The MA Illustration course offers you the chance to challenge the boundaries of illustration, both in its practice and its context. Contemporary Illustration practice has grown to encompass a broad range of ambitions and opportunities for the image makers and story tellers. The growth of online digital cultures and the impact of digital image making on traditional image making requires flexible and adaptable practitioners as well as providing unique opportunities for the entrepreneurial illustrator. This course is primarily concerned with the illustrated narrative and offers a creative and intellectual environment in which you can rigorously pursue a project of self-directed study and the systematic production of a body of work on a topic of specific interest within the field of Illustration. It will also promote in-depth rigorously conducted research to ensure that you are able to contextualise your own work in relation to the leading edge practice in Illustration.

In recent years Illustration is increasingly seen in many different contexts in contemporary visual culture, including Illustration for publishing, book illustration, book arts, comic strip, graphic novels and moving image.

Illustration at UCA has a long tradition of original narrative and storytelling through images, reflecting staff expertise and practice in these areas. You will explore narrative storytelling, authorship, self publishing, book production and visual narratives through the development of a personal project.

The MA course supports you to develop your own independent voice and to identify an audience. You are encouraged to take a self directed entrepreneurial approach, to develop and explore creative opportunities and options for your work. This entrepreneurial emphasis is supported by access to specialist facilities such as digital media suites, photography, printmaking and bookmaking. 

The MA Illustration course provides you with the opportunity for extended critical debate, a high degree of critical reflection and integration of theoretical and practical concerns as part of the realisation of an ambitious body of work.

 MA  Illustration at the UCA