Fine Art MRes

Our courses are informed by research and current developments in the discipline and feedback from students, external examiners and employers. Modules do therefore change periodically in the interests of keeping the course relevant and reflecting best practice. The most up-to-date information will be available to you once you have accepted a place and registered for the course. If there are insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, this might not be offered, but we will advise you as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative. 

You will be taught via a combination of classroom modules and supervisor-supported independent study. Lectures are used to impart the core knowledge essential to each component of the course, while also, generally, being interactive. Analysis, problem solving skills, and, most importantly, the application of knowledge to your own project are all developed through interactive seminars and workshops. On RTP405 and MHCA4001, both lectures and workshops are delivered principally via guest sessions in which the varied expertise of teaching staff across arts, humanities and the University as a whole will support the development of the broad, rounded skills that the MRes is designed to develop. Research skills are developed through classroom activities and assessments (as described above) but also in conjunction with supervisors on the supervisor-led modules MHCA4002 and MHCA4005. This close working with the supervisor, who will be an expert in your field of study, will foster the more specific research skills required for your subject. By successful completion of the course, you will be beginning to develop as an expert in your field.

Meetings with personal academic tutors are scheduled on at least 8 occasions in the year (for full-time students) and approximately 4 (for part-time). The personal academic tutor is likely to be your supervisor. By combining teaching, independent study, academic support from Student Services and Library Services, and personal academic tutoring we seek to enable you to reflect on your progress and to build up a profile of skills, achievements and experiences that will help you to flourish and be successful.

Employability

This course will help you to develop both intellectual and technical competencies in research. It will prepare you for academic careers by covering the fundamental components of academic research: developing a topic, literature review, method and analysis, and the planning and execution of a substantial piece of written or practical research. Through the 'apprenticeship' model, your work will be closely integrated with that of an expert supervisor and with an academic department giving you valuable experience of contributing to and working within a community of scholars. This will allow possible development towards further postgraduate research such as a PhD. From our first intake onto the MRes programme in 2016-17, two of our graduates went on to gain competitive, fully-funded 3 year PhD bursaries in the region.

An MRes in Fine Art will also help you to progress towards a career in equivalent professional practice or research-based employment. This might include, for example, working as a practicing artist, teaching, or working for a gallery, museum, Artists-led projects and studios, art publishers, or arts or heritage organisations. In the context of an ever-expanding information economy, an MRes would prepare you for work in any organisation looking for literate and research trained staff. Further support will be available to you via the Research School's Student Researcher Development Programme. This provides workshops in, amongst other things, oral presentations, public engagement, writing CVs, bid writing, and entrepreneurial opportunities.