MA Visual Communication is designed to help you develop your identity as an author and thought leader, equipping you with the skills and knowledge to identify and solve design problems within complex cross-media environments, including digital printmaking, still and moving image productions – both digital and virtual.

You will enter the professional world with a confident design voice, a specialised and specified informed design language and an outstanding portfolio.

Berlin School of Business and Innovation is in partnership with University for the Creative Arts (UCA). As a result of this partnership, BSBI is able to offer the MA Visual Communication programme. UCA is an acclaimed creative institution in the UK that ranks highly in all three of the major UK league tables. The university has also been ranked 13th out of all UK universities in the Guardian League Table 2020.

Central elements of the Master’s in Visual Communication course include the appropriate environment for evaluation and testing of a compelling proposal development practice. Interdisciplinary key discussion embedding theory, text and design case studies are core elements of this programme. Exploration and pushing the boundaries of contemporary visual solutions in the culmination of methods and strategies for independent research and practice, will enable you to show a cohesive and innovative final body of work.

The MA in Visual Communication programme pushes students to investigate and further their knowledge of the possibilities of the fast-evolving creative industry, while refining their mindset with the dedicated support from our expert faculty who have a wealth of industry experience.

Your learning will be enhanced through a well-informed magnitude of contextual and contemporary engagement in order to develop convincing proposals and solutions in the field of Graphic Design, Illustration, Animation and Visual Communication in general.

As one of the highest ranked creative education institutions, we aim to attract the most creative and proficient individuals who will be equipped and facilitated with an educational foundation to develop a focused and structured framework. We are looking for individuals aiming to thrive as leaders in the professional environment of a generic creative pathway, relating to our three specialisations in Illustration, Graphic Design and Animation.

This 18-month (Level 7) MA Visual Communication programme consists of three terms of study and six months dedicated to your dissertation.

The first two terms include a range of lectures and seminars and you’ll start to explore your creative practice in order to inform the detailed development of your project proposal later in the course.

In the third term you begin developing your MA project, evaluating and testing out the aims of your proposal over a sustained period of self-directed study.

Term 1

Defining your practice

• Explore creative practices to identify a creative project methodology
• Cultivate your creative discipline

Term 2

Context and Method Project Development

• Learn theory, context, method, and engage in cultural and intellectual debates in your discipline
• Plan and develop your final MA project

Term 3

Realisation and Dissemination

• Demonstrate and execute your final MA project
• Write your MA dissertation

• Duration: 18 months
• Campus: Hamburg, Germany
• Degree awarded by University for the Creative Arts

Upon successful completion of the MA in Visual Communication course students should be able to:

Knowledge:

• Identify and meticulously investigate appropriate sources using adequate research methods leading to innovative concepts or insights into existing visual communication practice
• Methodically and critically analyse and evaluate existing knowledge proposing new hypotheses

Knowledge

• Understand how the specific features of management work together with business administration in a global context
• Discuss and apply coherent and detailed knowledge of international business and management
• Debate current professional opinion and research about trends in business and management and changes which may affect its development in the near or mid-term future

Applications:

• Demonstrate an advanced set of skills and methods appropriate to visual communication and produce work in a highly advanced manner in line with the fast-evolving industry standard
• Demonstrate commitment to the subject, engagement and appearance with the course, appropriate time management, organisation, critical reflection and self-directed project management and study

Skills

• Demonstrate a broad and critical understanding of visual communication as well as within the fields of Graphic Design, Illustration and Animation
• Demonstrate experimentation, risk taking, problem solving and reasoning in relation to both ideas and materials in order to equip your practice for fast-evolving demands

BSBI’s industry focused environment provides the ideal support to our students in their personal and professional development. Upon successful completion of the Masters in Visual Communication course, you’ll be able to pursue the following careers:

• Graphic Designer
• Branding/Corporate Designer
• Web and App Designer
• UI/UX Designer
• Art Director Digital
• Creative Director Digital
• Video Director
• Motion Designer / VFX Artist
• AR/VR/MR Designer
• Visualiser/Visual Creative

Minimum age: 21

Academic qualifications

Strong undergraduate degree from a recognised university or equivalent qualification in the subject or a related discipline.

If you do not meet the academic requirements, you may be assessed based on 3 years of relevant work experience (illustration, animation, graphic design or general visual communication), demonstrating your ability to study at postgraduate level.