Comics and Illustration - Master degree

The Concept Artist – Multimedia Director specialization aims to foster an authorial approach in students, while equipping them with the ability to manage every stage of an artistic production. This includes designing the visual style in support of a narrative, shaping the project for publication, and overseeing all stages of creating a fiction or non-fiction narrative through to its finalization.

Keys informations

  • Total number of teaching hours:

    • Year 1 (4th year): 1,220 hours of coursework
    • Year 2 (5th year): 870 hours of coursework and 840 hours of internship
  • qualification certification:

    School certificate

  • Program highlights

    An artistic and technical training program that enables students to fully create comic book albums, supported by experienced artists. The curriculum includes a final graduation project and a six-month internship.

Presentation of the formation

Publishing companies today face both creative and technological challenges that require artists to develop a distinctive voice and master both traditional and digital drawing techniques.

The Comics and Illustration – Master Degree aims to help students develop an authorial approach and acquire the ability to fully manage the entire artistic production process: from designing the visual aesthetics to serve a narrative, to formatting the project for publication, and handling every stage of producing a fiction or non-fiction story, right through to finalization.

This training also opens up career opportunities in other creative industries where illustrators are in demand, particularly animation and video games.

Over the two-year program, students receive both individual and group support. Their projects may be published upon graduation and are thus assessed not only on the quality of execution but also on the relevance of the message conveyed.

The program helps students build skills in media writing, gain proficiency in software commonly used in publishing (notably Illustrator and Photoshop), as well as in visual effects composition (After Effects), and adopt workflows suited to complete project delivery from start to finish.

The Comics and Illustration – Master Degree prepares students for their future professional environment through:

  • Practical experience: workshops, project mentoring, and English courses tailored to creative project development

  • Professional insights: industry talks and training workshops on administrative procedures

  • Creative development: traditional drawing techniques including compositional painting, sculpture, and sketching

Note: This master program can be combined with additional training in anthropology, co-organized by the school and Université Lumière Lyon 2: the DUAIN (University Diploma in Anthropology and Digital Images, level 6).

 

The program presented during the live Open Day on April 28, 2021:

  • 4th year (EM)
  • 5th year (EM)
année

En savoir + sur chaque année

  • This year marks the beginning of the student’s specialization in multimedia publishing through the completion of both individual and group projects. The student explores and deepens their understanding of the professional environment they have chosen.

    During the program, the student develops their final year project, which will be completed and presented before a jury the following year.

    • Tuition fees for the 2025–2026 academic year

      €9,270 (+ €900 annual administrative fees)
      This includes 1,220 hours of face-to-face instruction with a teacher — equivalent to 37 hours per week.

    • Courses

      • Methodology and Documentation

      • Book culture

      • Scenario

      • Illustration

      • Comics

      • Music

  • First Semester
    The first semester is dedicated to the development of the personal project that students submitted to the academic team at the end of the previous year. They receive enhanced individual guidance, take part in workshops designed to prepare them for professional life—such as creating effective demo reels—and attend lectures led by external industry professionals. English classes focus on preparing the artistic portfolio and searching for internships.

    Second Semester
    The second semester is devoted to the production of the final-year project. Technical and artistic supervision is intensified and leads to a midterm evaluation known as the “mock diploma.” During this period, the internship takes place from June to December, preferably abroad. Upon return, students finalize their diploma project, write their internship report, and present their final defense before a professional jury.

    Job dating
    The last day at school is dedicated to professional integration. It features a job dating event with nearly 60 companies. Each student is offered around ten recruitment interviews.

    • Tuition fees for the 2025–2026 academic year

      €9,270 (+ €900 annual administrative fees)
      This includes 870 hours of face-to-face instruction with a teacher — equivalent to 38 hours per week, including a 840-hour internship.

    • Courses

      • Art Direction

      • Scénography

      • Administrative and Legal Seminars

      • Workshops & Talks

      • Project Supervision

      • Technical Supervision

Application

  • Admission requirements

    Eligibility Criteria for External Applications

    Any external candidate may apply directly for admission into the 4th year, provided that:

    • They hold a bachelor’s degree (Level 6) in an art-related field.

    • They submit an artistic portfolio composed of two parts:

      • Part 1: A selection of 20 original observational drawings from life (e.g., documentary studies, life drawing, object rendering — any technique), demonstrating solid drawing skills.

      • Part 2: A more specialised portfolio focused on Multimedia Publishing, including examples such as illustrations, comics, digital artwork, perspective-based environment designs, etc.

    In addition to the portfolio, the candidate must complete and return the eligibility application file provided by the school’s administrative office, including all requested supporting documents.

  • Admission process

    Scheduling an Interview / January to May

    Candidates must contact the school by phone or email to schedule an admission interview.

    • The interview will take place in person for candidates residing in mainland France or neighbouring countries.

    • For all other candidates, the interview will be conducted online.

    Note: This process allows candidates who are not admitted through parallel admission to apply for the first year of the Dessinateur Praticien program via Parcoursup.

    Eligibility Interview

    At least five days before the interview, candidates must submit their complete application digitally. Failure to do so may result in the rejection of their application.

    During the individual interview with an academic advisor, the candidate will present their artistic portfolio. This meeting assesses the applicant’s motivation, artistic goals, and for international applicants, their French language proficiency, unless they can provide proof of a C1 level.

    Practical Test

    Depending on the interview, the candidate may be asked to complete a practical assignment remotely if a particular skill was not sufficiently demonstrated in the portfolio.

  • Admission

    The admissions jury meets in a plenary session at the end of June to make final decisions on candidate admissions.

    Applicants who are not accepted may reapply directly to the 4th year program within the following two years.

Deves Cyrils