What is special about this course?

Are you committed to a career in an art practice that creatively engages with your community? If so, the MA Art and Social Practice* is ideal.

Artists in the 21st century increasingly find themselves working in participatory settings where skills in creative and social engagement are essential. This programme addresses these changing needs and facilitates a shift in thinking away from conventional ideas about where art practices are located and how work is disseminated.

The course offers focused provision enabling you to develop an appropriate level of knowledge and research to inform practical work, together with the critical and analytical processes and technical skills required to effectively deliver a project in the public domain.

*course content is subject to change

Special features

• Taught by an inter-disciplinary team of artists and specialists from social anthropology, curating, art history and theory, who work across a range of local, national and international contexts, from urban centres to remote and small communities
• Opportunity to engage with fellow students, professional practitioners, academics and organisations committed to the field of socially engaged art
• Project work will be based around your own interests, networks and location
• Opportunity to join in the Virtual Symposium, an international forum for students, artists and organisations. Initiated by Shetland College UHI, the symposium is hosted in collaboration with other universities
• The course is delivered virtually, using a combination of seminars and tutorials (available in real-time or recordings) and scheduled discussions with tutors and fellow students through our virtual learning environment, so you can study flexibly, where it suits you, in the UK and internationally
• You can study individual modules for personal or professional development, or work towards the PgCert, PgDip or masters degree

Entry requirements

• 2.1 honours degree in a relevant subject such as art, design or new media, art history, and cultural studies or other closely related discipline such as community development, arts administration or management
• Applicants with other qualifications or relevant experience are encouraged to apply and will be considered on an individual basis

*Funding support notice*

A limited number of funded places are available for full-time, Scottish or EU fee status students (see fees/funding tab for more information)

Postgraduate Loans (SAAS) (Scotland-domiciled and EU students)

Loans for tuition fees are available from SAAS for eligible Scotland-domiciled and EU students, and loans for living costs for eligible Scottish students.

(see fees/funding tab for more information)

Access routes

Students can access the course from a range of our undergraduate programmes including:

• BA (Hons) Contemporary Art and Contextualised Practice
• BA (Hons) Contemporary Textiles
• BA (Hons) Fine Art
• BA (Hons) Fine Art Textiles
• BSC (Hons) Interactive Media
• BA (Hons) Visual Communication and Design

PgCert

Core modules are:

• The new social practitioner
• Communities of practice
• Professional practitioner

PgDip

Core modules are:

• Research skills and methods
• The developing social practitioner (double credit)

MA

To achieve the award of MA you must complete the social practice project.

Fees

Fees are payable in advance each academic year unless otherwise agreed.

Funding

The university is pleased to offer a limited numbers of places with full tuition fee support for Scottish/EU students studying full-time on this course starting in September to help talented students join this key growth sector for the Scottish economy. Fees will be funded by the European Social Fund and Scottish Funding Council as part of Developing Scotland’s Workforce in the Scotland 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Fund Programmes.

To be eligible for this funding, students must meet the criteria for Scottish or EU fee status and be resident in the Highlands and Islands (including Moray) or Perth and Kinross for the duration of their studies. In accordance with funding regulations, tuition fee support will only be available to students who meet the funding eligibility criteria and are self-funding i.e. who are not in receipt of funding for tuition fees from other sources, including employers. Funded places will be allocated and successful applicants notified from March onwards, available places will continue to be allocated throughout the recruitment cycle. There is no separate application process, applicants holding an offer will be considered against the eligibility rules.

Applications are welcome from all suitably qualified applicants. Students who do not meet the eligibility for the tuition fee support, or are not successful in being allocated one of the limited places, will be responsible for paying their own fees. However, there are other potential sources of funding support available.
 

From 2017, eligible Scotland-domiciled students studying full-time can access loans up to £10,000 from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS). This comprises a tuition fee loan up to £5,500 and a non-income assessed living cost loan of £4,500. EU students studying full-time can apply for a tuition fee loan up to £5,500.

Part-time students undertaking any taught postgraduate course over two years up to Masters level, who meet the residency eligibility, can apply for a for a tuition fee loan up to £2,750 per year.

Full details can be found on the SAAS website. Applications for loans open in April.

Students from the rest of the UK who meet the eligibility requirements may be able to apply for a loan from the Student Loan Company.