Name: Children's Book Illustration, MA
Price: £9,450 per year GBP

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Attendance

Campus

Start

Duration

1 year

Start

September 2025

Delivery

In-person

Our MA Children’s Book Illustration course is perfect for recent graduates or professional illustrators who want to develop new ideas and techniques for the children’s market.

Children's book publishing is a fascinating and varied market. It is continuously evolving in response to changes in society and our environment. The formats available to illustrators are also changing. You'll be able to explore these different forms on our MA Children's Book Illustration course.

The emphasis of this course is children's picture and story books, but you can also look at different formats. This could include graphic novels, comic books, non-fiction books or a brand new format. At postgraduate level, you need to think originally when it comes to your chosen area of children's book illustration and design.

Although our MA Children's Book Illustration is primarily a visual course, author control over content is also important. That means the ability to fuse written and visual content is important in the practice of children’s book illustration. We'll help you to develop these skills.

Why study with us

On our MA Children's Book Illustration course, you will learn how to visually generate ideas and develop your own design vocabulary.
At the end of the course, you will have a body of work produced to a professional and publishable standard.
Our students have won several national children’s book awards and our alumni have illustrated over 70 published titles so far.

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2020 Degree Show - The Digby Project by Evee Lees

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What you'll do

Our MA Children's Book Illustration course features a programme of guest lecturers, company and consultancy visits, as well as exhibitions and workshops.
You will develop your research and reflective skills to support and inform your creative design process.
Project work will be exhibited at a Degree Show that will be attended by industry and potential employers, as well as family, friends, students and the general public.

Modules

This module will support you to make informed decisions of your critical position in the design industry. It'll direct you to establish a clear and critical rationale that will inform through research and underpin your practice decisions. You'll also develop your critical understanding of the philosophies, design strategies and design work of others by networking with relevant contacts.

Module code: DE4402

Utilise theoretical debate and discussion to stimulate analytical, creative and innovative responses to your practice. Advance key skill competences, investigative resources and creative vision. Deploy personal and professional interests and focus your creative practice. Specialise creative practice through informed research with an emphasis on cultural intelligence and a global outlook.

Module code: DE4405

This module provides the opportunity for you to realise your ideas and aspirations through the successful completion of a major study within animation. It will encourage a mastery of practiced-based research through a complex and specialised area of animation study. Enhance critical decision-making in complex and unpredictable solutions for the generation of new ideas within the animation process.

Module code: DE4407

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our published course information. However, our programmes are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may cause alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses. Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of accrediting bodies or revisions to subject benchmarks statements. As well as to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.

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Future careers

MA Children’s Book Illustration graduates could enjoy a career as an author/illustrator for children’s books. You could also work as a book designer or in the publishing industry.

Most children’s illustrators work as freelancers for UK and International publishing houses. Lots of children's illustrators also develop their own books.

Some specialise purely in children’s work, whilst others work as character and toy designers, animators or general illustrators in the design, advertising or publishing industry.

Our students’ work have received awards by Pan Macmillan and Hachette, and our alumni have gone on to be published by Bloomsbury, Little Tiger Press, Orion, Pan Macmillan, Chronicle, Frances Lincoln and more.

Entry requirements

Applicants should hold a 2:2 degree or equivalent professional experience or learning in a related field
Applications from all candidates will be considered on their merits in the light of the nature and scope of the programme
IELTS: Score of 6.0 with no component score lower than 5.5 or above
A high level of achievement in undergraduate studies at a university elsewhere such as North America: Minimum overall GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale
All applicants are requested to submit digital supporting material and where possible will be invited to attend an interview with a portfolio of recent work

Fees and funding

2025/26

Full-time£9,450 per year

Part-time£1,050 per 20 credits

International

Full-time£17,900 per year

Scholarships and bursaries

We have a wide range of bursaries, scholarships and funds available to help support you whilst studying with us.

Select your country to see eligibility information and how to apply by selecting more info on the cards below.

Select your country/region

Dependants Bursary
Students with financially dependent children may be eligible for our Dependants Bursary as part of our financial support package. 
Find out more about Dependants Bursary
Carers Bursary
If you need extra support because you have unpaid caring responsibilities alongside your studies.
Find out more about Carers Bursary
Sports scholarships
We offer student athletes support and opportunities for their playing careers whilst they study a high-quality degree.
Find out more about Sports scholarships
Alumni Loyalty Discount
UK students with a previous award from us will receive 20% tuition fee discount.
Find out more about Alumni Loyalty Discount

The course is supported by staff expertise and extensive computer, studio and workshop facilities. There is also a programme of guest lecturers, company and consultancy visits as well as exhibitions and extra workshops. 

Both practical and theoretical elements will be assessed during and at the end of each module. The final form of the assessment strategy and criteria is the result of collaboration between student and staff.

Interested?

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This course is delivered by the School of Arts and Media

For information on possible changes to course information, see our essential and important course information

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at the University of Central Lancashire on our student contract page

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Children's Book Illustration

Why study with us

Degree Show 2024

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What you'll do

Modules

Year 1

Compulsory modules