MA Illustration at National College of Art and Design
Taking place in Dublin, National College of Art and Design‘s MA Illustration course prepares students for further education opportunities and a range of creative career prospects.
Course details
School: National College of Art and Design
Course: MA Illustration
Type: postgraduate
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Course dates: September 2027 to August 2028
Application deadline: 30 May 2027
Course overview
The MA Illustration at the National College of Art and Design (NCAD), Dublin, is a practice-led, research-informed postgraduate programme that explores illustration as a contemporary form of visual communication, storytelling and cultural inquiry.
Moving beyond traditional print and publishing, the programme embraces the expanding role of illustration across animation, interactive media, digital storytelling, editorial practice, children’s publishing and socially engaged design.
Students are encouraged to develop their individual visual language through creative experimentation, critical research and interdisciplinary collaboration. Working across analogue and digital media, they investigate the social, cultural and ethical dimensions of image-making while developing their professional practice.
Delivered over three trimesters, the programme combines studio-based learning, live industry briefs, visiting practitioners and self-directed research, culminating in a major independent project.
Developed in consultation with Illustrators Ireland, the Institute of Designers in Ireland and creative industry partners, the MA responds to the evolving demands of contemporary illustration.
The programme welcomes recent graduates and established practitioners seeking to deepen their expertise, expand their creative practice or explore new professional directions.
What will I learn during this course?
Students will develop advanced skills in visual storytelling, illustration, creative research, conceptual development and visual authorship.
They will explore analogue and digital image-making, experimentation, critical thinking and interdisciplinary collaboration.
The programme also develops professional skills in creative communication, reflective practice, project management and engagement with industry, preparing graduates to work independently or collaboratively across contemporary creative disciplines.
What are the requirements?
The programme welcomes graduates from illustration, graphic design, fine art, animation, visual communication and related creative disciplines, alongside established practitioners seeking to develop or redirect their practice.
Applicants from non-traditional or interdisciplinary backgrounds are also encouraged to apply.
Applicants must hold a level 8 degree (2.2 or higher), and submit a portfolio demonstrating visual ability, conceptual curiosity, creative process and potential for postgraduate study.
Portfolios may include finished projects, sketchbooks, drawings, developmental work and work across analogue or digital media.
For English Language requirements and documents required, see the NCAD website.
What facilities and resources are available?
Students have access to dedicated postgraduate studio space within NCAD’s School of Design, alongside specialist workshops and production facilities.
These include traditional Letterpress printing, Risograph printing, the Digital Suite and the Black Box media room, supporting experimentation across print, digital, moving image and interdisciplinary practices.
Technical support is provided by the School of Design’s specialist technical officers.
Students also benefit from visiting lecturers, industry mentoring, live projects and opportunities to engage with creative practitioners and cultural organisations.
What career prospects can I expect upon graduating?
Graduates will be equipped to pursue careers as independent illustrators, author-illustrators, visual storytellers and creative practitioners across publishing, editorial illustration, animation, moving image, games, interactive media, advertising and design consultancy.
Opportunities also exist within cultural and heritage organisations, creative studios, start-up ventures and the wider public and private sectors.
The programme supports entrepreneurial and portfolio-based careers combining commissioned work, independent creative projects, teaching and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Graduates may also pursue further academic research, including doctoral study at PhD level.
Who teaches this course?
John Slade, programme leader, MA Illustration and John Paul Dowling, head of department of communication design.
NCAD teaching is supported by lecturers from NCAD’s school of design, alongside visiting industry practitioners and professional illustrators.
