Comics and Graphic Novels

Entry requirements

You'll normally be expected to have a 2:1 honours degree in Humanities, Art & Design or a related discipline. If your academic background does not meet our requirements but you have extensive experience or work in this area then the Course Director would be interested to consider your application; please ensure that your Personal Statement clarifies.

For the MDes, you'll need to submit a portfolio of up to 15 relevant still images, preferably comic pages, sequential art, character designs or conceptual art, sent as a PDF.

Months of entry

September

Course content

This course is a blend of academic analysis and creative practice. You will learn about the comics medium and industry and its relation to different genres and cultures across various media. You will think critically about these ideas and relate analysis of style and form to theory, context, politics, and history.

We have close links with industry and our expert staff are involved in making comics, researching comics, and organising major comics conferences. Guest speakers have included:

• Dave Gibbons (Watchmen)
• Frank Quitely (Batman and Robin)
• Ian Kennedy (2000AD, Commando, Dan Dare)
• Cam Kennedy (Judge Dredd, Star Wars)

We also offer an MLitt in Comics & Graphic Novels at the University. While both courses focus on developing your critical understanding of comics, the MDes is practice-based. For MDes students, that means that alongside the theoretical side of the course you will develop your own comics, learning script writing, thumbnails, pencils, inks, lettering, colouring, and traditional and digital production methods.

You will have access to studio space and to Dundee Comics Creative Space, a hub for comics teaching and creation run by the University.

Dundee is a recognised powerhouse of comics production and is home to DC Thomson & Co Ltd, producers of iconic titles such as The Beano, The Dandy, and Commando. We have developed a very strong relationship with the publisher, and have worked on two major ‘live’ projects with The Beano.