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Postgraduate

MA Fine Art: Digital

A green illustrated figure superimposed onto a rainforest scene
Mariana Tschudi
College
Central Saint Martins
Start date
September 2024
Course length
2 years, low residency

On this course you can explore what it means to be an artist today, from anywhere in the world.

Applying for more than 1 course

You can apply for more than 1 postgraduate course at UAL but we recommend that you apply for no more than 3. Find out more in the Apply Now section.

Whatever your art specialism, this online learning space allows you to question fine art practice in a digital context. This course is part of the Art programme.

Why choose this course at Central Saint Martins

Flexible online learning: This established online postgraduate course has a long history of successes with students and alumni from across the world. This MA was one of the first fully online postgraduate fine art courses developed in the UK and continues to build on that depth of experience.

Extended full-time: The course structure gives you time for risk-taking and reflection in your practice as well as balancing other life and work commitments.

Learning in context: The course foregrounds your individual practice and study in relation to your personal circumstances and location. You define and develop your own project to combine your skills, experience and interests, focusing on issues that are relevant to a particular group or audience and context or site.

Practice research: The aim is to integrate theory and practice, ensuring that you develop your potential in relation to a clear question, context and methodology. With a research-oriented, interdisciplinary and socially engaged ethos, we focus on innovation and developing a deeply reflective art practice.

International community: The course draws from the exchange of diverse perspectives and experiences relating to art making and cultural production of contemporary importance.

Open days

There are currently no open days scheduled for this course, please check back at a later date.

Scholarships, bursaries and awards

Course overview

MA Fine Art Digital at Central Saint Martins supports a broad range of experimental art practices. It will test and challenge your work, bringing it into a contemporary critical context. Our research-based teaching strategies actively seek to extend your experience and skills. We work responsively to your changing needs as individuals. We also encourage collaborative projects in relation to your work. 

Students on MA Fine Art Digital work in many media – including painting, sculpture, print, installation, time-based and digital. The course offers an environment where complex social, cultural and artistic viewpoints are negotiated. Here, art-making is a testing ground for ideas and media. Artists who study with us are open to change – not just in expanding their practices – but also in creating new positions. Our focus is on bringing your work to the critical scrutiny of the academic setting. Through these interactions, you will develop your individual research into a confident, sustained practice. 

On this course, we place emphasis on creating a supportive but challenging space for investigating your creative practice.  MA Fine Art Digital has a track record of innovative teaching and its flexible structure is designed for widely accessible learning, allowing students to engage from incredibly diverse settings. This offers students the enriching experience of collectively exploring what art is in a digital environment.  Whatever media you are investigating, the opportunities afforded by the online space are broad and exciting.

On this course, diverse approaches to creative practice are supported by strong critical engagement with contemporary technologies of making and dissemination. Weekly group sessions act as forums for cross-course and transdisciplinary exchange and collaboration. An intensive programme of study will develop your skills and knowledge of research methods in art-related fields. Your learning will extend across our postgraduate Art programme, offering input from the College’s research community. On the course, we aim to provide you with a range of opportunities and learning experiences, giving you a broad skill set to go out into professional life.

We are committed to developing ethical Fine Art practices. To achieve this, we are working to embed UAL's Principles for Climate, Social and Racial Justice into the course.

Course units

MA Fine Art Digital supports the development of your thinking and practice. Teaching includes personal tutorials, group critiques, seminars and lectures. Teaching is delivered online in a flexible and adaptable model.

Alongside the regular online sessions there will be the opportunity to engage with some intensive in-person learning activities. Each year there will be a mandatory 1 week short residency of making and study workshops based in London during the Spring term. In addition, students will also have the opportunity to take part in the final year degree show.  

Unit 1: Research, Development and Practice

In Unit 1, you will develop a study statement which gives direction to your practice. You will start and maintain a reflective blog that documents and evaluates your practice-based research. This will form the framework for how you will develop your work in Unit 2.

Unit 2: Knowledge and Communication

The emphasis of Unit 2 is a combination of ambitious practical work and a deepening awareness of the context of your work within a community of practice. This is evidenced in the ongoing use of your reflective blog and active involvement in group discussions. You will also write a research paper which contextualises your practice. Collectively, this forms the foundation for your work in Unit 3.

Unit 3: Reflection and Presentation

During Unit 3, your focus will be on resolving your work in relation to your study statement with a wider contextual understanding. You will present your research as part of a symposium and your practical work in a public exhibition. Consideration will be given to your future practice and personal and professional development.

Important note concerning academic progression through your course: 

If you are required to retake a unit you will need to cease further study on the course until you have passed the unit concerned. Once you have successfully passed this unit, you will be able to proceed onto the next unit. Retaking a unit might require you to take time out of study, which could affect other things such as student loans or the visa status for international students. 

Mode of study 

MA Fine Art Digital is offered as low residency with majority of teaching online with some in-person intensive weeks across the two years. The course is delivered in extended full-time mode which runs for 60 weeks over two academic years. You will be expected to commit 30 hours per week to study, which includes teaching time and independent study. 

The course has been designed in this way to enable you to pursue studies, while also undertaking part-time employment, internships or care responsibilities. 

The online mode works successfully across the world’s time zones by carefully timing synchronous weekly group sessions in the afternoon UK time. This allows North and South American students to connect in the morning, European, African and Middle Eastern students through the afternoon and Central to East Asia in early to late evenings. Other activities are asynchronous and can fit around your own commitments.

Students will need an internet connection and computer or mobile device to engage with online learning. Working from their own homes or studios, students will be able to access all synchronous and asynchronous materials online. We emphasise options that are as open and cross platform as possible, using both the University’s virtual learning environment and supporting students in building their own, personal learning environments.

Credit and award requirements

The course is credit-rated at 180 credits. 

On successfully completing the course, you will gain a Master of Arts (MA degree). 

Under the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications, an MA is Level 7. All units must be passed in order to achieve the MA but the classification of the award is derived from the mark for the final unit only. 

If you are unable to continue on the course, a Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) will normally be offered following the successful completion of 60 credits, or a Postgraduate Diploma (PG Dip) following the successful completion of 120 credits. 

Learning and teaching methods

The learning and teaching methods devised for this course include:

  • Study statement
  • Inductions and Workshops
  • Technical Moodle
  • Weekly online group sessions
  • In-person intensive making and study residential weeks
  • Reflective journal/blog
  • Personal and peer group tutorials
  • Guest speaker programme and seminars
  • Participation in debates and discussions
  • Research workshops
  • Formative assessment and tutor feedback
  • Independent learning
  • Public engagement

MA Fine Art Digital: Summer Show

Student Testimonial: Mariana Tschudi

Student work

  • Kehkashan-Khalid.jpg
    Kehkashan Khalid
  • collaborative-workshop-MA-Fine-Art-Digital.jpg
    Collaborative workshop MA Fine Art Digital
  • Ziyan-Yang.jpg
    Ziyan Yang
  • Xavier-Sole-Mora.jpg
    Xavier Solé Mora
  • Sneja-Dobrosavljevic.jpg
    Sneja Dobrosavljevic
  • Steph-Lee-Vae.jpg
    Steph Lee-Vae

Staff

Course Leader: Jonathan Kearney

Kaori Homma (www.kaorihomma.co.uk)
Jonny Briggs (www.jonnybriggs.com)
Dave Charlesworth (www.southkiosk.com)  
Dr Ed Kelly
Dr Gareth Polmeer (www.garethpolmeer.com)
Julia Alvarez
David Cross
Chila Burman (www.chila-kumari-burman.co.uk)

Fees and funding

Home fee

£6,665 per year

This fee is correct for 2024/25 entry and is subject to change for 2025/26 entry.

Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students on courses lasting more than one year. For this course, you can pay tuition fees in instalments.

Home fees are currently charged to UK nationals and UK residents who meet the rules. However, the rules are complex. Find out more about our tuition fees and determining your fee status.

International fee

£16,130 per year

This fee is correct for 2024/25 entry and is subject to change for 2025/26 entry.

Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students on courses lasting more than one year. For this course, you can pay tuition fees in instalments.

Students from countries outside of the UK will generally be charged international fees. The rules are complex so read more about tuition fees and determining your fee status.

Scholarship search

Entry requirements

The standard entry requirements for this course are as follows:

  • An honours degree
  • Or an equivalent EU/international qualification.

AP(E)L – Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning

Exceptionally applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered. The course team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:

  • Related academic or work experience
  • The quality of the personal statement
  • A strong academic or other professional reference

Or a combination of these factors.

Each application will be considered on its own merit but cannot guarantee an offer in each case.

English language requirements

IELTS level 6.5 or above, with at least 5.5 in reading, writing, listening and speaking (please check our main English language requirements webpage).

Selection criteria

We select applicants according to potential and current ability in the following areas:

  • Demonstrable competencies in your existing practice
  • The ability and capacity for self-reflection
  • Ambition and research interest
  • Aspiration for a higher level of practice
  • Quality of work

Apply now

Application deadline

Deadline

Round 1:

13 December 2023 at 1pm (UK time)

Round 2:

3 April 2024 at 1pm (UK time)

Digital portfolio deadline

Round 1:

7 days after digital portfolio and/or video task request

Round 2:

7 days after digital portfolio and/or video task request

Decision outcome

Round 1:

End of March 2024

Round 2:

End of June 2024

Round 1
Round 2
Deadline
13 December 2023 at 1pm (UK time)
3 April 2024 at 1pm (UK time)
Digital portfolio deadline
7 days after digital portfolio and/or video task request
7 days after digital portfolio and/or video task request
Decision outcome
End of March 2024
End of June 2024

All applications received by 3 April will be treated equally. If there are places available after this date, the course will remain open to applications until places have been filled.

Read more about deadlines

Apply now

Application deadline

Deadline

Round 1:

13 December 2023 at 1pm (UK time)

Round 2:

3 April 2024 at 1pm (UK time)

Digital portfolio deadline

Round 1:

7 days after digital portfolio and/or video task request

Round 2:

7 days after digital portfolio and/or video task request

Decision outcome

Round 1:

End of March 2024

Round 2:

End of June 2024

Round 1
Round 2
Deadline
13 December 2023 at 1pm (UK time)
3 April 2024 at 1pm (UK time)
Digital portfolio deadline
7 days after digital portfolio and/or video task request
7 days after digital portfolio and/or video task request
Decision outcome
End of March 2024
End of June 2024

All applications received by 3 April will be treated equally. If there are places available after this date, the course will remain open to applications until places have been filled.

Read more about deadlines

Apply to UAL

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How to apply

Follow this step-by-step guide to apply for this course

Step 1: Initial application

You will need to submit an initial application including your personal statement and CV.

Personal statement advice

Your personal statement should be maximum 500 words and include:

  • your reasons for choosing the course
  • your current creative practice and how this course will help you achieve your future plans
  • any relevant education and experience, especially if you do not have any formal academic qualifications.

Visit our personal statement page for more advice.

CV advice

Please provide a CV detailing your education, qualifications and any relevant work or voluntary experience. If you have any web projects or other media that you would like to share, please include links in your CV. If English is not your first language, please also include your most recent English language test score.

Step 2: Digital portfolio

We will review your initial application. If you have met the standard entry requirements, we will ask you to submit a digital portfolio.

You’ll need to submit this via PebblePad, our online portfolio tool.

Digital portfolio advice

Your portfolio should consist of recent work that reflects your creative strengths.

It should:

  • be maximum 25 pages
  • include a selection of your best work that is most relevant to your application
  • include work in progress, research, development and experimentation alongside finished pieces
  • include captions to give your work context. Indicate the size and media used and what role you played in any group projects.

For more support, see our Portfolio advice and PebblePad advice.

Step 3: Interview

You may be invited to an interview following our review of your application. All interviews are held online and last 15 to 20 minutes.

For top tips, see our Interview advice.

You also need to know

Communicating with you

Once you have submitted your initial application, we will email you with your login details for our Applicant portal.

Requests for supplementary documents like qualifications and English language tests will be made through the applicant portal. You can also use it to ask questions regarding your application. Visit our After you apply page for more information.

Applying to more than 1 course

You can apply for more than 1 postgraduate course at UAL but we recommend that you apply for no more than 3 courses. You need to tailor your application, supporting documents and portfolio to each course, so applying for many different courses could risk the overall quality of your application. If you receive offers for multiple courses, you'll only be able to accept 1 offer. UAL doesn't accept repeat applications to the same course in the same academic year.

Visas and immigration history check

All non-UK nationals must complete an immigration history check. Your application may be considered by our course teams before this check takes place. This means that we may request your portfolio and/or video task before we identify any issues arising from your immigration history check. Sometimes your history may mean that we are not able to continue considering your application. Visit our Immigration and visas advice page for more information.

External student transfer policy

UAL accepts transfers from other institutions on a case-by-case basis. Read our Student transfer policy for more information.

Alternative offers

If your application is really strong, but we believe your strengths and skillset are better suited to a different course, we may make you an alternative offer. This means you will be offered a place on a different course or at a different UAL College.

Deferring your place

We do not accept any deferral requests for our postgraduate courses. This means that you must apply in the year that you plan to start your course and you will not be able to defer your place to start at a later date.

Application deadlines

For postgraduate courses at UAL there are 2 equal consideration deadlines to ensure fairness for all our applicants. If you apply ahead of either of these deadlines, your application will be considered on an equal basis with all other applications in that round. If there are places available after the second deadline, the course will remain open to applications until places have been filled.

Careers

Camberwell’s MA Fine Art Digital graduates go on to work in a wide range of settings, with many now self employed and regularly exhibiting their work in galleries, festivals or running their own creative businesses.

Other alumni work in the wider creative industries as creative directors, designers, photographers, videographers or educationalists. The expanding role of the digital is transforming all creative work and creating new opportunities that could scarcely be imagined just a few years ago.

Alumni

Find out how careers and employability helps our students and graduates start their careers.