The course

Communication design, visual communication and graphic design, media design, integrated design, information design, public design and so on... the bewildering range of terms and subject niches that now exist in the field of modern communication does not detract from the fact that designers’ input into the conception of complex communications scenarios that have their own message turns communication designers into observers of societal phenomena. For this reason, designers have to be sure of their own starting position.

Teaching content

In this context, the master’s course in Visual Strategies and Stories provides students with the opportunity to realise and expand their own interests and skills by carrying out independent investigations of topics in this field.

The world of symbols and codes, the showcasing of images and texts in a spatial context, and language itself as an expressive tool are the subject of research, conception and design here. It is possible to specialise in illustration or information design, for example; we also offer interdisciplinary projects with other closely related design courses and cooperation with the Art department.

Standard duration of course 

The master’s programme can be taken as a two-, three- or four-semester course of study, depending on the course type and contents and also on the duration of the preceding completed course or the ECTS points achieved in the preceding course.

Course of study

Students taking the master’s course benefit from the wide range of seminars and lectures on offer for advanced study in areas such as history of art, design and architecture, design theory, design psychology and philosophy. The essential elements of this programme are training in interpersonal skills, teamwork, regular seminars with invited guests from various disciplines, and the investigation of design issues from a socio-political and social standpoint.

Prerequisites

The master’s courses are aimed at graduates with a bachelor’s or a ‘Diplom’ degree with an artistic/design emphasis. However, interested graduates of other disciplines who have relevant qualifications may also be admitted to a master’s course after taking the course-specific entrance test.

Degree

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Brief information

• Subject-specific project
• Development of individual profile
• Work on the student’s own design projects or selection from a range of options
• Supplemented by course elements in theoretical elements and art and design studies
• Duration: Two, three or four semestersDegree awarded after one-semester master’s thesis