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, social and collaborative art practices and sculpture, who work across a range of local, national and international contexts, from urban centres to remote and small communities
• Students have the option to meet in real life during the annual Winter School located in rotating locations in the Highlands and Islands
• In the final stage of the module students choose their own mentor from local, national or international specialists

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
• This is a Category 2 PVG course: PVG Scheme membership is required for specific optional modules/unit(s), where there is guaranteed contact with vulnerable groups in optional module/unit(s), but an alternative pathway exists to achieve target qualification. For further information visit our PVG scheme webpage

*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

Modules may include:

• New social practitioner
• Communities of practice
• One optional module (20 credits)

PgDip

Modules may include:

• Developing social practitioner
• One optional module (20 credits)

MA

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

Fees

For students normally domiciled in Scotland, including EU/EEA and Swiss nationals with settled or pre-settled status in the UK, with a term-time address in Scotland, the following fees apply:

Rest of UK students

For students normally domiciled in the rest of the UK (England, Wales and N. Ireland) or assessed as rest of the UK for fee status, the following fees apply:

EU/EEA and Swiss nationals without settled or pre-settled status in the UK

Following the UK’s departure from the European Union, the Scottish Government has confirmed that EU/EEA and Swiss nationals starting their study in Scotland from academic year 2021-22, who do not have settled status, will be considered as international for fee purposes. For 2021-22, students will get an automatic fee scholarship.

International students

For students who do not normally reside in the UK or European Union, studying online from their home country, or assessed as international for fee status, the following fees apply:

This course is not available to international students requiring Student Route visa sponsorship to study in the UK.

A no fee increase guarantee is available for self-funding full-time and structured part-time rest of the UK, EU and international postgraduate students for continuous study for the same award, up to the permitted standard time limit for the relevant award.

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.

Additional costs

There is an optional annual residential session, known as Winter School, which offers students a one-week opportunity to meet face to face and participate in local cultural events in different locations throughout the Highlands and Islands. All associated costs will be the responsibility of the student.