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Art Education, Culture and Practice MA

London, Bloomsbury

The MA examines the relationship between art practice, culture and pedagogy and enables students to develop an innovative approach to educational research across sites for education, such as art colleges, schools, galleries and alternative spaces for art education. Previously known as the Art and Design in Education MA, the programme’s alumni go on to be key influencers in the expanded field of art education.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£13,500
£6,750
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£29,800
£14,900
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2025
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 27 Jun 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

Normally a minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree from a UK university, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard, in an art/art theory/art history specialism is required together with professional experience in formal or informal educational contexts e.g. in schools, colleges, galleries or residencies. All applicants, who meet the entry criteria, are interviewed and asked to show examples of their own artwork or curatorial practice.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

This programme is suitable for international students on a Student visa – study must be full-time, face-to-face, starting September.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

Students will learn about art education and its social and cultural impact through practice, theory and experience across a range of professional contexts.  The MA fosters a supportive and critically engaged community in which students will develop innovative practice-based research to examine issues and cultivate new possibilities for art education. Key issues addressed include access and inclusion, globalisation, embodied learning, discourses of creativity, the ‘educational turn’ in art and curation, socially engaged practice, alternative educational models and digital, networked culture.

Who this course is for

This programme is for those interested in the intersection of art and education with experience in both education and art practice. We are therefore looking for students with strong practical and theoretical interests in shaping art education for the 21st century. We invite applications from early years, primary and secondary school teachers, university and college lecturers, curators and freelance arts educators working in formal and informal educational contexts (local communities, galleries, hospitals, museums, prisons, etc.). We also invite applications from practising artists working or planning to work in galleries, schools, universities and other educational sites.

Please note, the programme is not suitable for those applicants who define themselves primarily as dancers, musicians or choreographers.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

Art education at IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, has a long and distinguished history which can be traced back to the work of pioneering art educator Marion Richardson (1892-1946). Building on Richardson's work the MA offers a critically engaged and supportive environment in which to explore the intersections of art, education and culture through practice.

Specialising in practice-based research, the MA offers students the opportunity to develop innovative and rigorous research amongst a diverse cohort of practitioners located across phases and contexts of art education.

The MA works closely with leading educational programmes in schools, colleges, galleries and alternative sites for learning, where students gain practical experience of a wide range of professional contexts.

Located in the heart of Bloomsbury in short walking distance of a wide range of museums and galleries, the UCL campus provides access to many specialist libraries, the Institute of Making, and events organised by UCL faculties including The Bartlett School of Architecture and The Slade School of Fine Art.

Students  enjoy the use of purpose-built studio space in the IOE's Grade II* listed building and benefit from being part of a wider community of PGCE, MA and doctoral students in the area of Art, Design and Museology. Moreover, the MA works in close collaboration with the Museums and Galleries in Education MA, and together they have created an international research-active environment in which to share knowledge an professional expertise.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

Graduates are currently working as freelance artist educators, in departments of learning, participation and interpretation at leading art galleries, lecturers in further and higher education, heads of arts faculties in secondary schools, and in leadership roles in arts organisations. Many students use the programme to explore new areas of critical and creative inquiry which have shaped the establishment of alternative models outside of formal education or the development of socially engaged art practices.

MA students develop confidence in articulating an educational philosophy and have a strong record of success in publishing and entering PhD programmes.

The Art Education, Culture and Practice MA had exactly what I was looking for - a curriculum that teaches alternative models of education, the role of contemporary art and gallery practices in education and new mediums for pedagogy.

Cathy Lasam-Ballo, Art Education, Culture and Practice MA

Cathy Lasam-Ballo

Art Education, Culture and Practice MA

Q&A with Cathy Lasam-Ballo

Employability

Recent graduate destinations include:

  • Head of Family Learning at the Royal Academy of Arts
  • Lecturer in Department of Art Studies at the University of the Philippines
  • Assistant Curator Early Years and Families, Tate Modern
  • Schools and Education Coordinator, Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art
  • Education Project Assistant at Whitechapel Gallery
  • Educator for Family Programmes at Skirball Cultural Centre in Los Angeles
  • Community and Access at Museum of Modern Art, New York
  • Education Lead, The Crafts Council
  • Career Services Coordinator, Centre for Creative Economies, The University of Texas
  • Artist Residency Commission at Camden Arts Centre

Networking

Art, Design and Museology run a series of research seminars each academic year which provides all students within opportunities to extend their knowledge and to build up a network of contacts working within the field. Other opportunities include visits off site and the posting on Moodle of volunteering and paid job opportunities and other research events, and joining our alumni network.

Teaching and learning

Teaching methods include studio practice, lectures, seminars, workshops, reading groups, site visits and gallery-based learning delivered by IOE staff, visiting artists and professionals working in universities, galleries, schools and alternative contexts.

Assessment includes assignments, art practice-based research assignments, and a choice of three routes for your dissertation; a practice-based exhibition route with written component, a placement or artist residency with written component or a dissertation.

For full-time students, typical contact hours are around 6 - 8 hours per week in terms 1 and 2. Teaching is a mixture of lectures, seminars, workshops, tutorials, studio practice, feedback, and the use of a Virtual Learning Environment. The Practice Based Research module, and the Practice Based route through the dissertation additionally involves a combination of full days during the half term week in October and February.

In addition to this, full-time students typically study a minimum 7 hours per week, per module, in self-directed study, plus, Students would be required to commit additional time to preparing and completing coursework assignments.

In term 3 students will be completing their drafts and then the final assignments for both of their term 2 modules, and continuing their dissertation research, keeping regular contact with their dissertation supervisors into mid July (draft submission) and then completing the research, analysis and final writing up of their dissertation during August.

Please note that contact hours may vary depending on the modules you choose.

Modules

The programme consists of two compulsory modules, two optional modules, and a dissertation. You will undertake modules to the value of 180 credits over one year.

Compulsory Modules:

  • Practice-Based Research in Art & Design Education
  • Alternative Models for Art Education
  • Dissertation on Art Education, Culture and Practice

Recommended Optional Modules (NB: other modules from the MA Museums and Galleries in Education course are available subject to approval by the Programme Leader): 

  • Contemporary Art and Artists in Education
  • Curation and Education
  • Material & Virtual Cultures: trans-forming the museum and gallery experience

The programme consists of two compulsory modules, two optional modules, and a dissertation. You will undertake modules to the value of 180 credits over two years.

Part-time Year 1: Compulsory Modules:

  • Practice-Based Research in Art & Design Education

Part-time Year 2: Compulsory Modules:

  • Alternative Models for Art Education
  • Dissertation on Art Education, Culture and Practice

Year 1 - Recommended Optional Modules (NB: other modules from the MA Museums and Galleries in Education course are available subject to approval by the Programme Leader): 

  • Contemporary Art and Artists in Education
  • Curation and Education
  • Material & Virtual Cultures: trans-forming the museum and gallery experience

The programme consists of two compulsory modules, two optional modules, and a dissertation. You will undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

It is expected that students will begin their studies with the compulsory module Practice-Based Research in Art & Design Education and that they will sit the Dissertation in their final year of study. The second compulsory module Alternative Models in Art Education can be taken in Years 2-4 depending on an individual's study pattern.

Compulsory modules





Optional modules





Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MA in Art Education, Culture and Practice.

Fieldwork

Visits to galleries, schools and alternative learning contexts are an integral part of the course. The course also gives you the opportunity to develop an experimental workshop for a chosen context, providing invaluable professional experience, with critical support and feedback.

Placement

The placement/residency route through the Dissertation enables students to develop research within a specific art educational context, which is negotiated with the support of tutors. Recent placement/residency projects include: action research into public playgrounds with The Showroom Gallery and students from the King Soloman Academy; the development of an alternative audio/visual guide with The Foundling Museum, and a materials-based workshop developed with The New School, London.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Where you'll study

Department of Culture, Communication and Media

The Department of Culture, Communication and Media is committed to excellence in research and teaching in the areas of Art, Design and Museology, Academic writing, English education, Applied Linguistics, Music Education, Learning with Digital Technologies and teacher professional development.

Find out more about the department

Visit us

All open days and events

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: Art Education, Culture and Practice MA

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Are you interested in furthering your career in education and making a difference in the UK or worldwide? We welcome you to book your place at our Virtual Open Event. You will meet our Programme Leaders, hear about the programmes you are interested in and have the chance to ask any questions you might have. These sessions are free and open to all. Be inspired by our wide-ranging and flexible programmes run by leading academics.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £13,500 £6,750
Tuition fees (2025/26) £29,800 £14,900

Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

Additional costs

For Full-time and Part-time offer holders a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

For flexible/modular offer holders a £500 fee deposit will be charged.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

There may be instances where students undertaking the placement/residency route through the Dissertation (for example in a gallery or a school), may be required to have a DBS. The DBS application cost will be covered by UCL, but students will also need to have their ID checked and verified at a Post Office, for which they will incur a charge of £18 (note, this was the fee for 2024 but may change). Students will also be required to arrange and pay for any overseas police check that may be necessary; costs vary by country. 

Students should take into account any travel, accommodation and expenses involved in their dissertation. If students undertake fieldwork for their dissertation, it must be self-funded.

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

IOE-Clarke Scholarships

Deadline: 5 May 2025
Value: Tuition fees, return flights and stipend (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

IOE-ISH Centenary Masters Scholarships

Deadline: 5 May 2025
Value: Tuition fees and accommodation at International Students House (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: Overseas

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study Art Education, Culture and Practice at graduate level
  • why you want to study Art Education, Culture and Practice at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to the chosen programme
  • how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this challenging programme
  • where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver. Applicants who are shortlisted for interview will be required to submit a portfolio of their own practice in art and education. .

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2025-2026

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Culture, Communication and Media
Culture, Communication and Media

j.borradaile@ucl.ac.uk

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