MA Illustration Careers

“An MA develops the technical knowledge and skills acquired during your BA (or equivalent work-related experience) through extended academic and practice-based research. The focus of postgraduate study is not to dovetail your practice into pre-conceived commercial outputs but to innovate within the discipline, pushing the boundaries of what has gone before us. ”

Barnaby Lickens-Richards, MA Illustration Course Leader

Falmouth’s online MA Illustration does this by fostering the individual voice of each illustrator. We believe that it is through the visual articulation of diverse perspectives that our creative field grows. By graduation, you’ll have developed an appropriate context (or market) within which to succeed professionally.

We welcome students interested in furthering their study and are keen to attract academically minded illustrators who would like to progress to a PhD. The written component of an MA is an integral part of the course. As such, we provide a gateway to further areas of study, including education and research. 

For their Final Major Projects, our students have chosen to work in a number of different areas including: filmmaking; exhibition and mural work; three-dimensional artefacts; editorial, graphic novel/sequential, picture books; small press business; education tools for the neurodiverse; online and product-based board games.

Natali De Mello: It helped me to know how to start, where to start, and that it is possible. People always told me, you are going to make more money as an architect. But I wasn't happy and the course made me see that it is possible. I'm not sure if I'm going to be rich or not. But it is possible. And I'm going to do what I like. So it helped me to find the way. And yeah, it was easier to change careers once I knew how to do what to do, where, who I should approach, and once I had more knowledge, like how to make a good illustration. Now I see that good illustration is illustration that communicates well. So the course made me realize that, and I've been seeing the results with the clients that I've been having throughout the course. I feel the confidence to charge more and people, they pay. And it's just the beginning, but it's important for me.

Natali De Mello: I drew since I was a kid, but I never had like academic knowledge about illustration or drawing, and I didn't have the knowledge about the markets of illustration nowadays, how it works. So I was searching for academic backgrounds, but also the practical part of illustration, and this is how the MA helped me really helped me, to see what I must do, like to be in the market, to stand out from the competition or to get clients or how to start like to think of step start, where to start and also to think about myself, what I like, what I would like to do and who I want to be.

Sunny cupboard work

The Sunny Cupboard

Completing an arts degree was one of Sally’s lifelong ambitions. Inspired by Cornwall, Sally’s cheerful illustrations come in the form of art prints, mixed media pieces, and decorations.

Susanna Burton work

Susanna Burton

Susanna is a prizewinning scenic artist and illustrator, whose large scale work can be found in public and private buildings, theatres, and film.

Ollie Mann work

Ollie Mann

Bold, vibrant and unwavering. Ollie’s work draws on mythology and the fantastical to comment on contemporary society, with particular focus on empowering the LGBTQIA+ community.

Teresa Clark work

Teresa Clark

Teresa’s thoughtful multidisciplinary approach lends itself to the transience and fragility of her subject matter – the natural world.

Freymo work

Freymo

As well as illustrating a range of bright and bold printed items, Freya shares her expertise as an illustrator, textile artist, and maker in workshops.

Emily Kaye work

Emily Kaye

Emily works with clients to bring her joyful and naïve illustrations to murals, window drawings, and packaging, and more.

Louise Rabey illustration

Careers and employability service

Careers and employability service

You can access RealWORKS, our careers and employability service throughout your studies, and for up to five years following graduation.

Our expert team will help you identify potential opportunities in the UK or internationally, prepare for job interviews, advise you on starting up your own business, and more.