Visual Communication – Contemporary Dialogues (Full-time) (MA)
Our MA Visual Communication – Contemporary Dialogues at Swansea College of Art is designed for students who want to develop both creative thinking and analytical thinking within the field of design. It’s an ideal choice if you are aiming to improve your skills in Visual Communication practice and enhance your professional standing in the creative industries.
Throughout the course, you will explore the theories and methods that support effective design research. You will be encouraged to engage in reflective practice, taking time to review and assess your work as you respond to complex and often unpredictable professional environments. This approach will help you build essential qualities such as personal responsibility, initiative, and creative enterprise. The course is structured to equip you with the tools you need to confidently tackle real-world challenges.
The programme also offers opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration, allowing you to work with peers from other fields to broaden your understanding and skills. This collaborative work will help you gain a more comprehensive view of design, enabling you to engage with a wide range of ideas and practices. You’ll also improve your use of visual language, learning how to communicate complex ideas effectively in a variety of formats.
During your studies, you will focus on practical application as well as theory, allowing you to build a portfolio of work that reflects your growing expertise. This portfolio development is key to showcasing your abilities and preparing you for roles within the creative industries. The emphasis on industry experience means that you will be well-equipped to enter the professional world, whether you choose to work for a design agency or freelance.
The course prepares you to contribute to shaping the future of Visual Communication practice by teaching innovative methods and tools. With a focus on design research, human-centred design, and reflective processes, you will gain the knowledge needed to make a real impact on both current and future design challenges.
Course details
- On-campus
- Full-time
- English
- Bilingual
Why choose this course?
What you will learn
Our Visual Communication course emphasises creative problem-solving and critical thinking, supporting you to become a reflective practitioner. Through hands-on projects, interdisciplinary collaboration, and professional engagement, you’ll develop the skills and confidence needed for a successful career in the creative industries. We focus on both individual growth and collaborative learning, ensuring a balanced and comprehensive learning experience.
The master’s Contemporary Dialogues portfolio at Swansea College of Art offers a unique postgraduate experience. Graduates and professionals from a wide range of specialities benefit from multidisciplinary learning together with expert lecturers and a broad range of facilities. You will have the opportunity to draw upon experiences and knowledge from across the different pathways and reflect this in your own personal study.
The research environment benefits greatly from the input of our teaching staff and visiting lecturers, most of whom are research-active artists, designers, and theoreticians of national and international significance. In the first part of the programme, you will complete a series of taught modules. You will participate in multidisciplinary exchanges, through seminars and lectures involving students from all programmes within the Contemporary Dialogues portfolio, to stimulate new perspectives and challenge directions. The cross-fertilisation of ideas through such dialogues is expected to promote a rethinking of the perceptions and production techniques appropriate to your discipline. Throughout the taught part of the programme, you will be expected to undertake material investigations and research into contemporary themes, with consideration given to environmental, economic, social, and cultural issues.
Throughout the course you will develop a deep understanding of Visual Communication practice, enhancing your creative thinking and analytical thinking. You will engage with design research, learning to apply visual language in both collaborative work and independent projects. Through hands-on projects, you’ll refine your approach to practical application and build a professional portfolio that reflects your individual style and ideas.
Compulsory
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(20 credits)
(40 credits)
(60 credits)
Disclaimer
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We listen to student feedback and insights from industry and from professionals to ensure that course content is high-quality and up-to-date, and that it offers the best possible preparation for your future career or study goals.
For this reason, there might be modifications to the content of your course over time, to keep up to date with changes in the subject area or in the sector. If a module is no longer running, we’ll make sure to keep you informed, and work with you to choose a different suitable module.
Ratings and Rankings
Staff
Our People
You will be taught and supported by a wide range of professional staff and teams here to help you get the university experience you are looking for. Our teaching staff were ranked 2nd in Wales for Teaching, Assessment and Feedback and Academic Support (NSS 2024) meaning that the support and feedback you get will help you learn and develop strong academic skills. Our students have placed us 1st in Wales for Learning Opportunities and Student Voice (NSS 2024) meaning that there are a wide range of opportunities available to enhance your studies and that students play an active role in shaping their learning experiences. Our commitment to your learning has seen our students place us as 1st in Wales and joint 3rd in the UK for student satisfaction (Times Higher Education, 2024, ‘Overall Positivity’ measure). Find out more about our academic staff who teach across our courses.
Accommodation
Further information
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We normally require an undergraduate 2.1. However, we also consider candidates with relevant experience and aim to interview all applicants. Where possible, we invite prospective students to experience a day of teaching to see if it suits their expectations.
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Assessment is carried out through coursework, both written practical and presented.
There is a 4,000-word theoretical essay with a poster presentation in Semester 1, and a 5,000-word report in Semester 3, which accompanies the practical work.
There are no exams on this course. Students are formatively assessed throughout a module. Summative assessment takes place at the end of a module, which includes a presentation of the work to the assessment team.
A variety of teaching and learning methods are used throughout the course, which includes, among others:
Tutorials
These tutorials are held on a regular basis.In Semester 1, full-time/Year 1, part-time, each student sees and discusses his/her work with a member of staff as part of each module. In Semesters 2 and 3, full-time/Years 2 and 3, part-time, students work more independently and sign up for tutorials within, or across, their discipline, in addition to those scheduled when their work requires support.
As a team, we ensure that every student in the final semester/year of the course is seen by at least one member of the academic staff each week.
Group Tutorials/Seminars
These are held on a regular basis, across all stages of the course, with one member of staff. They provide an excellent opportunity for students to share and exchange ideas with their peers in a structured manner, in addition to valuable input from staff.Informal & Formal presentations
Some of the modules have a presentation of ideas as part of the module outcome and are an essential way of sharing ideas across the course. Presenting work informally to peers is also part of seminar teaching and a way of getting valuable feedback on the progress of the work.Exhibiting work
At the end of the course, there is an opportunity, if appropriate, to show outcomes from the course in a curated exhibition. Students are also supported to create their own exhibitions during the middle part of the course if they wish to do so. -
Our students have access to a diverse range of equipment and resources which, in most cases, is sufficient to complete their programme of study. We provide the basic materials necessary for students to develop their practical work within our extensive workshop and studio facilities.
However, it is likely that art and design students will incur some additional costs in the extension of their personal practice. Examples include purchasing their own specialised materials and equipment, joining optional study trips, and paying for printing.
Depending on distance and duration, optional study visits can vary in cost from approximately £10 to visit local galleries and exhibitions, to £200 plus for overseas or longer UK study visits. These costs cover things such things as transport, entry to venues and accommodation, and are normally at reduced rates for our students.
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You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available, please visit our Bursaries and Scholarships section.
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Graduates become active members of our creative culture, developing careers in a variety of professional roles, such as:
- Cultural entrepreneur
- Curator
- Educator - university lecturer
- Funded research degree student
- Practising artist/designer