Graphic Branding and Identity

Entry requirements

The course team welcomes applicants from a broad range of backgrounds, from all over the world. MA Graphic Branding and Identity attracts students who apply direct from an Honours degree course in a field relevant to graphic design, product design or architecture, or those with other, equivalent qualifications.

The course team also welcomes students with relevant experience or those who may have previously worked in industry.

Educational level may be demonstrated by:

• Honours degree (named above);
• Possession of equivalent qualifications;
• Prior experiential learning, the outcome of which can be demonstrated to be equivalent to formal qualifications otherwise required;
• Or a combination of formal qualifications and experiential learning which, taken together, can be demonstrated to be equivalent to formal qualifications otherwise required.

APEL (Accreditation of Prior Learning)

Applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered in exceptional cases. The course team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:

• Related academic or work experience
• The quality of the personal statement
• A strong academic or other professional reference
• OR a combination of these factors

Each application will be considered on its own merit but we cannot guarantee an offer in each case.

Months of entry

September

Course content

On MA Graphic Branding and Identity, you’ll explore the strategic thinking underlying brands and look at how that strategy can drive creative expression. This course is taught at London College of Communication, at Elephant and Castle, part of University of the Arts London (UAL).

What can you expect?
• MA Graphic Branding and Identity will challenge you to deconstruct your experience and design education in new and unexpected ways. You’ll develop a brand from the ground-up, using old and new strategies to push your design practice in new directions.
• You’ll take part in a weekly lecture or workshop series on the principles of design and branding, learn new research techniques and connect these to rigorous methods of design exploration.
• Your study will be based on personal project work, augmented with critical and contextual debate, culminating in an industry-focused portfolio of graphic brand expressions.
• You’ll integrate visual practice with written evaluation critical discourse, which will be embedded into your weekly seminars and tutorial contact.
• You’ll meet a personal tutor on a regular basis, who will help guide you through a challenging, highly-satisfying period of personal and professional development.
• You’ll work with a wide range of designers and practitioners, as well as an experienced core team of tutors and researchers.
• You’ll collaborate with other students, staff and external clients in a guided collaborative unit, allowing you to develop new approaches to design and brand projects.
• You’ll be welcomed into one of University of the Arts London’s most diverse communities of practice, meeting designers and thinkers from a wide range of cultural backgrounds, and from this will develop a globalised, sustainable design practice that should position you as an engaged, thoughtful, intelligent and highly-skilled design-thinker.

About London College of Communication
The communications sector is evolving fast. Through our world-leading community of teaching, research and industry partnerships, we enable our students to develop the critical, creative and technical excellence needed to succeed and to discover new possibilities and practices. Our Design, Media and Screen Schools produce experts and award-winners across virtual reality, journalism, photography, television and sound, graphic communication, games, design management – and more. The London College of Communication experience is all about learning by doing. Our students get their hands dirty and develop their skills through the exploration of our facilities and technical spaces. Students work on live briefs and commissions, with everything from independent start-ups and charities in Southwark, through to major global companies. Student designers, makers and innovators have worked with Nike, Penguin, the EU Commission, Colgate, Plan International, the National Trust, Nokia and Royal Mail, to name a few.

Information for international students

All classes are conducted in English. If English is not your first language, we strongly recommend you let us know your English language test score in your application. If you have booked a test or are awaiting your results, please indicate this in your application. When asked to upload a CV as part of your application, please include any information about your English test score.

IELTS 6.5 (or equivalent) is required, with a minimum of 5.5 in each of the four skills.

If your first language is not English, you can check you have achieved the correct IELTS level in English on the Language Requirements page.

Fees and funding

Learn more by visiting our funding page.