Illustration MA
About this course
Our Masters in Illustration is specifically designed to help you develop and craft your personal visual language, taking your illustrative practice to the next level. Combining theory and practice, you will create a bespoke portfolio that truly represents you as a creative. You will have the opportunity to engage in three areas of Illustration Research Excellence: Narrative, Entrepreneurial and Experimental Illustration. You will join other creative minds and collaborate with postgraduate students across the School of Art and Design; and you will focus on your professional journey as an illustrator/academic.
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Attend workshops covering: Visual Sequence in children's books, Graphic Novels and Storytelling, Visual Identity for Illustrators, Illustrative Ceramics, Watercolour for illustrators, Undigital digital, Cinema 4D and Adobe After Effects. -
Opt for an additional advanced research module if you’re thinking of progressing to PhD or Professional Doctorate study. -
Engage with industry through guest lectures from renowned illustrators and publishers and studio visits. -
Create a project tailored to your own personal illustrative interests and career aspirations
What you’ll study
In our studio-based illustrative masterclass series, delivered by a team of internationally recognised illustrators and academics, you will engage in hands-on, practical experiences including workshops in areas such as Sequence in Children's Books, Graphic Novels, Illustrative Ceramics, Watercolour for illustrators, Undigital digital Image, Cinema 4D and Adobe After Effects. Complimentary to this is our unique Professional Futures module and Advancing Research Design module, which are designed to help focus and enhance your future career ambitions, whether those are commercial, experimental, or academic. You will leave us confident and equipped to succeed in your chosen visual field, whether industry or academia.
Visual Enquiry and Imagination
(40 credit points)
Drawing and image making are key this module which will allow you to experiment and situate your practice. You will explore your personal visual identity and practice through observation and imaginative enquiry. You will develop an understanding of the synergy between theory and practice by creating a reflective written piece to accompany your portfolio work. You will also have the opportunity to demonstrate the skills and knowledge needed to frame your future MA project proposal.
Culture and Collaboration
(20 credit points)
On this module you will develop an advanced level of understanding of the wider cultural context for current and future work. Within this module you will collaborate with masters students across the school of art and design on a negotiated theme relevant to contemporary debates in art & design. Together you will produce an outcome contributing to a collective festival of ideas. You will gain skills in research, analysis, ideas generation, critical thinking, communication, and presentation.
Masters Portfolio of Practice
(100 credit points)
On this module you will create a personalised professional portfolio aligned to your professional ambition and direction. You will expand your future practice through further exploration, experimentation and risk taking, to establish modes of practice to prepare you for your future career. Whichever route you decide to take with your MA project, you will be encouraged to take creative risks by pushing your work in new and exciting directions. You will leave us confident and equipped to succeed in your chosen visual field, whether industry or academia.
Optional modules:
Professional Futures
(20 credit points)
This optional module is offered to all students on our Visual Communications courses. This module aims to provide you with the space to explore and share ideas, future gazing professional opportunities in visual communications. You will collaborate with students from all subject areas in visual communications and will form cross-disciplinary debate and discussion in relation to employment, enterprise, and innovation.
Advancing Research Design: Maximising your Methods
(20 credit points)
The multi-disciplinary module provides an explorative platform for you to use as the basis for further research-based study, or if you want to extend your knowledge of research methods and methodologies, to enhance your future professional practice or if you are considering progression to PhD level study.
We regularly review and update our course content based on student and employer feedback, ensuring that all of our courses remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or module availability in future years.
Video Gallery
How you're taught
Teaching and learning experiences will include:
- lectures
- individual and group tutorials
- seminars
- workshops
- live projects and competition briefs
- independent studio practice
- self-directed research
Specific workshops may include:
- Visual identity for Illustrators
- Sequential Illustration
- Children’s Book Design
- Graphic Novels: an Introduction
- Typography
- Editorial Illustration Ideation
Find out when our postgraduate term dates for the Nottingham School of Art & Design are. Please note that these are slightly different to other Schools within the University.
How you're assessed
Assessment is 100% by coursework and involves:
- project proposal
- set project research and development
- professional journal
- practical work
- verbal and visual presentations
- the planning and design of a display of your work
Careers and employability
Career Prospects
This course will equip you with strong creative and problem-solving skills. Our graduates become valuable members of professional teams working together on a range of visual communication projects, involving all kinds of cross-discipline collaborations.
Our graduates often pursue careers in digital and printed media for advertising, branding, marketing and promotion, and a diverse range of publications.
Recent graduates roles and destinations include:
- Illustrator represented by Bright Agency
- Designer: Penguin Books, Publishers
- Graphic designer, Dot Dash Design
- University Lecturer National Institute of Fashion Technology Delhi
Connections with Industry
We’ll support and encourage you to undertake short internships and studio visits to engage with industry. You’ll also have the opportunity to enter industry competitions and take on live projects.
Recent examples have included:
- RSA competition briefs
- Creative Conscience competitions – focused on ethically conscious design
- Collaborative projects with galleries such as Nottingham Contemporary
- Stratford Literary Festival and Salariya Children’s Picture Book Prize
- The Macmillan Prize for Illustration
You’ll benefit from guest lectures from visiting professionals who will cover a wide range of creative and professional practice. Recent guests have come from companies such as:
- Alexis Deacon, children’s book author and illustrator
- Roderick Mills, artist and illustrator
- Chrissie Levett, from Creative Conscience Awards
- social media entrepreneur, Debbiedooodah
You’ll have the opportunity to learn entrepreneurship skills through business development courses at NTU Enterprise - our centre for entrepreneurship and enterprise, and attend events held by industry experts and organisations. You will keep a professional journal, which you will develop throughout the course to become an in-depth examination of current professional theory and practice in your specialist subject area.
You will also attend work-related learning sessions on topics such as self-promotion and marketing, interview skills, and CV and portfolio building.
Showcase
Explore our showcase ‘We Are Creatives’ - celebrating the work of the Nottingham School of Art & Design students. You will find a sneak peak of some of our students’ work and gain a real insight into what it’s like to be part of the NTU creative community at wearecreativesntu.art
Study trips
Study trips will inspire and inform your projects. Recent visits have included the Manchester Design Conference, and the First Tuesday and Raw Print industry networking events in Nottingham.
You’ll also have the opportunity to go on a study trip to design capitals like Berlin or New York, where you’ll visit internationally renowned design studios.
YouFirst – working with our Employability Team
Our friendly, experienced careers consultants will work closely with you at every stage of your career planning, providing personal support and advice you won't find in a book or on the internet. You can benefit from this at any time during your studies and up to three years after completing your course.
Re:search Re:imagined
To us, research is about more than writing papers and proposing new ideas. By daring to think differently, we’re disrupting the research landscape and finding the answers to the questions that really matter. From electronic textiles to the history of lace, we’re inspiring the brightest minds to rise up and find solutions to some of the most significant global challenges facing society.
Find out more: ntu.ac.uk/research
Campus and facilities
You’ll be based in the Waverley building – a beautifully restored, listed building with real design heritage dating back from 1863 – the original home of the Nottingham School of Art. Our City Campus is right in the heart of Nottingham city centre.
Explore all of our facilities in our Nottingham School of Art & Design Facilities Hub.
Entry requirements
UK students
Academic entry requirements: 2.2 honours degree in a related subject.
Other requirements: a creative portfolio.
Additional requirements for UK students
There are no additional requirements for this course.
Other qualifications and experience
We welcome applications from students with non-standard qualifications and learning backgrounds and work experience. We consider credit transfer, vocational and professional qualifications, and any work or life experience you may have.
You can view our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy which outlines the process and options available, such as recognising experiential learning and credit transfer.
Getting in touch
If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form.
International students
Academic entry requirements: 2.2 honours degree in a related subject. We accept equivalent qualifications from all over the world. Please check your international entry requirements by country.
Other requirements: a creative portfolio.
English language requirements: See our English language requirements page for requirements for your subject and information on alternative tests and Pre-sessional English.
Additional requirements for international students
There are no additional requirements for this course.
English language requirements
View our English language requirements for all courses, including alternative English language tests and country qualifications accepted by the University.
If you need help achieving the language requirements, we offer a Pre-Sessional English for Academic Purposes course on our City campus which is an intensive preparation course for academic study at NTU.
Other qualifications and experience
We welcome applications from students with non-standard qualifications and learning backgrounds and work experience. We consider credit transfer, vocational and professional qualifications, and any work or life experience you may have.
You can view our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy which outlines the process and options available, such as recognising experiential learning and credit transfer.
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Getting in touch
If you need advice about studying at NTU as an international student or how to apply, our international webpages are a great place to start. If you have any questions about your study options, your international qualifications, experience, grades or other results, please get in touch through our enquiry form. Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world.
Policies
We strive to make our admissions procedures as fair and clear as possible. To find out more about how we make offers, visit our admissions policies page.
