Master of Education in Arts

The Master of Education in Arts program explicitly connects theory and practice, focusing on contemporary issues, which span different practices and discourses (education, pedagogy, politics, art, design, cultural theory, digital didactics, philosophy, museum education and ‘community arts’). Students are encouraged to reflect upon their position and teaching methodologies within social, cultural and political contexts, and subsidized a close insight into the newest developments in art education, contemporary art, and design. Through an intensive study process, they strengthen their professional and personal position in the field. Although the general focus is interdisciplinary, the program specializes in art and design education.

How can educators help to define the role of art and design in society? Which pedagogical methodologies are appropriate for specific audiences and contexts? How do developments such as ‘the educational turn in art’ influence gallery education? Can art education help children grow up to become self-confident and emancipated adults? How does art and design education adapt itself to a changing society and educational environment, or how does it respond to a neoliberal economy and increasing assessment culture? These are but a few of the questions that are at the core of the Piet Zwart Institute’s Master of Education in Arts program.

The course is mainly based on intensive seminars and workshops led by a dedicated group of educators, artists, designers, and theorists. Through a uniquely tailored curriculum combining collective learning with individual tutorials, practice-based research, and theoretical inquiry, our program is built around the concept of the critically reflective practitioner. Every student graduates with an extensive research and project presented publicly at the end of the second year.

The curriculum is designed for teachers (secondary and higher education, university) who operate within an institutional framework, or with an educational practice within the cultural sector, but the program also opens up to cultural workers, artists, and designers interested in education, pedagogy and/or the public dimension of their work. Depending on a student’s particular background, interests and educational qualifications, the program prepares graduates to engage with formal educational structures as well as informal learning environments, such as skill-sharing workshops and community-based projects. Pedagogical methodologies range from active fieldwork to theoretical research, interpretive methods, and the exploration of new and emerging forms of digital didactics.

In order to attract and accommodate working professionals seeking to upgrade or enhance their professional practice, the program is structured as a 60-credit part-time course spread over two years. Classes are held every two weeks on Friday and Saturday (in case of core modules the Thursday evening is added to that to facilitate lectures, et cetera). All modules are taught in English.

Upon fulfilling credit requirements, students graduate with a Master of Education in Arts (MEd).

The Master of Education in Arts degree does not qualify you to teach in grade schools (basic school) or high schools (voortgezet onderwijs). This certification varies according to country and region, and your educational background or previously required degrees.

CROHO code: 49117 M – which stands for Master Education in Arts.

QUALIFICATION

The Master Education in Arts is fully accredited and reviewed by the NVAO (Nederlands-Vlaams Accreditatie Organisatie), the standard academic accreditation council for the Netherlands and the Flemish part of Belgium, and fully subsidized by the Dutch state. The program is structured as a 60-credit part-time course spread over two years.

APPLY

The Master Education in Arts is a 30 credit part-time program. Due to the Dutch VISA application and residence permit requirements, to our regret, we are not able to accept students outside the EU . (Residence permits are only issued out to students who follow a full-time master program)

Application deadline:

The Piet Zwart Institute’s admissions committees review applications, interview, and accept candidates on a rolling basis from December 2017 to May 2018, until all positions in the cohorts are filled.

Our online application tool will be accessible again on December 1 , 2017.

• February 1, 2018 : First review of completed applications for Dutch and EU applicants.
• March 1, 2018 : Second review for completed applications for Dutch and EU applicants.
• May 15, 2018 : Final review deadline for completed applications for Dutch and EU applicants.

Once a committee has reviewed your completed application, you may be contacted for an interview. Response to your application will be no later than June 1, 2018.

Please read the application requirements carefully. Pay close attention to information regarding tuition fees.

Start of the academic year The academic year 2018/19 will start on September 1, 2018.

THE PIET ZWART INSTITUTE: MASTER STUDIES IN ART, DESIGN AND ART EDUCATION

The Piet Zwart Institute houses the international Master programmes of the Willem de Kooning Academy at Hogeschool Rotterdam. Since 1999 it has been dedicated to promoting study and research in the fields of art, design and art education.

Named after the pioneering Dutch designer, Piet Zwart, who worked experimentally across media and contexts, the Institute offers a rich combination of in-depth specialization and interdisciplinary exchange within an intimate learning environment.

The courses of the Piet Zwart Institute are located in the heart of Rotterdam’s city center at Karel Doormanhof 45 and Blaak 10. While students and faculty come from across the globe, bringing with them a variety of cultural influences, there are also strong connections to the city, its history, and ever-changing urban environment.

All four Master courses – Fine Art, Interior Architecture: Research + Design, Media Design and Communication, and Art Education – share an interest in the complex social, cultural and political underpinnings of each discipline.

Through a uniquely tailored curriculum combining collective learning, individual tutorials, practice-based research and theoretical inquiry, our courses educate professionals who have a critically reflective, innovative, questioning and imaginative approach to their work. Our graduates go on to not only establish themselves in their field but also challenge and creatively define the perimeters of their profession.

As an educational programme and cultural center, the notion of ‘making public’ is core to our activities. Exhibitions, programming, conferences, and publications are a means of expanding our research beyond the confines of academia, while simultaneously valuing the very necessary speculative space for reflection and knowledge-building that is only made possible through an academic framework like the Piet Zwart Institute.