MA in Contemporary Art Theory
The MA in Contemporary Art Theory is for those with a special interest in contemporary art, and an aptitude for theoretical work in the subject. You don’t necessarily need a formal academic qualification in art history: we welcome applications from prospective students who do not meet the standard entrance requirements but can demonstrate appropriate knowledge and experience from outside academia in the world of work.
1 year full-time or 2 years part-time.
Full-time students attend on Thursday and one other day each week (determined by the choice of special subject); part-time students attend on one day each week in the first year and on Thursday in the second year.
Deadline: 1 March for the following September.
We 'batch' applications for this programme. This means that we'll wait until the closing date and then assess all applications together, to make sure they receive equal consideration. Therefore you should not normally expect to receive a decision until April. We may consider late applications if there are any vacancies.
Because of the advanced theoretical nature of this MA you are asked to provide in your personal statement some indication of your specific theoretical interests and knowledge and/or demonstrate an awareness of the theoretical debates within art practice today.
Find out more about applying
You should normally have, or expect to gain, an undergraduate degree of at least second class standard in art history, fine art, another studio-based practice, arts administration and related activities, or a humanities discipline other than art history which demonstrates your ability to undertake work at Master’s level. If you have little or no formal training in art history or a related humanities discipline, you may need to take a preparatory year of study on the Graduate Diploma in Contemporary Art History. You may also be required to attend an interview.
If your first language is not English, you normally need a minimum score of 7.0 in IELTS or equivalent. Find out more about our English Language requirements.
AHRC
Many of our MA students have gone on to MPhil/PhD study, not only in Art History and Visual Cultures, but also in related fields such as Sociology, American Studies and Literature. Careers obtained by recent graduates include: Collections Manager, Art Dealer’s Assistant, Researcher, Lecturer, Museum Assistant, TV Production Assistant, Public Relations Officer, Rights and Marketing Executive.
Please see Tuition fees.
Please see Staff research interests.
Contact Dr Simon O’Sullivan
The programme offers a challenging and advanced scheme of study, which explores a range of theoretical perspectives that shape attitudes towards visual art in the late 20th/early 21st centuries. Invigorated by current research, the programme encourages you to explore conceptually and creatively the ways in which contemporary artistic practice and critical theory interrelate. It aims to expand your knowledge of contemporary artistic developments as well as to deepen your understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of academic discourses on visual culture. The programme draws variously upon the fields of performance studies, art history, philosophy, museology, queer theory, post-colonial studies and cultural studies in addressing the critical challenges posed by artistic practice.
What you study
The programme comprises a non-assessed introductory course, the Common Core Course Readings/Processes, and four assessed components: two Special Subjects, the MA Symposium and the MA Dissertation. Students also attend the weekly guest lecture/film screening programme and two or more one-day workshops, one of which is a writing workshop. You have the option of auditing another special subject should you wish to do so, subject to availability and in agreement with the course tutor.
The taught part of the programme, which runs from end September to end March, offers a framework to help you focus and develop your own understanding of contemporary art practice and its wider cultural significance. It is designed to develop your understanding of a range of critical and theoretical approaches that inform the heterogeneous field of visual art production whilst, at the same time, enabling you to identify and prepare the area of independent research you will carry out in your dissertation project.
Special Subjects
Special subjects are in-depth taught courses based on the current research interests of staff. They enable you to focus on an aspect of contemporary art, cultural theory or contemporary thought that particularly interests you.
Please note: the options available in any given year may alter due to staff research commitments and timetabling. Likewise, the content of a given course may be subject to some alteration from year to year.
Special subjects currently include:
- Affiliations: Contemporary African Philosophy and Culture
- Conflict and Negotiations as Spatial Practices
- Geographies
- Judgement and creation
- Reading the Performative
- Sex, Gender, Species
- Thinking the Sensuous: Ethics, Aesthetics and the ‘Production of Subjectivity’
- Transforming Critical Practices (Laboratory course)
- Transcultural Memory
Students also attend the weekly guest lecture/film screening programme and two or more one-day workshops, one of which is a writing workshop. You have the option of auditing another special subject should you wish to do so, subject to availability and in agreement with the course tutor.
Assessment
Having already produced an assessed oral presentation on your topic you work on your dissertation over the summer and submit your completed project for assessment early in September. Assessment: one 12-15,000-word dissertation.
Register your interest
If you register your interest in this programme we will keep you informed about open days and send you relevant further information. If you subsequently decide to apply for this programme you will be able to use the same login details to apply.
Goldsmiths, University of London, New Cross, London, SE14 6NW, UK
Telephone: + 44 (0)20 7919 7171
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