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MAGraphic Design

Õppemaks 2 800 € aastas
Kandideerimistasu 60 € one-time

Application fee is non-refundable.

Rohkem infot

artun.ee/../ma-gd/master-in-graphic-design 

Overview

The Master of Arts (MA) in Graphic Design at the Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA) is a new
two-year, English-language program intended to develop a student’s independent practice,
clarify their intentions, and define their position as a graphic designer. Students will work
critically and consider the relationships between form, content, production, and the
distribution of information. They will develop a practice which is self-reflective, process
oriented, rigorous with intention, and consistently holds an honest position in response to the
typically changing demands and contexts of working as a graphic designer.

The program takes an expanded view of graphic design, seeing it as a form of
knowledge production whose role can be understood as a way of ‘making things public.’ This
idea is supported by providing opportunities for students not only to work through traditional
models of graphic design—books, websites, posters, typefaces, videos—but also to publish
texts, organize exhibitions, host lectures, teach workshops, and create other contexts of
exchange during their studies. Students will actively question the medium as a whole,
consider its ability to engage meaningfully in social and cultural contexts, practice new ways
of making work and expressing form, and contribute to the contemporary development of the
discipline.

Facilities

Each student is given a dedicated workspace located in the MA studio of the Graphic Design
department at EKA. The studio is equipped with an A3 black & white laser printer, A3
risograph printer, and high-speed internet. Students are expected to have their own personal
computer. Access is given to EKA workshops, including screen printing, letterpress, 3D
printing, prototyping lab, and a woodshop. The studio and workshops are part of the newly
completed (in 2018) Estonian Academy of Arts building, which additionally includes a library and contemporary art gallery. Students have the opportunity to attend public lectures and
events organized by other departments and programs in EKA, including from Contemporary
Art and Curating, Art History and Visual Culture, Architecture and Urban Studies, and
Interaction, Digital and Product Design, among others.

Struktuur

The curriculum is structured to provide students the time, space, resources, and
conversation towards the development of their practice and the making of a body of work.
This work is always supported by a teaching staff of actively practicing designers, and invited
guests who give workshops, lectures, and critiques. The first year of the Graphic Design MA
is facilitated by prompts which engage students to question and reflect upon their work. The
second year asks that students come to define their work and practices as a whole. Students
are expected to articulate and defend their work at the end of each semester, and should be
able to outline their intentions for how to continue into the next academic term.

First Year

In the first year, each student is asked to question their practice, interests, and intentions as
a designer through the active process of making new work. This is facilitated by prompts
intended to encourage critical investigation, hands-on making, and iterative working.

Studio

The program is organized around a studio model wherein practice is developed
through formal investigations and applied projects. These can start from a combination of either prompts by the teachers, commissioned projects, or self-initiated work from the students. Regardless of the starting point, the work must be iterative, critical, and contribute towards the forming of a body of work. All work is supervised by weekly meetings either with the staff or visiting critics.

Berlin Studio

During the second semester for seven weeks, the program will
relocate to Berlin, Germany, supported by a teaching staff of local designers. The
Erasmus mobility program has approved a stipend for all students to cover travel and
accommodation costs.

Theory

The theory course will support all practical studio work. Throughout the semester,
students will meet with a theory teacher who will assign readings, lead discussions,
organize lectures, and host screenings. The role of the theory teacher is to help
students contextualize their work, position themselves in the contemporary world,
and facilitate research that may eventually lead to their thesis.
As the first year progresses, these course components fold into one another, so that no work
is done without the integration and support of the other. The work produced in the first year
is intended to be reflected on, and students will be asked to find connections between their
projects to serve as a starting point for defining their work in the second year.

Second Year

In the second year, students will begin to define their own projects and research towards a
final thesis, with the ongoing support of a thesis advisor. In the third semester, students are
required to choose electives (from the faculties of Architecture, Design, Fine Arts, and Art &
Culture) which support this work, while the fourth and final semester is dedicated entirely to
completing the thesis submission and graduation exhibition.

Thesis

The thesis is understood as a cohesive body of work, organized from a collection of
projects developed over the two years of study. It will present what your work is
about and how you position yourself as a graphic designer. The final submission will
take the form of a book, which must include a formal written thesis and the body of
work that supports it.
Upon successful completion of the two years of study and submission of a final thesis,
students will graduate with a Master of Arts in Graphic Design.

Kandideeri! Fall semester 2024/25
Kandideerimisperiood on lõppenud
Õpingute algus
2. sept 2024
Kandideeri! Fall semester 2024/25
Kandideerimisperiood on lõppenud
Õpingute algus
2. sept 2024
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