MA Culture, Criticism and Curation
Course summary
This course is now closed for January 2019 entry. Applications for 2020 entry will reopen at the end of February.
Established in 2013, MA Culture, Criticism and Curation at Central Saint Martins works with two distinctive approaches: allying itself to culture as a broad-based field and treating intellectual and practical work as a joined-up form of enquiry.
We see theory and research as foundational to project work, and learning through doing is fundamental to the development of curatorial practice.
This course is part of the Culture and Enterprise Programme.
Great reasons to apply
- Curating and critical writing are critical and creative practices with potential to be applicable to institutions and to independent or alternative practices. Students are taught how to act with agency within complex and changing environments
- We emphasise interdisciplinary thinking and enquiry. Multiple subject backgrounds and a distinctively international cohort enrich the experience by placing a diversity of experiences and views in dialogue with one another. We seek to engage with social and political issues and position research-led curation as a potent agent of change
- The Course has strong links with Central Saint Martins’ Museum and Study Collection and the University’s Archives and Special Collections Centre, providing students on the course with project work and access to specialist knowledge integral to their field of study
- Projects are realised through group work, through which collaboration is discussed, tested and reflected upon. These make use of the college’s excellent resources as well as links with external organisations. They lead to partnerships with organisations both internal and external to the University, providing opportunities for students to build their individual practice, professional capacity and research interests. Our projects are of a very high standard and public profile
- We are situated in the heart of London and in the heart of the world’s leading arts university. You will join an exciting community of people integrating research and practice in our Culture and Enterprise Programme, as well as the other postgraduate programmes on curatorial practice across University of the Arts London
- UAL is a top 5 research university in its peer group and first in the Power ranking in the category of Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory. 83% of our research was graded as world leading or internationally excellent in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014.
Open days
The next round of open days will take place from April to November 2019, please check back here by mid March 2019 to book.
Scholarships, awards and funding
Jane Rapley Scholarships
Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarships:
Home/EU | International
Postgraduate loans of up to £10,000 are now available for eligible UK and EU students. A full list of eligibility criteria and information on applying can be found on the postgraduate loans webpage.
UAL International Postgraduate £25,000 plus International Student House (ISH) Scholarships
Course events
Meet Course Leader Alison Green and MA Culture Criticism and Curation students
Culture, Criticism and Curation students discuss the value of arts education.
Gallery
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Five year anniversary party for alumni, December 2017. Photo: Glenn Michael Harper -
Inside/Out exhibition in various Walworth locations, South London. This was part of a student project with Artists Studio Company, November 2017. Photo: Glenn Michael Harper -
Inside/Out exhibition in various Walworth locations, South London. This was part of a student project with Artists Studio Company, November 2017). Photo: Glenn Michael Harper -
Five year anniversary party for alumni, December 2017. Photo: Glenn Michael Harper -
Inside/Out exhibition in various Walworth locations, South London. This was part of a student project with Artists Studio Company, November 2017). Photo: Glenn Michael Harper -
Five year anniversary party for alumni, December 2017. Photo: Glenn Michael Harper -
Inside/Out exhibition in various Walworth locations, South London. This was part of a student project with Artists Studio Company, November 2017). Photo: Glenn Michael Harper -
Five year anniversary party for alumni, December 2017. Photo: Glenn Michael Harper -
Inside/Out exhibition in various Walworth locations, South London. This was part of a student project with Artists Studio Company, November 2017). Photo: Glenn Michael Harper
MA Culture, Criticism and Curation stories
Course details
Raymond Williams described culture as one of the most difficult words in the English language. It crosses disciplines and holds multiple meanings. It designates things and processes. Historically culture meant ‘civilisation’; more recently the meaning has shifted towards the entertainment and education sector, but importantly this has been accompanied by an ongoing negotiation about what might constitute the objects, activities, agents and interpretations of cultural production.
Through critical writing and expanded forms of curating, MA Culture, Criticism and Curation offers a framework for engaging with the history and present scenarios of culture. Taking advantage of its location in an art school, MA CCC integrates theoretical issues and practical skills, interrogating history and working critically and creatively to consider how potential new knowledge can be presented in the public realm. The Course aims to teach students to be strong researchers and innovative practitioners, with the skills to communicate with specialist and general audiences alike.
The Course makes use of London’s many collections, archives and creative practitioners, staging the teaching in relation to ‘live’ resources. Key focuses of the Course are collections and archives, including those that are institutional, personal and/or produced in the context of creative art practices, which you will address from both theoretical and practical standpoints.
With these critical and historical frameworks you will work on ‘live’ projects, led by students and facilitated by tutors. The projects are different each year in form and content, with students addressing the complex of issues surrounding the presentation of culture in public and social spaces. As a group, you will learn how to collaborate effectively, to use the project as a testing-ground, and make individual skills and ideas contribute to a collective end.
The Course is taught by a team of tutors who bridge academic research and writing and professional practices of criticism, journalism, art, exhibition design, curating and collections management. They will support your acquisition of critical and practical skills enabling you to work in the field of art and culture or progress to a research degree (PhD).
About this course
- MA Culture, Criticism and Curation lasts 45 weeks, arranged across one academic year – three terms of ten weeks – plus an additional 15 weeks of independent work
- MA Culture, Criticism and Curation is credit rated at 180 credits and comprises three Units. All three units must be passed in order to achieve the MA, but the classification of the award of MA derives from the mark for Unit Three only
- We expect you to commit an average of 40 hours per week to your studies. This comprises 10-15 hours of taught and supervised sessions and 25-30 hours self-directed study
- Your taught input will normally be scheduled over two - three fixed days per week, which we will detail at the start of each term and further in advance if possible. The course structure is intended to allow you to pursue your studies while also undertaking part-time work, internships or care responsibilities.
Projects and professional partnerships
The Culture and Enterprise Programme team has cultivated and delivered student projects in partnership with a range of external organisations including Camden Council, The Guardian, and EDF.
Working collaboratively with organisations, small and large, independent and well established, is central to our approach to practice. Final projects, whether curatorial, editorial or creative, are done in partnership with external organisations. The Course has done projects with The Guardian Newspaper, Flat Time House, The Old Operating Theatre and Herb Garrett, David Roberts Art Foundation, the South London Gallery, Camden Council and South Hampstead and Kilburn Community Project, the Archive Studio at the Southbank Centre and Artists Studio Company (ASC).
Read about a few recent student projects by MA Culture, Criticism and Curation students via the links below.
Dissertation subjects
Research and critical writing on MA Culture, Criticism and Curation is multi-disciplinary. We encourage innovative writing and/or students interested in practice-led research. Here are some examples of dissertation subjects:
- Conceptual Art, White Cubes, Criticality: The Influence of Kanrasha Gallery in Japan from the 1980s Onward (Hayato Fujioka)
- Capital/Country/Speed: Towards a Curatorial Project (and its Conceptual Foundations) (Barnaby Lewer)
- Selfridges' Body Studio: A Case Study in Women, Consumer Culture and Questions of Identity (Ophelia Stimpson)
- Cultural Logic of a Database (Špela Pipan)
- Exhibition as Research (Annika Turkowski)
- Collage in Community-Based Research, Art Education and Art Therapy (Yu-Wen Hung)
- May 9th in Russian Political Mythmaking Today, in Memory: Memory, Film and the Russian Idea (Alexandra Sazonova)
- The Seen and the Unseen: A Study of Bethlem Royal Hospital (Yusi Xiong)
- Why You Should Invest 0% of Your Monies in Art (Bernard Tan)
- Playing with History (Jake Charles Rees)
- Turn and Face the Change. Digital Media and Museums in the 21st century. Case Study: Victoria and Albert Museum (Gili Yuval)
- Applying Digital Media technology in museums in China (Yan Yu)
- What's under the sun? A cultural engagement with the new (Eva Tyler)
- Bad Bitches, Strip Clubs and Twerking. The Racial Analysis of Miley Cyrus Twerking at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards (Rhianne Sinclair-Phillips)
- The Good, The Bad and the Sexy. An approach to popularity, heritage and meaning in El Libro Vaquero (Marisol Rodriguez)
- Can works of art stop being works of art? The case of the Miro collection (Eva Oddo)
- Wide, Open Spaces: Institutional Critique as Artist Practice in the 21st Century (Janice Mitchell)
- Obsession, Possession and Oppression; Collecting and Social Structures in French Art Deco 'Exoticism' Furniture (Cath Layton)
- The Fictive Museum. Return to the Wunderkammer (Lisa Kim)
- He'll Give Us What We Need, It May Not Be What We Want. Kanye West, Yeezus, and the Curatorial (Ross Jennings)
- 'A DOWN': Decadence of Hunting Aesthetics in Film from Fred.B.Bear to 8 year old Will (Oscar Holloway)
- From the Stars Group to the China/Avant-Garde Exhibition: Chinese Avant-Garde Art in Chinese Modern Society since 1979 (Siyi Chen)
- The Hidden Treasure. Angelo Baldassarre's contemporary art collection (Fausta Maria Bolettieri)
- Kettle's Yard: Unpicking the Burden of History. A Critical Assessment of the Kettle's Yard Identity (Natalie Baerselman le Gros)
- Curating Art's Names: On the Possibility of Mapping Conceptual Investigations in to the Nature of Art Within a Curatorial Discourse (Ludovica Gilio)
- Education without Learning; The Paradox of Staging Critical Discourse (Charlotte Rose Ram)
Course units
Staff
Alison Green
Programme Director (Cover), Culture and Enterprise;Course Leader, MA Culture, Criticism and Curation
Ben Bethell
Tutor, MA Culture, Criticism and Curation and BA Culture, Criticism and Curation
Caroline Dakers
Professor of Cultural History
Michaela Giebelhausen
Course Leader, BA Culture, Criticism and Curation
Course Tutor: Dr Caterina Albano
Course Tutor: Dr Louise Garrett
Course Tutor: Nathalie Khan
Course Tutor: Nick Kimberley
Course Tutor: Andrew Marsh
Course Tutor: Dr Colin Perry
Course Tutor: Professor Roger Sabin
Course Tutor: James Swinson
Course Tutor: Judy Willcocks, Director, CSM Museum and Study Collection
How to apply
Opportunities for all
We are committed to making university education an achievable option for a wider range of people and to supporting all of our students in achieving their potential both during and after their courses.
We welcome applications from people with disabilities. If you have a disability (e.g. mobility difficulties, sensory impairments, medical or mental health conditions or Asperger’s syndrome) we strongly encourage you to contact us on disability@arts.ac.uk or +44 (0)20 7514 6156 so that we can plan the right support for you. All enquiries are treated confidentially. To find out more, visit our Disability & Dyslexia webpages.
Entry requirements
Applicants should have an Honours Degree or evidence of equivalent learning, and normally at least one year of relevant professional experience. The relevant disciplines and professional fields include: History; Art History; Culture, Communications or Media Studies; Fine Art or Design; Fashion (history & theory or design); Multimedia or interactive design; Curatorial, gallery, archive or museum work; Research; Collections management or interpretation; Journalism – digital, broadcast, press and radio; Art criticism or publishing; Marketing and PR; Retail or Business, if culturally related. Applicants should have very good written, speaking and reading skills. They will have social and organisational skills, demonstrated in the application and interview.
Applicants will be considered for admission who have not achieved a relevant Honours Degree but who can evidence experiential learning equivalent to a degree or who have three years’ relevant professional experience.
English language requirements
All classes are conducted in English. If English is not your first language you will be asked to provide evidence of your English language ability in order to apply for a visa, enrol, and start your course. The English language requirement for entry for this course is:
IELTS Academic 7.0 with a minimum of 6.0 in each of the 4 skills (on one single test).
For further information visit the English Language requirements page.
What we look for
- Interest in and understanding of history, culture, and/or arts and design
- Reflexive and critical thinking
- Experience of collaborative work
- Self-motivation, ambition, and interest in research.
Selection criteria
Applicants will be selected on the basis of the following criteria:
- A BA qualification or equivalent level of skills and knowledge in your own discipline, evidenced by work done in your field;
- Evidence of interest in and understanding of history, culture, and /or arts and design;
- Evidence of critical thinking and research abilities, particularly in written work;
- Experience of collaborative work;
- Evidence of self-motivation and ambition.
What we look for
- Interest in and understanding of history, culture, and/or arts and design;
- Reflexive and critical thinking;
- Experience of collaborative work;
- Self-motivation, ambition, and interest in research.
Selection criteria
Applicants will be selected on the basis of the following criteria:
- A BA qualification or equivalent level of skills and knowledge in your own discipline, evidenced by work done in your field;
- Evidence of interest in and understanding of history, culture, and /or arts and design;
- Evidence of critical thinking and research abilities, particularly in written work;
- Experience of collaborative work;
- Evidence of self-motivation and ambition.
Making your application
This course is now closed for January 2019 entry. Applications for 2020 entry will reopen at the end of February.
For EU applicants concerned about Brexit, please see our dedicated page: Brexit Information for Students.
When to apply
Application to this course for 2019 entry is now closed. Applications will reopen in February for 2020 entry.
We recommend you apply by the end of September at the very latest to avoid disappointment. Your application will only be considered after you have successfully completed an online application, submitted required documents and a digital portfolio.
We reserve the right to close applications earlier than the deadline above subject to spaces available.
Required information for all postgraduate courses
Before you apply, please take time to read the guidance below. You will be asked to provide the following items and upload documents when completing the online application form:
General information
- Personal details (including legal full name, date of birth, nationality, addresses);
- Current English language level;
- Current and/or previous education and qualification details;
- Employment history;
Personal statement
Your personal statement should give us information about yourself and why you want to join the course. (Write no more than 300 words.)
- What are you doing at the moment educationally, professionally, personally?
- Why do you wish to study on this course?
- Do you have any relevant experience?
- Why do you think you are a suitable candidate for acceptance?
Project proposal
The Project Proposal should provide a rationale and outline for a cultural project based upon an archive or collection. It should demonstrate your critical engagement and creative thinking within the cultural field, your interests and your ability to conceptualise and plan project work. It does not need to have happened; you only need to propose an idea, but it should be realisable. The Project Proposal:
- Helps you to position your interests academically and professionally;
- Reflects your personal interests and direction at this stage and prepares you for collaborative and practical projects during the programme;
- Should be between 800 and 1,000 words, and include images or other media as needed.
Written assignment
Your critical and evaluative writing should:
- Reflect your academic and professional interests;
- Total between 3,000 and 5,000 words
- Evidence your ability to write and your interest in and understanding of history, culture, and /or arts and design.
It may be a piece of published writing or an academic essay written for coursework. Independent or unpublished writings will also be accepted.
Do complete all the required information and/or upload the necessary documents, otherwise we will not be able to proceed with your application.
Start your application now
Application to this course for 2019 entry is now closed. Applications will reopen in February for 2020 entry.
The application form can be saved as you fill it out, so you do not need to complete it all at once. You will also have the chance to review all the information and make any necessary amendments before you submit the application form.
After you have successfully submitted your application online, you will receive an email confirming your application and providing your login details for the UAL Applicant Portal. Please do log into your applicant portal as this is where we will send you important updates and requests, as well as allowing you to contact us with any questions you may have about your application.
What happens next
We read and consider all applications. Subject to your meeting the entry requirements and consideration of supporting documentation, you then may then be invited participate in an interview, either in person or by telephone/skype.
How we notify you of the outcome of your application
You will receive the outcome of your application through the UAL Applicant Portal.
Deferred entry
Please note that CSM does not accept application for deferred entry.
This course is now closed for January 2019 entry. Applications for 2020 entry will reopen at the end of February.
When to apply
Your application will only be considered after you have successfully completed an online application, submitted required documents and a digital portfolio.
We reserve the right to close applications earlier than the deadline above subject to spaces available.
Required information for all postgraduate courses
Before you apply, please take time to read the guidance below. You will be asked to provide the following items and upload documents when completing the online application form:
General Information
- Personal details (including legal full name, date of birth, nationality, addresses);
- Current English language level;
- Current and/or previous education and qualification details;
- Employment history;
Personal statement
Your personal statement should give us information about yourself and why you want to join the course. (Write no more than 300 words.)
- What are you doing at the moment educationally, professionally, personally?
- Why do you wish to study on this course?
- Do you have any relevant experience?
- Why do you think you are a suitable candidate for acceptance?
Project proposal
The Project Proposal should provide a rationale and outline for a cultural project based upon an archive or collection. It should demonstrate your critical engagement and creative thinking within the cultural field, your interests and your ability to conceptualise and plan project work. It does not need to have happened; you only need to propose an idea, but it should be realisable. The Project Proposal:
- Helps you to position your interests academically and professionally;
- Reflects your personal interests and direction at this stage and prepares you for collaborative and practical projects during the programme;
- Should be between 800 and 1,000 words, and include images or other media as needed.
Written Assignment
Your critical and evaluative writing should:
- Reflect your academic and professional interests;
- Total between 3,000 and 5,000 words
- Evidence your ability to write and your interest in and understanding of history, culture, and /or arts and design.
It may be a piece of published writing or an academic essay written for coursework. Independent or unpublished writings will also be accepted.
Do complete all the required information and/or upload the necessary documents, otherwise we will not be able to proceed with your application.
Start your application now
Application to this course for 2019 entry is now closed. Applications will reopen in February for 2020 entry.
The application form can be saved as you fill it out, so you do not need to complete it all at once. You will also have the chance to review all the information and make any necessary amendments before you submit the application form.
After you have successfully submitted your application online, you will receive an email confirming your application and providing your login details for the UAL Applicant Portal. Please do log into your applicant portal as this is where we will send you important updates and requests, as well as allowing you to contact us with any questions you may have about your application.
For further advice on how to apply please visit the UAL International Application page.
Immigration History Check (for International Applications only)
Whether you are applying through a UAL representative or direct application you will need to complete an Immigration History check. If you do not complete the Immigration History Check we will not be able to proceed with your application and portfolio review.
What happens next
We read and consider all applications. Subject to your meeting the entry requirements and consideration of supporting documentation, you then may then be invited participate in an interview, either in person or by telephone/skype.
How we notify you of the outcome of your application
You will receive the outcome of your application through the UAL Applicant Portal.
Deferred entry
Please note that CSM does not accept application for deferred entry.
Fees & Funding
Home/EU fee
Tuition fees for course that starts in January 2019: £9,500.
£1,000 discount for Home/EU students who have completed a PG Dip/Cert or an undergraduate course including Grad Dip/Cert, at UAL.
You can pay course tuition fees in instalments for this course.
International fee
Tuition fees for course that starts in January 2019: £19,350.
£1,000 discount for students who have completed a PG Dip/Cert or an undergraduate course including Grad Dip/Cert, at UAL.
You can pay course tuition fees in instalments for this course.
Additional costs
Use our Fees and Funding Calculator to estimate how much your studies may cost you in your first year, and what funding may be available to you.
Accommodation
Find out about the accommodation options available and how much they will cost.
Scholarships and awards
There are a number of scholarships and awards available to students on this course. Use our search tool to find out more information.
Careers and alumni
The course will prepare graduates to work in the creative and cultural industries and/ or for doctoral work in Humanities subjects.
Within the cultural and creative industries there is increasing demand for people who have curatorial, research and writing skills and can work within this interdisciplinary sector. Employers now expect that MA graduates will be able handle intellectual, creative and practical projects, and demonstrate an enquiring mind.