Decorative Arts & Design History

Departmental information: History of Art
Mrs Liz Hancock
Tel: +44 (0)141 330 4097/5677
Email: pgenquiries@arthist.arts.gla.ac.uk

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

The primary aim of this programme is to give students an opportunity both to develop an advanced academic approach and to gain practical and transferable skills within the study of the decorative arts. There is a strong emphasis on object-based research in addition to critical and theoretical analysis. The curriculum is structured around a spine of core teaching which aims to develop research skills, provided in conjunction with the Faculty of Arts and including specific subject-related methods and techniques.

This programme is designed to introduce as great a variety of approaches as possible, while allowing options and specialisms to suit individual preferences. There are opportunities for individual research, design history participation in a student-organised exhibition and access to work placements in museums, auction houses and cultural institutions. Other courses offered by the Faculty of Arts are available as part of the degree and include advanced IT courses taught by the Humanities Advanced Technology & Information Institute. The whole degree may be structured to reflect your individual interests, culminating in the dissertation which is written on a subject selected by you in consultation with a tutor.

The programme is intended both for those seeking employment in the art world and for those wishing to pursue further research. The UniversityÕs collections, together with civic and national collections, make Glasgow a particularly well-endowed centre for the study of art and design history at postgraduate level.

Content

Two compulsory core courses:

• Research training
• Decorative arts and design history 1560-1960

Plus a dissertation.

Some examples of optional courses are:

• The domestic interior 1860-1910: design, culture and representation
• 16th century royal palaces and their collections
• Object-based research in the decorative arts
• Collecting and display: viewing art in 18th century China
• Authentic art work: interpretation, conservation and presentation
• Collecting, conservation and display: 20th century and contemporary art
• A new terrain: women and sculpture in Europe c1780-1901
• Other Europes 1900-1968: design and architecture in Hungary, Romania, Czechoslovakia and Poland
• Independent study
• Student exhibition
• Work placement.

One of your four courses may be chosen from the following options:

• Multimedia analysis and design or 2D digitisation, offered by the Humanities Advanced Technology & Information Institute
• an option from elsewhere in the faculty, which must be approved by the programme convener.

Entry requirements

The normal standard of admission is at least a 2.1 Honours degree in a relevant discipline. Candidates whose native language is not English will be expected to produce proof of proficiency in the English Language: normally 7 in British Council IELTS (not less than 7 in each component) or 600 in TOEFL (at least 250 in the computer-based test) with a minimum TWE of 5 or above. Alternative qualifications such as the Cambridge Advanced Certificate (Grade A minimum) or Cambridge Proficiency (Grade A or B) will also be accepted. Applicants may be required to submit a sample of written work and/or a personal statement in addition to the academic transcript, references, and linguistic proficiency documentation, as stipulated by the Convener of the Taught degree programme.

How to apply

The online application is the quickest and easiest way of applying to the University of Glasgow. The system allows you to fill out the standard application form online and submit this to the University immediately. You can also attach supporting documents including references, certificates and a transcript of previous studies. You will find instructions throughout the online form to help you complete your application. You may save and return to your application as many times and you wish before submitting it.

See: How to apply for a taught degree