Course summary
The MA Digital Comics course will enable you to: explore the design skills needed to visualise engaging characters, worlds, panels and pages develop your storytelling skills and examine the new possibilities for comics offered by digital display investigate the commercial practices behind the publication of successful work write and illustrate comics with a particular focus on digital distribution and consumption study a modular structure that has produced professionals across the digital comics industry have the opportunity for unique collaboration with students on other pathways and work with animators, games artists, concept artists and digital comics illustrators. Why choose this course? You will complete the course having created a range of comics for different formats, audiences and contexts. You will gain an in-depth understanding of the processes of writing, designing, illustrating, distributing and promoting digital comics as well as organise and manage professional workflows and create digital and traditional comic outcomes to a high standard. You will also learn how to communicate and articulate your practice within a wide range of networks. The specialist teaching approach will focus on exploiting the unique qualities of digital comics as well as developing a solid set of skills equally applicable to traditional print comic publication. The course will expose you to critical and media theories that you can connect to your emerging practice to grow your repertoire of skills and stand out in the marketplace, by creating new services or lead innovation in digital comic creation. Talks and guest lectures by professional practitioners from across the creative industries take place regularly on campus. In semester B you will have the opportunity to engage in a live project that may involve working with a real-world client or exploring the application of an “applied comics” approach in a research or commercial setting. Opportunities for self-promotion through competition entry and interactions with comic publishers and collectives will also be explored throughout course.
Entry requirements
A degree, ideally in a relevant subject (2.2 minimum), plus a portfolio demonstrating recent engagement and creative activities in your intended study area. Accreditation of professional experience may be possible for practitioners without a first degree. A minimum IELTS score of 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in any component (or equivalent) is required for those whose first language is not English. For country specific qualifications, please visit our your country page. If you do not have the required level of English for entry, our academic English courses can help you to achieve this level. A selection of your portfolio/reel/previous coursework or self-initiated art. We’re looking for potential to succeed in your chosen field, good ideas that have been developed (they don’t necessarily have to be complete!) and a flair and openness toward the challenge of a master’s degree. We recommend you visit to see if we are right for you - we hold open days where you can often meet relevant staff and view the facilities. A personal statement outlining why you want to pursue your chosen master's course at the University of Hertfordshire, reflecting on your current skills and experience, and detailing your ambitions for your future career.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
No fee information has been provided for this course
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
Fees for Postgraduate Study 2026/27:
https://www.herts.ac.uk/study/fees-and-funding/fee-information/how-much-are-my-fees
Provider information
University of Hertfordshire
College Lane
Hatfield
AL10 9AB