University of the Arts London

What you'll study

This MA combines studio practice, critical research and professional development. You will move from tutor-led workshops and seminars into increasingly independent project work, culminating in a major project or portfolio that demonstrates your distinctive approach to graphic design.

• Core studio modules — sustained design projects that explore brief development, concept formation and resolved outcomes across print, digital and moving image.
• Typographic practice — advanced type design, composition, information hierarchy and experimental approaches to text in context.
• Image and moving image — photographic practice, motion graphics and sequences that integrate image-making with narrative and form.
• Publication and editorial design — sequence design, editorial systems, layout, and ways of structuring long-form content.
• Branding and identity — strategy, visual systems, identity roll-out and application across physical and digital touchpoints.
• Research methods and contextual studies — design history, critical theory, user-centred research and methods for framing and evidencing practice.
• Professional practice — workshops on pitching, freelancing, client work, ethical practice, enterprise and preparing a professional portfolio and exhibition.
• Major project — an extended self-directed project, supported by supervision, public presentation and a curated final outcome or portfolio for professional use.

Teaching methods include seminars, critiques (crits), technical workshops, visiting practitioner talks and collaborative projects. Facilities typically available include print and large-format workshops, digital labs, motion and sound studios, photographic studios and letterpress/printmaking equipment.

Entry requirements

Applicants are normally expected to have a good undergraduate degree in graphic design, visual communication or a closely related discipline, or to demonstrate equivalent professional experience. A strong portfolio showing conceptual thinking, visual experimentation and technical competence is essential.

• Academic qualification: good honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject or demonstrable professional experience.
• Portfolio: around 10–20 examples of recent work (digital images, PDFs, links to websites or videos), showing process as well as resolved work and evidence of critical thinking.
• Supporting documents: personal statement articulating aims and interests, CV and academic or professional references.
• Interview: some applicants may be invited to interview or to submit further work.
• English language: applicants whose first language is not English are typically expected to demonstrate proficiency through an accepted qualification or test.

Career prospects

Graduates from this MA follow diverse career paths across the creative industries. The programme equips you to work as a senior graphic designer, art director, brand or identity designer, editorial and publication designer, motion/interactive designer, user-interface/experience designer, or creative strategist. Many alumni also establish independent studios or work freelance, while others move into specialist roles in museums, cultural organisations, publishing, advertising, digital agencies and in-house design teams.

The course also provides a strong foundation for those wishing to continue into research degrees or teaching in higher education.

Why study at University of the Arts London

UAL is one of the largest specialist arts and design universities, located in the heart of London’s creative sector. Students benefit from close connections with industry, visiting lecturers from leading design practices, and regular live briefs and collaborations with cultural organisations.

Studying within UAL gives access to specialist facilities and technical support for print, digital and motion work, peer networks across colleges, exhibition spaces to present graduate work and dedicated careers and enterprise services to help launch your professional pathway. The programme’s emphasis on experimentation, critical reflection and professional readiness makes it suited to designers who want to push the boundaries of graphic design while preparing for practical careers in a rapidly changing creative economy.