MA History and Philosophy of Art (Canterbury & Paris)

With modules covering art from the medieval period to the present day, this MA provides a structured introduction to the postgraduate study of the history and philosophy of art. You share your year between our Canterbury campus and Kent’s Paris School of Arts and Culture

Overview

The programme offers particular focuses on contemporary art, photography, Renaissance art, medieval art, 18th-century British painting, 19th-century French painting, modernism, aesthetics and the philosophy of art and film. You may elect to take a Philosophy of Art & Aesthetics pathway, which draws on the expertise of our Aesthetics Research Group.

A cross-cultural, interdisciplinary programme, you spend your first term at our Canterbury campus with full access to its excellent academic and recreational facilities. In the spring term, you relocate to the Paris School of Arts and Culture where you study at the Columbia Global Center (known as Reid Hall) in a historic corner of Montparnasse. You visit Paris in the autumn term, where you meet our Paris staff and are taken on a tour of the city. We offer advice and support to help you relocate to Paris.

Teaching and assessment

Assessment is by two assignments per module and the dissertation.

Programme aims

This programme aims to:

• provide you with a focused programme of taught postgraduate study in history and philosophy of art
• provide you with a taught foundation for subsequent postgraduate research
• enable you to acquire or deepen your knowledge and understanding of the historical and contemporary topics within the history of art and philosophy of art
• enable you to develop your art historical and philosophical skills beyond that expected of an undergraduate
• enable you to develop, articulate and defend art historical and philosophical ideas as they relate to art
• enable you to engage with historical and contemporary theoretical thought about the arts from art historical and philosophical perspectives.

Careers

Arts postgraduates have gone on to work in a range of professions, from museum positions and teaching roles to marketing and gallery assistants. Our graduates have found work with Tate Britain, the V&A, Museum of Childhood and other arts, culture and heritage-related organisations.