Master of Arts in Art History, Musicology and Theatre Studies
The different artistic disciplines are explored by means of three majors. The MA programme builds on your choice of major in the BA programme. In the MA programme, specialization and research finality are key: original research, creativity, collaboration, self-reliance and a critical attitude are sharpened.
What
The MA programme builds on the choice of major you made in the BA programme. In so doing, it is a logical continuation of your knowledge of specific art disciplines combined with a further development of independent, critical academic thinking and acting. Specialization and research finality are key: original research, creativity, collaboration, self-reliance and a critical attitude are sharpened. By choosing your major and elective course units, you determine your own research profile and immerse yourself in your own area of interest. You build up a burgeoning expertise in a specific domain and you prepare for the work field through various didactic methods.
For whom
The admission requirements vary. Depending on your prior education, you are either able to enrol directly, or there are additional requirements.
Structure
All MA students take two theoretical-academic course units and the Master’s dissertation. In addition to these mandatory course units, students choose 10 ECTS-credits worth of elective course units, either from the programme, a suggested list of elective course units, Ghent University’s course catalogue or from another Flemish university. Students make an informed choice, with an eye to the Master’s dissertation and/or otherwise. In your choice of artistic discipline (major), you will take two research seminars in which the research is linked to the lecturer’s research expertise.
Visual Arts and Achitecture
You will choose two from a range of five research seminars covering various aspects of the discipline: Visual Arts Technology; Iconology; Modern and Contemporary Art; Art, Interior and Design; Fashion and Architecture. The themes discussed are based on current problems, needs and/or questions. You will conduct independent research on a specific theme, either individually or in group, and you will learn to present well-considered results in a critical manner, both orally and in writing. The research seminars often also contain a more practical component, with a focus on and relevance to the professional field by means of e.g. collaboration with professional institutions (setting up an exhibition, preparing a publication).
Musicology
Music History and Criticism, and Music Interaction and Technology are the two research seminars in which you study the historical development and context of music, as well as its fundamental properties. There is a strong research connection with IPEM, Ghent University’s research institute that conducts experimental research into the foundations of music and music perception.
Studies in Performing Arts and Media
The in-depth research seminars on Performance Theory and Performing Arts and the Afterlife of Antiquity will teach you to fathom collective and individual theatre studies problems, and to conduct independent academic research on the seminar’s theme. This is attained by reading, work and discussion seminars. In order to optimally respond to current trends in theatre landscape and performance theory, the research seminars’ focus changes every.
In addition to the (domain) Master’s programme described above, you can also choose a Master’s Programme in Teaching (in Dutch: Educatieve Master). More information can be found on www.ugent.be/educatievemaster.
Labour Market
Our graduates traditionally end up in the broad cultural and heritage sector and education. Some of them continue in academic research through a doctorate. They are eligible for a wide range of positions in those sectors: curator, conservator, programmer, researcher, teacher, manager, coordinator, critic, journalist, dramaturge, guide, gallery owner, art dealer, press and communications officer, public officer, education matters, day-to-day management, etc. Common workplaces for our graduates include art and culture-oriented government services and institutions (e.g. museums, opera houses, libraries, archives, cultural centres, heritage institutions, radio and television), independent (arts) organizations and non-profit organizations (e.g. arts centres, concert venues, cinemas, production houses, festival organization, art education projects and organizations), private initiatives and the commercial circuit (e.g. art dealers, galleries, auction houses, publishers). After taking additional and more management-oriented training, our graduates are also eligible for profiles such as business management.
Other graduates find a job outside the arts sectors. The disconnection of diploma and profession, which already applies to many fields of study, is also felt in our field. In those cases too, however, our study programme’s general training and skills offers added value: analysis and synthesis, critical reflection, cooperation and autonomous working. Finding a suitable job largely depends for example on one’s own personality, flexibility, eagerness to learn, social skills and language skills.
Quality Assurance
At Ghent University, we strive to educate people who dare to think about the challenges of tomorrow. For that purpose, we provide education that is embedded in six strategic objectives: Think Broadly, Keep Researching, Cultivate Talent, Contribute, Extend Horizons, Opt for Quality.
Ghent University continuously focuses on quality assurance and quality culture. The Ghent University's quality assurance system offers information on each study programme’s unique selling points, and on its strengths and weaknesses with regard to quality assurance.
More information:
Unique Selling Points
- Multiperspectivism: our unique concept brings together various artistic disciplines (Visual Arts, Architecture, Musicology, Performing Arts and Media Studies) in one and the same Arts Programme. Keeping in mind the (audio)visual and performance component as a common factor, we study these study disciplines from different angles and academic approaches. Among other things, we stimulate cross-disciplinarity by allowing students to take up course units from other majors.
- Collaboration with the professional field: our lecturers have close ties to the professional field (e.g. the museum, heritage, concert and music sectors). These regular stakeholder contacts not only translate themselves into topical teaching contents, but also into various teaching methods such as guest lectures, excursions, assignments and exercises, and references to exhibitions and academic publications.
- Clear curriculum structure: our new curriculum (introduced in the academic year 2018-2019) boasts a clear structure that facilitates a step-by-step accumulation of (broad, specific, and theoretical) knowledge, insight, and (research and practical) skills. After completing the broad first year containing a number of faculty-wide course units, our students can choose one of three deepening majors from the second year onwards. In addition to their choice of major, students take a number of general course units and elective course units from other majors. The Master’s programme allows for further specialization and a strong focus on research.
- Integration of theory and practice: in addition to lectures, our programme also offers more practice-oriented knowledge and hands-on experiences through work placement, an international excursion, seminars and practicals, research seminars, the “joker week” in collaboration with the Architecture programme, and future plans concerning the Vanden Hove pavilion. We use these formats to whet our students’ critical thought, and creative and problem-solving abilities. Upon graduation, our students are critical professionals who are able to work in team.
- Research-based education: our lecturers combine their teaching assignment with conducting (inter)nationally acclaimed research. Our teaching practice contains topical (inter)national research. As the curriculum progresses, lecturers’ own research is increasingly present in the choice of topics, specific angles, and assignments. Our research also focuses on social applicability.
Strengths
- Our programme boasts a dedicated team of lectures from various disciplines, all of whom combine their research expertise with a passion for teaching. Our lecturers all invest heavily in the quality of their teaching practice, ensuring a balanced mix of lectures and other didactic methods.
- From the second year onwards, our programme gives students a certain degree of freedom in tailoring the curriculum according to their own interests. There is a choice of three majors and five minors, and from the third year onwards there is room for electives as well.Our programme structure enables students to put together their own study trajectory, either by opting for one specific specialization, or by keeping several options open.
- Approachability: during lectures we are open to questions and debate. As students progress in the programme, we stimulate this interaction further by, among other things, interactive teaching methods, presentations and oral exams. We stimulate this actively throughout the entire programme.
- Although student groups are large, we are committed to a diversified assessment practice throughout the programme. In our variety of assessment methods there is a clear evolution from mainly written exams (multiple choice, essay questions, and image-based questions) to oral exams, papers, seminars based on reading assignments, group work and individual assignments.
- By way of preparation for the professional field, our curriculum also includes opportunities for acquiring practical skills, of which work placement makes up an essential component. In addition, practical skills are honed during our international excursion, the “joker week” and the Master’s seminars.
Challenges
- Students rightly point out that feedback on assignment is sometimes scarce, or that they are not always informed of feedback opportunities. We are committed to address this problem structurally, and to communicate clearly on existing feedback opportunities.
- Social entrepreneurship: such skills as taking the initiative, being active and creative, and being able to work autonomously and hands-on, so feedback by work placement supervisors has taught us, are highly valued on the labour market. We therefore wish to invest more in strengthening our students’ entrepreneurial spirit by incorporating it in several course units and in extracurricular activities.
- Students are in the habit of postponing their Master’s dissertation to the resit exam period, or even to an additional term or year. The Master’s dissertation process in our programme therefore needs stricter following up. We are committed to address this problem together with the students.
This study programme is accredited by the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (Dutch: NVAO). Accreditation was extended following the positive outcome of the institutional review in 2022. Programme quality was validated by a quality review, i.e. a screening of the Education Monitor by the Education Quality Board. The Quality Assurance Resolution (in Dutch) can be found here.
This information was last updated on 01/02/2023.
In case of questions or suggestions with regard to the publicly available information, please contact the study programme.