Author: Kenny Amaro

The other day while talking with a fellow designer, I just asked him, if you had the chance to choose right now between Visual Communication vs UI/UX masters, which would you choose?

His answer was that the only smart move now is going for UI/UX master degree, he also told me “UX designers are more demanded right now and well paid”…

I disagree, not from an economic stand point, but because I don’t think you should be looking for a degree basing solely on money, you could become a frustrated professional if you think like that, in fact; I was that frustrated professional when I start working as a designer (that story deserves another article).

While the balance is inclined for UX in terms of Salary, there is plenty of opportunities out there for both master degree graduates, In this article I will be trying to cover everything from: 

• The different between both degrees
• Curriculums
• Real economy impact for both
• Salaries 

and my experience as an employee for both.

Before diving into the differences, I will go with a more personal question

Who are you as a person?

ok, I admit that’s deep, that question usually divides into some others:

• What are your main values?
• What set of skills do you have?
• How do you see yourself in the coming years?

All of those questions will help A LOT to decide whether to choose one or the other.

Once you have that solved, then the natural coming question is how that answer is aligned with the career path you are choosing. If you are gonna be an Engineer you need to have a specific set of values like honesty, discipline or teamwork, oppositely if you are gonna be a lawyer you need to have justice, integrity or courage. As you see, both are different. Something as simple as knowing your values makes the whole difference, for that reason my first advice:

Know yourself.

The decision between these two career paths represents more than just academic programs.

They are two different philosophies of design, on one hand, Visual Communication is all about the art of the message, while UI/UX focus on the science of the experience

Right now, both are growing fields, with Visual Communication Design Services projected to grow at 7% through 2033, and UX Designer positions with salaries of more than $90k (see sources at the end of this article)

As you see, both good opportunities for a career, now let’s dive deeply in into the differences:

Understanding the Fundamental Difference: Art vs Science of Design

While I was researching for this article, I realized universities usually don’t care about a congruent career path, I mean, it is not like all the curriculum will be perfectly structured, sometimes they fall into the “trendy” area, they just insert subjects to grab attention which leads to graduate testimonials like,

“The course was too vague”

This Visual Communication vs UI/UX Masters comparison becomes even more important when universities don’t always provide clear career paths. In my opinion it all depends on the university, some offer a social impact output, others strategic and business thinking and others advanced graphic design skills and tools.

But regardless of the university they all share common values (which obviously may vary depending on the output). To make your life easier, I just created a list of values for both graduates. I know this is useful because if I only had this list when I graduated, I would probably choose UX 🙂. 

🎨 Values of a Visual Communication Master Graduate

• Creativity → if you are that friend that always have an idea.
• Aesthetics & beauty → if you feel uncomfortable after looking for a terrible restaurant menu.
• Clarity → if this sentence resonates with you “ok, let me explain you”
• Cultural sensitivity → You basically care about cultural stuff people usually don’t notice.
• Expression → If you truly think that there is a value in expressing your real self.
• Storytelling → if you are telling a story but you value every step (for those whom intros are longest than the story itself LOL)

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🖥️ Values of a UI/UX Master Graduate

• Empathy → if you actually feel and understand other people feelings and needs
• Accessibility & inclusion → if you care that everyone deserves the same amount of spaghetti
• Functionality → if you complain because movie theaters don’t have an armrest per sit (if you know what I’m talking about)
• Simplicity → the word is already saying it… 
• Iterative improvement → if you rewrite the same text message three times before sending it.
• Problem-solving → if you used to solve your friend problems (and you were good at it)

This saves time but is not enough, let’s now be more specific about the skills you will be developing.

Visual Communication skills

In short: the skills you will develop depends on the university, as I said before they can offer different outputs, regardless of that I can tell you a range:

• Advanced graphic design skills
  • Typography and layout
  • Editorial design (print and digital)
  • Branding and motion graphics
• Visual Storytelling
• Critical analysis
• Project management
• Strategic thinking
• Creative direction
• Methodologies
• Academic Research
• Art direction
• Video and Photography

As you see, by doing a master in this field you will be developing a broad skill set. My advice is to always try to look for advice, if the university is on the same country, try to visit, understand what is the offer, what current students are thinking about the career, download or check for master curriculums and go to forums to read for graduate opinions this will help you understand the MA focus.

UI/UX design skills

In contrast, the skills you will develop while coursing a UI/UX master are not that wide and focus on usability and problem-solving. The entire field is built on User-Centered Design (UCD) created by Don Norman which is like the father of UX. It is basically a framework that puts its attention on user goals, user journey and solutions on every step of its journey.

So, a UI/UX masters program typically covers:

• Product strategy
• User Research Methodologies
• Data Analysis
• Information Architecture
• Design Thinking Frameworks to design creative solutions
• Wireframing and Prototyping (Creating testable design concepts before full implementation)
• Visual Design (for interfaces)
• Interaction Design (Designing systems to be experienced over time)
• Usability testing (to iterate on designs)

Ok, so we have covered values and skills, let me ask you: until now, do you notice any difference? simple:

Visual communicators create stuff to be consumed

UI/UX designers create to be experienced. 

But here’s a fact, good visual communicators create products to be well experienced, and good UI/UX designers are the bridge between business and user, which means they also have to think and create products to be consumed.

Now that we have this clear let’s dive into the curriculum for both masters, which are a little bit complex

Visual Communication vs UI/UX Masters: Curriculum Face-Off Explained

Let me break down for you what you’ll actually be learning in each program.

First of all, it wasn’t an easy task, universities do a good job hiding their program information behind a form submission or several pages of information.

So, if you had the same experience as me, I got you…finding the nuances is not that simple. 

Visual Communication Curriculum

An actual VC curriculum is not a fixed set of subjects, universities have different ways to approach a VC, ohio university for example have 4 different kind of VC base on the output, others have one kind but with a broad set of subjects. I will try to give you at least core components that all may have. 

Core Academic Components:

• Design Theory and History: You will dive into deep design concepts, art history, and critical studies that will provide you with cultural context for your work
• Advanced Media Skills: you will send your current design skills to the next level (if you come from an artistic or graphic design career): digital fabrication, video art, printmaking and illustration
• Strategic Design: Combining a little bit of business and managing brand experiences

Project-Based Learning: As a student, you will develop a professional portfolio or an academic report through a “special project” that often culminates in a design solution with themes like education, health, and social impact.

UI/UX Core Curriculum

I think these programs follow a more structured approach than the VC one, even though in practice UX/UI can have different curriculums, they are complementary and merged.

Research (Good UX designers have a good research foundation):

• User Research and Analysis: Learning to conduct qualitative and quantitative research, develop personas, and create journey maps
• Usability Testing: Running user tests to validate design decisions with real user data
• Data Driven Decision Making: Converting research insights into design strategies

Technical Implementation:

• Information Architecture: Structuring content and functionality for optimal user navigation
• Interaction Design: Creating intuitive digital interfaces and micro-interactions
• Front-End Collaboration: Some programs include HTML, CSS, and JavaScript fundamentals to improve developer collaboration

Methodology Focus: UI/UX have an iterative approach focusing in design cycles: research & analyze -> design -> test ->improve. So in your day to day as a UX designer you will be basically following that pattern (if you find a good company/team).

Now that we’ve covered the curriculum differences in Visual Communication vs UI/UX Masters, let’s talk about what really matters to most people:

Visual Communication or UI/UX Masters: The Real Career Impact

(Salaries, Growth, and Market Demand)

Okay, let’s be real here. We all wanna know about the money, right? I mean, it’s likely one of the reasons that you’re reading this article. So I’ll give it to you straight regarding what you can expect in terms of salary.

Visual Communication Earning Potential

When I first started my career as a visual designer, I was making much less than what I’m about to tell you. But here’s what Visual Communication graduates can expect these days:

If you go the traditional route:

• Graphic Designer: around $71k (not bad for entry-level)
• Art Director: $95k (now we’re talking)
• Visual Designer: $76k (nice comfortable in-between)

But here comes the cool stuff – the new digital careers:

• Brand Designer: $78k-$95k (my dream job)
• Motion Graphics Designer: $68k-$85k (if you’re an After Effects enthusiast, this is the career for you)
• Creative Director: $110k-$150k+ (the dream career, but years of experience are needed)

The thing is, Visual Communication has such beautiful diversity. You can literally work anywhere – I’ve met VC graduates working in ad agencies (35% of them end up doing that), in-house marketing teams (28%), publishing (18%), entertainment and gaming (12%), and even government jobs (7%).

UI/UX  Earning Potential

Now, this is where my designer friend wasn’t wrong about the Visual Communication vs UI/UX Masters salary differences. UI/UX people do make good money, and they make it faster. Look at this:

Entry to Mid-Level:

• UX Designer: $93k-$110k (yep, that’s entry level)
• UI Designer: $85k average (still not bad)
• UX Researcher: $106k (if you enjoy speaking with users)

Senior Level:

• Product Designer: $113k (the holy grail)
• Senior UX Designer: $122k (where experience really pays off)
• Senior Product Designer: $157k (the big leagues)

Leadership Level:

• UX Lead: $179k (leading teams and strategy)

What is interesting is that a little over 28% of UX/UI designers are employed in tech companies, 12% in finance, and 10% in consulting. It’s as if the entire world starting needed good user experience the last decade, and indeed it was like that, UI/UX is new, norman nielsen introduced the UX concept first time in the 90s so this is a 30 years old field, there is still enough time for this field to grow. 

Where You’ll Actually Work (The Real Industry Breakdown)

VC graduates possess this amazing versatility. You can literally work anywhere:

Visual Communication Industries:

• Advertising and Marketing: This is where I began, designing campaigns that actually get people to stop scrolling (harder than it seems)
• Publishing and Media: If you’re that one person who gets frustrated by poor magazine layouts, this could be your calling
• Entertainment: Movie posters, game graphics, all that great stuff that makes you want to play or watch something
• Education: Designing stuff that actually helps people learn (very underappreciated field)
• Fashion and Retail: Building brands and making stores visually appealing (visual merchandising is an art)

UI/UX Industries:

UX people are pretty much everywhere nowadays:

• Technology: Obviously, the biggie here. If you love working with developers and product managers, you’ll be in your element
• E-commerce: Making sure people can actually buy things online without losing their minds (key skill)
• Healthcare: This is exploding. Think of creating apps that actually assist doctors in saving lives
• Financial Services: Banks finally figured out that their apps are awful, so they’re hiring UX folks to make them better
• Government: Believe it or not, governments are attempting to make their websites suck les

But let me share a secret with you: the lines are blurring like crazy. I’ve seen Visual Communication people jump into UX roles, and UX designers who become amazing at visual design. 

AI and Emerging Tech: Reshaping Design Roles

Visual communicators and UI/UX designers are using AI as their daily helpers, and they will start using it more frequently, but I don’t expect in the near future to replace us. AI is basically reshaping both fields by transforming designers into a more strategic role. I expect to see more AI design tools that help designers create entire wireframes for example, so you will see designers shape their careers as orchestrators. 

What is my honest conclusion about ai in design?: sometimes it produces good results, other times I want to throw my laptop in the trash. Anyway, here’s the short answer: AI is great for research, and good for certain analytical conclusions (if you use a good model). What AI is absolutely awful at: Understanding culture and context, creating emotionally resonant designs and strategic thinking and empathy (of course) I just wrote an article talking about this called “How Has AI Been Affecting UX Design?”

So do either Visual Communication or UI/UX, you’re set. AI can be your sidekick, but it will not be able to replace you in the human insight of what gets people going.

Real People, Real Stories (Because Examples Matter)

Visual Communication Success Stories:

• My friend Sarah made the switch from graphic design to Chief Creative Officer at a big tech company (it took her 8 years, but she achieved it)
• Another friend I know of continued to become Creative Director at a big ad agency and now leads campaigns for Fortune 500 companies
• One of my favorite success stories is someone who went on to become a Brand Strategy Consultant and works with huge brands

UI/UX Success Stories:

• There is this one guy who went on to be an Interaction Designer at Google (he just did the google UX design coursera certification, now leads teams)
• Somebody I am linked with on LinkedIn switched from junior UX to heading UX for government services 
• A friend from a prior cohort now designs for a major ecommerce platform (amazon)

The thing is: both paths can have amazing careers. It’s a matter of what kind of impact you want to make.

So, How Do You Actually Decide?

Here’s where we get real. The Visual Communication vs UI/UX Masters decision ultimately comes down to self knowledge. Put the money aside for a second.

Ask Yourself These Questions:

When you see a terrible design, what bothers you more?

• That it’s ugly and doesn’t convey the message well? → You might be a Visual Communication person
• That it’s complicated and hard to use? → You might be a UX person

What makes you more enthusiastic?

• Creating something beautiful that conveys a message
• Solving problems that make people’s lives easier

How do you prefer to work?

• On your creative gut and sense of aesthetics
• Grounded in research and data to tell you what to decide

I wish someone would have asked me these questions when I was deciding. It would have spared a great deal of confusion early in my career.

The Future (And Why Both Paths Are Smart Decisions)

Here’s what I think will happen (based on what I’m seeing in the industry):

Visual Communication is becoming:

• Creative Strategy (AI can’t grok culture like humans do)
• Cross-platform storytelling (way more complex than it sounds)
• Brand experience design (visual and experiential thinking integrated)

UI/UX is becoming:

• Research leadership (guiding entire product strategies)
• Systems design (designing for complex, interconnected experiences)
• Ethical technology design (ensuring tech doesn’t harm people)

But the true secret is this: the future is hybrid designers. Visual Communication people who understand users, and UX people who can create beautiful, emotionally resonant interfaces.

The new opportunities I’m excited about:

• AR/VR design (needs both visual storytelling AND interaction design)
• AI-assisted design (someone needs to operate all these tools)
• Sustainable design (blending ethics with clear communication or user experience)

Visual Communication vs UI/UX Masters: my Final Thoughts my Final Thoughts

After writing all this out, here is what I want you to take away:

There are no good or bad choices here, both degrees are solid choices. Visual Communication gives you creative freedom and diverse opportunities. UI/UX gives you methodical problem-solving skills and (let’s be real) better starting salaries.

But the question is not so much which one is more secure or which one pays better. The question is: which one is more you?

If you’re still uncertain, here’s my advice: talk to people who do both jobs. LinkedIn reach-outs, coffee meetings for 15 minutes, shadow for a day if possible. The best career decision is an informed one.

And remember, whatever you choose, you’re not committed forever. I’ve changed directions multiple times in my career, and each twist and turn taught me something useful.

Most importantly? Start somewhere. Both paths will teach you skills that AI can augment but never replace: creativity, empathy, and strategic thinking.

Thanks for sticking with me through this comprehensive Visual Communication vs UI/UX Masters guide! I hope it clarified things for you.

FAQ (The Questions I Always Get)

Sources & References

Salary Data & Industry Statistics:

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
• Built In – 2025 UX Designer Salary in US
• Glassdoor Salary Reports – Design Salaries 2025
• Archive Market Research – Visual Communication Design Services 2025-2033 Analysis
• Indeed Career Guide – Visual Communication Designer SalaryPayScale – UX Designer Salary Report

Academic Program Information (Visual Communication):

• Kent State University – Visual Communication Design MFA
• Rochester Institute of Technology – Visual Communication Design MFA
• Rhode Island School of Design – Graphic Design Master’s Programs
• University of Texas at Austin – MFA Curriculum & Courses
• Liberty University – Online MA in Visual Communication Design

Academic Program Information (UI/UX):

• University of Michigan-Flint – Master’s in Human-Centered UX Design
• Touro GST – M.S. in UX/UI and Interaction Design
• ArtCenter College of Design – Master of Design in Interaction Design
• University of New Haven – Master of Professional Studies in UX Design

Design Industry Research & Theory:

• LogRocket Blog – Visual Communication vs. UI/UX Design
• Scalability – Visual Communication vs. UI/UX: What’s the Real Difference?
• Interaction Design Foundation – What is User Centered Design (UCD)?
• Wikipedia – User-centered design

Career & Industry Insights:

• Noble Desktop – What Industries Are Hiring UX/UI Designers?
• Coursera – What Jobs Can I Get with a Graphic Communication Degree?
• Medium – The Future of Interaction, UX, and CX Design Jobs (2025-2030)
• UX Design Institute – Is the UX job market oversaturated? Outlook for 2024

AI in Design (Yeah, I Had to Include This):

• Coursera – How Has AI Been Affecting UX Design?
• My own previous research and industry observations

Graduate Education Resources:

• Designlab – Top UX Design Masters Programs to Elevate Your Career
• PageOn.AI – Is a Master’s in Visual Communication or UI UX Better?
• Kent State University – Thesis Projects