Students on the programme can explore their individual specialisms in the areas of photography, illustration and graphic design, should they wish to remain within such parameters. At the same time, students troubling the boundaries of specialist practice within Communication Design are not confined to one area of production; indeed, the programmeÕs structure and content delivery support and facilitate interdisciplinary work. The programme format adopted by this programme is a two year, 240 credit Ôhigher mastersÕ model, similar to that of GSAÕs MFA programme. The sustained length of the programme enables its students to devote additional time to the production of an enhanced portfolio of work.
The MDes in Communication Design is practice-led and process-oriented in relation to definitions of broad design practices. It is also committed to the acquisition of principles within design theory relating to educational and commercial contexts. The programme provides rigorous methods for the interrogation of visual and textual research, positing questions relating to the role of the designer in society, and fundamental questions regarding personal and social responsibility.
The programme aims to:
- Offer each individual student the opportunity to critically develop his or her own work in the context of a rigorous but supportive intellectual climate;
- Encourage students to identify and explore key contextual issues relevant to their practice as contemporary designers;
- Develop students' awareness and knowledge base in communication design philosophy, theory, practice and research in the context of innovative forms of communication design;
- Enable Communication Design graduates to critically evaluate their work and that of their peers in the context of contemporary design practices;
- Enable students to achieve the highest possible standards in their work, so that graduates have the confidence, maturity and intellectual and interpersonal skills necessary to function successfully in the communication design field;
- Equip students with the highly developed intellectual, practical and interpersonal skills deemed necessary for careers in design.
