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Postgraduate

MA Fine Art

Images of a garden printed onto glass sculptures
Image courtesy of UAL, Sian Fan, Garden 3
College
Central Saint Martins
Start date
September 2024
Course length
Two years (60 weeks)
Extended full-time

On MA Fine Art, you will critically address what it means to practice as an artist today.

Please note this course is undergoing re-approval.

Every 5 years the University reviews course content to ensure that our students are benefitting from a high-quality academic experience. During this process there may be some changes made to the course which are not immediately reflected in the content displayed on this page. The information on this page will be updated once the process has been completed. Please contact us if you have any questions about this or the course via study@csm.arts.ac.uk.

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.

How does your work engage with wider social and cultural concerns? What is at stake in your practice? This course is part of the Art programme.

Why choose this course at Central Saint Martins

  • Studio community: The MA Fine Art studios are in an independent building at Archway. Our studio community mixes autonomous practice and collective responsibilities, individual workspaces and shared project space. You will have access to workshops and facilities both at Archway and at the King's Cross campus.
  • Exchange and collaboration: We encourage cross-course and transdisciplinary exchange and collaboration. Outside of the College, we have also worked with the Bilderfahrzeuge Research Project at the Warburg Institute, the British Museum, the Museum of London, Tate Modern, as well as galleries and artist-led spaces.
  • Postgraduate community: As a student on MA Fine Art you will also be part of the postgraduate community. This offers a wide range of opportunities to enrich your work on the course with input from across programmes, Colleges and disciplines.
  • Alumni network: Our graduates are an active community. They exhibit all over the world and participate in residency programmes, performance and film festivals. They practice in the community as well as pursuing careers as critics, writers, curators, teachers. Recent graduates of the course are regularly featured in exhibitions such as Bloomberg New Contemporaries and the Threadneedle Prize.

Open days

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

Tours:

If you're interested in exploring the facilities used by students on MA Fine Art, book your place to join a College Tour of the Archway campus on the following dates:

Scholarships, bursaries and awards

Course overview

MA Fine Art at Central Saint Martins supports a broad range of experimental practices. It will test and challenge your practice, 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. 

The course is home to a wide range of international artists. Our students work in many media including painting, sculpture, print, installation, time-based and digital. The course offers an environment where complex social, cultural and artistic view-points are negotiated. Art-making in this context is a testing ground for ideas and media. Artists who study with us are open to change not just in expanding their practices but in creating new positions. Our focus is on student-centred learning, bringing your work and the way you make and imagine practice to critical scrutiny. You will develop your individual research into confident, sustained practice. 

We place an emphasis on the investigation of materials and processes of fabrication; the intelligence of the work is in the making and the approach to realisation. The MA Fine Art course itself has a track record of innovative teaching. There are opportunities to work with students from different disciplines and at different levels of qualification and this can happen through the extended, digital, campus as well as focused projects. Recent examples have investigated sound-based practices, archival work, virtual reality, photogrammetry, digital publication and animation. These projects strengthen critical engagement with contemporary technologies of making and dissemination. They also work 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 opportunities to meet your peers and to become familiar with 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 supports the development of your thinking and practice. Teaching includes personal tutorials, group critique and external events. 

Unit 1: Enquiry and Process

In Unit 1, you will extend your technical vocabulary and will be introduced to workshops and online teaching events that will help you extend your own practice. Lectures and seminars will introduce research methodologies. You will also explore key theories and critical issues with a range of specialist staff and visiting speakers. Your work in this unit will lead to an agreed individual study programme for Unit 2.

Unit 2: Knowledge and Communication

The emphasis of Unit 2 is to develop your practical, conceptual and technological research. This is formulated through both practice or making and your research paper. You will start with group sessions to facilitate discussion of shared ground and differing concerns. These sessions are designed to help you think through and formulate your ideas into a research paper proposal. The specific contexts and sources of your research will be presented as a focused, critical paper, helping to set the agenda for your work in Unit 3.

Unit 3: Communication and Realisation

During Unit 3 you will be supported in the production of a body of work for public dissemination and presentation. Throughout the unit, you will advance your professional and academic skills to a level that prepares you for post-graduation practices.

Collaborative projects

An important emphasis of the course is self-organisation and co-operative working. As you develop more independence over the course, you will have opportunities to engage with a variety of collaborative projects or practice that involves co-operation. These vary from year-to-year and have recently included international projects, external exhibitions and trans-disciplinary partnerships, publication and site-specific events; in both real and virtual environments. We have also worked across the Art programme, collaborating on projects with other MA and BA courses.

Lecture programme

There are a number of lectures to help contextualise and broaden your practice and its references. Postgraduate lectures offer the opportunity for all members of the MA-level Art programme to meet regularly for debate and engage with contemporary issues that touch all the disciplines. There are additionally, Art programme lectures delivered by visiting artists. 

Group Crits

Unit 1 includes a series of Group Crits. These are an important opportunity for you to share your developing work with peers and tutors and to test the work physically in the studio spaces.

Practice events

Units 2 and 3 include a series of practice events. These are an opportunity to curate and present finished work in a group context in the studio project space. These events offer you practice and experience in the curation of work through collective endeavour and engage you in critical discussion with your peers. 

Open Studios

The Open Studios are held in the Autumn Term for Year 1 & 2, and the Summer Term for Year 1. These are publicly facing small events, focusing on the development of your work, engaging with a public and developing self-organisational skills.

Editions exhibition /Selling event

Editions (also known as MERCH) gives you direct experience of commercial enterprise. Based on the format of an edition, each student will produce two prints which will be put up for sale. All second-year students contribute to the preparation and running of the event. Proceeds contribute to the costs for the Interim event and student Showcase activities.

Interim exhibition

This initiative provides you with opportunities for directly sharing practice and experience with the broader post-graduate community across the art programme and test your ideas and approach to audience engagement with your developing work. 

 

Graduate Show

This takes place after your final assessment and is an opportunity to show your work publicly. The exact format and location is determined each year.

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 is offered 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. We would however expect full attendance on the scheduled teaching days (Monday to Wednesday).

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 
  • Lecture programme 
  • Personal tutorials and Group crits
  • Workshop inductions
  • Collaborative and collective endeavour
  • Elective projects
  • Practice events 
  • Interim presentation and audience facing event
  • Editions, a postgraduate selling event
  • Research paper and research groups 
  • Showcase exhibition and Online Showcase

Graduate Showcase

Explore work by our recent students on the UAL Showcase

MA Fine Art stories

  • Photo by Jamie Johnson

    An art education multipack of perspectives and contexts in Sideshow

    Central Saint Martins Art Programme and friends take over the Lethaby Gallery this January. With installed artworks and a playful programme of daily happenings, Sideshow zones in on the offbeat, with uplifting perspectives on serious concerns.

  • Luciana Dal Ri, 'Dust'

    GROTTO: Postgraduate Art Print Sale preview

    Opening soon! CSM XMAS GROTTO: where you can buy affordable work by final-year postgraduate students from across the Central Saint Martins Art programme. Over 100 limited edition A3 prints at £50 available to buy in person and online.

  • Postgraduate Art Print Sale at the CSM XMAS GROTTO

    The Central Saint Martins Postgraduate Art Print Sale is back! Experience the magic of the holiday season at the CSM XMAS GROTTO at the CSM Crossing from 24-26 November. Over 100 limited edition A3 prints priced at £50 that you can buy directly

  • The 2023 NOVA Award winners, l to r: Asa, George, Bocen, Liz, Arianna and Luke. Photo Harry Cole.

    The 2023 MullenLowe NOVA Award winners

    We're excited to name the 2023 MullenLowe NOVA Award winners. The chosen work spans product and industrial design, fine art, jewellery, fashion and material futures.

Facilities

Staff

Associate Lecturers: Ami Clarke | Esi Eshun | Nooshin Farhid | Hannah Catherine Jones |  Dr Dean Kenning

Visiting Practitioner: Erika Trotzig

Senior Lecturer in Fine Art, Research into Teaching Curriculum Co-ordinator: Louisa Minkin

Fees and funding

Home fee

£6,980 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

£18,350 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: 

  • The quality of your practice 
  • Ability to devise and develop a self-directed programme of study 
  • The ability to develop and contextualise work in written form 
  • The ability to analyse and evaluate in both visual and oral terms 
  • Eagerness to contribute to the learning environment at postgraduate level.

What we are looking for 

We are seeking imaginative, resourceful individuals who are committed to exploring art practice.

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 and video task deadline

Round 1:

16 January 2024

Round 2:

16 April 2024

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 and video task deadline
16 January 2024
16 April 2024
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 and video task deadline

Round 1:

16 January 2024

Round 2:

16 April 2024

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 and video task deadline
16 January 2024
16 April 2024
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

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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.

Study proposal advice

Please provide a summary of your study proposal (500 words).

It should:

  • outline the plan, aims, objectives and rationale for your MA project
  • explain how this project relates to your skills, experience and future ambitions
  • outline the areas of fine art practice that you plan to investigate, interrogate or contribute towards
  • briefly explain your proposed approach, demonstrating an awareness of planning, timescales and any potential challenges
  • include any potential research resources, key texts, theories and approaches.

Please note, your proposal serves to inform your application and we understand that your ideas will inevitably develop and change throughout your studies.

Step 2: Video task and 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.

Video task advice

We’d like you to submit a 2-3 minute video to help us learn more about you. When recording your task, please face the camera and speak in English.

What to include in your video task:

  • Choose 1 project from your portfolio and describe your creative process.
  • Explain how this experience inspired you to apply to MA Fine Art at Central Saint Martins.

Read our guidance for how to submit your video task and which file types we accept.

Digital portfolio advice

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

It should:

  • be maximum 20 pages, including your video task
  • include images or documentation of your work and research to showcase your current creative practice. If you’re working in film/video, please submit a compilation show reel (max 10 minutes)
  • include work in progress as well as finished pieces to demonstrate your development process from initial idea to final outcome
  • be clearly annotated including the dates of when the work was made. Focus on good clear documentation of work with no more the 50 words per image or 200 words per project.

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

Our Postgraduate Art Programme offers valuable opportunities to build transferable professional knowledge and skills. The exchange of perspectives with others through shared units, reading groups and debates helps establish stimulating and productive networks.

The focus on proposing and developing a major independent programme of study is supported by a shared professional practice lecture series featuring guest speakers plus opportunities to attend symposia and critique work in progress across subject areas. The Postgraduate Art Programme has wide-ranging links with professional organisations, collections and galleries, and includes opportunities for interaction and networking according to your personal career direction.

Career possibilities for fine art graduates have expanded in recent years in line with increased opportunities in contemporary arts generally, in London and internationally. Alternative pathways for MA Fine Art graduates include residency programmes, performance festivals, teaching, and practising in the community. There are also opportunities in critical writing, curating and further research degree study.

Recent MA Fine Art alumni activity demonstrates the breadth of student activity within the subject, with many of our fine art graduates prominent in galleries, competitions and events.

In 2007 Mark Melvin won the Nationwide Mercury Art Prize, Gemma Pardo was selected for the Bloomberg New Contemporaries, and Ayan Farrah founded Front Room Projects. In 2008 Sachiyo Nishimura was selected for New Contemporaries. In 2009 Maurice Citron was part of the Saatchi New Sensations show with his work being seen on Channel 4, and New Contemporaries showcased work by students Johanna Piesniewski and Hannes Ribarits. In 2010 graduates exhibited widely - shows included Bibi Katholm at 2 Taekker Space, Berlin, and the Vegas Gallery, London, and Filipo Caramazza at Hayles Gallery, London. Students Francesca Simon and Gwen Yip were shortlisted for the John Moores Painting Prize 2010.