Visual Communication MA

Royal College of Art

The Visual Communication MA at the RCA supports designers to develop thoughtful, collaborative and socially engaged practices. Communication is understood not as transmission, but as conversation: situated, embodied and grounded in listening. Through a research-led and interdisciplinary approach, you will work with communities, contexts and the politics of visual culture, exploring design as inquiry, resistance and care. You will translate ideas, events, data and experiences into artefacts, narratives or connections in the physical, digital or virtual, building bridges between people and ideas. The programme embraces diverse media and practices including type-design, moving image, publishing, sound, performance, and writing, enabling you to ask better questions and participate in reshaping the world. Programme structure: Term 1 In term 1, you take Encounters, which develops conversations within a critical framework by staging interactions with other disciplines, communities and sites, encouraging inquiry into what if existing models of knowledge production were unsettled. Term 2 Following on from Encounters, the Affinities unit asks you to expand and communicate your enquiry by developing prototypes, formats and conversations that test how your work engages with others. The emphasis moves from method to relation, treating communication as a reciprocal exchange that shapes both method and outcome. Also in Term 2, a choice of elective units allows you to shape your own learning journey. You can work alongside students from other programmes, bringing your practice into dialogue with different creative approaches through interdisciplinary projects, ‘wicked’ design problems and socially engaged practice. Term 3 In Term 3, you take the Independent Research Project, focusing on locating and establishing yourself and your work within the external contexts in which you seek to engage and connecting your practice to emerging critical discourses. You apply the critical frameworks, methods and tools developed throughout the programme. Towards the end of the programme, you participate in a collectively curated and produced public-facing activity, which could include a group exhibition, publication or curated event, contributing to the body of work presented for assessment. Referring to the website: Please refer to the programme webpage for the most accurate and up-to-date information about the programme, its structure, modules and any updates or changes. About RCA: The Royal College of Art is the world’s leading postgraduate art and design university, providing students with unrivalled opportunities to develop their practice, build their networks, enhance their career and to deliver art and design projects that transform the world. For 12 consecutive years, the RCA has been ranked as the world’s number 1 art & design university in the QS World University subject rankings (2015-2026) - attracting artists, designers and communicators from across the globe.