Master of Arts - Visual Communication
- 2 years
- Duration
- 20,200 EUR/year
- Price
- Oct 2025
- Start
- May 2025
- Deadline
- Master
- Degree
- Campus
- Format
- Milan / Italy
- Location
Program description
The MA in Visual Communication program explores how visual culture may create meaningful narratives in which communities and the environment engage in communication exchanges through the seamless integration of technology.
Students will learn to critically think on their own and design visual communication systems with self-aware cultural or social contents through this course's emphasis on media analysis. This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to cultural anthropology, graphic design, interaction design, motion graphics, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and video storytelling to build digital and analogue projects that promote social inclusion and environmental sustainability while being cognizant of diverse cultural identities. Students will also learn technical and cultural skills in this context.
Understanding the social and cultural settings in which communication patterns will be put is crucial for designing effective communication systems and methods in complicated scenarios. The same holds true for the proper and ethical application of ever-developing technical resources. Training in theory is supplemented by practical experience in the form of collaborative workshops that foster cooperation in interdisciplinary teams and the development of projects in different, real-world contexts.
Program structure
1st year
- Design methods (creative design methods)
- Design methods for visual communication (branding and visual identity strategy)
- Advertising communication (creative direction for advertising)
- Graphic design (design for digital communication)
- Photography (photography for creative storytelling)
- Style and history of the arts and costumes (graphic design history)
- Anthropology of contemporary societies
2nd year
- Theory and methods of mass media (communication and mass media world)
- Art direction (integrated communication)
- Multimedia graphics (interactive and multimedia design)
- Phenomenology of contemporary arts (design and arts languages)
- Integrated media techniques (video storytelling)
- Elective subject
- English
- Final project
Price
Fee for 1 year education is 20200.00 EUR for international students
Requirements for applicants
Admission requirements
For the Master of Arts (DASL) in Visual Communication direct admission is foreseen for candidates coming from study courses in the following areas: Graphic Design, Communication Design, Visual Design, Communication Sciences, Product Design, Interior Design, Architecture, Digital Design.
Candidates from other disciplines may be admitted following assessment of their preparation, according to the technical requirements specified below.
Software knowledge and technical skills requirements:
- Advanced skills in Adobe InDesign for designing publication layouts. Skills in Adobe Illustrator for creating and editing vector graphics. Knowledge of Adobe Photoshop for image manipulation and editing. Skills in Adobe After Effects for graphic animation and visual effects. Skills in Adobe Premiere for video editing and editing.
- Productivity and Word Processing: In-depth knowledge of Microsoft Word for word processing and document creation. Advanced Microsoft Excel skills for data management, analysis, and charting.
Language requirements
- To ensure course contents are fully understood, IED demands applicants a B2 level - Common European Framework of Reference for Languages - of the language in which the course is taught.
- To demonstrate the required language proficiency, non-native speakers must submit a language certificate or undergo a language test run by IED.
About the university
Since 1966, we have been the largest Higher Education Network in the creative area to keep both a worldwide perspective and a strongly Italian cultural matrix.
Our educational strategy has evolved over time, but at its core remains the same: we mix theoretical study with hands-on experience and the expertise of working experts. One of the things we emphasize in our classes is always thinking ahead, in the here and now. We are a diverse, multidisciplinary institution that views design as a tool for social transformation.
Among the many international academic networks in which we participate are Cumulus, Elia, and WDO, just to name a few.
Campuses
In the 1970s and 1980s, we expanded to Rome (1973), Cagliari (1984), and Turin (1989) in Italy.
Beginning in 1994 with the Madrid campus and continuing on to Barcelona in 2002, Spain's modern era began in the 1990s.
The Group also spread internationally, establishing a presence in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2005, and then in Venice, Italy, in 2007, Florence, Italy, in 2009, and Como, Italy, in 2009, with the acquisition of the Aldo Galli Academy of Fine Arts. The Group expanded its footprint in Brazil in 2014 by renovating the Cassino da Urca and opening a campus in Rio de Janeiro; in 2020, the Group will expand its presence in Spain by purchasing the Centro Superior de Diseo Kunsthal in Bilbao.
Read more about IED Istituto Europeo di Design, Italy, Spain, Brazil
