MA Graphic Design

The Master of Arts (MA) in Graphic Design at the Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA) is a two-year, full-time postgraduate program taught entirely in English and comprising 120 ECTS. The program is designed to help students develop an independent graphic design practice and establish their own position as graphic designers.

The program takes an expanded view of graphic design, understanding graphic design not only as a visual communication discipline but also as a form of knowledge production and a way of “making things public.” Students work with traditional graphic design formats such as books, websites, posters, typefaces, and videos, while also exploring activities such as publishing texts, organizing exhibitions, hosting lectures, teaching workshops, and creating other contexts for exchange.

Individual Practice and Creative Development

The individual interests, concerns, and development of each student are placed at the centre of the program. Students are expected to develop a body of work that explores their relationship to form, content, production, and the distribution of information.

Throughout the program, students are encouraged to question graphic design as a medium, investigate new methods of making and expressing form, and consider how graphic design can engage with social and cultural contexts. The program emphasizes a practice that is self-reflective, process-oriented, rigorous, intentional, and responsive to changing conditions within the graphic design profession.

Program Structure

The curriculum provides students with dedicated time, space, resources, and discussion opportunities for developing their practice and building a substantial body of work. Teaching is supported by actively practicing designers as well as invited guests who contribute through workshops, lectures, and critiques.

The first year focuses on questioning and investigating the student’s existing practice, interests, and intentions. The second year focuses on defining an individual practice and developing research and projects toward the final thesis.

Students are expected to articulate and defend their work at the end of each semester and explain their intentions for continuing their development into the following academic term. Alongside studio practice, topic-specific courses explore contemporary issues, methods, and ideas in graphic design.

First Year

During the first year, students actively question their existing practice, interests, and intentions through the process of creating new work. Prompts are used to encourage critical investigation, hands-on making, experimentation, and iterative development.

Studio

The program is organized around a studio model in which students develop their practice through formal investigations and applied projects. Projects may originate from teacher-provided prompts, commissioned projects, or self-initiated work.

Regardless of how a project begins, students are expected to develop work through an iterative and critical process that contributes to the formation of a coherent body of work. Studio work is supported through weekly meetings with teaching staff or visiting critics.

Theory

The theory component supports and contextualizes the practical studio work. Students meet with a theory teacher who assigns readings, leads discussions, organizes lectures, and hosts screenings.

Theory studies help students place their work within the contemporary world, develop research interests, and explore ideas that may eventually contribute to their thesis. As the first year progresses, practical and theoretical components increasingly connect with one another, ensuring that studio work is developed with theoretical and research support.

The work produced during the first year is also reviewed and connected to help students establish a foundation for defining their practice during the second year.

Berlin Studio

During the second semester of the first year, students relocate to Berlin, Germany, for seven weeks. The Berlin Studio is supported by local practicing designers.

The Erasmus mobility program has approved a stipend for all students to cover travel and accommodation costs associated with this period of study.

Second Year

During the second year, students begin defining their individual projects and conducting research toward their final thesis. Students receive ongoing support from a thesis advisor throughout this process.

In the third semester, students are required to select electives from the faculties of Architecture, Design, Fine Arts, and Art & Culture. These electives are intended to support the development of their individual projects and research.

The fourth and final semester is dedicated entirely to completing the thesis submission and preparing the graduation exhibition.

Thesis and Graduation

The thesis is conceived as a cohesive body of work developed from projects created throughout the two years of study. It demonstrates what the student’s practice is about and how they position themselves as a graphic designer.

The final submission takes the form of a book that includes both a formal written thesis and the body of work supporting it. Students who successfully complete the two-year program and submit their final thesis graduate with a Master of Arts in Graphic Design.

Facilities and Study Environment

Each student receives a dedicated workspace within the MA studio of the Graphic Design Department at EKA. The studio includes an A3 black-and-white laser printer, A3 risograph printer, and high-speed internet. Students are expected to have their own personal computer.

Students also have access to EKA workshops and facilities, including:

• Screen printing
• Letterpress
• 3D printing
• Prototyping lab
• Woodshop

The studio and workshops are located within the Estonian Academy of Arts building, which also includes a library and contemporary art gallery.

Students can additionally attend public lectures and events organized by other EKA departments and programs, including Contemporary Art and Curating, Art History and Visual Culture, Architecture and Urban Studies, and Interaction, Digital and Product Design.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must hold an undergraduate diploma or higher. Applicants graduating in the summer of 2026 who cannot submit their final diploma and transcript before the application deadline may submit their latest transcript showing current grades together with written confirmation from their educational institution stating that the final educational documents will be issued no later than 30 June.

Educational qualification documents are accepted in English or Estonian. Documents originally issued in another language require translations into English or Estonian. Both the original-language documents and translations must be properly attested where required.

Applicants must upload digital copies of their educational documents with the application. Accepted applicants may later be asked to provide physical copies, but applicants should not send documents by post unless specifically instructed to do so.

English Language Requirements

The program is taught in English, and applicants must provide proof of English language proficiency unless they meet the specified conditions for a language requirement waiver.

EKA accepts several international English-language tests, including:

• TOEFL ITP: minimum 543
• TOEFL iBT: minimum 72
• IELTS Academic or Indicator: minimum 5.5, with at least 5.5 in each component
• FCE (Cambridge English: First): minimum B2 result of 160
• CAE (Cambridge English: Advanced): C1 level
• CPE (Cambridge English: Proficiency): C2 level
• PTE Academic: minimum 59
• International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme: final English exam grade of at least 5
• European Baccalaureate: positive score in the final English examination

Certain state examinations may also be accepted, including specified English examinations from Estonia, Finland, and Latvia.

Language certificates are accepted for up to two years after they are issued.

English Language Requirement Waiver

The English proficiency test may be waived in specific circumstances. This can apply to applicants who completed their secondary education, bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree fully in English in an EU/EEA member state, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom, provided the applicant resided in the relevant country during their studies.

A waiver may also apply to applicants who completed at least one academic year as a full-time student, obtaining a minimum of 45 ECTS with positive results, in English at a higher education institution in one of the specified countries.

The transcript must provide evidence that the studies were conducted fully in English where applicable.

Portfolio Requirement

A relevant digital portfolio is required for admission.

The portfolio must be submitted as a PDF with a maximum size of 60 MB. It should contain 10–15 projects, with each project supported by a selection of 4–6 images and a description of approximately 50 words.

The portfolio may include a combination of professional commissions, self-initiated work, bachelor’s projects, unrealized or in-progress projects, and relevant projects from other fields.

For video projects, applicants should include still frames in the PDF together with an external link to the video. The portfolio should be well organized, carefully designed, and easy to follow.

Required Application Documents

Applicants are required to submit the following documents:

• Bachelor’s degree certificate or equivalent
• Transcript of records
• English language proficiency certificate
• Passport or ID-card data page
• CV of maximum two pages in PDF format
• Digital portfolio
• Admissions Questions

Applicants must also answer five admissions questions covering their background and experience in graphic design, influences on their thinking, reasons for applying to the MA, their understanding of an expanded view of graphic design, and their planned research interests or projects.

The answers must be precise and concise and submitted as a formatted PDF within the specified character limits.

Admission Interview

Applications are reviewed by a jury. Selected candidates are invited to an admission interview, with interview candidates announced a few days before the interview date.

For the 2026 admission cycle, interviews are scheduled for 17 and 22 March via Zoom.

The interview focuses on the applicant’s motivation for studying, expectations of the program, and discussion of previously completed projects relevant to these topics.

Tuition and Application Fee

The tuition fee for the MA in Graphic Design is €3,000 per year. An €80 one-time application fee is also required, and the application fee is non-refundable.

Study Start

The program has a nominal duration of two years (120 ECTS) and studies commence on 31 August.

The source states that the application period has ended for the stated 2026 intake.

Overall, the MA in Graphic Design at the Estonian Academy of Arts provides an intensive studio- and research-based environment in which students develop an independent graphic design practice, explore contemporary approaches to the discipline, work across practical and theoretical contexts, and develop a final body of work culminating in a written thesis, thesis book, and graduation exhibition.