Undergraduate Degrees
Graduate Degrees
PhD and MPhil Postgraduate Research Degrees
Foundation & Portfolio
Exchange & Study Abroad
Open Studio
- Study
- Graduate Degrees
- Architecture by Conversion
- Architectural Studies
- Art Writing
- Communication Design
- Curatorial Practice (Contemporary Art)
- Design Innovation & Circular Economy
- Design Innovation & Citizenship
- Design Innovation & Collaborative Creativity
- Design Innovation & Environmental Design
- Design Innovation & Future Heritage
- Design Innovation & Interaction Design
- Design Innovation & Service Design
- Design Innovation & Transformation Design
- Fashion + Textiles
- Fine Art Practice
- Graphics Illustration Photography
- Heritage Visualisation
- Interior Design
- International Management & Design Innovation
- Master of Fine Art
- Master of Research
- Medical Visualisation & Human Anatomy
- PG Cert HE Learning & Teaching in the Creative Disciplines
- PGCert Supervisory Practices in the Creative Disciplines
- Product Design Engineering
- Serious Games and Virtual Reality
- Sound for the Moving Image
- How to Apply
-
Graduate Showcase 2021
Explore work by MDes Communication Design graduates on the GSA Graduate Showcase website. Image: Zhaoyan Wang
Communication Design
Key Facts
Staff
Programme Overview
Award
MDes Communication Design. All GSA degree programmes are validated by the University of Glasgow. Established in 1451, the University of Glasgow is a member of the prestigious Russell Group of leading UK research universities and a founder member of Universitas 21, an international grouping of universities dedicated to setting worldwide standards for higher education.
Assessment
Coursework, essays, practical design projects. Formative assessments take place at key points throughout the year with summative assessments at the end of each academic year.
Facilities
Range of facilities including dedicated studio space, crit/group tutorial spaces, Case Room with a range of equipment including letterpress, Macs, digital cameras, animation, linoprints, wood engravings and monoprinting, photographic studios with facilities for colour and black and white processing.
Indicative Additional Costs
Individual departments levy material fees as indicated on this page. You should budget for each year of your programme of study and should allow for costs over and above your fees and maintenance, particularly if expensive materials or projects are chosen.
Graduate Destinations
Graduates from the GSA's department of Communication Design have gone on to work with Pentagram, Graphic Thought Facility, Studio Fernando Gutiérrez, Lust, O-SB, Weiden + Kennedy, Lewis Moberly, BBC, Stand, ISO, or succeed in freelance practice, working in publishing, editorial, film and TV.
Programme Leader
Brian Cairns
Staff
Colin Faulks
Andy Stark
Matthew Walkerdine
Programme Overview
The Master of Design (M.Des) in Communication Design is a two year programme delivered by the Department of Communication Design at The Glasgow School of Art. The programme is practice-led and process-oriented in relation to definitions of broad design practices. It is also committed to the acquisition of principles within design theory relating to educational and commercial contexts. The programme provides rigorous methods for the interrogation of visual and textual research, positing questions relating to the role of the designer in society, and fundamental questions regarding personal and social responsibility.
The programme aims to:
- Offer each individual student the opportunity to critically develop his or her own work in the context of a rigorous but supportive intellectual climate;
- Encourage students to identify and explore key contextual issues relevant to their practice as contemporary designers;
- Develop students' awareness and knowledge base in communication design philosophy, theory, practice and research in the context of innovative forms of communication design;
- Enable Communication Design graduates to critically evaluate their work and that of their peers in the context of contemporary design practices;
- Enable students to achieve the highest possible standards in their work, so that graduates have the confidence, maturity and intellectual and interpersonal skills necessary to function successfully in the communication design field;
- Equip students with the highly developed intellectual, practical and interpersonal skills deemed necessary for careers in design.
Further information is available online at; http://www.gsamcd.com
Application Deadline Dates
Applications to this programme will be processed in four rounds: Early, Standard 1; Standard 2 and Late. We guarantee to review all complete applications received by the Standard 1 deadline date of 27 January 2023. After this date, this programme can become full and close to applications in advance of the Standard 2 and Late rounds. Early application is therefore encouraged to avoid disappointment.
Final deadline for applicants requiring a visa is 28 July 2023 |
Interviews for shortlisted applicants will take place on the dates indicated below, please ensure you can be available.
| Round | Interview dates |
| Early | 28 November - 2 December 2022 |
| Standard 1 | 20 February - 3 March 2023 |
| Standard 2 | 3 April - 21 April 2023 |
| Late | 3 July - 14 July 2023 |
Application Guidance
Further guidance on applying to this programme can be accessed below:
