Art History - Modern & Contemporary Art History Theory & Criticism

Our MA in Modern and Contemporary Art History, Theory and Criticism is a unique art history programme that offers a stimulating, rigorous and wide-ranging exploration of twentieth- and twenty-first-century art and theory.



This MA Art History course is rooted in both solid historical training and cutting-edge critical methods and is designed to combine skills in creative and precise visual analysis, a close reading of critical texts, and the cultivation of independent and original thinking and research.



On completion of the course, you will be equipped with skills that are vital to both further academic study and to the pursuit of a wide variety of careers in the arts. Our students typically come to us from backgrounds in the history of art, fine art, film, English literature, philosophy, and other related disciplines. The course can be studied full-time over one year, or part-time (by day) over two years (this part-time option is available to EU students only).



The taught MA in Modern and Contemporary Art History, Theory and Criticism includes an intensive course of four core modules in the fields of modern and contemporary art, a literature review (5,000 words), and a dissertation (20,000 words).



Postgraduate Certificate in Modern & Contemporary Art History, Theory & Criticism



Students passing modules to the value of at least 30 credits and achieving an aggregate of 40 percent across modules to the value of 45 credits in Part I may opt to exit the programme and be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in History of Modern and Contemporary Art History, Theory and Criticism.

Modules (total 90 credits)



Part I (45 credits)

HA6006 Theory for Art History (10 credits)

HA6007 Modern Art and Modernity (10 credits)

HA6009 Contemporary Art (10 credits)

HA6010 Literature Review (5 credits)

HA6040 The Image and the Object. Lens based Modernity



Part II (45 credits)

HA6011 History of Art Dissertation

Applicants must hold either:



an honours primary degree in History of Art at Second Class Honours Grade I in a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8) or equivalent, or

Art school students should have a Second Class Honours Grade I minimum in their History of Art classes or equivalent, and

a one-page statement of purpose (500 words) acceptable to History of Art staff, detailing the student's interest in the programme, and their particular research interests and methodologies to date, and their future professional goals.



All applicants must satisfy a selection committee. In exceptional circumstances, under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and subject to the approval of the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, applicants who hold a primary degree other than Second Class Honours, and who demonstrate a high level of significant and relevant experience, may also be eligible for entry to the programme. Final acceptance is subject to approval by the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, UCC.



For Applicants with Qualifications Completed Outside of Ireland

Applicants must meet the required entry academic grade, equivalent to Irish requirements. For more information see our Qualification Comparison page.



International/Non-EU Applicants

For full details of the non-EU application procedure visit our how to apply pages for international students.



In UCC, we use the term programme and course interchangeably to describe what a person has registered to study in UCC and its constituent colleges, schools, and departments.

Note that not all courses are open to international/non-EU applicants, please check the fact file above. For more information contact the International Office.



English Language Requirements

Applicants who are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university-approved English language requirements. Visit our PG English Language Requirements page for more information.

Closing Date

Rolling deadline. Open until all places have been filled. Early application is advised.

1 year full-time; 2 years part-time.

Start Date 8 September 2025

Our MA provides vital training for careers in schools and universities, museums, galleries and associated fields, as well as developing the necessary transferable skills for professional work in such areas as journalism, media, design, advertising, the heritage industry, and arts administration. Our graduates have gone on to pursue careers in arts both in Ireland and abroad, in auction houses and the art market, in teaching and gallery work, while others have elected to pursue PhDs with us at University College Cork as well as University College London and the University of Oxford.