Visual Culture - Taught Programme

Programme Details

PROGRAMME LENGTH
MLitt 12 months full-time, 24 months part-time
PgDip 9 months full-time, 21 months part-time
(Non EU students should note that immigration regulations preclude part-time study)

Aims

This cross-disciplinary programme aims to induct postgraduate students into the study of visuality in relation to various subject areas, thereby equipping them for further postgraduate study in the wide variety of subject areas to which the visual sphere is central or important.

It will acquaint students with the major traditions and key issues in visual culture and a variety of types of visual forms, both the more traditional ones - architecture, art, photography, film - and virtual and digital ones.
 
It will impart a knowledge of relevant terminology and techniques, and will incorporate instruction on the documentation and presentation of research findings and the use of information technology to this end. Students may take this degree as a diploma, as a stand-alone one-year or two-year Masters degree or as a first step towards a PhD.

Contact Information

Dr Janet Stewart
School of Language and Literature

Syllabus

The MLitt in Visual Culture is divided into two tracks: one designed to engage with critical thinking (the history of art and film criticism, theories of the visual, philosophies of perception and new media); and the other concentrating on creativity and media production. The programme allows students to tailor their course of study to their own needs and interests, while offering a grounding in the subject through a core course: Current Debates and Controversies in the Visual Arts and Digital Humanities.

Assessment

Assessment methods vary from course to course, and include essays, reports, presentations and written examinations. The MLitt also requires a 15,000-word dissertation, while the diploma consists of coursework alone.

Teaching

The programme is delivered via a combination of lectures and seminars. Students also have the option of taking field trips to Glasgow, Edinburgh, London and Paris.

Careers

As well as providing research training to enable students to go on to pursue an adademic career, this programme will also be of interest to those wishing to follow a career in arts management and related fields.

Requirements

Normally a good second-class Honours degree (or its equivalent) in a subject of relevance to Visual Culture (such as Anthropology, Art History, English, Film Studies, Media Studies, Modern Languages, Sociology or Theatre Studies), or at a level deemed equivalent.

References are not required in order for applicants to submit an application. They are not usually required in order for a decision to be made but in certain cases applicants may be asked to provide a single academic reference at the request of the academic selector.

The English Language Requirement for all College of Arts and Social Sciences Masters programmes is an IELTS of 6.5 with 6.0 in the writing and reading (or equivalent TOEFL iBT or PTE).  For more information see www.abdn.ac.uk/international/english-requirements  

Fees

Full details of tuition fees is available here

Funding

The College of Arts and Social Sciences of the University of Aberdeen offers a limited number of awards to assist with fees. Further information is available from the website: www.abdn.ac.uk/cass/graduate  

A good source of information on funding is the Grants Register, published by Macmillan and available at most good libraries. The main sources of grants available to students include the Arts and Humanities Postgraduate Studentships.

No Boundaries. Just Possibilities.

Thanks to additional funding from the Scottish government this programme has funded places for Scottish and EU Students. More Information.