What will I learn?
The Visual Communication programme at the Royal College of Art supports designers to develop thoughtful, collaborative and socially engaged practices. We welcome those who are restless with the status quo, who embrace complexity, question dominant narratives, and see design as a space for reimagining how we live, communicate and relate to one another. Our commitment to dialogic and participatory practice is long-standing. We understand communication not as transmission, but as conversation: situated, embodied, and grounded in listening. Visual communication here is not simply the production of artefacts, but a way of making sense of the world, making meaning with others, and making space for voices too often unheard. In a world shaped by instability and injustice, we are rethinking the role of graphic design and illustration. These practices have often served the needs of persuasion, control and surface. Here, they become tools for inquiry, resistance and care. Our research-led and interdisciplinary approaches invite students to engage deeply with communities, with context, and with the politics of visual culture. We encourage design that does not smooth over complexity, but stays with it – designing with, not for. Students are supported to move beyond fixed definitions and disciplinary boundaries, towards shaping more inclusive systems, narratives and ways of being. Through collective making, critical dialogue and expanded visual practices, we explore what it means to design with urgency, responsibility and hope. Our graduates leave not with fixed answers, but with the tools to ask better questions – and the resolve to work differently. They are not only prepared to enter the industry, but to challenge it, contributing to work that doesn’t simply reflect the world as it is, but actively participates in reshaping it.
Which department am I in?
School of Communication and Design
Entry requirements
For international students
Our students come to Visual Communication from disciplines including graphic design and illustration but develop the tools to allow communication and connections across disciplinary boundaries. This interdisciplinary environment draws from diverse geographies, rich cultural contexts and multiple fields of study.Candidates are selected entirely on merit and applications are welcomed from all over the world. The selection process considers creativity, imagination and innovation as demonstrated in your portfolio, as well as your potential to benefit from the programme and to achieve high MA standards overall.You will normally have completed a first-degree undergraduate qualification in a related subject or be able to evidence equivalent professional experience in related fields.All candidates are required to submit an online portfolio of work to be assessed by the programmes senior staff team. Candidates should create an online portfolio that best reflects their abilities, experience and interests. The portfolio must follow College guidelines for uploading work such as using the College application site and giving a brief description for each piece of work.Candidates are selected on the basis of a body of work that demonstrates an advanced understanding of the subject and sufficient technical skill to realise intentions, evidence of commitment to the subject, intellectual curiosity, open-mindedness, the ability to collaborate, to engage in debate and respond to criticism, and the ability to engage in sustained and consistent study.We also want enthusiasm for your practice, commitment and a strong sense of personal responsibility for your own learning and development.Portfolio requirements -The majority of our students come from the disciples of Visual Communication but this is not essential, we welcome career changers and those from other fields. We welcome a diverse community of students who are interested in many different things. We are looking for potential and the ability to challenge and push at the boundaries of the disciplines. When putting together your application, think about which projects matter to you the most.We are looking for creative potential, critical curiosity, and a willingness to question and expand the boundaries of visual communication. When putting together your application, focus on the projects that matter most to you, those that reflect your ideas, values, and ways of working.Please submit a PDF portfolio of no more than 25 slides. Your PDF should include a short introductory text of no more than 200 words that responds to the question:How do you hope your practice, as represented in your portfolio, will develop during and beyond the MAPersonal statementPlease provide a 300-word written personal statement that addresses the following points:Introduce yourself, your interests and your motivations for applying to the Royal College of Art, and to this programme in particular.Briefly summarise any educational background and professional experience to date that will support your application.Tell us what you want to do in the future.Video requirements
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