Outline

Our studio programme encourages practices that are speculative and reflective, encouraging work in a range of media. It is concerned with ways of learning that are experiential – embodied through and understood by the acquisition of a practice.   

Students produce artworks and projects in a family of media, adapting approaches drawn from an increasingly wide array of subject disciplines. The programme also involves the theoretical study of this family of media and approaches, drawing on related fields and methods.   

Media-related disciplines supported by the programme include sculpture, painting and printmaking, photography, a/v and new media. The programme also encompasses approaches to practice that are non-media-specific, including intermedia, time-based arts, performance, installation and sound based work.  

The programme is aimed at professional artists who want to develop a more ambitious artistic practice by extending their practical, theoretical, organisational and economic knowledge. It develops from a broad to a specialist understanding of the technical resources and validating contexts in which artists work today, drawing inspiration and nourishment from the experience of our international student cohort.   

A unique approach

A defining aspect of our  programme is the emphasis it places upon speculative scepticism - not proceeding from the position of knowing what art is; rather, being motivated by speculation on what it might be. We generate an atmosphere that supports mutual co-operation, a dynamic, intellectually ambitious environment in which staff and students can learn together.   

Our students often work collaboratively, therefore we are very eager to select applicants based on their ability to work well as part of a creative team as much as we are interested in their artistic and academic potential. The focus on building a supportive creative community, on the rigorous and experimental combination of theory and practice and the international profile of the student body makes our Masters programme unique.  

Where it will take you

The School of Art contributes to Edinburgh’s contemporary art sector. Students benefit directly from our partners’ teaching and research input into their work, as well as from the considerable resources and experience they offer. Postgraduates exhibit their work with external gallery partners.   

The School invites prominent artists, critics and curators to deliver our Friday Talks. Visitors also run workshops for our masters students and lead critiques.   

Careers

The programme will enable you to develop an ambitious art practice as well as provide you with the organisational and economic knowledge required to thrive as a self-employed artist.


How to apply and entrance requirements

If you'd like to study on a postgraduate programme at Edinburgh College of Art, you must apply through EUCLID, our online application system. You can find out how to do this on the University of Edinburgh website, where you'll also be able to:

  • see detailed entrance requirements for each programme on the Degree Finder
  • get information on what to expect after you apply
  • find out about study modes, start dates and fees
  • find out if, and how, you need to submit a portfolio, showreel or research proposal
  • find out where to go for further advice and guidance

Take me to the University of Edinburgh website on how to apply for postgraduate study


Alumni profiles


Staff

John Beagles

Lecturer, Contemporary Art and Visual Culture

Director of Postgraduate Studies (PGT), School of Art

Email: j.beagles@ed.ac.uk


Facilities and resources

These facilities are provided for both cold and hot casting processes, allowing you to work on small as well as large-scale pieces.

Welding torches, a forge, forming and shaping tools, and a 1-ton gantry crane with access to main workshop areas.

The Photography Suite provides facilities and studios for students to gain a grounding in nearly all aspects of photography including process and developing as well as printing of photographs.

This large wood workshop hosts a huge range of machinery and hand tools for the cutting, shaping, and general fabrication of woods, as well as metals, plastics, and cardboard.

Students at the University of Edinburgh have access to a range of library resources across the campus and online.


Scholarships and bursaries

Andrew Grant Postgraduate Scholarships

  • Deadline: 1 March 2023
  • Value: £10,500
  • Eligibility: Scholarships available for one academic year of postgraduate Masters study at Edinburgh College of Art.


Contact

Edinburgh College of Art Postgraduate Admissions

Email: cahss.pgadmissions@ed.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)131 650 4086