Visual Communication – Contemporary Dialogues (MA)

This master's pathway is for applicants who wish to develop a deeper knowledge and understanding of reflective thinking and Visual Communication practice. Experiences and knowledge drawn from across the pathways will be reflected in your personal core study. Using theory to underpin your practical work will bring a broader level of visual understanding to your practice, which in turn will guide your theory-based research.

Course Overview

The master's Contemporary Dialogues portfolio at Swansea College of Art offers a unique postgraduate experience.

Graduates and professionals from a wide range of specialities benefit from multidisciplinary learning together with expert lecturers and a broad range of facilities.

You will have the opportunity to draw upon experiences and knowledge from across the different pathways and reflect this in your own personal study.

The research environment benefits greatly from the input of our teaching staff and visiting lecturers, most of whom are research-active artists, designers, and theoreticians of national and international significance.

In the first part of the programme, you will complete a series of taught modules. You will participate in multidisciplinary exchanges, through seminars and lectures involving students from all programmes within the Contemporary Dialogues portfolio, to stimulate new perspectives and challenge directions. The cross-fertilisation of ideas through such dialogues is expected to promote a rethinking of the perceptions and production techniques appropriate to your discipline.

Throughout the taught part of the programme, you will be expected to undertake material investigations and research into contemporary themes, with consideration given to environmental, economic, social, and cultural issues.

Assessment

Assessment is carried out through coursework, both written practical and presented.

There is a 4,000-word theoretical essay with poster presentation in Semester 1, and a 5,000-word report in Semester 3, which accompanies the practical work.

There are no exams on this course. Students are formatively assessed throughout a module. Summative assessment takes place at the end of a module, which includes presentation of the work to the assessment team.

Career Opportunities

Graduates become active members of our creative culture, developing careers in a variety of professional roles, such as:

• Practising artist/designer
• Educator - university lecturer
• Curator
• Cultural entrepreneur
• Funded research degree student

We normally require an undergraduate 2.1. However, we also consider candidates with relevant experience and aim to interview all applicants. Where possible we invite prospective students to experience a day of teaching to see if it suits their expectations.