Prestigious Scottish Funding Council Awards are available to high calibre applicants for this programme. The SFC has selected this programme in recognition of the high demand for students with these qualifications. The awards cover all tuition costs; for further information, please see: funded places.

This Masters is concerned with outlining and critically evaluating the concept of the ‘avant-garde’ both theoretically and in terms of its applicability to representative areas of 20th-century art. Dealing with art from the early twentieth century to the present, you will investigate concepts such as historical avant-garde, neo-avant-garde, and post-avant-garde, paying close attention to the theorists who have elaborated these ideas.

Programme overview

• MLitt: 12 months full-time; 24 months part-time

Closely focused on the visual and historical specificities of the subject, the core teaching will have you examining the politically oppositional and ‘transgressive’ impulses of the avant-garde.

You will interpret ‘transgression’ in the widest sense and in relation to a range of diverse historical contexts, including: the anti-art concerns of Dada; the political tensions arising from conflicts between nationalist and internationalist currents in European art of the early 20th century and the Nietzschian/Bataillean testing of the boundaries of conventional moral positions, particularly regarding sexual identity and the body.

The optional courses available are closely geared to the research interests of our staff. Their content will draw upon current exhibitions and debates.

Core courses

• Research methods in practice
• Theories of the Avant Garde
• Readings in Duchamp: anti-art, blasphemy, sexuality
• Art, embodiment, transgression
• Dada in Switzerland and Germany.

Optional courses

You may choose from the following options in the College of Arts

• a Humanities Advanced Technology and Information Institute (HATII) course: 2D Digitisation (Theory and Practice)
• a course from the MLitt Modernities: Modernism, Modernity & Post-Modernity run by English Literature 
• a course from elsewhere in the College of Arts, subject to the approval of the programme convenor.

Or from courses run by History of Art

• Art in the making: modern and Avant-Garde techniques
• Independent study 
• Work placement.

Career prospects

Career opportunities include positions in curation, digitisation and research within museums and other cultural and heritage institutions. The programme also provides an excellent platform for you to move onto PhD studies and an academic career.

Academic entry requirements

Entry requirements for postgraduate taught programmes are a 2.1 Honours degree or equivalent qualification (for example, GPA 3.0 or above) in a relevant subject unless otherwise specified.

Note: A minimum 2.1 in History of Art or a related subject is required. You should also submit a writing sample of 2-3000 words, a CV and a personal statement.

International students with academic qualifications below those required should contact our partner institution, Glasgow International College, who offer a range of foundation courses.

English language requirements

For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training):

• overall score 6.5
• no sub-test less than 6.5
• or equivalent scores in another recognised qualification (see below)
   

Common equivalent English language qualifications:

• ibTOEFL: 92; no sub-test less than 24
• CAE (Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English): A minimum
• CPE (Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English): B minimum
• PTE Academic (Person Test of English, Academic test): 68; minimum 60 in writing

Pre-sessional courses
The University of Glasgow accepts evidence of the required language level from the Language Centre Pre-sessional courses. We also consider other BALEAP accredited pre-sessional courses:

• Language Centre, University of Glasgow
• BALEAP guide to accredited courses 

FAQs

Visa requirements and proof of English language level

It is a visa requirement to provide information on your level of English based on an internationally recognised and secure English language test. All test reports must be no more than 2 years old. A list of these can be found on the UK Border Agency website. If you have never taken one of these tests before, you can get an initial idea of your level by using the Common European Framework self-assessment grid which gives you a level for each skill (e.g. listening B1/writing B2 etc.) However, please note that this is not a secure English language test and it is not sufficient evidence of your level of English for visa requirements.

If you require a Tier 4 student visa, your qualification must be one of the secure English language tests accepted by UK Border Agency:

• UK Border Agency Tier 4 English Language requirements
• UKBA list of approved English language tests [pdf]

For further information about English language requirements, please contact the Recruitment and International Office: pgadmissions@glasgow.ac.uk

Please note: applications for SFC funded places are open for entry in September 2013.

Apply now

For 2013-14

MLitt