Curatorial Practice (Contemporary Art) (in conjunction with The Glasgow School of Art) MLitt
Eothen Stearn, Blood, honey. Performance presented as part of Mutters at New Victoria Gardens, Glasgow, 5th August 2018. Curated by Mattie Roberts. Photo: Amy Holt
This programme is aimed at graduates wishing to develop a curatorial career within the field of contemporary visual arts. It enables you to pursue independent and self-directed working, and to lay the practical, intellectual and professional foundations for working in future curatorial roles or contexts.
- Academic contact: Alexandra.Ross@glasgow.ac.uk
m.laiseca@gsa.ac.uk - Teaching start: September
- MLitt: 12 months full-time
Why this programme
- The programme is run in conjunction with The Glasgow School of Art, which is internationally recognised as one of Europe’s foremost art schools for teaching and research in fine art, design and architecture.
- This programme offers students the opportunity to study curatorial practice in Glasgow, a city with one of the most vibrant and distinctive art scenes in Europe. The programme is embedded within the city, drawing on its community of artists, curators, institutions and international connections, and guides students to undertake curatorial work and develop approaches to practice which stem from a strong awareness of context and participation within it.
- Throughout the course students are introduced to various working contexts, ranging from the gallery and the archive to site-specific contexts and artist-led activity. Students will work on live projects, gaining the most engaged and professionally focused experience possible. This includes the possibility of undertaking a placement tailored to their interests either within the city or further afield.
- The programme offers links with external institutions in Glasgow, including CCA - the Centre for Contemporary Art, Glasgow International, GoMA, Tramway, The Common Guild and The Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery.
Programme structure
The programme will provide you with access to highly-regarded and experienced professional curators and practitioners, and enable you to acquire key skill sets and attributes as well as forge the peer networks that are vital to the profession at all levels.
Semester 1
- Core course: CURATORIAL PRACTICE 1 (40 credits)
- Core course: Research Methods and Methodologies in Practice (20 credits) (delivered by The Glasgow School of Art)
Semester 2
- Core course: Curatorial Practice 2 (40 credits)
- Optional course: (20 credits) (options available across The Glasgow School of Art and The University of Glasgow)
Semester 3
Select one of the following:
- Master’s Project in Curatorial Practice 1 (60 credits)
- Master’s Project in Curatorial Practice 2 (60 credits)
- Dissertation (60 Credits)
The core courses have been designed in such a way as to place your engagement in independent and self-directed exploration, your acquisition of practical skills and professional attributes, and your contact with experienced professionals at the core of the programme.
In Semesters 1 and 2, Curatorial Practice 1 and Curatorial Practice 2 have a flexible structure, which could respond to particular programming or specific project or exhibition opportunities that arise within any one academic year.
Alongside these, you are required to take Research Methods and Methodologies in Practice (20 credits, GSA) in semester 1 and an elective course in Semester 2. You can select from a list of available postgraduate elective options at GSA and the College of Arts & Humanities, which may change from year to year.
In Semester 3 you can choose from three possible routes towards submission for final assessment. These are either:
- Master’s project option 1 (100% curatorial project)
- Master’s project option 2 (50% curatorial project and 50% extended essay), or
- Dissertation (100%).
Whether pursuing a Master’s project or a dissertation, it is expected that your work will conform to the growing canon of the field of curating.
Optional course
In the second semester, you will undertake an optional course, choosing from a range offered across the subject areas within the School of Culture & Creative Arts at the University of Glasgow or electives courses offered by The Glasgow School of Art. This offering changes slightly each year.
Assessment
Peer and staff review, formative and summative assessment, with continuous feedback from tutorials. Courses are assessed by essay, critical review and practice-based coursework.
Programme alteration or discontinuation
The University of Glasgow endeavours
to run all programmes as advertised. In exceptional circumstances, however, the University may withdraw
or alter a programme. For more information, please see: Student contract.
Career prospects
The programme will develop your knowledge and expertise in the field of contemporary curatorial practice, and you will acquire a core body of skills and attributes that are attractive to employers, including:
- critical enquiry
- research capacity
- project-planning
- project administration
- budgeting
- practical problem solving
- professional working
Fees & funding
Tuition fees for 2024-25
MLitt
Fee information is available on the Glasgow School of Art website
Additional fees
- Fee for re-assessment of a dissertation (PGT programme): £370
- Submission of thesis after deadline lapsed: £350
- Registration/exam only fee: £170
Funding opportunities
Beatrix Whistler and James McNeill Whistler Scholarship
The Beatrix Whistler and James McNeill Whistler Scholarships originate with an important collection of works by Whistler gifted by Miss Rosalind Birnie Philip to the University in 1935. Since then, and thanks to further gifts and acquisitions, the Hunterian has come to hold one of the two leading collections of Whistler’s work in the world and History of Art (SCCA) has become an international centre of expertise for the study of Whistler and his 19th century world.
At her death in 1958, Miss Birnie Philip, Whistler’s heir and executrix, bequeathed the remainder of her art collection to the University, together with part of her residual estate for the purpose of establishing a scholarship scheme for students engaged in any branch of learning within the College of Arts & Humanities. In 2019, the Whistler scholarships scheme was revised in acknowledgement of the continuing links between Miss Birnie Philip’s 1958 bequest of artworks and her wish to support student learning at the University.
The Whistler Scholarships are open to students in all disciplines of the College of Arts & Humanities. The award committee is willing to consider both individual applications AND joint applications (from up to THREE students). Innovative interdisciplinary work is particularly encouraged. However, students may only involve themselves in the submission of ONE application (individual OR joint).
The Whistler Scholarships cover travel, accommodation and subsistence expenses ONLY. However, in the case of Whistler-related proposals submitted under Scheme 1 additional funds may be made available at the discretion of the Scholarship Committee to cover research or other relevant expenses.
Commonwealth Scholarship Commission Schemes
Commonwealth Scholarships enable talented and motivated individuals to gain the knowledge and skills required for sustainable development, and are offered to citizens from low and middle income Commonwealth countries. The majority of Scholarships are funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), with the aim of contributing to the UK’s international development aims and wider overseas interests, supporting excellence in UK higher education, and sustaining the principles of the Commonwealth.
Postgraduate Student Loan (Scotland and EU)
Eligible full-time and part-time students, undertaking an eligible postgraduate course, can apply for a tuition fee loan up to a maximum of £7,000 towards their course. Eligible full-time postgraduate students can apply for a living-cost loan of up to £4,500.
This support extends to online Masters or Postgraduate Diplomas, and not to the online Postgraduate Certificate courses.
For more information visit the SAAS website.
Postgraduate Tuition Fee Loans England only (PTFL)
If you’re an English student looking to study a taught Masters programme in Glasgow then you can apply for a student loan. Students from England are able to apply for a non-means tested Postgraduate Master’s Loan of up to £11,570 to help with course fees and living costs. You have to repay your Postgraduate Master’s Loan at the same time as any other student loans you have. You’ll be charged interest from the day you get the first payment.
If you’re studying by distance learning, you can also apply.
Postgraduate Loans for Welsh Students
If you are a Welsh student looking to study a postgraduate programme* in Glasgow then you can apply for a student loan in exactly the same way as you would for a Welsh University.
* does not apply to Erasmus Mundus programmes
Postgraduate Master's Finance
If you’re starting a full-time or part-time Postgraduate Master’s course (taught or research based) from 1 August 2019, you can apply for Postgraduate Master's Finance and receive up to £17,000 as a combination of grant and loan:
- a maximum grant of £6,885 and loan of £10,115 if your household income is £18,370 and below
- a grant of £1,000 and loan of £16,000 if your household income is not taken into account or is above £59,200.
For more information visit Student Finance Wales
Postgraduate Doctoral Loan
If you’re starting a full-time or part-time postgraduate Doctoral course (such as a PhD) from 1 August 2019 you can apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan of up to £25,700.
For more information visit Student Finance Wales
Postgraduate Student Loan (NI)
If you are a Northern Irish student looking to study a taught Masters programme* in Glasgow then you can apply for a student loan in exactly the same way as you would for a University in Northern Ireland.
Northern Irish students are able to apply for non-means-tested tuition fee loans of up to £5,500, to help with the costs of funding.
For more information visit www.studentfinanceni.co.uk/types-of-finance/postgraduate .
* does not apply to Erasmus Mundus programmes
The scholarships above are specific to this programme. For more funding opportunities search the scholarships database
Entry requirements
- A good undergraduate degree in a relevant subject (normally 2:1 or higher - although a lower classification may be considered where other areas of the application are strong) or equivalent professional or life experience.
- A good level of understanding of contemporary art, relevant to the applicant's own cultural context.
Candidates will undertake an interview before selection.
English language requirements
For international applicants, GSA requires evidence of English language proficiency. More information on accepted English language qualifications is available on GSA website.
The GSA’s preferred test is the IELTS for UKVI (Academic) test taken at a UKVI approved test centre.
GSA requires an IELTS score of 6.5 overall, with no less than 5.5 in each component.
For further information about English language requirements, please contact the Recruitment and International Office using our enquiry form
International students
We are proud of our diverse University community which attracts students and staff from over 140 different countries.
How to apply
Applications should be made directly to The Glasgow School of Art.
Further information can be found on The Glasgow School of Art website:
