Overview
The programme places a strong emphasis on student-centred and directed learning, where teaching sessions and personal tutorials draw on the critical reflection and development of your artist-teacher practices: including artistic, theoretical, political and learning and teaching concerns.
The modules of the programme are all underpinned with theories of contemporary art, learning and critical and dialectical pedagogical theories and philosophies.
You'll attend lectures, seminars, workshops, and tutorials where you'll question the politics, ideas, practices, theory, and philosophy related to the specific topics of contemporary art practice, teaching and learning, identity and place/space construction, dialectical pedagogical theories and practice, social engagement, and research-led practices where you'll be encouraged and expected to critically discuss and debate the issues raised.
But this is just a small proportion of what we expect you to do on the degree. Independent learning/research (practice with theory) is expected throughout the programme, this typically involves critical reflection and development of your practices as artist-teacher including additional readings, preparing topics for discussion/presentations, working with fellow students, producing essays, artist-teacher statements, research, planning, organising and producing practice-based work and/or projects, curating exhibitions and presentations, both individually and collaboratively.
This emphasis on independent learning is very important at Goldsmiths. We don't just want you to accept what we tell you without question. We want you to be deeply engaged with theory and practice to develop and sustain your ideas and practices as artist-teachers.
Structure
To enable greater flexibility for you and more equitable experience for full-time and part-time students, the MA Arts and Learning programme has a modular structure, with the majority of teaching sessions usually conducted in the evenings.
This also enables part-time and full-time students to attend the same evening teaching sessions and therefore form a collaborative and supportive learning environment.
For you to obtain the postgraduate degree of MA Arts and Leaning you will need to complete 180 credits at Masters level.
This MA consists of five compulsory modules (150 credits) and one option module (30 credits).
| Compulsory Modules |
Module title |
Credits |
| |
Revisiting Practice
Revisiting Practice
30 credits
Revisiting Practice
This is the first of a sequence of praxic-based modules that require the students to reassess and articulate the current state of their practices. This module builds upon the students’ prior learning from former degrees, and their professional practices. The students reinvigorate and position their overlapping practices (artistic and pedagogic) within the contexts of your professional, pedagogic practice, and through a critical engagement with contemporary art and theory
Aims
- To provide students with an opportunity to identify and evaluate the breadth and scope of their existing practice/skills/techniques and to enable them to articulate the current state of their practice
- To enable the production of new work/processes
- To enable critical reflection in relation to contemporary art and contemporary developments in education and theory, and in relation to current exhibitions/practices
- To reflect on the engagement of current pedagogical practice with artistic practice, including an analysis of the validity of any distinction/integration between artistic and pedagogical practice
|
30 credits |
| |
Spaces of Practice (in association with the Whitechapel, Showroom Galleries and the South London Gallery)
Spaces of Practice (in association with the Whitechapel, Showroom Galleries and the South London Gallery)
30 credits
This Module, in partnership with The Whitechapel Gallery, Cubitt and The South London Gallery, gives you the opportunity to engage in a study of contemporary art practices in order to develop pedagogical and artistic knowledge and understanding. It is aimed at initiating and extending practical, critical and contextual understanding of contemporary art practices and how these can be used to explore social and cultural issues. You will engage with contemporary theory in critical and cultural studies such as semiotics, hermeneutics, post-structuralism and psychoanalysis.
|
30 credits |
| |
Critical Pedagogy and Contested Spaces (CP) (In association with Tate Modern)
Critical Pedagogy and Contested Spaces (CP) (In association with Tate Modern)
30 credits
This module, in partnership with Tate Modern, continues to support and develop your praxis through engaging with the theories and concepts of Critical Pedagogy. You will explore the potential of the artist teacher to operate at a level beyond orthodoxy - toward a critical pedagogy. Contemporary art practices will be placed within a socio- political framework to illustrate the position of artist educators within this current and critical pedagogical agenda. You will explore the concepts and practices of a number of key critical pedagogues including Paulo Freire, Ira Shor, Antonio Darder and Henry Giroux as well as the theories and philosophies of John Dewey, Jean Piaget and Karl Marx.
|
30 credits |
| |
Independent Studies (IS)
Independent Studies (IS)
60 credits
Through this module you will continue to develop and consolidate your praxis and position as artist teacher. Individually and collaboratively you will continue to explore your interwoven practices underpinned by theoretical frameworks. This process will be enabled through planning and executing a structured programme of independent research that draws upon pedagogy and contemporary art and theory, critically applying themes and issues you have developed through the MAAT programme.
|
60 credits |
Option modules
You choose one of the following options:
Full-time and part-time study options
The MAAL can be completed in 1 year (full-time) or between 2-5 years (part-time). Routes below:
| 1 year |
|
|
|
| Autumn |
RVP, IS |
OR |
RVP, Elective, IS |
| Spring |
SP, CP, IS |
|
CP, SP, IS |
| Summer |
Elective, IS |
|
IS |
| 2 years |
|
|
|
| Year 1 |
RVP, SP, CP |
OR |
RVP, SP, CP, Elective |
| Year 2 |
Elective, IS |
|
|
| 3 years |
|
|
|
| Year 1 |
RVP, SP |
OR |
RVP, Elective |
| Year 2 |
Elective, CP |
|
SP, CP |
| Year 3 |
IS |
|
IS |
| Key |
|
| RP |
Revisiting Practice |
| SP |
Spaces of Practice |
| CP |
Critical Pedagogy and Contested Spaces |
| IS |
Independent Studies |
Practitioners who already have existing M-level credits may apply to have these transferred to the MAAL.
You may also take advantage of two exit points:
- Postgraduate Certificate in Arts and Learning (60 Credits)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Arts and Learning (120 Credits)
Individual Modules
Some of these modules are also available to be taken as part of a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme.
Assessment
The MA Arts and Learning utilises a number of complementary assessment strategies. These have been devised to appropriately assess the range of learning outcomes and are underpinned by the ethos of the programme these include, exhibition/presentation/performance, essay, viva voce.
Download the programme specification. If you would like an earlier version of the programme specification, please contact the Quality Office.
Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.
For 2021-22 and 2020–21, we have made some changes to how the teaching and assessment of certain programmes are delivered. To check what changes affect this programme, please visit the programme changes page.
