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Graphic Design MA

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Intro

Our distinctive Graphic Design MA is an enriching and advanced programme for both graphic designers looking to push their practice in ambitious new directions and creatives wanting to move into the field.

You will be encouraged to explore social, political and environmental issues in your work and to consider the crucial role of design in relation to the most pressing debates in contemporary society.

At the heart of graphic design is communication and story-telling, and this programme is rooted in defining and challenging the boundaries of the practice.

We will support you in discovering fresh new ways of working and in expanding your creative ideas and research interests – you will be solving real-world design problems at a high level.

Key facts

Location Brighton: City campus

Full-time 1 year
Part-time 2 years

Find out about postgraduate events

Apply online

Please review the entry requirements carefully and if you have any questions do get in touch with us.

Apply now for your place

View looking up at Grand Parade building
You will be learning at our Grand Parade building in central Brighton, working alongside students from across the visual communication postgraduate programmes, which encourages interdisciplinary collaboration and conversation.
Details of printing fonts
The course covers motion graphics, user experience design, editorial design, branding, typography, narrative systems, gamification and art direction.
Drawing colourful shapes in a notebook
Your learning will be a mix of practical workshops, lectures, guided and independent study, critical reflection and writing, presentations and study trips.
Graphic design publications on shelves
At the end of your MA you will exhibit your major project work in a show open to the public.

Art and design courses at Brighton are ranked joint 8th in the UK and in the top 100 globally by the QS World University Rankings® 2022

This MA takes the view that issues of sustainability, social change and our place as designers, consumers and citizens are at the heart of what it means to be a responsible and responsive graphic designer.

Gavin Ambrose, course leader

Course content

Course structure

You will learn a combination of analogue and digital techniques which may include motion graphics, user experience design, editorial design, branding, typography, narrative systems, gamification and art direction.

The course will be delivered through practical workshops, guided and independent study, critical reflection and writing, lectures, presentations and study trips over three semesters.

Part-time students take the same key modules but over two years.

Some modules are specific to this Graphic Design MA, whilst others are shared with other postgraduate courses, enabling you to meet and work with peers outside of your immediate subject.

Graphic design student printing

Semester 1

Design Landscapes

This module encourages you to orientate your graphic design practice, enabling students who have entered from a variety of creative disciplines to focus on what they see their role as a graphic designer being. It considers your ambitions as a designer, using design principles as a starting point to compare, contrast and question.

This contemporary and international perspective will help to ensure the curriculum is decolonised and inclusive. This module is taught as a series of studio-based talks and short catalyst projects where you critically test a variety of practices and skills.

Project Development

The first part of the major project is both practical and research focused. Research module elements are shared with the Sequential Design/Illustration MA through talks, seminars and self-led research interest groups that feed into your practical work.

This is beneficial in getting you to engage in independent research and develop an understanding of a broad range of design research.

Studio practice will develop your ideas and research interests into a series of tests and development projects. This is taught through a series of workshops, group and one-to-one tutorials. 

You will have a formative tutorial halfway through the module.
You submit a portfolio of work and a proposal for resolution in the form of a pitch presentation to the group, with room for questions and debate.

This means you get both summative feedback from tutors and peers and formative feedback at the end of the module.

Semester 2 

Project Resolution

The second part of the major project continues to be both practical and research focused. Research modules are again shared with other courses through talks, seminars and self-led research interest groups that feed into your practical work.

Studio practice will build on the development of previous work. There will be a strong emphasis on research-led practice, run through a series of group and one-to-one tutorials and critiques.

This module culminates in the MA Show, an exhibition of your practical work, where you consider how best to present and articulate your design practice to an audience.

Professional Development

Throughout the course there are a series of professional practice events and talks, enabling you to further consider fields of design practice you may be interested in engaging with post education.

This module sees you consolidate your research and practical work and orientate yourself within a professional setting, considering how best to present your work with relevance to your independent design practice.

Research Presentation

You begin your Research Presentation by reflecting on your show, and through your research-led design practice, you will be asked to consider your research practice and how you can share this publicly.

Semester 3

Research Presentation (cont.)

This module  culminates in a symposium and publication of your interests. You'll work together with fellow students to design, curate, edit and identify a concept for the symposium.

The symposium will be an assessed event where you engage with and present your research either as a talk, workshop, lab or seminar session – using the process that feels best for your practice.

Professional Development (cont.)

This module is assessed as a portfolio and can be submitted as a website, digital PDF or showreel. It is assessed as an individual report articulating your practice, considering how it communicates with a specified professional audience.

Facilities

You will work in postgraduate studio spaces alongside fellow visual communication students, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration and conversation between other courses and external partners.

Technical staff are on hand to assist you in the workshops and facilities available to you include:

  • one of the country's best-stocked art and design libraries
  • the internationally important Design Archives with a wealth of graphic design and illustration material
  • dedicated graphic design studio
  • letterpress printing workshop (dedicated technician)
  • book arts workshop (dedicated technician)
  • Techhub featuring laser cutting, plasma cutting, CNC 3-axis milling, CNC routing, 3D body scanning, portable 3D scanning and rapid prototyping
  • department print bureau.

Students using printing facilities

Meet the team

Our team of practitioners and specialists, as well as experienced technicians, will guide you in mastering your specialism within the field.

Louise Colbourne, course leader

As well as teaching, Louise is an independent arts project director with a particular interest in interdisciplinary film practices, immersive media, motion graphics and expanded cinema. She uses both analogue and digital methods for the production and presentation of installations and single screen works. 

She has produced and curated major international exhibitions and events for the Brighton Digital Festival, Latitude Festival, The Jerwood Gallery and the Brighton Cinecity Film festival amongst others. She has also put together events for many other exhibitions and festivals to include: Loop video art festival in Barcelona, Liverpool Biennale, Whitstable Biennale, ESPS in St Leonards-on-Sea, and the ICA in London.

Read Louise’s full profile.

Gavin Ambrose, programme leader

Gavin is a practicing graphic designer who works with clients on diverse and engaging social, cultural and environmental projects. His practice, Studio 245, works within graphic design, print and environmental design with the aims of culturally enriching our environment and field of vision and embracing new ways of learning. He teaches through activities focused around workshops and activity led sessions aimed at empowering learners.

This method is based, in part, on the teachings of Jean-Pol Martin, who pioneered the LdL method of teaching (Lernen durch Lehren or Learning by Teaching) where peers are encouraged to teach one another.

Since 2005 Gavin has authored and designed a series of books on design and design theory for Bloomsbury Press London and New York which have been translated into multiple languages.

Gavin is a registered PhD supervisor at the University of Brighton, and this presents an opportunity to advance higher level study and research.

Read Gavin’s full profile.

Other staff who teach on the course include Beth Salter and Gavin Fry.

The Layout Book by Ambrose Harris

How this course is delivered

How will my course be taught?
For the academic year that starts in September 2022 we’re planning for all students to be taught face-to-face on campus, enhanced by some online learning.

Students who started their course with us in 2021 are on campus for some face-to-face learning including tutorials, workshops, laboratory classes and studio sessions. They are also taking part in off-campus learning activities such as placements, field trips and study visits. And all of our campus facilities – libraries, learning spaces, restaurants, gyms and more are open.

Like all universities we are following government guidance and we are monitoring the pandemic very closely. Should Public Health advise it we have robust plans in place for additional safety measures to be introduced to enable everyone to continue learning on campus, and, as a last resort, for students to continue their learning remotely.

We will update you regularly on our teaching plans for the next academic year as you progress your application with us.

When does my course start?
The 2022 academic year begins on Monday 26 September 2022. Teaching for most courses starts the following week.

Many education courses, some health science courses including Medicine, and some postgraduate business courses have an earlier start date. Check your offer letter for the start date of your course.

Our latest news

Graduates 2022: Samuel Polidano: Graphic Design

Graduates 2022: Samuel Polidano: Graphic Design

“I have always been fascinated by typography and branding.

Graduates 2022: Julia Jolliffe: Illustration

Graduates 2022: Julia Jolliffe: Illustration

“My experience of the Visual Communication course at Brighton has been great; the course is extremely experimental in its approach to what ‘Illustration’ means allowing students to explore lots of different methods and approaches to their work.

Graduates 2022: Rosie Penny: Illustration

Graduates 2022: Rosie Penny: Illustration

“The flexibility offered on Illustration is one of its strengths.

Illustration students take part in Bellingcat-inspired project

Illustration students take part in Bellingcat-inspired project

Second year Illustration students are taking part in a project inspired by renowned investigative news agency Bellingcat.

Read more from our blog

Careers

Graphic design is a large and varied discipline. It spans the rich, analogue traditions of the printed word and image to sophisticated and ever-evolving digital technologies which are now integrated into all aspects of our professional and personal lives.

At Brighton, our Graphic Design MA has been created to enable you to develop the skills, confidence, agility and ambition to position yourself within this immense and fast-changing landscape.

We will help you to understand the wide-ranging career options open to you, many of which didn’t exist five years ago, and to make informed choices so you can succeed and thrive, whether as a freelancer, an in-house designer or through further PhD study and research.

Graphic design prints

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

The entry requirements listed here are our typical offer for this course if you wish to begin studying with us in 2022. They should be used as a general guide. 

Degree and experience
Honours degree or equivalent in a relevant area. Other candidates with relevant experience and demonstrable ability are also considered.

Interviews normally take place in person but temporarily from March 2020, all interviews will be replaced by an online portfolio submission. plus a 600-word proposal for a potential project. Applicants are requested to submit their proposal at the application stage (guidelines are available on request).

English language requirements
IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each element. Find out more about the other English qualifications that we accept.

Interview advice
Interviews normally take place in person but temporarily from March 2020, we'll be asking to see an online portfolio instead.

International requirements and visas

International requirements by country
Country name
Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Bermuda
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burma (Myanmar)
Cameroon
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guyana
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kuwait
Latvia
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malaysia
Malawi
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Montenegro
Morocco
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestinian National Authority
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Syria
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

Visit our language centre

For English language preparation courses.

Visit our International College

For degree preparation courses.

Visas and immigration advice

Applying for a student visa

Check out our step-by-step guidance.

Project proposal 

You are required to write a 600-word project proposal to accompany your application form. The following headings should assist you:

  • title (or working title) and any subtitle of the project.
  • the form the project might take: book, comic/graphic novel, digital, film, interactive, etc
  • the editorial limits of the project (number of pages, running time etc)
  • who is the project designed for and what are its intended objectives?
  • a description of what the project will involve
  • how you would start work on the project
  • possible technical requirements
  • in what way do you feel the project is designed to be sequential?
  • any information you think is relevant.

This proposal represents a project that you would choose to do. It is useful as an example of your thinking. However, many students change their projects by agreement either after interview or on joining the course. In some cases, students may prefer to do more than one project on a theme. If this is the case, write a brief summary about why you would want to take this approach.

Humanities student

Portfolio and interview 

Due to COVID-19, we expect interviews to be online and the processes may change slightly – check back here for updates. If you've already applied, we will tell you about any changes.

Your portfolio, together with the project proposal, will enable us to assess your abilities to carry out your chosen project. It should demonstrate evidence of:

  • completed projects: it is essential that at least one of these projects should be accompanied by all its development work; you will also be required to explain the nature of the tasks or briefs in relation to these finished pieces
  • an ability to use maps, plans, diagrams and rough sketches to discuss large projects before you start them
  • scrapbooks, sketchbooks, notebooks that show your ability to visually research any subject
  • independence (projects and work other than those required by academic or client demands)
  • interests outside your particular subject or discipline.

You do not need to start the project you have proposed or have work in your portfolio that relates directly to it. We feel able to assess an applicant’s potential by looking at the work they choose to present at interview.

Find out more about how to create and submit your portfolio.

Creative media work

Fees

Course fees

UK (full-time)7,866 GBP

International (full-time) 15,462 GBP

Scholarships, bursaries and loans

We offer a range of scholarships for postgraduate students. Bursaries and loans may also be available to you.

Find out more about postgraduate fees and funding.

What's included

You may have to pay additional costs during your studies, although we have tried to keep this to a minimum. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. A summary of the costs that you may be expected to pay, and what is included in your fees, while studying a course in the School of Art and Media in the 2021–22 academic year are listed here.

Typically, practice-based courses incur more costs than text-based subjects.

  • For most courses you will need to budget for the cost of specialist materials, equipment, stationary and printing and are likely to spend between £50–£300 per year.
  • Course books and a wide range of magazines and journals are available in the university libraries. You do not need to have your own copies, but if you wish to, you should budget up to £200 over your course to buy them.
  • For some courses you may also need to budget up to £100 for specialist personal protective clothing which, with care, will last for the whole of your course and beyond.
  • Specialist equipment is provided to cover essential learning, and you will have access to computers and necessary software across the university, but students may choose to buy their own specialist equipment. These may include cameras, or computers and software. Budgets can range from £50–£2,000. Buying specialist equipment is best undertaken in consultation with our academic and technical staff. The amount spent will depend on your individual choices but this expenditure is not essential to pass any of our courses.
  • For some courses you will need to budget up to £200 for printing and publishing. Photography courses may incur higher costs (£500–£2,000) when printing and framing images of professional standard for public presentation.
  • Costs in your final year of study are very likely to be higher than in earlier years as you bring together your final body of work and portfolio, and you may need to budget between £200 and £1,000.
  • Final-year graduation shows are opportunities to present your final, independent project work to the public. Practice-based courses will typically incur higher costs. Depending on the specific nature of your final project you will need to budget between £20–£2,500. 
  • For most courses you will have the opportunity to attend field trips and off-site visits, for example to galleries, exhibitions and studios both in the UK and overseas. These are optional and are not required to pass your course. The nature of the costs vary from provisions for a packed-lunch to flight and accommodation costs for international field trips. The amount spent would be based on location and number of trips taken, and typically range between £30 and £700 across the duration of your course.
  • For courses which feature an optional placement year, you will need to budget for living costs (rent, food, travel etc) in that city/country, as if you were on site at the university.

You can chat with our enquiries team if you have a question or need more information. Or check our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as more information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Info

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2022–23.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full-time or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

Location

Campus where this course is taught

City campus

City campus is located at the heart of central Brighton.

The facilities for making and designing, the theatre, galleries, workshops, studios, archives and the independent arts organisations based on site provide a unique and inspiring environment where creativity thrives.

St Peter’s House library and Phoenix halls of residence are close to the exhibition and learning facilities in the Grand Parade main building where you will also find the student centre with careers, counselling, student advice service and disability and dyslexia support. Edward Street provides extensive teaching and gallery space for media, photography and film.

Also on site are Photoworks, Screen Archive South East and University of Brighton Design Archives. Leading visual arts agency Photoworks runs the Brighton Photo Biennial and a national programme which frequently features the work of our graduates, staff and students. 

Brighton Pavilion, Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, the iconic pier and beach are a very short walk away. The independent shops and businesses of the North Laine and Kemptown, and Brighton main line station, with frequent express services to London, are 10 minutes walk.


Grand Parade exhibition space

Accommodation

Brighton: City campus

We guarantee an offer of a place in halls of residence to all eligible students who apply by 30 June.

Halls of residence
We have halls of residence across Brighton in the city centre, Moulsecoomb, Varley Park and Falmer. All rooms are self-catered.

  • You'll be prioritised for accommodation in the halls that are linked to your teaching base, subject to availability.
  • City campus is linked to Phoenix halls, Mithras halls and Moulsecoomb Place.
    • Phoenix halls are a short walk from City campus in the centre of Brighton.
    • Mithras hall and Moulsecoomb Place are located on the Moulsecoomb campus, around two miles from City campus. Public transport in the city is excellent.

Want to live independently? We can help – find out more about private renting.

Phoenix Brewery Halls Accommodation

Accommodation for City campus is in the nearby Phoenix Halls

Student kitchen in Phoenix Halls

Student kitchen in Phoenix Halls

Relaxing in nearby Pavilion Gardens

Relaxing in nearby Pavilion Gardens

Local area

About Brighton

The University of Brighton is at the heart of our city’s reputation as a welcoming, forward-thinking place which leads the way when it comes to the arts, music, sustainability and creative technology. Brighton is home to a thriving creative community and a digital sector worth £1bn a year. Many of the work-based learning opportunities offered on our courses such as placements, live briefs and guest lectures are provided by businesses and organisations based in the city.

We provide support and venues for key events in the city’s arts calendar including the Brighton Festival, the Festival Fringe, the Great Escape, the Brighton Digital Festival, Brighton Photo Biennial and the CineCity Brighton Film Festival. Other annual highlights include Pride, the Brighton Marathon, and Burning the Clocks which marks the winter solstice. Our own Brighton Graduate Show transforms our campus into the largest exhibition space in the South East as we celebrate the outstanding talent and creativity of our students.

As a student you’ll get lots of opportunities to experience these events at first hand and to develop your skills through the volunteering and other opportunities they offer.

You'll find living in Brighton enriches your learning experience and by the end of your course you will still be finding new things to explore and inspire you.

It's only 50 minutes by train from Brighton to central London and less than 40 minutes to Eastbourne. There are also daily direct trains to Bristol, Bedford, Cambridge, Gatwick Airport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Map showing distance to London from Brighton
Brighton Beach sunset

Maps

City campus map

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Sport at Brighton

Sport Brighton

Sport Brighton brings together our sport and recreation services. As a Brighton student you'll have use of sport and fitness facilities across all our campuses and there are opportunities to play for fun, fitness or take part in serious competition. 

Find out more about Sport Brighton.

Sports scholarships

Our sports scholarship scheme is designed to help students develop their full sporting potential to train and compete at the highest level. We offer scholarships for elite athletes, elite disabled athletes and talented sports performers.

Find out more about sport scholarships.

Cricket Academy

New for September 2023, our Cricket Academy offers aspiring players the opportunity to continue their cricket development alongside studying for a degree. The programme offers a world-class training environment with the highest quality coaching.

Find out more about the Cricket Academy.

Students playing frisbee

Stay in touch

Find out about postgraduate events

Ask a question about this course

If you have a question about this course, our enquiries team will be happy to help.

01273 644644

Related 6 courses

  • Digital Music and Sound Arts MA

    Digital Music and Sound Arts MA

  • Sequential Design/Illustration MA

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  • Digital Media Arts MA

    Digital Media Arts MA

  • Digital Media, Culture and Society MA

    Digital Media, Culture and Society MA

  • Photography MA

    Photography MA

  • Fine Art MA

    Fine Art MA

‹ ›

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