University of Cumbria, MA, Contemporary Fine Art

Research-based taught course consisting primarily of self-directed study, organised on a modular basis; students negotiate an individual programme of independent studio in consultation with either the course leader or an appropriate member of the fine art team; seminars provide the framework for critical debate on a range of subjects, including the student's own practice. Modules Course has 3 distinct stages: stage 1 focuses on research methodologies and how they impact on fine art practice, the importance of proposal writing, the negotiated learning agreement and the development of the student's personal practice; stage 2 encourages enquiry into working strategies and concepts in the context of contemporary fine art, and develops critical understanding of evolving practice, leading to a completed body of work for public exhibition; in stage 3, students extend the development of their personal practice, creating a more substantial body of work, and producing an analytical and reflective deconstruction of their practice within the developments in fine art, or a dissertation on an agreed topic.