M. Sc. in Visual Communication is a 2-year postgraduate course, the minimum eligibility for admission to which is the successful completion of graduation (B. Sc.) in a relevant discipline, from a recognized university.
The course essentially explores the concepts and processes involved in the communication of ideas through a visual display of information, art, and technology blended together.
The program is divided across 4 semesters, of 6 months each, and can be pursued for an average annual course fee ranging between INR 1 and 5 Lacs, varying across institutes.
Admission to the course is generally based on the candidate’s performance in the last qualifying examination (graduation) and a relevant entrance test.
Successful postgraduates of the course are employed across areas such as:
- Media & Journalism
- Advertising Agencies
- Customer Care
- Media Relations & Research
- Telecom Industry
- Information Technology (IT)-based organizations
- Colleges & universities, etc.
The average monthly salary offered to successful postgraduates of the course ranges between INR 20K to 40k, at an initial level, depending upon the candidate’s expertise in the discipline.
M. Sc. in Visual Communication: Course Highlights
Tabulated below are all the major highlights of the course.
| Course Level | Postgraduate |
| Duration | 2 years |
| Minimum Qualification Required | Graduation (B. Sc.) completed from a recognized university. |
| Admission Procedure | Merit-based/ Based on performance in entrance exam |
| Examination Type | Semester System |
| Major Entrance Exams | GGSIPU CET, Jamia Milia Islamia University Entrance Exam, DU Entrance Exam, FTIL Entrance Test, etc. |
| Total Course Fee | INR 1 to 5 Lacs |
| Top Recruiting Areas/Fields | Film Production Houses, Fashion Magazines, Newspapers, Advertising Agencies, Publishing Houses, IT Companies, Colleges & Universities, Marketing Agencies, Media & Journalism, and such. |
| Job Positions | Customer Service Executive (Web), Desktop Publisher, Web Developer, Graphic Artist, Production Assistant, Manager, Digital Photographer, Instructional Designer, Media Marketing Executives, Business Development Manager, Solution Sales Manager, among others such. |
| Top Recuitors | Saatchi & Saatchi, Scholastic, Ogilvy & Mather, Arrow Books, Femina, Times of India, Outlook, India Today, Savvy, Reliance, Nokia, Vodafone, Pantaloons, Deccan Chronicle, Fab-India, Zodiac, You & I, etc. |
| Average Starting Salary | INR 3 to 6 Lacs |
M. Sc. in Visual Communication: What is it About?
The program has been designed to offer to eligible candidates:
-
specialization in a wide range of skills and technologies in visual communication.
- an advanced understanding of visual aids and their appropriate application.
- skills in application of various technological tools, devices, software, and media to convey a message in visual form.
- learning in concepts and usage of visual aids such as videos, photographs, etc.
- lessons in the use, nature and role of messages among individuals, small groups, organizations, and society.
- expertise in modes of oral, written, mediated, visual, and technological communication.
- skills in production of promotional videos, advertisements, illustrations, signs & logos.
- professional familiarity with the modern world of visual communication.
- foundation for further advanced research in the discipline
Such postgraduates interested in pursuing further studies in the discipline may later pursue higher courses, such as Ph. D., M. Phil., or doctoral research in the subject.
M. Sc. in Visual Communication: Who should opt?
Eligible graduates aspiring to pursue the course would ideally possess:
- innovative and creative mind
- interest in, and aptitude for fabricated virtual reality
- understanding of information-communication through visual display, such as photos, videos, etc.
- ability to interpret body language
- ability to visualize and subsequently present such visual information effectively and clearly
- good drawing skills.
- reasonable proficiency in visual media-based technologies.
Top Institutes offering M. Sc. in Visual Communication:
Some of the top colleges offering the course in the country are listed below along with the annual fee charged by, and corresponding location of each.
| NAME OF INSTITUTE | CITY | AVERAGE ANNUAL FEE |
| Birla Institute of Technology (BIT) | Noida | INR 1,60,00 (course) |
| Picasso Animation College | New Delhi | INR 60,000 (course) |
| Westford Institute of Film Technology | Mumbai | INR 1,00,000 (course) |
| Vellore Institute of Technology | Chennai | INR 70,000 (course) |
| P.A. Inamdar College of Visual Effects, Design & Art | Pune | Not Mentioned |
| Vogue Institute of Fashion Technology | Bangalore | INR 3,00,000 (course) |
| Arena Animation | Bangalore | INR 50,000 (course) |
| Accel Animation Academy | Delhi | INR 45,000 (course) |
| Sam Higgin Bottom Institute of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences | Allahabad | Not Mentioned |
| Lovely Professional University (LPU) | Chandigarh | INR 2 Lacs (course) |
| Global Institute of Gaming and Animation (GIGA) | Chennai | INR 1.5 Lacs (course) |
| Indian Institute of Digital Art & Animation (IIDAA) | Kolkata | INR 37,000 (course) |
| Frameboxx Animation and Visual Effects | Bangalore | Not Mentioned |
| Whistling Woods International Institute (WWI) | Mumbai | INR 2,00,000 (course) |
| Zee Institute of Creative Arts (ZICA) | Mumbai | INR 2,50,000 (course) |
| Global School of Animation and Games | New Delhi | INR 1,50,000 (course) |
| Picasso Animation College | Chandigarh | INR 60,000 (course) |
| Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics (MAAC) | Bangalore | INR 50,000 (course) |
| Arena Multimedia | Mumbai | INR 50,000 (course) |
| National Institute of Design (NID) | Ahmedabad | INR 2,00,000 (course) |
| Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mumbai | Mumbai | INR 60,000 (course) |
Eligibility for M. Sc. in Visual Communication
Candidates wishing to apply for the course need to fulfil the following minimum eligibility criteria
- Graduation (B. Sc.),completed from a recognized university in a relevant discipline.
- Graduation needs to have been completed in any of:
- Visual Communication
- Communication
- Journalism
- Fine Arts
- Computer Science, or another such related discipline.
- A minimum aggregate score of 50% (45% for SC/ST/OBC candidates) or equivalent CGPA at the level of graduation.
- Candidates awaiting their graduation-level examination’s results are also eligible to apply on provisional basis.
- Preferably, relevant work experience in the subject.
M. Sc. in Visual Communication: Admission Procedure
Most institutes in India offering the course admit students based on their performance in a relevant entrance test. Some institutes also admit students based on the candidate’s obtained merit at the level of graduation, while some conduct their own entrance tests for offering admission. Admission process generally varies across colleges.
Some such entrance tests conducted in the country for admission to the course are:
- GGSIPU CET (Guru Govind Singh Indraprastha University Common Entrance Test)
- NID (National Institute of Design) Entrance Test
- DU Entrance Test
- FTIL (Film and Television Institute of India) Entrance Test
- BHU (Banaras Hindu University) Entrance Exam.
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M. Sc. in Visual Communication: Syllabus & Course Description
Tabulated below is a semester-wise breakup of the course’s syllabus.
Semester I |
Semester II |
|---|---|
| Introduction to Human Communication | Film Language |
| Media Aesthetics | Story Development |
| Indian Cinema | Scriptwriting |
| Visualization & Storyboard | Visual Culture in India |
| Elective- Computer Graphics and Animation 1 (OR) Television Production 1 (Studio Direction) | World Cinema |
| - | Elective – Computer Graphics & Animation 2 (OR) Television Production 2 (Outdoor Direction) |
Semester III |
Semester IV |
| Visual Research Methods | Project Management |
| Entertainment & Society | Gaming and Game Design |
| Film Analysis & Criticism | Computer Graphics and Animation 3 |
| Special Visual Effects (Using Tools like Combustion) | Sound Recording and Editing |
| Video Editing (FCP, Avid, Adobe Premiere) | Research Project Work |
| - | Specialization (Project) |
M. Sc. in Visual Communication: Career Prospects
Visual Communication offers a substantial career scope both in India and abroad, as almost every enterprise requires competent designers in order to make their services and products appear visually appealing, by effective promotion.
Some of the popular recruiting organizations in the field of Visual Communication include:
- Pedigree
- Tupperware
- Vodafone
- Kraft
- Ogilvy and Mather
- Fab-India, etc.
Tabulated below are some of the popular professional avenues open to such postgraduates, along with the basic salary and job duties associated with each.
 in Visual Communication annual salary(1).png)
| JOB PROFILE | JOB DESCRIPTION | AVERAGE ANNUAL SALARY |
|---|---|---|
| Web Developer | Web Developers are also called Web Designers or Webmasters. Their responsibilities include designing, coding, and modifying websites, from layout to function. They create advanced interactive website features according to a client's specifications. They are typically experts in a number of software programs, web applications, and web programming languages, such as HTML, JavaScript (JS), Ruby on Rails, and C++. | INR 3 to 9 Lacs |
| Instructional Designer | Instructional Designers are basically responsible for identifying the skills, information, knowledge, and attitude imbalance (gaps) of a targeted audience. Based on such information, they create, select, and suggest learning experiences to fill such gaps, applying best practices from the field and instructional theory. | INR 2 to 5 Lacs |
| Lecturer | Lecturers teach at undergraduate and graduate levels in areas allocated by, and reviewed from time to time by the Head of Department. They supervise, or assist with supervision of undergraduate, taught graduate (Masters) or research graduate (M. Phil./ Ph.D.) students. | INR 3 to 5 Lacs |
| Graphic Artist | Graphic Artists are responsible for sourcing information regarding the required graphic-creation. Subsequently, they illustrate such concepts by designing rough layouts of art & copy, in terms of size, arrangement, type size and style, and related aesthetic concepts. | INR 3 to 8 Lacs |
| Digital Photographer | Digital Photographers work with a digital camera, using a blend of technical skills and an artistic eye to take photographs of places, landscapes, people, food, and such. Today's photographers are almost all digital as traditional film cameras are no longer used. | INR 2.5 to 10 Lacs |
| Business Development Manager | Business Development Managers are responsible for pitching goods or services to new clients and maintaining a good working relationship with all such contacts, and recognizing sales leads. They communicate new product developments to prospective clients, oversee the development of marketing literature, and write reports. | INR 3 to 7 Lacs |
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