MA Illustration

"Due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, examinations may be replaced by an alternative form of assessment during the academic year 2021/2022. Please refer to the Programme Specification on these pages for further details."

Why choose Herts?

• Teaching Excellence: You will be taught by highly experienced academics all of whom are practicing illustrators.
• Employment Prospects: Graduates work for publishing, design, and creative agencies as well as international organisations including ASOS.
• Industry-Related Learning: Previous students have gained experience following briefs from organisations including Disney, Clintons, and Centrica.

About the course

• On the MA Illustration degree, you will develop your professional skills as an Illustrator.
• You will work with design professionals of international standing.
• This master's degree gives you the opportunity to work in professional and industrial contexts.

Why choose this course?

M.A. Illustration is a Masters award within the P.G. Design programme at the School of Creative Arts. Within the programme there is a strong emphasis on professional practice and the real-world applications of design. You will develop key research skills and gain a good understanding of the work of other practitioners in your field.

The aim of the postgraduate programme is to equip you with the skills, knowledge, and understanding required to practice at an advanced level, foster your creativity, and enhance your employment opportunities. You will work alongside artists and designers who are involved with a wide variety of media and forms. Induction, seminars, and social events for students and staff mean that you will be part of a friendly and supportive postgraduate community, which also includes filmmakers, musicians, and professionals working in new media. Senior research staff and internationally renowned artists work with postgraduate students, helping you to develop original and challenging work.

The M.A. Illustration degree is designed to develop your imaginative, creative and technical potential as an illustrator. It provides an opportunity for you to examine a range of media in the fields of illustration, including the role of image-making in new and traditional media, and illustration's relationships with fine art and digital media.

This master's degree gives you an opportunity to develop advanced knowledge and skills in the use of narrative storytelling and its relationship to illustration, as well as illustrative conventions in children's and adult literature, comics, and other media. We encourage you to develop the entrepreneurial and commercial skills necessary to help develop your work to its full potential and to equip you with the practical and intellectual skills to thrive as a practicing artist. Through working alongside artists and designers on other postgraduate courses you will explore the possibilities for the illustrator today, questioning conventions and refining the direction of your practice.

Our staff is experienced in research and professional practice, and you will also benefit from contributions from visiting designers and professionals, as well as from involvement with our international exhibitions programme. The course also has close links with a wide range of industry partners.

Student experience

At the University of Hertfordshire, we want to make sure your time studying with us is as stress-free and rewarding as possible. We offer a range of support services including; student wellbeing, academic support, accommodation, and childcare to ensure that you make the most of your time at Herts and can focus on studying and having fun.

Additional information

• Sandwich placement or study abroad year: n/a
• Applications open to international and EU students: Yes