MA Communication Design
Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
MA Communication Design
Overview
Communication design shapes how people understand the world: through the apps they use, the campaigns that inform them, the visual language that makes complex ideas accessible.
This MA is for people who want to do that work ambitiously and responsibly.
On the MA Communication Design course, you will work on exploratory and live briefs with collaborators from tech start-ups, design agencies and community organisations - tackling real challenges through innovative design solutions.
Studio projects span branding, UX/UI, data visualisation, digital media, service design an generative AI. Your learning will be guided by a research-active team with deep industry networks.
Your final project will be self-directed, developed with a partner organisation around something that genuinely matters to you.
Our graduates can aspire to build successful careers as designers, strategist and creative leads in leading agencies, in-house studios and beyond.
Entry Requirements 2026/27
Standard Entry
Applicants should normally have:
A minimum of a 2:2 honours degree in a relevant design discipline such as graphic design, interaction design, product design, illustration, fine art, film, fashion communication, advertising, animation or similar creative disciplines..
Applicants with appropriate work experience and/or a relevant professional qualification will be considered.
Applicants are required to submit an online portfolio with their application.
International qualifications
If you have studied a non UK qualification, you can see how your qualifications compare to the standard entry criteria, by selecting the country that you received the qualification in, from our country pages. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/yourcountry
English Language requirements
International applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent*).
*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/englishqualifications
Fees and Funding 2026/27 Entry
Full UK Fee: £9,950
Tuition fees in the academic year 2027/28* will be £10,050. Fees are set in line with the UK Government's tuition fee cap. The University may increase fees in subsequent years in line with any changes to the tuition fee cap. Increases will be linked to inflation. For example, increases may be linked to RPIX (Retail Price Index excluding mortgage interest payments) Students will be notified of any increase ahead of it taking effect. Student fee loans rise in line with the tuition fees cap.
*if your course is longer than one year
Full International Fee: £19,850
This is the tuition fee for your first year of study. You should expect to pay tuition fees for every year of study. The University may increase fees in the second and subsequent years of your course at our discretion in line with any inflationary or other uplift. Students will be notified of any increase ahead of it taking effect.
Scholarships and Discounts
ADDITIONAL COSTS
There are no Additional Costs
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The School of Design, Arts and Creative Industries is a leading centre for supporting and energising creative practice and academic study. Our inter-disciplinary research and experiential education is committed to the betterment of people, place, cultures, and societies. Our programmes are defined by the way we collaborate with communities, industry, and external partners to inform curriculum, your learning and contribute to wider society. Discover more.
Features & Benefits
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Research Powerhouse: Art and Design at Northumbria is ranked 4th in the UK for research power (REF 2021).
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Art & Design at Northumbria is ranked joint 15th in the UK by the Times Good University Guide, 2026.
Careers & Employability
The practical nature and future-facing focus of MA Communication Design, means that upon graduation you will be ready for employment, entrepreneurship or doctoral research within many areas, such as Graphic Design, Branding, Publishing, Digital & Interaction Design, UX Design, Service Design or Product Innovation.
Our graduates work in many different jobs and environments, including design consultancies, digital agencies, in-house design teams, business start-ups, public sector organisations or work freelance.
Student Work
To build your Masters portfolio, you will undertake numerous set briefs and live projects before working on your own self-initiated and collaborative work. Click on any of these images to see a range of different final major project work. Each has a ‘design for good’ theme.
James Seabright: Final Major Project – “Let’s Gro” by James Seabright.
Karine Haggag: Final Major Project – “Brit Bees” by Karine Haggag
Paulina Malowwaniec: Exploring Interdisciplinary research methods in design to tackle the issues of inequalities related to cultural capital.
Samantha Bailey: Investigating how design can help children aged four to six with sensory processing disorders.
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Staff
You will be taught by a breadth of internationally leading design practitioners, researchers and educators. Their expertise includes visual communication, UX/UI design, data visualisation, digital arts, publishing and social innovation. By sharing their design expertise, they will help you shape your own design future through the Masters course.
Facilities
As an MA Communication Design student, you will have shared use of a dedicated design studio. The Masters studio includes state-of-the art computers and industry standard software. You will also have access to a range of workshops including letterpress, screen printing, photography studio, virtual reality suite and prototyping lab.
If you have not used specialist equipment and workshops before, you will have the opportunity to be inducted by our expert technical staff. You will also have free access to online tutorials to familiarise yourself with new software.
All information is accurate at the time of sharing.
Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.
Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.
Useful Links
Find out about our distinctive approach at
www.northumbria.ac.uk/exp
Admissions Terms and Conditions
northumbria.ac.uk/terms
Fees and Funding
northumbria.ac.uk/fees
Admissions Policy
northumbria.ac.uk/adpolicy
Admissions Complaints Policy
northumbria.ac.uk/complaints
