Art and Visual Culture

Entry requirements

You need a minimum of a lower second class honours degree (2:2) in a relevant discipline including arts and humanities, fine art and performing arts, as well as some social science subjects. Relevant work experience might also be taken into consideration, especially in the case of applicants who don’t meet the standard entry criteria. Applicants may be asked to respond to a specific article.

Months of entry

January, September

Course content

The Art and Visual Culture MA brings together academics, curators and practitioners who share a commitment to investigating modern and contemporary culture from aesthetic, critical, literary, and experiential perspectives.

The interdisciplinary, visual theory-based course is established around the belief that visual literacy and the impact of visual forms of thinking and working play significant roles in our society. On the course, we interrogate visual perception and representation in high and popular culture, explore how these produce meanings, and how such meanings shape societies and individuals.

The course introduces you to a wide range of historical and contemporary debates that inform the theories and practices of visual culture, and supports you in developing a conceptual framework within which to evaluate the role of the visual arts, and other forms of visual production, in contemporary society and culture. It gives you a solid grounding for careers in the art and cultural sectors as well as academia, and it is also suitable for practicing artists wishing to further their research.

Many of these modules include class visits to leading museums, galleries and archives in London: this provides a fantastic opportunity to engage directly with the city’s cultural institutions and intellectual resources, in doing so providing you with sophisticated critical thinking skills as well as practical knowledge of how the cultural sector operates.

Information for international students

If your first language is not English you should have an IELTS 6.5 with at least 6.5 in writing. Applicants may also be asked to provide an example of previous written work as part of the application.

The University offers pre-sessional summer programmes if you need to improve your English before starting your course.

Fees and funding

This course is eligible for an alumni discount. Find out if you are eligible and how to apply by visiting our Alumni discounts page.

As well as tuition fee loans, there is a range of funding available to help you fund your studies.

If you are currently teaching in a UK secondary school or further education college, you may be entitled to a 15% discount on this MA course.