Graphic Design MA

Course overview

With an emphasis on research and problem-solving, our MA Graphic Design course at UCA Farnham will give you, as a graphic designer, the tools and confidence to develop your practice as a skilled professional communicator.

Our priority on this course is to ensure that your work comes from a place of informed and independent research and that you master your own unique style and visual language within graphic design.

On this course, you'll explore different applications of visual language and how it relates to your area of specialism. In the process, you'll enhance your understanding of the aesthetic and commercial value of your work, and build professional experience that will make your practice more innovative.

Benefitting from our course staff's extensive industry links, you'll also have the chance to foster relationships with industry partners within your area of specialism. UCA is proud to boast connections with a range of organisations including the BBC, FutureBrand, GF Smith and Typocircle.

Through guest lectures, live briefs and opportunities to network with industry experts, you’ll gain current experience of the design industry, learning how to present both yourself and your design work in a professional arena.

Course entry options

Select from the options below to find out more about the different study options available for this course:

What you'll study

The content of the course may be subject to change. Curriculum content is provided as a guide.

Integrated International Pre-Masters (if undertaken)

For our students coming from a non-UK educational background, UCA has launched an Integrated International Pre-Masters year. On this course you’ll prepare for postgraduate study with a mix of online and face-to-face learning that will give you the study skills required to complete a Master’s, and you’ll also improve your English for academic study.

Term one

You’ll begin your year examining your own practice and developing your research skills – these units will run throughout the year as you build towards your Major Project.

Practice and Process
During this unit, you'll examine the advanced specialist tools, methods, concepts and processes relevant to graphic design practice through a series of projects, workshops and advanced technical sessions that relate to your own research and aspirations.

Research Methods
This unit enables you to undertake a focused and rigorous investigation into the purpose and process of research at postgraduate level within the field of Graphic Design.

Term two

As you build upon the topics covered in Term one and continue honing your practice and research, you'll begin to develop your ideas for your Major Project.

Professional Practice
This unit will enable you to develop a framework within which to formulate your Major Project. You'll undertake a rigorous investigation into existing practice - researching, questioning, challenging, debating and addressing key debates relating to Graphic Design.

Major Project: Conceptualization and Development
The Major Project is the culmination of your studies and will form an exposition of the central ideas and concepts developed throughout your MA. It is an opportunity to resolve previous projects and demonstrate evidence of advanced conceptual, theoretical and technical capability over a period of self-directed study.

Term three

Major Project: Continuation and Realisation
With all three of the year’s units still continuing to support you and encourage you in your work, you’ll spend the final term producing and refining your Major Project.

The body of work you produce should draw upon your experience prior to this MA, the work you have developed in the other units and your aspiration for work or further study on graduation.

Fees and additional costs

Tuition fees - 2023 entry

UK students:

Integrated Pre-Masters course - £10,500
MA course - £10,500

EU students:

Integrated International Pre-Masters course - £10,500 (see fee discount information)
MA course - £10,500 (see fee discount information)

International students:

Integrated International Pre-Masters course (30 weeks) - £17,500
Integrated International Pre-Masters course (15 weeks) - £8,750
MA course - £17,500

Additional course costs
In addition to the tuition fees there may be other costs for your course. The things that you are likely to need to budget for to get the most out of a creative arts education will include books, printing costs, occasional or optional study trips and/or project materials. These costs will vary according to the nature of your project work and the individual choices that you make. Please see the Additional Course Costs section of your Course Information for details of the costs you may incur.

Further information
For more detailed information about our course fees and any financial support you may be entitled to please see our fees and finance pages.

The fees listed here are correct for the stated academic year only. Costs may increase each year during a student’s period of continued registration on course in line with inflation (subject to any maximum regulated tuition fee limit). Any adjustment for continuing students will be at or below the RPI-X forecast rate.

Fee discounts and scholarships

To support our students and alumni to progress to the next level of study, we have developed a new range of fee discounts across a range of courses.

Read more about fee discounts

Course specifications

Please note, syllabus content indicated is provided as a guide. The content of the course may be subject to change in line with our Student Terms and Conditions for example, as required by external professional bodies or to improve the quality of the course.

Xinran Liang, MA Graphic Design, UCA Epsom

Yezhou Chen, MA Graphic Design, UCA Epsom

Gurpreet Dhanjal, MA Graphic Design, UCA Epsom

Anneliese Grima, MA Graphic Design, UCA Epsom

Christy Ho, MA Graphic Design, UCA Epsom

Johanna Bender, MA Graphic Design, UCA Epsom

Benas Mazeika, MA Graphic Design, UCA Epsom

Facilities

We have dedicated graphics studios, as well as digital media suites equipped with Macs and PCs, which are programmed with specialist software such as Adobe Creative Suite, Dreamweaver, After Effects and Fontographer. There are also screen printing, Riso, letterpress, intaglio and book-binding workshop facilities, as well as an open access printmaking studio. Additionally, there are photographic studios with darkrooms and digital processing equipment.

View 360 virtual tour

Graphics studios, UCA Farnham

Print studio, UCA Farnham

Digital media suite, UCA Farnham

Library, UCA Farnham

Career opportunities

Industry links

You'll benefit from well-established industry links with corporate, media, cultural and creative organisations.

Our course has links with:

Design Bridge
Pearlfisher (design group)
FutureBrand
The Brewery
The BBC
Imagine
Bloom
Interbrand

We also have regular guest lecturers and recent guests have included:

Richard Williams - Founder of Williams Murray Hamm
Tim Perkins - Group Director of Design Bridge
Philip Carter - Founder of Carter Wong Tomlin
Helen Healy - Picture Editor for the Guardian newspaper

Careers

MA Graphic Design alumni go on to work in a diverse variety of exciting careers. Employment opportunities include:

Graphic design
Museum design
Web or interactive design
Picture editing
Freelance design or illustration
Brand design
Packaging design
Retail design
Art direction
Design management.

Further study

You may also wish to progress onto a PhD or MPhil research degree.

Explore our Gradshow

Visit our grad show site to see the incredible work created by our graduating students

Visit the Gradshow website

Richard Nash

"UCA offered the perfect environment to discover exciting new creative paths and the fantastic facilities allowed me to experiment with both traditional and pioneering technologies within my area of interest."

Entry requirements

UK entry requirements

MA course

An honours degree or equivalent qualification in the subject or a related discipline

and/or

Relevant work experience, demonstrating your ability to study at postgraduate level.

Consideration will also be given to applicants who can make a strong case for admission in relation to a particular project and can demonstrate their potential to satisfactorily complete the course.

International and EU entry requirements

Check the equivalent qualifications for your country and the English language requirements:

Non-UK equivalent qualifications

English language requirements

Any additional entry requirements listed in the UK requirements section, e.g., subject requirements, work experience or professional qualifications, also apply to international applicants applying with equivalent qualifications.

MA course with Integrated International Pre-Masters course
A recognised bachelor degree or 3 year diploma with a strong portfolio in a relevant subject.

Don't meet the international entry requirements or English language requirements?
You may be able to enter the course through the following entry pathways:

Portfolio requirements

MA course
MA course with Integrated International Pre-Masters course

For these courses, we’ll need to see your visual or written portfolio for review. We’ll invite you to upload your portfolio online via your Applicant Portal – further information will be provided once you have applied. If you would prefer to meet the Academic Team in person for a review of your work on campus, this can also be arranged for you.

More portfolio advice