BA (Hons)/MArt Comics and Visual Storytelling
BA (Hons)/MArt Comics and Visual Storytelling
Location
Start date*
September 2027
*Subject to approval by Coventry University.
Duration
3 years (BA) / 4 years (MArt)
Mode of study
Full time
Fees*
UK students: £9,535 per year
International students: £17,995 per year
*Fees are provisional and subject to change.
Entry requirements
80-120 UCAS points, plus a portfolio
Institution code
P34
UCAS code
To be confirmed
Awarded by (subject to approval)
Course overview
Turn your passion for comics, Manga, and visual storytelling into a creative career.
New for September 2027 entry, our Comics and Visual Storytelling degree is being developed in collaboration with Comic Book UK, editors, artists and publishers from some of the UKs most prominent comics creators to help you break into the industry.
You'll get to discover the varied roles of Comic Creators, Illustrators and Storytellers across the publishing and entertainment industries. Each module explores contextually relevant theory and practice of comic art and visual storytelling, so you’ll develop a broad knowledge and narrative to inform your craft, while gaining the creative and commercial knowledge essential to succeed in the ever-evolving creative landscape.
Throughout the course, you’ll sharpen your skills in comic art, narrative writing, visual storytelling, and traditional and digital drawing, colouring, design, and digital art practice. You'll also delve into narrative, scriptwriting, editorial and sequential art. We’ll cover comic history and introduce you to comic traditions from around the world, from western comics to Manga and web-based, digital formats.
You’ll also have the chance to collaborate on exciting projects - either with fellow comic students to create an anthology, or with our animation, games and VFX students to create an extended universe.
By the time graduate as an Escapee, you’ll be well-prepared for a wide range of creative careers - freelance or full-time - including traditional and digital comics, children’s book illustration, and broader publishing roles. Your core skills in writing, illustration, sequential storytelling are also highly transferable to film, animation, and games, where visual storytelling plays a central role in storyboarding, concept development, screenwriting, and narrative design.
Why choose this course
- Based in London - home to some of the best comic publishers, and animation, video games and VFX studios in the world.
- Designed with professional input to ensure this degree is relevant to employers and up to date. For Comics and Visual Storytelling, we’re working with Comic Book UK, an association championing the UK comic industry, ensuring recognition and support as a vital part of the UK's creative industries.
- Industry briefs and feedback - work on industry-standard briefs, giving you the opportunity to create comics in all their various forms. You’ll experience real-life scenarios and receive feedback on your work.
- Industry practice embedded throughout the degree, including a professional practice module designed to prepare you to enter the industry as a freelance Comic Creator.
- Industry relevant tools and workflows - life drawing and sketching workshops will be a constant throughout the degree, reinforcing the importance of observation, anatomy, and artistic interpretation.
- Industry-standard facilities - study in a studio environment that mirrors current industry practice, using high-spec equipment and professional software such as Clip Studio Paint EX, Adobe tools and of course not forgetting traditional materials.
- Successful alumni - you’ll join our community of thousands of Escapees, many of whom have gone on to work at some of the world’s top animation, games and visual effects studios including Rare, Rockstar, Ubisoft, DNEG and Framestore. 47 Escapees worked on Avengers: Endgame, 26 on The Mandalorian, 23 on Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3 and 20 on Stranger Things.
Course modules
Coming soon
More information
Subject to approval by Coventry University, and subject to change.
Entry requirements
Minimum academic requirements
- GCSE English at grade 4/C or equivalent
- Have or be predicted a minimum of 80 UCAS points.
Conditional offers are made based on applicant's predicted grades (but we do not set conditions above 120 UCAS points even if your predicted grades are higher than this).
| UCAS points | A Levels | BTEC | UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma | International Baccalaureate (IB) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80-120 | CDD - BBB | MMP - DMM | M | 27-30 |
We are a specialist institution with a flexible approach to admissions, to allow students with creative potential to access our courses. Contact our Admissions Team if you're not sure about your qualifications: admissions@escapestudios.ac.uk / +44 (0) 20 4570 5091.
Academic requirements for international students (non-UK)
We welcome applications from qualified candidates all over the world.
Undergraduate applicants will usually need good high school grades and an undergraduate portfolio.
Head to our international hub for more information. For any questions, reach out to our Admissions Team: admissions@escapestudios.ac.uk
Portfolio submission
Once we receive your UCAS application, you’ll be invited to submit an online portfolio of your work. We take students who have the talent to succeed, and we know the best way to judge this is not necessarily by just a set of academic grades. Our tutors will review your portfolio to determine whether we can offer you a place.
Your portfolio can be submitted to your applicant portal in the form of an online link (e.g. ArtStation, Google Drive, Dropbox etc.). You can also include an optional supporting statement (written, video or audio) to be reviewed with your portfolio.
Check out detailed guidance in our Undergraduate Portfolio Guide.
English language requirements
All our courses are taught in English. If your first language is not English, you may need to complete an English language test, such as a Pearson English language test (PTE Academic) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test, to demonstrate you have the language skills needed to complete your degree.
| Qualification | Score required |
|---|---|
| IELTS for UKVI (Academic) | 6.0 IELTS (with a minimum of 6.0 in Reading and Writing and 5.5 in Speaking and Listening) |
| PTE Academic UKVI | 62 including 60 in each subtest |
International students will be required to hold a Secure English Language Test (SELT) at B2 in order to be able to apply for a visa to study at Escape Studios on a student visa. Visit the government website for guidance.
You may be exempt from proving your English level if you are from an English-speaking country listed as recognised for visa purposes or have a degree level qualification obtained in one of these countries. The latest list is available on the UK Government website.
For students who have a SELT at B2 but who do not meet our requirements, we can also consider alternative qualifications. Please contact admissions@escapestudios.ac.uk for more information.
How to apply
The first intake for BA (Hons) / MArt Comics and Visual Storytelling will be September 2027. Applications will open during the Autumn of 2026.
Fees and funding
Information coming soon
Assessment
Your work is assessed through practical assignments and retrospectives by a mix of tutor, peer, self-review and industry. In fact, industry professionals often review your project modules and share their personalised feedback with you.
Software
- Clip Studio Pro Ex
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Illustrator
Teaching and learning
Your overall workload will be divided between teaching sessions and independent learning.
During your course, you’ll be able to develop your knowledge and skills in a number of ways. Some learning time will be closely directed and supervised by your tutors, at other times you’ll be free to organise your own study with guidance. All your scheduled studio time, except for some information sessions and presentations, will be in smaller groups based on specialism.
For many of your projects, you’ll work in smaller teams, collaborating to meet a shared brief, with the support and assistance that you need. The craft modules have a higher contact time, as this is where you will learn the knowledge and skills associated with your chosen subject, directed and informed by your tutors’ expertise and experience. These will normally involve a large part of each day in the studio with your tutor and Studio Assistant*, following demonstrations and working on set exercises to help you develop your craft.
The project modules will have a lower contact time, with your tutors taking on the roles of supervisors or studio leads. You’ll meet with them regularly to get feedback and help you stay on the right path, but these modules are much more about you managing the learning experience to meet your objectives. The majority of projects will be team-based, and you’ll have the opportunity to take on different roles in several teams during your studies. Again, you’ll be expected to work in the studios for a significant part of each day, and attendance will be recorded, but outside those times, you’ll be free to organise your work as a team to best suit your project requirements.
Each module has its own area on our Online Learning Environment (OLE) where you will find information about the module and the resources that are provided to support your learning. Some of this information will be dedicated to the module, other elements may be shared across different modules and some may be external assets that can help with your further study. There may be links to videos, online journals and e-books, and you should take advantage of these to enhance your development and take it beyond the studio experience. Tutors may highlight some of these during their sessions. The OLE and our online library also include resources to help you improve your study skills.
Students with additional needs or disabilities are supported by our Student Services Team.
*Undergraduate classes with over 18 students, will have a Studio Assistant assigned to offer extra support to both the tutor and students.
Contact hours
The academic year consists of three terms: Autumn, Spring and Summer. Students on a typical three-year degree attend classes during the Autumn and Spring term, for a total of 30 weeks, and will normally not attend during the Summer term, unless they have to re-attempt assessments.
Per week, your overall workload will be approximately 40 hours. Each week, you will spend 15 hours in workshops and practical classes and 20-25 hours on self-study learning and working on your projects.
Why Escape Studios?
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Meet our industry-experienced tutors
Our tutors have industry experience and are experts in their fields, including certified trainers for Unreal Engine, Autodesk and Houdini. They've worked at studios such as Walt Disney, EA and Framestore, on credits including Doctor Strange, Kingsman and Bond: Spectre.
