approach to thinking and practice. This helps you shape engaging and imaginative design solutions through material, media, technologies and systems of public engagement.

Applying for more than 1 course

You can apply for more than 1 postgraduate course at UAL but we recommend that you apply for no more than 3. Find out more in the Apply Now section.

Course overview

MA Graphic Design Communication will introduce you to the key debates and methodologies of contemporary design practices. You’ll expand your personal design practice by exploring current social and cultural issues. This will develop you into a versatile practitioner who is able to respond to complex design challenges.
    
The course focuses on 3 research themes: 

  1. Proximities and encounters – how do we create interactions, transitions and encounters within places of practice?  
    
  2. Mobilising the studio – what are the key questions around co-created knowledge in relation to design practice?
    
  3. Materiality and the post-real – how can we explore materiality in its hybrid forms and the impact this has on lived experience?   

What to expect   

  • A practice-led course: Practical work is underpinned by critical design thinking, exploration and research.
  • Contemporary design themes: You’ll explore topics including habitable and material worlds, environmental ecologies, and digital and material cultures.   
  • A community of experts: Our tutors, technicians and visiting practitioners are experts in their field and bring their industry experience into their teaching.
  • An ethical focus: We have a responsibility to contribute towards a better and more sustainable world. Throughout your course, you'll explore climate, social and racial justice and learn how to embed these principles into your creative practice. 
  • Access to Camberwell's workshops: Camberwell’s facilities will expand your skillset in areas such as printmaking, digital photography and moving image, virtual and augmented reality and 3D printing. View the Camberwell facilities

Industry experience and opportunities 

During the course, you’ll develop your professional profile as a designer in preparation for your career. Opportunities to participate in a range of public-facing events such as design symposia and community projects will also help expand your industry insight. 
 
You’ll also have access to UAL’s dedicated department of Enterprise and Employability who provide training and support in career preparation, funding, creative rights and building networks

Mode of study

MA Graphic Design Communication is offered in full-time mode and runs for 45 weeks over 15 months. You will be expected to commit an average of 40 hours per week to your course, including teaching hours and independent study.

Course units

Unit 1: Exploring emergent design contexts and practices 

Unit 1 introduces you to contemporary questions within graphic design communication through a series of research themes. These key questions will help you make connections between your interests and emerging international communities of design practice. You’ll explore and implement new ways to test your designs, critically evaluating the relationship between an audience, participant or user and your own practice.  
 
You will research, design and evaluate encounters between people and your work, both independently and through collaborative events. These experiments will allow you to develop your testing methods specific to your practice and contexts of engagement.   

Unit 2: Developing a design framework: critical and practical   

A framework is a system for understanding, planning and acting within a given context and will help you structure your approach to design practice. Having identified areas for exploration through your research, you’ll start to incorporate this knowledge and skillset into your own design framework.  

In developing your framework, you’ll explore traditional graphic design communication methodologies alongside other emergent practices. These explorations will help you develop interdisciplinary knowledge and new practical skills. You’ll also engage with alternative ways of thinking and contexts of work, which will culminate in a public event.  

Unit 3: Designing modes for communication and engagement   

Building on your previous experiments, this final unit has 2 distinct purposes. Firstly, to refine your project outcomes in relation to your chosen practice. Secondly, to consider and innovate how audiences engage and participate with your designed outcomes.  
 
Through this final project, you’ll develop specialist techniques for both communicating and disseminating experiences and materials from your work. You’ll tackle exercises and activities that explore different methods for co-designing with publics and collaborators. You’ll also learn how to embed your work within networks and communities as well as curate your creative identity and professional practice.

Note: 120 Credits must be passed before the final unit is undertaken.

Learning and teaching methods

  • Briefings 
  • Critiques 
  • Independent learning and self-directed study
  • Peer learning 
  • Seminars 
  • Study visits 
  • Technical inductions 
  • Tutorials 
  • Workshops

MA Graphic Design Communication

Open day recording

Course Leader Sadhna Jain gives an overview of MA Graphic Design Communication at Camberwell College of Arts.

Student work

  • Chelsea-MA-Graphic-Design-Communication-Juhi-Vishnani-1860.jpg
    Repositioning the role of print publications in India - Juhi Vishnani - MA Graphic Design Communication
  • Chelsea-MA-Graphic-Design-Communication-Sean-Murphy-2-1860.jpg
    Sean Murphy - MA Graphic Design Communication
  • Chelsea-MA-Graphic-Design-Communication-Christian-Witternigg.jpg
    Data driven installation - Christian Witternigg - MA Graphic Design Communication
  • Chelsea-MA-Graphic-Design-Communication-Xiyuan-Chen.jpg
    Discrete messaging within community locations - Xiyuan Chen - MA Graphic Design Communication
  • Chelsea-MA-Graphic-Design-Communication-2-text-experiments.jpg
    Typographic diary
    MA Graphic Design Communication, Camberwell College of Arts, UAL

Film

Ellis van der Does

Yanenxi Hu

Ayuko Tanaka

Chenghao Lee

Staff

Technical staff

Fees and funding

Home fee

£13,330

This fee is correct for 2024/25 entry and is subject to change for 2025/26 entry.

Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students on courses lasting more than one year. For this course, you can pay tuition fees in instalments.

Students from countries outside of the UK will generally be charged international fees. The rules are complex so read more about tuition fees and determining your fee status.

International fee

£28,570

This fee is correct for 2024/25 entry and is subject to change for 2025/26 entry.

Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students on courses lasting more than one year. For this course, you can pay tuition fees in instalments.

Students from countries outside of the UK will generally be charged international fees. The rules are complex so read more about tuition fees and determining your fee status.

Scholarship search

Entry requirements

The standard minimum entry requirements for this course are:

  • BA (Hons) degree or equivalent academic qualifications
  • Alternative qualifications and experience will also be taken into consideration
  • Personal statement - within the personal statement you should discuss your professional and academic background. You should provide a clear explanation of your goals whilst on the course and afterwards, and how the course is suited to supporting these goals. This statement should address one of the 3 research themes. Limit your statement to 500 words
  • Portfolio of work

Each application will be considered on its own merit, but we cannot guarantee an offer in each case.

Entry to this course will also be determined by the quality of your application, looking primarily at your portfolio of work and personal statement.

APEL - Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning

Applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered in exceptional cases. The course team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:

  • Related academic or work experience
  • The quality of the personal statement
  • A strong academic or other professional reference
  • A combination of these factors

English language requirements

All classes are taught in English. If English is not your first language you must provide evidence at enrolment of the following:

Selection criteria

We look for:

  • Evidence of creative, expressive and analytical responses to projects
  • A willingness to explore graphic design communication beyond traditional thinking and practice
  • An eagerness to utilise the university MA community as part of personal creative and professional development
  • Sufficiently strong verbal and written skills to fully participate in the course
  • An understanding of how context informs practice in a variety of ways, and a willingness to progress this knowledge and associated skill set

Apply now

Application deadline

Deadline

Round 1:

13 December 2023 at 1pm (UK time)

Round 2:

3 April 2024 at 1pm (UK time)

Digital portfolio and video task deadline

Round 1:

16 January 2024

Round 2:

16 April 2024

Decision outcome

Round 1:

End of March 2024

Round 2:

End of June 2024

Round 1
Round 2
Deadline
13 December 2023 at 1pm (UK time)
3 April 2024 at 1pm (UK time)
Digital portfolio and video task deadline
16 January 2024
16 April 2024
Decision outcome
End of March 2024
End of June 2024

All applications received by 3 April will be treated equally. If there are places available after this date, the course will remain open to applications until places have been filled.

Read more about deadlines

Apply now

Application deadline

Deadline

Round 1:

13 December 2023 at 1pm (UK time)

Round 2:

3 April 2024 at 1pm (UK time)

Digital portfolio and video task deadline

Round 1:

16 January 2024

Round 2:

16 April 2024

Decision outcome

Round 1:

End of March 2024

Round 2:

End of June 2024

Round 1
Round 2
Deadline
13 December 2023 at 1pm (UK time)
3 April 2024 at 1pm (UK time)
Digital portfolio and video task deadline
16 January 2024
16 April 2024
Decision outcome
End of March 2024
End of June 2024

All applications received by 3 April will be treated equally. If there are places available after this date, the course will remain open to applications until places have been filled.

Read more about deadlines

Apply to UAL

Start your application
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Based across the world, our local UAL representatives can support you with your application from your home country. Check to see if there is a representative available in your country currently.

Find your representative

How to apply

Follow this step-by-step guide to apply for this course

Step 1: Initial application

You will need to submit an initial application including your personal statement, CV and study proposal.

Personal statement advice

This should be about 500 words long and include:

  • Your reasons for choosing the course, specifically what attracts you to the research themes which the course offers
  • Your current creative practice and your goals to develop this during the MA and beyond
  • Any relevant education and experience if formal academic qualifications are not included in this application

Visit our personal statement page for more advice.

CV advice

Please provide a CV detailing your education, qualifications and any relevant work or voluntary experience. If you have any web projects or other media that you would like to share, please include links in your CV. If English is not your first language, please also include your most recent English language test score.

Step 2: Video task and digital portfolio

We will review your initial application. If you have met the standard entry requirements, we will ask you to submit a video task and digital portfolio.

You’ll need to submit these via PebblePad, our online portfolio tool. Please submit your video task on the first page followed by your portfolio.

Video task advice

We’d like you to submit a 2-3 minute video to help us learn more about you. When recording your task, please face the camera and speak in English.

What to include in your video task

  • Describe an example of graphic design communication practice that has emerged in your country that moves away from the limits of traditional commercial practice (
  • Discuss how it influences your practice.

Read our guidance for how to submit your video task and which file types we accept.

Digital portfolio advice

Your portfolio should consist of recent work that reflects your creative strengths.

It should:

  • be maximum 30 pages, including your video task
  • include a range of project topics or contexts of work
  • show evidence of exploration and research processes with written annotations explaining the direction taken and feedback from peers
  • include prototypes, material testing and experimental work to demonstrate how you develop your practice
  • include any supporting references to show your personal vision, inspirations and passion for the subject area
  • be clearly annotated with descriptions of your work, the media and techniques used and any new discoveries you experienced during the project.

For more support, see our Portfolio advice and PebblePad advice.

Step 3: Interview

You may be invited to an interview following our review of your application. All interviews are held online and last 15 to 20 minutes.

For top tips, see our Interview advice.

You also need to know

Communicating with you

Once you have submitted your initial application, we will email you with your login details for our Applicant portal.

Requests for supplementary documents like qualifications and English language tests will be made through the applicant portal. You can also use it to ask questions regarding your application. Visit our After you apply page for more information.

Applying to more than 1 course

You can apply for more than 1 postgraduate course at UAL but we recommend that you apply for no more than 3 courses. You need to tailor your application, supporting documents and portfolio to each course, so applying for many different courses could risk the overall quality of your application. If you receive offers for multiple courses, you'll only be able to accept 1 offer. UAL doesn't accept repeat applications to the same course in the same academic year.

Visas and immigration history check

All non-UK nationals must complete an immigration history check. Your application may be considered by our course teams before this check takes place. This means that we may request your portfolio and/or video task before we identify any issues arising from your immigration history check. Sometimes your history may mean that we are not able to continue considering your application. Visit our Immigration and visas advice page for more information.

External student transfer policy

UAL accepts transfers from other institutions on a case-by-case basis. Read our Student transfer policy for more information.

Alternative offers

If your application is really strong, but we believe your strengths and skillset are better suited to a different course, we may make you an alternative offer. This means you will be offered a place on a different course or at a different UAL College.

Deferring your place

We do not accept any deferral requests for our postgraduate courses. This means that you must apply in the year that you plan to start your course and you will not be able to defer your place to start at a later date.

Application deadlines

For postgraduate courses at UAL there are 2 equal consideration deadlines to ensure fairness for all our applicants. If you apply ahead of either of these deadlines, your application will be considered on an equal basis with all other applications in that round. If there are places available after the second deadline, the course will remain open to applications until places have been filled.

Careers

Many graduates are employed in interdisciplinary design studios and as senior designers in graphic and communication design companies. Graduates have also founded their own design studios working across digital environments and physical spaces as well as specialist publishing and new forms of graphic content.

Alumni

  • André Arruda - Partner, Papanapa, São Paulo, Brazil
  • Ana-Maria Grigoriu - Co-founder LOOT studio, Bucharest, Romania
  • Mayuko Hari - Art Director, Grey Advertising, New York, United States of America
  • Alistair Owen - Senior Designer, Forth, London

Find out how careers and employability helps our students and graduates start their careers.