MA Contemporary Art Theory

The MA in Contemporary Art Theory is for those with a special interest in contemporary art, and an aptitude for theoretical work in the subject.

The programme offers a challenging and advanced scheme of study, which explores a range of theoretical perspectives that shape attitudes towards visual art in the late 20th/early 21st centuries.

Invigorated by current research, the programme encourages you to explore conceptually and creatively the ways in which contemporary artistic practice and critical theory interrelate. It aims to expand your knowledge of contemporary artistic developments as well as to deepen your understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of academic discourses on visual culture.

The programme draws variously upon the fields of performance studies, art history, philosophy, museology, queer theory, post-colonial studies and cultural studies in addressing the critical challenges posed by artistic practice.

Skills & careers

Many of our MA students have gone on to MPhil/PhD study, not only in art history and visual cultures, but also in related fields such as philosophy, cultural studies and literature. Careers obtained by recent graduates include: artist, curator/collections manager, journal editor, lecturers, researcher, and roles in TV and production, public relations, and rights and marketing.

Entry requirements

You should normally have, or expect to gain, an undergraduate degree of at least upper second class standard in art history, fine art, another studio-based practice, arts administration and related activities, or a humanities discipline other than art history which demonstrates your ability to undertake work at Masters level.

You don’t necessarily need a formal academic qualification in art history: we welcome applications from prospective students who do not meet the standard entrance requirements but can demonstrate appropriate knowledge and experience from outside academia in the world of work.

If you have little or no formal training in art history or a related humanities discipline, you may need to take a preparatory year of study on the Graduate Diploma in Contemporary Art History. You may also be required to attend an interview.

Equivalent qualifications

We accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

English language requirements

If English isn’t your first language, you’ll need to meet our English language requirements to study with us.

For this programme we require:

IELTS 7.0 (including 7.0 in the written test)

If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for postgraduate-level study.

Why study at Goldsmiths?

• Our students come from over 140 countries
• Our London zone 2 campus is a great base for exploring the city – you’ll have world-class shops, restaurants, bars, theatres, cinemas, galleries and museums on your doorstep
• We have plenty of support on offer for international students, from English language preparation to help to find work experience
• We’ve been part of the world-renowned University of London since 1904. That means that when you graduate from Goldsmiths, you’ll also graduate from the University of London

About Goldsmiths, University of London

An incubator for ideas

Creativity has always been the hallmark of Goldsmiths. Academic excellence and imaginative course content combine to make a place where creative minds can thrive and ideas are allowed to grow.

Our courses and research activities span the arts, humanities, social sciences, cultural studies, computing, business and management across 20 academic departments.

A world leader in new knowledge

Our academics cooperate across disciplines to create exciting new courses and develop novel approaches to research issues. Our interdisciplinary ethos has helped us to become a national leader in many subject areas.

The QS World Rankings place us in the top five UK Universities for Art & Design and Communication & Media Studies. In 2014 the Research Excellence Framework rated us in the UK’s top 25 Universities for the quality of our research.

From Creative and Social Technologies to Anomalistic Psychology our teaching and research staff are combining their specialist knowledge to fashion new insights into 21st-century challenges.

Whatever discipline you choose, you’ll find your old ideas challenged and your new ideas embraced. Goldsmiths is a place where together we are creating the knowledge of the future.

A place where your career can grow

At Goldsmiths, we don’t put you in a box. We are a fluid and energetic community where staff and students work in partnership to bring learning to life. You’ll have the opportunity to work in flexible ways and across departments. You’ll collaborate with people from different backgrounds and with different specialities to create solutions that are unique and exciting.

After graduating from Goldsmiths, many of our alumni have played leading roles in shaping contemporary British culture. Wherever you are on your career path, you’ll find the doors are always open for you at Goldsmiths.

The perfect partner for business and industry

Because many of our tutors are practising professionals in their field, we understand how business and industry works, what it wants and how it constantly changes and evolves. Students have the opportunity to get work experience so they can graduate equipped with the skills and experience they need when they enter the workforce.

We have comprehensive and long-established links with regional, national and international employers who know from experience when they hire a Goldsmiths graduate they’re hiring a graduate of the highest calibre.

A caring community

At Goldsmiths we’re a close-knit community that sees everyone as an individual with their own strengths and needs. Because we’re a single-campus university, you’ll never feel isolated or overlooked.

We have teams dedicated to helping disabled students or offering financial advice. You can count on our trained counsellors to help you cope at stressful times, or turn to our chaplain for confidential support. We’ll give you the space to be yourself but there’ll always be someone to talk to when you have a question or need someone to listen.

Embracing the global citizen

Because we’re just 10 minutes from the centre of London; because we have students from 114 different countries; because many of our courses offer the opportunity to spend time studying abroad, Goldsmiths truly embraces the global citizen.

Students coming from other countries will find a thriving international community and enjoy the experience of studying in one of the world’s major cities. UK students can expand their horizons through the opportunities to travel and make friends from around the world.

Our alumni have gone on to build lives and careers on every continent and to become our ambassadors across the globe.

Our partnerships

Goldsmiths is pleased to be the University Sponsor for Mulberry University Technical College (UTC). The UTC is a new 14-19 co-educational school with a unique employer-led curriculum in Creative, Health and Digital Technologies. Goldsmiths has been an active participant from the conception of the UTC and involved in many aspects of its development. Liz Bromley, Registrar and Secretary is a founding member of the Board of Governors and Lucinda Parr is the Project manager. The UTC will open in September 2017. For more information, visit the UTC website.

At Goldsmiths you’ll find a fusion of culture, creativity, heritage, excitement and academic rigour. Every one of our students, staff, partners and friends will show you a different face of Goldsmiths.

Goldsmiths is the sum of all our people, whose endeavour and imagination has crafted us into a world-leader in education and research.

• We are an institute rooted in tradition, with our face turned resolutely towards the future
• We are a close-knit community with a reputation that spans the globe
• We offer academic excellence combined with innovative thinking
• We challenge you to discover your potential and support you in fulfilling it.
• We are investing in our services, our spaces, our surroundings, committed to improving the Goldsmiths experience for every one of our extended family.