Find out more about studying Advertising and Design MA at University of Leeds? We've gathered all the key details, entry requirements, modules, fees, and more. Take the next step by booking an open day to explore it for yourself.
MA - Master of Arts
Leeds, Main
Full Time
Sep 2026
1 Year
The MA Advertising and Design programme gives you the opportunity to prepare for careers in advertising and correlated fields in communication design. Based on an interdisciplinary approach, the programme is supported by three pillars: Design, Research, and Business. The Design pillar approaches the elaboration of communication campaigns as a design process, providing a framework for its development, as well as equipping you with an understanding of design principles across specialised areas such as graphic, typographic and digital design. The Business pillar is offered in collaboration with the Leeds University Business School - a top 100 business schools worldwide - and introduces you to essential knowledge in consumer behaviour and media planning, enabling you to develop effective communication strategies based on market insights and brand positioning. Finally, the Research pillar focuses on skills that are valuable to both academia and industry. You will explore primary and secondary research methods, seamlessly integrating those into the design process, informing and evaluating their production using both quantitative and qualitative data. Moreover, you will have the option to expand those skills further by working on dissertations or research papers. Assessment employs diverse approaches tailored to evaluate academic, professional, and digital literacies. The assessment components in your design modules reflect authentic professional practices, incorporating industry briefs and student competitions. Criteria for assessments are flexible, accommodating your individual skills and career choices. Exams and reflective reports will evaluate your theoretical comprehension and critical thinking applied to design processes. You will have the option to pursue an academic-focused dissertation or an industry-focused final project, both supported by a research-led approach. Upon completion of the program, you will have acquired a wide range of skills, including evaluating market trends, analysing brand positioning, and formulating objectives and strategies to address communication challenges. You'll also develop the ability to generate creative concepts, design effective solutions, and conduct research to inform and reflect on design outcomes. Specialist facilitiesThe School of Design offers excellent facilities and technical support for developing your creative skills. We have a range of dedicated spaces where students can work independently. We also have a number of practical workshops, studios and specialist facilities: Sculpture Studio; 2D Art Studio; Fashion Design Studio; Knit and Weave Studio; Photography Studio; Digital Print workshop; Laser cutting and 3D Print workshop; Printmaking Workshop; XLab for Immersive Technologies and 3D workshop. We provide access to a team of excellent technicians across the full range of skills who can help you to realise your work to reach its potential. The School also provides a range of other support to enhance the student experience and prepare students for the workplace: free dedicated software; a wide range of technical induction programmes; free access to Linked-in-Learning Tutorials; free cameras and video recorder on loan; supporting a Degree Show; external promotion; Visiting Speakers, who are well known figures from industry or other institutions around the world. ITwo successful candidates will work with the PACE creative team for six months after finishing their course. Find out more about our Professional Academy for Creative Enterprise (PACE). The internship has helped me grow not only in technical skill but also in adaptability—qualities that are essential in a professional environment. Lucy Clanfield, PACE Intern. Find out more about Lucy Clanfield's experience.
Students will need to study optional modules.
This module allows students to develop either (a) an integrated communication campaign; (b) a dissertation; or (c) an academic paper on topics connected to the programme’s areas of interest. Students will be expected to work independently, assisted by supervision sessions. The module’s outcome should reflect design and research skills exercised throughout the programme. Objectives of the module are to achieve professional level standards in creative problem solving, critical thinking, independent working, and persuasive verbal and visual presentation in either academic or industry-related contexts.
Students will need to study optional modules.
The module combines creative advertising approaches with media planning to enable students to acquire relevant practical skills to work in contemporary advertising and marketing industries. Learning is achieved through a combination of lectures, seminars and practical workshops to integrate theoretical aspects of the course with creative practical applications through ‘live’ agency briefs. These activities will be supplemented with archival research, class discussions, advertising and media critique.
Students will need to study optional modules.
The proliferation of consumer data has profoundly changed how businesses reach, engage, interact, and maintain relationships with consumers. However, understanding of consumer behaviour is vital. The course will provide students with a critical understanding of how consumers behave and how the key consumer behaviour concepts could be integrated within broader consumer analytics and marketing strategies. By providing an in-depth knowledge of the core features and characteristics of various consumer behaviour elements, students will be able to appreciate the scope and breadth of consume behaviour. Finally, the course will provide students with the basic knowledge and skills to evaluate and optimize marketing strategies. Opportunities to analyse marketing phenomenon from the perspective of consumer behaviour will be assessed through individual assignment and seminar case studies and group works.
Students will need to study optional modules.
This module’s aim is twofold: on the one hand, it frames the elaboration of advertising campaigns as a design process, providing theoretical knowledge and practical experience that reflects the structure of creative agencies. As such, students will work throughout all stages of the design process – discovery, definition, development and delivery - from initial research to concept generation and campaign execution. On the other hand, the module introduces principles from various design specialist areas, such as graphic design and user experience design, and their application in advertising to support design outcomes for different media that communicate effectively and are executed to a professional level.
Students will need to study optional modules.
This module provides students with an understanding and insight into research processes that can be applied to both design and academic research. It introduces a broad range of advanced research methods, focused on techniques and issues appropriate to academia, design, enterprise, management and marketing. Students will develop essential skills and competencies to enable them to become critical, reflective and creative researchers, able to problem-solve and contextualise research for a range of real-world contexts and applications.
