MLitt in Art and Business

What is this degree?

The MLitt will appeal to students who wish to embark on careers in the art and heritage trade. It is designed for students with a background in either history of art or business. Students are not expected to have knowledge of both disciplines prior to entry.

The taught MLitt in Art and Business is designed around the excellent resources available in Aberdeen. Through the study of both art in situ and contemporary business theory and practice, students will gain first hand experience of the art market place. It provides training in art historical and business methods. The course is delivered as a collaboration between leading commercial professionals and academics. It provides a choice of approach to art historical period, and to business specialisms.

Students can take this programme as a diploma over two half-sessions (without dissertation), or a stand-alone one-year or two year part-time Master’s degree (but immigration regulations prevent an overseas student from studying part-time).

Why take this degree at the University of Aberdeen?

The University of Aberdeen is one of Scotland’s ancient universities, with more than five hundred years’ experience of delivering excellence in teaching and research. The Library is notable for its illuminated medieval manuscripts, its Jacobite propaganda, an extensive nineteenth-century photographic archive and early periodicals. It is also a repository for many estate papers, suitable for architectural and social research. The University’s own Marischal Museum has an outstanding collection of World Art, most of which is visible on line. The north-east of Scotland has rich artistic resources to explore. There is an efficient city archive and a fine city art gallery. All over the scenic granite landscape around Aberdeen are examples of art and architecture from the Pictish stones to the Renaissance tower houses, prime sources for our coursework. The University of Aberdeen has a long and successful record of teaching and researching business-related disciplines. The University of Aberdeen Business School covers a range of discipline groups, such as, Economics, Management, Accountancy, Finance, Marketing, Property and Law. In all these areas we have staff with internationally recognised reputations and extensive experience of teaching graduate business programmes.

Programme Structure

Art and Business begins with core courses designed for beginners from each field. Thus, students with a background in art history will take Introduction to Business for Art History, and business students will take Introduction to Art History for Business. Core courses are Art and Business, Fieldwork, Business Economics and Introduction to Accounting & Finance. During the year, students are accompanied on visits to galleries in Edinburgh, Glasgow, London and Paris. These trips are subsidised but students are expected to contribute. In the second semester students take Strategic Marketing and Managing People at Work, or Corporeal Cultural Property, and select from a range of options in History of Art, depending on individual interests. At the end of the second semester there will be a two-day workshop identifying and initiating work on the dissertation project. This session will be jointly run by Art History and Business staff and will focus on the individual requirements of each student as they sharpen their focus on the third semester assignment.

In the third semester, MLitt students write a dissertation. Linked to the dissertation are a series of week long, highly focused business courses which run in June, and provide additional context/input for the work on the dissertation project. Students should take at least two of these options and additional modules are possible. The content of the dissertation will reflect the modules chosen in the summer school.

Courses

First Semester
Compulsory Courses

• Art and Business
• Fieldwork 1
• Business Economics
• Introduction to Accounting & Finance

Electives
Either

• Introduction to Art History for Business
  OR
• Introduction to Business for Art History

Depending on qualification on entry to programme students qualified in both disciplines take

Critical Perspectives in Art History

Second Semester
Compulsory Course

• Fieldwork 2

EITHER

• Strategic Marketing
• Managing People at Work
  OR
• Corporeal Cultural Property

Electives

• Imaging Scotland: Art, Museums and Visual Culture
• Romanesque Manuscripts
• Italian Art and Scotland
• Northern European Art and Scotland
• Art and Self-Definition: Russia, Eastern Europe, and Beyond
• *Connoisseurship. Art in Scotland

* This option is recommend as most directly relevant for those embarking on a commercial career involving art

Compulsory Course for the MLitt

Art and Business Dissertation

Linked to the dissertation are a series of week long highly focused courses which run in June and provide additional context/input for the work on the dissertation project. Students should take at least two of these options and additional modules are optional. These are not independently credit bearing and form a part of the 60 credits allocated to the dissertation. The content of the dissertation may reflect the modules chosen in the summer school and appropriate supervision/marking will be allocated accordingly.

Subjects can be chosen from a menu which will be available in the second semester. Past options include:

• Essential HR practices
• Leadership and management skills
• International Marketing
• Services Marketing
• Strategic Management
• E-business

Qualifications and Assessment

Qualifications for entry:
The standard entrance requirements is normally a good second class Honours degree, or at a level deemed equivalent by the Head of School.

For international students, proof of proficiency in English is required.  The accepted certificates and minimum scores are as follows: IELTS overall score 6.5 which must include Listening 5.5 or above, Reading 6.0 or above, Speaking 5.5 or above; Writing 6.0 or above.

For required scores in TOEFL iBT and PT Academic, please look at www.abdn.ac.uk/international/english-requirements .

Duration:
12 months full-time or 24 months part-time (MLitt); 9 months full-time or 18 months part-time (PgDip)

The following levels and exit points are available:-

• MLitt – acquisition of at least 180 credit points through completion of taught courses (120 credit points) followed by the dissertation of 15,000 words (60 credit points)
• PgDip - acquisition of 120 credit points through completion of taught courses.

Assessment is based on written work (essays/exams) and moderated according to University standards. Presentation skills are developed.

Teaching Staff For The M Litt

The MLitt is taught by a wide range of specialists from both disciplines. The co-ordinators for the programme are Professor Jane Geddes(History of Art) and Dr Russell Williams (Business)

• http://www.abdn.ac.uk/business/prospective.shtml
• http://www.abdn.ac.uk/hoart/staff/

Making an Application

Applicants must submit copies of degree certificates and academic transcripts from their previous academic study and provide the details of one academic referee on the application form. Applicants may also send the reference letter, in a signed sealed envelope, directly to the school at the address below.

If you have any queries about making your application, please contact the Postgraduate Secretary

Postgraduate Applications Secretary
School of Divinity, History and Philosophy
50/52 College Bounds
University of Aberdeen
Aberdeen AB24 3DS
Scotland, UK
Email dhp-pgs@abdn.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)1224 272890
Fax: +44 (0)1224 273750

For more information about the MLitt in Art and Business, please contact the course co-ordinator Professor Jane Geddes

Information for applicants is available here

Application deadline: International Students

All postgraduate taught programmes beginning in September 2013 have a deadline for submission of the 1st of July 2013. Any application received after this date, will not be considered for September 2013 but instead will be considered for the next available intake of September 2014.For more information on the intakes for each programme please visit www.abdn.ac.uk/prospectus/pgrad/ Please note this deadline is to ensure students have sufficient time to complete the application process and apply for their visa, and arrive in Aberdeen in time of the start of their programme.

There is no application deadline for those students classed as UK/EU for tuition fee purposes.