MA Illustration

This course offers an expansive understanding of contemporary illustration through an inquisitive and exploratory programme of study. You will engage with illustration as a broad, evolving field which extends ideas of communication and visualisation through practice-based research, experimentation and critical discussion.

We are interested in all forms of illustrative practice. Central to the course is an ethos of authorial practice, where you lead and shape your own projects by developing individual proposals that reflect your interests, ambitions and values. You will be encouraged to consider co-designed and collaborative methods of practice, as well as autobiographical approaches derived from the ‘lived experience’. You will be supported by teaching staff with diverse research and practical interests from the fields of illustration and its broader visual cultures.

Research and dissemination methods will be introduced and developed with the support of workshops, lectures and seminars with opportunity to situate work in relevant professional contexts. The course celebrates image making through analogue and digital methodologies which complement contemporary and expanded illustrative practices. You will be encouraged to undertake in-depth examination and experimentation of interdisciplinary practical and theoretical research methods through hands-on and playful approaches.

The MA in Illustration is a chance to develop your practice through creative experimentation and critical discourse. You will build on both new and established making skills while strengthening your narrative communication, critical thinking, empathic awareness, and the professional resilience needed for contemporary practice.

The course suits recent graduates and practising creatives looking to broaden their approach, diversify their skills, or prepare for doctoral research. Previous students have developed studio and freelance illustration practices. Others have established creative businesses, worked in design roles, or moved into teaching, lecturing or creative community outreach. For those focused on academic inquiry, the programme provides a foundation for further study and progression to a PhD.