MA Visual Culture: University of Westminster

Introduction

The MA Visual Culture is a unique multi-disciplinary theory based course established around the belief that visual literacy, and the impact of visual forms of thinking and working, now play a significant role in society.

The course is hosted by the Centre for Arts Research, Technology and Education (CARTE). It has a special relationship with museums and galleries in central London, for example the British Museum, The Science Museum and Museum of London for visits and research and established contacts with other galleries and organisations for work placements. The course introduces you to a range of historical and contemporary debates that inform the theories and practice of visual culture, and enables you to develop a conceptual framework within which to situate and evaluate the role of the visual arts in contemporary society and culture.

You will acquire creative and professional research skills, such as the ability to work from exhibitions and institutional archives, to understand the role of curators and operate within different artistic and conceptual frameworks.

Course Content

Core Modules

• Dissertation and Research Methodologies
• Visual Culture: Production Display and Discourse
• Visual Culture: Theoretical and Critical Perspectives

Option Modules

• Creative Digital Technology within the Arts and Contemporary Culture
• Inclusive Practice in Musuems (subject to validation)
• Interpreting Space
• Representing World Cultures
• Work Placement

Teaching and Assessment

Each module is assessed on coursework which may be an essay, a visual report, a group or individual presentation or a visual and written log book. There are no exams.

Associated Careers

Graduates will be suitable for employment in the creative industries, including museum and gallery work, education, arts administration and marketing.

Entry Requirements

• You are normally required to have a good first degree in a relevant area. These might include history of art, cultural studies, fine art or design, English, history, media and communications, architecture and business studies.
• You may be invited for interview, or to submit previous written work.
• All students whose first language is not English will be asked to provide examples of previous written work and must have a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 (overall and in both reading and writing) or equivalent.
• You may be offered a place on the condition that you complete an English course run by the University during the summer before the academic year in which you wish to start.