Creative Practice

A Level 9 qualification in Creative Practice available over 12 months, from October to September.

The MA in Creative Practice offer artists, designers and filmmakers a creative and critically informed environment in which to develop and consolidate their practice.

The course will support imaginative, experimental and interdisciplinary enquiry through a range of media and approaches.

Students will choose one of four strands in which to base their study
• Contemporary art studio practice
• Digital cultures
• Film and lens based media
• Socially engaged practice

The course is structured so as to balance general and specific demands of various practices.

Students will be encouraged to work collaboratively as well as be independent, self-directed critical thinkers.

The emphasis of the course is on the student completing a large practice-based project.

This culminates with the production of a final exhibition, film screening or project presentation with a thesis demonstrating appropriate critical contextualization of the practice based work.

Students undertaking the MA will also undertake either a 60-credit 'Research Project', or two 30 credit modules, 'Creative Practice Project' and 'Minor Thesis'

The Research Project or Creative Practice Project is initiated by a project proposal which will be guided and developed to completion by the end of the course.

In the case of the 60-credit Research Project module; first, a practice-based element is undertaken where the student focuses on developing their art, film, digital media or socially engaged practice to completion.

The second element seeks to critically contextualize their practice through the written form, taking into consideration the wider social and cultural fields in which their practice will perform. The two elements can overlap to greater or lesser extent depending on the project and the individual requirements.

This structure has allowed the separation and offering of the Creative Practice Project module, followed by the Minor Thesis module. These two 30-credit modules largely mirror the overlapping elements structure of the 60-credit module, however they can also be taken independently. This flexibility also allows the opportunity of an exit from the MA programme with a 60-credit Post-Graduate Diploma.

There are three mandatory taught modules:
• Themes and Issues in Creative Practice (10 credits)
• Professional Development (10 credits)
• Research and Innovation (10 credits)

Year 1
Research and Innovation
10 credits

Themes and Issues
10 credits

Professional Development
10 credits

Research Project & Thesis
60 credits

Creative Practice Projects
30 credits

Minor Thesis
30 credits

A minimum of 2.2 in Art, Design, Film or in a cognate Level 8 qualification. Other applicants may be considered through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process.

Applications Opening Date: February 17th, 2022
Application Closing Date: 27 May, 2022

Application Procedure
Applicants should register their details online.

Applicants must provide the following:
• A CV detailing their qualifications, career to date.
• A short visual record of previous work.
• A personal motivational statement, which should include an outline of their plans and interests related to Creative Practice and potential Practice-based Research.

All qualified applicants with a relevant Level 8 qualification or equivalent will be short-listed for interview.

Other applicants may be considered through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process.

The interview will discuss qualifications, experience, and the plans and interests outlined by the students in the statement.
Applicants will be assessed at interview based on qualifications (max 40 marks), experience and achievements (max 30 marks), and plans and objectives (max 30 marks).

1 year full-time

Job Opportunities
Targeted areas of employment for graduates of this programme lie within the extensive range of creative networks and cultural infrastructure of the city, region and beyond.

Employment includes:
• Self-employed artists
• Socially engaged and public art projects
• Arts administration
• Curation
• Film makers
• Technicians
• Designers

Within education, opportunities exist for advanced research at level 10 and beyond as well as opportunities in second and third level teaching, lecturing and art education programmes in museum and cultural institutions.

The sector thrives on innovation, initiative and ambition. The MA in Creative Practice fosters such ambition through a strategically informed practical project-based environment.