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Course options

  • Qualification

    MA - Master of Arts

  • Location

    City Centre Campus

  • Study mode

    Full time

  • Start date

    22-SEP-25

  • Duration

    1 Year

Course summary

Overview

Visual Communication at BCU is a dynamic and progressive course, that challenges the way we look at images and text in a present-day context. The world is saturated with visual stimulus and our students are trained to navigate through this, finding ways to impart new information, through graphic design, typography, moving image, illustration and photography. Students on the course are adept at communicating through visual language.

Staying ahead in an ever-changing field requires embracing technological advances you will learn to employ the essential knowledge and skills needed for the new emerging creative industries, and you will be expected to explore, experiment, and push the boundaries of design and image making, whilst being part of a mature and relevant course that has existed for over 50 years.

You'll have the chance to learn in our studios and workshops, as well as with our partnerships, with organisations, and industry. You will be involved in learning, teaching, researching, and demonstrating professional development within visual communication.

What's covered in this course?

Learning will be achieved through the development of a critical understanding of practice. You will be taught methods that will cover both theory and practice, the key to understanding advanced practice-based principles. As you develop you will establish evaluative criteria and learn how to apply this knowledge to practice.

Because Visual Communication has broad scope, (e.g. lens based, time based, narrative based), you will be encouraged to specialise in one of the following areas, all under the single named award of MA Visual Communication: MA Visual Communication (Graphic Communication), or MA Visual Communication (Illustration). These alignments have been one of the main attractions of applicants to this course.

Employability

Enhancing Employability Skills

This course enables you to develop your practice within the field of visual communication. You will do so through a range of reflective learning methods that will enhance advanced subject knowledge, developing your creative and innovative thinking, critical awareness and analytical practice. You will gain a comprehensive understanding of techniques applicable to your own research and advanced scholarship.

You will establish a deep and clear understanding of how meaning is constructed with visual communication, across a range of media. You will acquire the skill and knowledge to produce meaningful and creative visual work within your own specialism.

The course will encourage you to challenge yourself, exceed your boundaries and produce work that is original, and significant. You will develop as a creative individual equipped not only for a career in your specialism, but with transferable skills which will benefit a whole range of professional contexts. Through research theory and practice, you will develop new knowledge that will pave the way for imaginative visual communication research. You will be able to engage directly with industry, with the possibility of collaborations, much like recent graduate Diane Maybey. Diane published work in partnership with Birmingham Children's Hospital. She also produced an environmental therapeutic illustration for CAMHS Leicester Partnership Trust and is currently studying her PhD, researching into Therapeutic Storytelling.

Application deadline

18/07/2025

Tuition fees

Students living in Hong Kong
(International fees)

£ 18,600per year

Tuition fees shown are for indicative purposes and may vary. Please check with the institution for most up to date details.

University information

University image

Birmingham City University

  • University League Table

    92nd

  • Campus address

    Birmingham City University, University House, 15 Bartholomew Row, Birmingham, Birmingham, B5 5JU, England

Live and study in an affordable multicultural city with a diverse multi-ethnic population.
Many master's courses offer international students optional six-month professional placements towards the end of their studies.

Subject rankings

  • Subject ranking

    39th out of 91 1

  • Entry standards

    / Max 206
    130 63%

    29th

  • Graduate prospects

    / Max 100
    68.0 68%

    37th

    1
  • Student satisfaction

    / Max 4
    3.04 76%

    54th

    14

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