The Master of Arts in Communication Design at the Bern University of the Arts is a consecutive degree programme for graphic designers and illustrators with finished foundational studies or some years of professional experience. Moderate class sizes make individual study profiles possible, which take into account the origin, socialisation, previous education, goals and expectations of the individual students. The education at the BUA combines the further development and expansion of technical skills with critical reflection and, thus, “produces” intelligent and unusual designer personalities. It enables them to pursue independent or advisory activities or to take on leading positions and to mediate between groups with different lifestyles and expectations. As students continuously apply scientific methods to their practical training, graduates are able to thoroughly analyse design issues, understand them in their social context and, thus, to question the foundations and media of communication design, develop them further and possibly even reinvent them.

Students complete a three-semester curriculum or – in exceptional cases – apply with a project that has to be assessed and approved by the Head of Studies before they start their studies. In collaboration with the research areas Communication Design and Inter- mediality, the Master’s programme can offer the foundations for a career in design research for students with an expressed interest in this.

The web publication «design-magazin.ch» regularly gives insights into the Bachelor`s programme Visual Communication and Master`s programme Communication Design at the Bern University of the Arts BUA. It shows works and projects that were created in the context of the two degree programmes and their environment: works by students and teachers, created as part of school projects or coming from their daily design routine.