MA Curating Cultures
| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2023-10-10 | - |
| 2024-01-16 | - |
| 2024-04-24 | - |
| 2024-09-01 | - |
Program Overview
This highly individualized program caters to both aspiring individuals and practicing professionals seeking continued refinement of knowledge and critical perspectives. The curriculum emphasizes learning by doing and incorporates numerous practical exercises designed to provide students hands-on experience. Graduates embark upon careers in diverse fields, including museums, galleries, and cultural institutions.
Program Outline
This highly individualized program caters to both aspiring individuals desiring deeper engagement in the arts sector, cultural sector, or related industries. It also welcomes practicing professionals seeking continued refinement of knowledge and critical perspectives. This program emphasizes learning by doing and incorporates numerous practical exercises designed to provide students hands-on experience.
Main areas of focus include:
- Contemporary curating,
- Exhibition history/theory,
- Artistic exchange,
- Post-colonial & critical analyses,
- Digital curation,
- Interpretation methodology in diverse contemporary and historical settings.
Benefits:
- Students participate in the Venice Biennale with SOAS and Chu Te-Chun Foundation-sponsored internships.
- Exclusive SOAS-led internships are available at Zurich 's Rietberg Museum.
Outline:
The MA Curating Cultures program includes 3 taught modules (45 credits each), two Open Option modules, as well as the culmination - a dissertation worth 60 credits. Some courses might require field trips at student's expense.
#Compulsory modules include:
Dissertation in History of Art and Archaeology - Curating Cultures (60 Credits):
- Independent study culminating in oral & written assessments based on visual & written sources.
- Deepens knowledge & understanding in chosen thematic area while honing research & composition competence alongside in-depth critical understanding of curating & interpreting Asia & Africa 's diverse artistic landscape.
Guided Options List A modules
(45 Credits each, minimum of 45 & maximum of 90 credit from List A & Open Options combined):
- Museums, Modernity, Globalization (A/B) (1st term) - Explores curating & displaying artistic expressions within museological settings, delves into themes including cultural globalization, repatriation considerations, & museum politics & power through critical, historical, theoretical approach
- Materiality and its Meanings (2nd term) - Provides critical engagement with material properties as related to artworks' interpretations, production processes & significance, drawing links among visual culture, aesthetics & materiality while drawing upon case studies from Asia, North America & Europe
- Global Art Worlds (2nd term) - Addresses key historical themes, movements & critical concepts within broader theoretical framework of globalization, paying extra close attention to modernism's transformations & ongoing debates surrounding issues like race, power dynamics & art market shifts within 21st century.
- #Open Options:
- Any two other 15 or 30-credit SOAS MA-level (or above) modules - excluding dissertation модуль! These selections will be listed alongside your application in "Applicant/Module Choices 2024-25": (max of one such modules will be approved in non-art area for those specializing primarily within history art).
- Language Learning modules (up to three).
- Students who do select these modules must include 45 - maximum 90 - from List A. Each 15-course will then count alongside any other courses to complete your 180 - credit degree requirement while exceeding program 's 120 taught credit minimum while contributing toward fulfilling dissertation module 's total 180 credits.
Please note
Module enrollment is contingent on instructor approval while student preferences & class space availability are taken into account.
Assessment:
All 3 taught modules (15 & 30-credit) utilize course work-heavy assessments, some involving presentations during seminar sections as well as essays which might focus upon theoretical topics, museum studies analysis (objects + display context), comparative research, & responses towards assigned readings / critical debates arising within respective fields .
Coursework Assessment Breakdown:
3 x Taught modules (either 15 or 30-credits as chosen & listed by student when applying under Module 431 & following): Course A | 1x Assessment = X /5 = Y% + 2nd X Assessment % Z Ratio | = M (total score for M.A. Degree coursework out of M.A 180 total marks) This sample M breakdown illustrates 15- credit Module worth 45 marks towards M.A total (full-term Module's coursework & exams) . 's 45 total toward your M.A.
Teaching:
Instruction within this master `s program blends lecture sessions with seminar discussions. Classes typically span two to three hours per week for every module enrolled. These methodologies comprise lecture discussions, student-run seminars including presentations, & museum excursions meant for active participation along critical thinking development . All masters-level students take part within research seminars, lectures & conferences hosted both within SOAS itself and across wider University of London - enhancing networking/research skill proficiency 's 180 total required), please follow links under relevant pages: Module Websites: https://www.soas.ac.uk/hisartarch/postgraduate/masters-programmes
- For MA - Archaeology ONLY Archaeological Practice Assessment Breakdown: Coursework (6,654 words: 60%, or each component 's weighting out of 60 if more components exist); Exam (39% & covering both taught Modules + Dissertation in relation thereto). `t static & may adjust slightly year -to -year depending upon staff allocation etc (though major changes would be communicated promptly for your informed decision during or post -offer stage)
Careers:
Graduates embark upon careers diverse as Christie's, Christine Park Gallery, Japan Foundation, India 's Ministry & Cultural Affairs, Victoria & Albert Museum, Somerset House Trust just among many!
Home student fees: £12,220 per year Overseas student fees: £25,320 per year Please note that fees go up each year.
School of Oriental and African Studies, London (SOAS)
Overview:
SOAS, the School of Oriental and African Studies, is a public research university in London, specializing in the study of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. It is renowned for its diverse academic programs, world-class research, and commitment to global understanding.
Services Offered:
Student Life and Campus Experience:
Key Reasons to Study There:
Global Focus:
SOAS offers a unique opportunity to study the cultures, languages, and societies of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.World-Class Faculty:
The university boasts a distinguished faculty of experts in their respective fields, providing students with access to cutting-edge research and knowledge.Diverse Student Body:
SOAS attracts students from all over the world, creating a vibrant and multicultural learning environment.Research Opportunities:
SOAS is a leading research institution, offering students opportunities to engage in research projects and contribute to the advancement of knowledge.Academic Programs:
SOAS offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs across various disciplines, including:
Arts:
History of Art & Archaeology, Music, Media & CommunicationLanguages, Cultures, and Linguistics:
African Languages, Cultures, and Literatures, China & Inner Asia, Japan & Korea, Near & Middle East, South Asia, South East Asia, Translation StudiesSocial Sciences:
Anthropology & Sociology, Development Studies, Economics, Finance & Management, Gender Studies, Law, Politics & International Studies, Religions & PhilosophiesOther:
SOAS is a member of the University of London and is located in the heart of Bloomsbury, London. The university has a strong commitment to social justice and global citizenship, and its research and teaching contribute to a better understanding of the world.
Entry Requirements:
- Applicants for the 1 year Masters course normally require a good honours degree (at least a second class lower division), or equivalent experience or qualifications that can be approved by the Department.
- We will consider all applications with a 2:2 (or international equivalent) or higher in a relevant subject.
- Applications with a 2:1, or equivalent, will be subject to interview.
- All candidates should have a sound knowledge of Asian art history and/or archaeology. Applications from students whose background is in other areas such as anthropology, social or cultural history or literature will also be considered. The Department welcomes applications from individuals of all ages and cultural or ethnic backgrounds with a particular interest in the history, curatorship and study of the arts of Asia and Africa. Language Proficiency Requirements:
- Students should demonstrate a proficiency equivalent to a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 (or equivalent English language qualification) with no element below 6.0, if their first language is not English.
- The Department reserves the right to require applicants who are invited to interview to take a written test on a relevant subject and/or present a sample of their written work or to demonstrate their spoken English through interview.
