Advertising and Design

You’ll begin to develop your understanding of advertising principles from the start of the programme, when you’ll study consumer behaviour and explore how brands can adopt these different theories to inform their marketing strategies.

Focusing on contemporary issues, you’ll look at the process of strategic marketing communications and how strategic marketing works on the global stage. At the same time, you’ll study practical design modules where you’ll learn to visualise creative communications ideas and present your proposals to clients, as well as considering how compelling text within an advertising concept can influence consumers.

In Semester 2 you’ll build on this foundation by exploring integrated communication, developing creative concepts that can work for a range of different media outlets, as well as the broader aspects of campaign planning, print, radio and TV ad production and the ethics of advertising campaigns.
You’ll think about reach, frequency and the often complex question of return on investment and even choose from specialist modules on topics such as social media, sales promotion, brand management and direct marketing.

At the end of the programme you’ll submit a substantial project that demonstrates the knowledge and skills that you’ve gained. You can either complete a dissertation – an independent research project on a related topic of your choice – or develop a communication campaign concept of your own.

Course structure

These are typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.

Modules Year 1

Compulsory modules

• Visual Communication 15 credits
• Persuasion 15 credits
• Integrated Communication 30 credits
• Consumer Behaviour 15 credits
• Marketing Communications 10 credits
• Advertising 15 credits
• Global Strategic Marketing 15 credits
• Media Planning and Strategy 15 credits

Optional modules

• Creative Direction 35 credits
• Dissertation - Advertising and Design 35 credits
• Brand Management and Corporate Identity 15 credits
• Sales Promotion and Sponsorship 15 credits
• Social Media Marketing 15 credits
• Direct, Digital and Interactive Marketing 15 credits

For more information on typical modules, read Advertising and Design MA in the course catalogue

Learning and teaching

We use a range of teaching methods that reflects the diversity of the programme, including lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical sessions, online learning and group sessions. Independent study is also an important element of this degree, since it allows you to develop your skills as well as your design specialisms.

Assessment

You’ll also be assessed by a variety of methods. Obviously these will include your own creative work as you develop campaign concepts in your taught design modules, but also presentations, reflective logs, reports, group projects and written assignments