Design via Study Centres MA

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Pursue your passion for particular areas of design, at an advanced level and with professional support. Contextualise your chosen areas within the broader field of design with theoretical elements. Join our graduates in exciting jobs throughout the design industry and around the world.

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Overview

This course is built around your personal design interests and aspirations. It allows you to push the boundaries of creativity, within a framework of academic rigour and contextual research. You can choose to study any of the following areas: advertising, animation, calligraphy and lettering, creative computational design, design thinking, innovation and ideation, design leadership, fashion product and promotion, graphic communication, graphic design, illustration, interactive media, motion graphics, and typographic design. Other specialised design disciplines will also be considered.

Our specialist tutors will work with you as you create a portfolio of creative designs that will excite and impress potential employers. By the end of the course, you'll have completed a major project that has evolved from your practice and research. The project will be supported by a critical evaluation report.

Please contact your Study Centre for the duration and mode of this course.

Why us?

The University of Sunderland is a member of the highly respected Design and Art Directors Association (D&AD), an influential body that rewards creative excellence. The prestigious D&AD Award is well-regarded in the world of advertising and design and recognised globally as the ultimate creative accolade
We have excellent engagement with industry, locally, nationally and internationally and have several academic partners overseas including Hong Kong, Malaysia and the US

We host the International Research Centre for Calligraphy (IRCC) which promotes and supports the development of calligraphy both nationally and internationally

#WeAreCreativeIndustries

Course structure

Compared to an undergraduate course, you will find that this MA Design course requires a higher level of independent working. The course aims to stretch your creativity and maximise your sense of personal fulfilment.

We use a wide variety of teaching and learning methods, which include lectures, seminars, critiques, workshops and practical demonstrations. These sessions are supported by a range of guest speakers from diverse academic and industry backgrounds. You'll also have high levels of weekly contact with tutors who give regular feedback and support.

MA Design Stage 1 (60 credits)

You'll negotiate a ‘statement of intent’ with your tutors that will identify the topics that you intend to study and research. You can choose to specialise in just one area or explore a number of different areas. Your studies will include aspects of creative studio practice that are relevant to your interests. There is also a theoretical element that contextualises your chosen area(s), alongside other design media, within the broader field of design.

MA Design Stage 2 (60 credits)

This is usually the prototyping stage, where you would test out your ideas and experiments before the final outcome in Stage 3. Alternatively, you can either continue your studies in your chosen specialism or diversify your studies into an alternative area. You'll explore the techniques and application of your ideas as it applies to a wide range of design disciplines. Practical output and theoretical contextualisation will continue to interact and build on each other.

MA Design Stage 3 (60 credits)

In the final stage, all students will produce a portfolio of creative work that has evolved from the practice and theoretical research developed up to this point. This will be supported by a Critical Evaluation Report.

Some modules have prerequisites. Read more about what this means in our Help and Advice article.

Entry requirements

We don’t currently display entry requirements for United States. Please contact the Student Admin team on studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk or 0191 515 3154.

Please contact the study centre for more information on their specific requirements and equivalent qualifications from outside the UK.

Fees and finance

Please contact the study centre directly for information on fees, finance and start dates.

This information was correct at the time of publication.

Career ready

Postgraduates are highly employable and, on average, earn more than individuals whose highest qualification is an undergraduate degree. On completing this course, you will be equipped for roles throughout the creative industries. Potential roles include animator, graphic designer, illustrator, calligrapher, lettering designer, typographic designer, interactive designer, lecturer or broad-based designer.

Career options

Our graduates have forged careers all over the globe in graphic design, editorial, infographics, motion graphics, advertising, web, packaging and interactive design. We have graduates working in Ordinance Survey, MTV, SEGA, and the creative industries of publishing, design consultancies and advertising design.

This creative degree can also open doors into many other careers, such as teaching, or further study at Doctorate level.

Related courses

Contact

Contact the Student Helpline for further information about studying at the University of Sunderland:

0191 515 3000

student.helpline@sunderland.ac.uk

View Programme Specifications for the Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries

Page last updated: 08 March 2024

We aim to provide clear, accurate and timely information to prospective and current students. We continuously review and enhance course content in consultation with our students and the information provided on our website is the latest available. If you have received an offer from us to start a course, we will communicate any important changes to you in writing. We will always seek to ensure that our prospective students are fully aware of the basis on which they are accepting an offer.