Postgraduate

<p>Whether you want to deepen your existing practice, change direction or accelerate your career, postgraduate study here gives you the time, space and critical support to develop a substantial body of work in Plymouth, a creative coastal city in the South West.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Postgraduate study at Arts University Plymouth is designed for artists, designers, makers, writers, educators and creative practitioners who want to push their work further in a critical, practice-led environment. You might be building on a recent degree, returning to study after time in industry, or looking for a focused space in which to test ideas, expand your research and develop a clearer professional direction.</p> <p dir="ltr">Our MA courses bring together specialist study and cross-disciplinary exchange. You will develop your work within your chosen discipline while learning alongside students from different creative backgrounds, helping you see your own practice from fresh perspectives and situate it more clearly within contemporary culture.</p> <p dir="ltr">As a small specialist university, Arts University Plymouth offers a distinctive postgraduate experience: close staff contact, a strong sense of community, and a city-centre creative environment connected to Plymouth, the South West and wider professional networks.<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">Our postgraduate courses allow you to learn your chosen discipline through a practice-led curriculum that helps you encounter how it is currently understood and challenged within contemporary culture. You will learn by developing a body of work, informed by research methods that help you delve deeper into the theories, practices and professional contexts most relevant to your field.</p> <p dir="ltr">All MA courses are organised around three units of study:</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Unit 701: Practice-Led Research Methods</strong><br />You will start to build an iterative body of written or studio-based work and be introduced to research-based skills and frameworks.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Unit 702: Creative &amp; Critical Development</strong><br />You will put your research into action through participation in Research Intensives that expand your knowledge and understanding of your subject.</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><strong>Unit 703: Final Independent Project</strong><br />You will develop a final body of work or project, culminating in a public display or presentation.</p></li></ul> <p dir="ltr">The learning modality for MA study is a combination of taught content through lectures, critiques and tutorials and self-directed study. A full-time student would need to commit at least four days per week to MA study. A part-time student should commit at least two days per week to MA study, including one taught day and one self-directed study day.<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">Our portfolio of MA courses spans design disciplines and studio art, media and craft disciplines, giving you the opportunity to deepen your specialist practice within a multidisciplinary environment.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Design-focused MA courses</strong></p><ul> <li dir="ltr">MA Design</li> <li dir="ltr">MA Design (Built Environment)</li> <li dir="ltr">MA Design (Communication)</li> <li dir="ltr">MA Design (Fashion)</li> <li dir="ltr">MA Design (Textiles)</li></ul> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Studio art, media and craft MA courses</strong></p><ul> <li dir="ltr">MA Craft &amp; Material Practices</li> <li dir="ltr">MA Fine Art</li> <li dir="ltr">MA Glass</li> <li dir="ltr">MA Immersive Media</li> <li dir="ltr">MA Museum Studies</li></ul> <p dir="ltr">MA courses in design share a concern for designing with planet and people in mind, while MA courses in studio arts, media and craft support the development of an independent voice through self-directed practice and critical reflection. Across both areas, the emphasis is on building a body of work that reflects your unique voice, skills and insights.<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">Postgraduate students study in a research-intensive environment shaped by active makers and researchers. Alongside specialist workshops, studios and technical support, you will engage with a wider research culture through seminars, critiques, public talks and Research Intensives led by research-active staff and external specialists.</p> <p dir="ltr">You will also be in regular contact with <strong>Fab Lab South West</strong>, part of the international MIT Fab Lab network, <strong>Plymouth Arts Cinema</strong>, the only independent cinema in Plymouth, and <strong>MIRROR</strong>, our on-campus public gallery. Together, these spaces help connect your work to current conversations in contemporary art, design, media and material practice.</p> <p dir="ltr">Depending on your course and timing, postgraduate study can also open up opportunities including professional exhibitions, residencies, placements, fellowships, bursaries and research activity. These opportunities help you test your ideas beyond the taught curriculum and build confidence in presenting your work publicly and professionally.<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">Arts University Plymouth is a centre of practice-led creative research where artists, designers and authors explore new ideas through making. As a postgraduate student, you study within this wider research environment and benefit from direct contact with emergent thinking in creative practice, creative education, material innovation and cross-disciplinary enquiry.</p> <p dir="ltr">This environment is shaped by staff-led research groups including <strong>Making Learning</strong>, <strong>Memory, Site, Artefact</strong> and <strong>Material Futures</strong>, as well as initiatives such as <strong>StudioLab for Embodied Media</strong>, the <strong>Centre for Circular Materials</strong> and the biennial <strong>Making Futures™</strong> conference.</p> <p dir="ltr">For students who want to deepen their practice, develop new methods or build towards future research, this creates a strong context for ambitious postgraduate study.<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">Our postgraduate courses equip you with the agility to embrace rapid change and help you become a proactive, transformative leader in the creative and cultural industries. Through your studies, you will be supported to understand how your work is positioned, encountered and developed in relation to your longer-term ambitions.</p> <p dir="ltr">Your final MA project is presented in a professional context and is designed to prepare you to step into your career ready to work and thrive as an independent thinker and maker. During your time on the programme, you may also have opportunities to broaden your profile through exhibitions, peer critique, residencies, fellowships and bursaries.</p> <p dir="ltr">The university’s Careers and Enterprise team provides tools and workshops during your studies to help you plan your next steps after graduation, whether that means independent practice, portfolio work, further study, research, teaching or roles across the wider creative and cultural sectors.<br /></p>

<p dir="ltr">To enrol on one of our MA courses, a first degree of at least a lower second class honours (2:2) in an art, design, craft or media discipline is normally required. We may also consider equivalent professional knowledge and demonstrated industry experience in individual cases.</p> <p dir="ltr">As part of your application, you will be asked to provide digital images of your work and submit a short Personal Statement and Project Proposal, each with a maximum of 300 words. The Project Proposal is your opportunity to tell us what you want to investigate on your chosen MA course, the ideas or practitioners that inspire you, and your longer-term personal and professional goals.</p> <p>You can apply via the <strong>Apply Now</strong> button on each course page. The best deadline to submit your MA application is <strong>1 July</strong>, although late applications may be considered until the start of the course if places are still available. If you are an international applicant, please visit our website and search your country for country-specific entry and English language guidance.</p>

<p dir="ltr">If you are considering postgraduate study, we recommend visiting an Open Event or arranging a one-to-one pre-application advisory meeting or campus tour. These are a good way to explore the university, hear from staff, students and alumni, and get a clearer sense of whether postgraduate study at Arts University Plymouth is right for you.</p> <p dir="ltr">You can also download our latest Prospectus, read our Portfolio Guide, or book an informal online chat about postgraduate study with a member of our academic team.</p> <p>For further information, email <strong><a href="mailto:postgraduate@aup.ac.uk"></a>postgraduate@aup.ac.uk</strong> or call <strong>+44 (0)1752 203434</strong>.</p>

<p>Did you know Arts University Plymouth graduates are offered a discount of 15% on Masters programme fees? The Alumni Progression Award is available to all alumni, regardless of when they studied with us previously. The discount applies if you studied on one of our pre-degree, foundation or undergraduate programmes.</p> <p>For more information please email <a href="mailto:hello@aup.ac.uk">hello@aup.ac.uk</a></p>

<p>Throughout the year we invite prospective students to explore the university and hear from staff, students and alumni at an Open Event. If you're considering an <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/how-to-apply">MA application</a> we recommend signing up for a future online or in-person talk. To see a full list of upcoming dates please visit our <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/events">What's On</a> page.</p> <p>Download our latest <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/prospectus">Prospectus</a> and <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/posts/curating-your-postgraduate-portfolio-2">read our Portfolio Guide</a>.</p> <p>If you'd like to speak about Postgraduate study, you can <a href="https://calendar.google.com/calendar/appointments/AcZssZ04mw0_Je9BjyEo_V5CwiIJJ3fT4ImT30b-BbY=?gv=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">book an informal online chat</a> with a member of our academic team:<br /></p><ul><li>Associate Professor <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/people/stephanie-owens">Stephanie Owens</a>, our Dean of Arts, Design and Media</li><li><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/people/rebecca-dodman">Becky Dodman Wainwright</a>, Co-Course Leader for Postgraduate Studies </li><li><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/people/jason-hirons">Jason Hirons</a>, Co-Course Leader for Postgraduate Studies</li></ul>

<p>For further information you can email <a href="mailto:postgraduate@aup.ac.uk">postgraduate@aup.ac.uk</a>. We will answer your question or put you in touch with a programme leader so that you can gain information on a specific MA programme.</p>