The Master in Digital Communication Environments at Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW introduces students to experimental disciplines within digital design to develop a refined personal practice.

This course has now closed

The programme enables students to enhance their skills in the areas of design practices, technical knowledge, research methods and theoretical knowledge in the context of digital communication channels.

This master's programme offers three areas in which the students can enhance their skills over the course of four semesters. The first involves expanding the experimental and reflective design practice of visual messages for analogue and digital communication environments.

The second involves getting acquainted with research methods from design-oriented research and experimental exploration of new technologies to empirical evaluation of visual messages.

The third involves getting an overview of relevant positions in visual, media and communication theory as well as philosophy, anthropology and psychology in order to critically put design decisions, concepts and research questions into context.

On the basis of a practical foundation in a design-oriented bachelor's study programme or a theory-oriented bachelor's degree in cultural studies, the main goal of the study programme is a complementary fusion of skills between design and communication practice, research and theory.

All students engage with the fields of design practice, practice-based research and theoretical reflection across the first three semesters. The following fourth semester is the thesis semester.

Through working together throughout their studies, the students, who come from different educational and cultural backgrounds, gradually acquire a combined set of practical, research and theoretical communication skills.

School: Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW
Course: Master in Digital Communication Environments
Type: Postgraduate
Location: Basel, Switzerland
Course dates: September 2026 to July 2028 (four semesters, starting annually in September)
Application deadline: 15 March 2026

What will I learn during this course?

– Students will be prepared as much as possible for future challenges in communications-related, creative, medial, teaching and researching fields of work

What are the requirements?

– A Bachelor's degree in design (visual communication) or a related field of study

What facilities and resources are available?

– Studios, labs and central campus workshops
– Students also have their own workspaces

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