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
- Glasgow School of Art and Glasgow: Gilmorehill campus
- 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 2026-27
MLitt
Fee information is available on the Glasgow School of Art website
Fee status
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
GREAT Scholarships 2026
In partnership with the British Council and the GREAT Britain Campaign, University of Glasgow is offering 5 scholarships to students in Greece, Spain, Pakistan, Kenya and Bangladesh applying for postgraduate courses in any subject (excluding MBA and MSc Research courses). All eligible courses can be viewed under the 'eligible programmes' tab on this webpage.
The scholarship offers financial support of £10,000 to students pursuing one-year postgraduate study in the UK. This discount cannot be combined with another University scholarship.
Chevening Scholarship
Please note that the Chevening Scholarships are now open for application for the 2026/27 academic year.
Chevening Scholarships are the UK government's global scholarship programme, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and partner organisations. The scholarships are awarded to outstanding scholars with leadership potential. Awards are typically for a one year Master’s degree at universities across the UK. There are over 50,000 Chevening Alumni around the world who together comprise an influential and highly regarded global network.
For further information, please refer to the Chevening website.
Commonwealth Scholarship 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.
Colfuturo Fundacion para el Futuro de Colombia
The University of Glasgow offer discounts to all successful Fundacion para el Futuro de Colombia (Colfuturo) scholars who enrol at the University of Glasgow to complete a postgraduate programme.
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
For more information visit Student Finance Wales
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.
Erasmus+ Master Degree Loans
Erasmus+ Master Degree Loans are EU-guaranteed loans with favourable pay-back terms. They’re designed to help prospective students finance their Master’s courses in an Erasmus+ Programme country while leaving as little of a lasting economic footprint as possible.
The scheme is designed to provide postgraduate students with the means to pay their tuition and living expenses – thereby allowing individuals to focus on their degree instead of managing their bank balance. The programme aims to be as inclusive as possible, working under the following guidelines:
- No need for collateral from students or parents - ensuring equality of access
- Favourable, better-than-market interest rates
- Pay-back terms that allow graduates up to two years to find work before beginning repayment.
Please visit the Erasmus+ Master Degree Loans website for more information.
HESPAL Scholarship
The University has worked in partnership with the British Council in a scheme to provide Higher Education Scholarships for Palestinians (HESPAL), for the past decade.
Through the HESPAL scheme, we have been able to offer fee waivers to students from the Palestinian Territories, enhancing educational opportunities for deserving individuals.
Considering the current challenges and the significant obstacles faced by individuals impacted by the conflict in leaving the area, the University of Glasgow extends their support in the academic year 2025/2026 to offer up to 3 postgraduate taught scholarships and up to 2 postgraduate research scholarships.
This scholarship is offered as a full fee discount.
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
DAAD-University of Glasgow 1-year Master’s grant
The University of Glasgow will offer a full tuition waiver to those students that successfully apply and are nominated by DAAD to the University. DAAD offers a monthly stipend and travel bursary, as well as health, accident, and personal liability insurance coverage in addition to the full tuition fee waiver from the University of Glasgow.
Wichtige Hinweise zu DAAD-Stipendien - DAAD (general info on DAAD tuition fee reimbursement)
Current list of tuition reduction / waiving offers (not including U Glasgow yet) : Stipendien für ein Masterstudium im Ausland - DAAD - Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst
Glasgow Highland Society Scholarship
The University of Glasgow is excited to promote this scholarship opportunity on behalf of the Glasgow Highland Society.
The Glasgow Highland Society is offering multiple grants of up to £500 for new and continuing students of Glasgow university who fit the eligibility requirements of the scholarship
The scholarships above are relevant to this programme. For more funding opportunities search the scholarships database
Entry requirements
2.1 Hons (or non-UK equivalent) in a relevant subject or equivalent professional or life experience.
A lower classification degree may be considered where other areas of the application are strong.
A good level of understanding of contemporary art, relevant to the applicant's own cultural context, is also required.
Candidates will undertake an interview before selection.
English language requirements
The Glasgow School of Art requires evidence of English language proficiency. Information on accepted English language qualifications is available in the How to Apply section of their website:
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 that includes students and staff from more than 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:
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