The course aims to promote a level of self-confidence that will enable students to practice and exhibit as artists in a professional context or to continue as practice-based researchers.
Why study MA Fine Art at Chester?
The MA Fine Art Programme at the University of Chester will provide the opportunity to:
- Deepen artistic knowledge, extend expertise, and develop artistic potential through a focused engagement with studio practice
- Discuss the development of personal artistic concerns within a supportive environment with peers and staff who are theselves established practitioners/researchers
- Engage with key terms and ideas associated with contemporary critical theory as a platform from which to negotiate a personal route through the various debates and ideas which impact upon contemporary artistic practice
- Establish a more robust critical and contextual framework in order to understand the implications of developing studio practice
- Develop study skills in critical analysis, research methods, and critical writing
- Give focus to artistic concerns through the development and articulation of a personal research agenda
- Develop professional confidence through the production and presentation of a creative project within the context of an external exhibition
Features:
A fairly small cohort of part-time students allows for regular interaction and feedback from staff and provides a contemporary fine art experience that is centred on the needs of each individual student (The department was rated number one for student satisfaction in the Times Higher Education National Student Survey).
A regular programme of seminars with input from staff across the department with differing expertise and media specialisms allows students to have a wide range of perspectives on their developing work.
The interdisciplinary nature of the programme allows for students who wish to work across the boundaries of traditional media disciplines.
The department is distinctive in having an interest in the dialogue between textiles and fine art, and welcomes students working within textiles or other craft based disciplines who wish to position their practice within a fine art context.
The programme has at its core a strong interrelationship between practice and theory that is relevant to contemporary fine art production, meaning and curatorial trends.
Students on the programme operate within a developing research environment working alongside staff who exhibit nationally and internationally and benefit from initiatives organised through the Faculty of Arts and Media Centre for Research in Arts and Media (CCRAM).
The programme acknowledges recent developments in practice-based research and has an established record in preparing students for doctoral study.
Programme Structure:
The MA (Level 7) programme (180 credits) is structured primarily for part-time study over 24 months with intermediate exit awards of Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits) and Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits).
The modular structure of the programme is designed to encourage personal artistic development, and students are free to choose their own way of working within the programme modules.
All routes take account of professional artistic practice and in this sense have a strong vocational rationale; however the ultimate exit award will be based on student choice and aptitude. The award of Masters (Level 7), takes cognisance of developments in practice-based research in the creative arts and the emphasis is on appropriate research methods occupying a central position in artistic practice.
Year 1 (Level 7)
In the first year, a 40 credit practice-based module ('Orientating and Developing Practice') and a 20 credit theoretical module ('Critical and Contextual Approaches to Contemporary Practice') run parallel and complement each other, informing and supporting a developing understanding relationship between theory and practice. These modules, over the course of the first year of the programme, constitute the award of Postgraduate Certificate.
'Orientating and Developing Practice' provides the means by which students are able to establish their practice and working procedures, and the emphasis is on an experimental and speculative approach.
'Critical and Contextual Approaches to Contemporary Practice' aims to build confidence by equipping students with the tools to start criticism and engage with debate. Students will be introduced to some of the broad critical paradigms and contemporary issues that have gained currency over the past 50 years. This knowledge will allow them to understand the wider contexts in which they are operating and assume an informed position in relation to the development of their own work.
Year 2 (Level 7)
In the second year, students take a further 40 credit studio practice module ('Reflective Practice') together with a parallel 20 credit theoretical module ('Contextualising and Articulating Practice'), the successful completion of which constitute the award of Postgraduate Diploma.
'Reflective Practice' provides students with an extended period of studio practice with the intention that students will be able to draw on the insights that they have gained from the first year in order to establish more focused lines of enquiry.
'Contextualising and Articulating Practice' runs alongside the 'Reflective Practice' Module and provides students with the opportunity to build on the 'Critical and Contextual Approaches to Contemporary Practice' module of the first year and develop a personal research agenda which allows them to secure a more robust relationship between theory and practice. Consideration of a range of research methods appropriate to studio practice, provide the means by which students are able to frame their practice in a research context and construct a critically robust exhibition proposal.
During the summer period of the second year of study, students will be engaged in realising this proposal through a 60 credit 'MA Major Exhibition/Research Project'.
The 'MA Major Exhibition/Research Project' is an independent project where students give focus to their artistic concerns through the production of a creative project that will be publicly exhibited. The exhibition of work is accompanied by a 2,000 word critical rationale or there is scope within the module for students to develop the rationale into a short thesis of 6,000 words [50/50 practice/theory] if this is appropriate.
Assessment for the programme will usually take one of the following forms:
- Assessment of practical work developed as a result of studio practice. Students present work either as a portfolio or as an exhibition or installation.
- Assessment of a reflective journal that provides evidence of research and understanding of contexts, and the self-critical analyses of developing studio practice.
- Assessment of learning agreements and a research proposal that articulates the student's critical and contextual positions in relationship to the production of creative work.
- Assessment of a written assignment that demonstrates understanding of an aspect of critical/cultural theory and its relationship to contemporary practice.
- Assessment of a critical rationale that contextualises the artistic and critical concerns of work produced for the final major exhibition project.
All these forms of assessment will contribute in various proportions to the overall mark of any given module and this type of assessment is usually referred to as summative assessment.
A further type of assessment (known as formative assessment) will occur as part of an ongoing system of appraisal. Essentially, formative assessment operates as a support system for students in the development of their work.
Through reflection, discussion, comparison and criticism, students are able to develop their work in an informed and critical manner.
Formative assessment may take the form of a one to one dialogue or a group tutorial or a seminar presentation. Normally it will highlight areas of shared concern, analyse particular works from another viewpoint, offer opinions and give advice about possible courses of future action.
An important factor in this type of assessment is the student's own ability to self-assess and reflect critically upon their work.
The MA Fine Art programme has been designed for students of serious artistic intent, who wish to develop their work within an environment of practical support and critical challenge.
Students who graduate from it will have a sharpened focus and purpose to their creative work, and a higher level of critical and contextual understanding that will equip them to practice independently as artists in a contemporary professional context or to continue an academic career as potential doctoral research students.
Beyond this, a postgraduate degree, because of its focus and specialisation, often equips graduates to teach in further and higher education.
Higher level cross-disciplinary skills including critical thinking, critical writing, visual analysis, research skills, project management and creative problem solving are particularly suited for art-related professions or careers within the cultural industries. They are also transferable skills that find general application within a range of professional and commercial organisations and contexts.
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Extra Information:
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Candidates must be able to demonstrate, through portfolio and interview, a level of competence appropriate to the demands and level of the programme, and the potential to benefit from it. They will normally hold an honours degree (minimum of second class honours) in Art and/or Design, and will have evidence of recent work equivalent to honours degree standard.
EU or international candidates with evidence of successful completion of an equivalent higher education programme in Art and/or Design will also be considered for entry.
Applications must include an additional statement of intent outlining the form, content and context of current work together with proposals for development, supported by eight to twelve digital images showing evidence of recent work. Suitable candidates will be invited for interview, to which they should bring a portfolio of recent, original work or, in the case of three-dimensional work or installation based practice, photographs or digital images. At interview an applicant's potential to benefit from the programme of study will be assessed, and the interview will focus on the artistic concerns of the individual, so that his/her needs in relation to the programme aims can be discussed.
Whilst students have full access to the department's specialist workshops, equipment, ICT facilities and technical support, it is expected that students on the programme will have access to their own appropriately equipped studio.
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