Education Studies - Visual Arts

This is an innovative course designed to enable participants to establish, enhance and critically evaluate imaginative and innovative practices in a variety of arts-in-education contexts with increased connoisseurship, confidence and creativity.



What is the Master in Education Studies (Visual Arts)?

Graduates will have the ability to critically appraise and reconceptualise approaches, and to break out of established patterns in order to explore things in different ways. In addition, they will acquire the expertise to contribute to local, national or international communities of practice within arts and education.



Who is the course for?

This course is for those who have a particular interest in visual arts and the intersection of arts and education. It is also open to primary teachers, ‘teaching’ artists, artist-teachers working in socially engaged practices who wish to acquire critical understanding about learning in, through and from visual arts. The course is also open to other educators or professionals who employ visual arts as a methodology for learning in diverse educational contexts and wish to evolve their practice in imaginative and integrated ways.



What will I study?

In year 1, study four discrete modules consisting of

a common core module and three specialist visual arts education modules. In year 2, students focus on an area of interest related to visual arts within Education Studies in greater depth, develop research skills and prepare a dissertation on a topic relevant to visual arts education.

Year 1

Module 1 – Introduction to Education Studies

› Pedagogy, learning styles and pedagogical tact

› Character, compassion, care empathy and flourishing

› Well-being and critical thinking in education

› Postgraduate reading and writing



Module 2 – Visual Arts, Inspiration and Imagination

› Inspiration for visual arts

› Theory, practice and challenges pertaining to teaching ‘making and responding’ to drawing

› Changing ideologies and paradigms in visual arts education

› Theory, practice and challenges pertaining to teaching ‘making and responding’ to painting

› Visual arts and imaginative thinking

› Theory, practice and challenges pertaining to teaching ‘making and responding’ to print



Module 3- Visual Arts, Ideation and Integration

› Ideation in visual arts and planning for visual arts

› Theory, practice and challenges pertaining to teaching ‘making and responding’ to collage

› Visual arts integration: Rationale, taxonomy, pearls and perils

› Theory, practice and challenges pertaining to teaching ‘making and responding’ to textiles

› Interdisciplinary skills from visual arts

› Theory, practice and challenges pertaining to teaching ‘making and responding’ to construction



Module 4 – Visual Arts, Innovation and Inclusion

› Inclusion in teaching visual arts

› Theory, practice and challenges pertaining to teaching ‘making and responding’ to clay

› ICT, visual arts and teaching visual arts

› Theory, practice and challenges pertaining to teaching ‘making and responding’ to graphic design

› Innovation in visual arts education

› Theory, practice and challenges pertaining to teaching ‘making and responding’ to new media



Year 2

Dissertation Module

› Research methodologies and research ethics

› The research design process

› Research proposal

› Dissertation

Minimum entry requirements



› An honours degree (level 8) with second class honours or higher and at least three years’ teaching experience or equivalent professional experience



› In exceptional cases students who meet the honours degree requirement but do not have the necessary experience or who meet the professional experience, but have only a level 7 degree may be considered for the course. Candidates may be shortlisted and invited to attend an interview and complete a written assignment as appropriate.



› English Language Requirement: please check www.mie.ie/study_with_us/how_to_apply/ english_language_requirement/

Applications for the September 2026 intake are now open. Applications will close on the 5th June 2026.

How is the course assessed?

Assessment is linked to the modular nature of the course and consists of a variety of assessment methods in year 1, followed by a research proposal and dissertation in year 2.

ECTS Credits: 90

2 years part-time.

Intake: September 2026.