Illustration - MA

Program Overview

The MA Illustration program at Anglia Ruskin University focuses on illustration for social change, addressing complex social and environmental problems. Students develop illustration skills and explore their role in addressing issues such as integration, diversity, and environmental challenges. The program emphasizes practice-based work, with students participating in live projects and developing skills in image creation, visual sequencing, and concept development. Graduates are prepared for careers as freelance illustrators, creative consultants, and change-makers in various industries and organizations.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

• The MA Illustration program at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) focuses on illustration for social change, addressing complex social and environmental problems.
• Illustration skills such as visual storytelling, visual mediation, observation, creative thinking, and image making are highly sought after, and illustrators increasingly participate in change-making processes in organizations, institutes, and government.
• The program is unique in its emphasis on developing students' illustration practice and exploring and developing their role in addressing issues including integration and diversity, behavioral change, community cohesion, and environmental challenges.
• Graduates will have the confidence to start a career as an illustrator and play an active creative role in social and environmental change-making processes.

Outline:

• The program is structured with lectures, seminars, workshops, teamwork, and independent studio practice.
• Students explore aspects of illustration such as its role and impact; material expression; image and text relationships; semiotics and narratology; audience engagement; illustration, design, and social research methods; critical analysis; and creative project management.
• Modules include:
• Sequence and Series
• Design Methods and Contexts
• Visual Text
• Practice Through Partnership
• Master's Project: Illustration
• The program emphasizes practice-based work, with students participating in live projects with external partners and undertaking self-directed projects.
• Students develop skills in image creation, visual sequencing, concept development, and textuality.
• They also extend their knowledge of socio-environmental problems, institutional and government structures, creative project development and management, design methods, and collaboration processes.

Assessment:

• Students are assessed through self-directed visual projects, including written project proposals, developmental and final visual work, a reflective commentary, and an academic report of 3000 words.
• The Masters Project allows students to design a visual project that demonstrates mastery of their subject.
• Students also organize a degree show to showcase their work and evidence their project management abilities.

Teaching:

• The program is taught by a team of practicing designers, design researchers, and artists.
• Teaching methods include lectures, seminars, workshops, and group work.
• Students have access to specialist facilities such as animation suites, film and photography studios, and a print studio with a range of printing methods.
• They also receive training in creative software such as Adobe Cloud and other art and creative industries facilities.

Careers:

• Graduates are prepared for careers as freelance illustrators and creative consultants.
• Career paths may include self-publishing and artistic production; book and magazine illustration; in-house media and creative teams in publishing, advertising, games, and animation and communication agencies; and freelance or in-house creative consultancy and institutional and organizational change-making teams.
• Graduates may also pursue teaching, creative management, or research degrees such as PhD Art and Design, PhD Graphic Design and Typography, or PhD Fine Art.

Tuition Fees and Payment Information:

Tuition fees for UK students (2024/25)

£9,300 UK students starting 2024/25 (full-time, per year) ARU graduates may be eligible for an Alumni Scholarship and get a 20% fee discount. Fees are payable upfront, in full or in instalments, but there's no need to pay until you've accepted an offer to study with us. Find out more about paying your fees.

Tuition fees for international students (2024/25)

£18,600 International students starting 2024/25 (full-time, per year) You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in two instalments. We will ask for a deposit of £4,000 or a sponsorship letter Find out about paying your fees. For postgraduate courses, international ARU graduates are automatically considered for an International Alumni Scholarship, worth £3,000 off first-year fees.

Additional course costs

Depending on the direction and ambition of your work, costs can vary. Typical costs are art materials - approximately £150 for a basic set of drawing and painting materials. You have full access to high quality computer systems at the university, but access to internet is essential, which can be through a smart phone. For illustration consider a quality AV laptop plus a WACOM drawing tablet or a computer tablet, keyboard extension lead and a backup hard drive. There are student rebates, but costs can range from £1,500 for an Apple Laptop 13 inch and WACOM Intuous drawing tablet. Costs for a degree show again can vary, but consider presentation materials such as high-quality paper, framing and printing. Student trips vary in cost depending on locations.