Master of Fine Art (Research) (VCA)

There are no current intakes for this course.

This program is designed in particular for practising artists who have a specific research interest or project they wish to pursue within a formal and supportive institutional context. The School seeks to provide opportunities for suitably qualified candidates to develop their potential for research, to extend their knowledge and competence and, in turn, to contribute to the understanding of current art practice and associated theories and of contemporary society and its culture.

The degree can be completed over two years full-time or four years part-time.

This course aims to:

• provide the opportunity for candidates to extend their knowledge, understanding and competence within the visual arts;
• promote research in and via the visual arts;
• aid, through research, the advancement of the practice and theory of visual art;
• provide opportunities for the investigation of the conjunction between the cognitive and formative aspects of the visual arts.

The candidate undertakes the research project by means of studio-based and historical/theoretical methodologies, under the guidance of a supervisor. In addition to regular contact with the supervisor, the candidate will be required to participate in both the Studio Seminar and the Research Seminar programs.

Master of Fine Art (Research)

Candidates must have completed an approved Fine Art degree with Honours, or an equivalent qualification.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

http://gradresearch.unimelb.edu.au/handbooks/mres/intro.html

At the completion of this course, students should be able to:

• exhibit extensive theoretical and practical knowledge of their discipline including relevant professional knowledge, skills, discipline and ethics as they relate to a practising visual artist;
• demonstrate capacities for artistic imagination, creativity, transformation and interpretation;
• demonstrate practical skills in respect of critical analysis, problem solving, report writing, team work and oral and written communication;
• demonstrate a flexible and innovative approach to the national and international challenges for the professional visual artist in the 21st century;
• work at various levels, both as an individual and as a team member, in a wide variety of visual artistic environments;
• contribute to a range of visual arts environments as artistic collaborators and leaders;
• demonstrate an open, independent and inquiring attitude towards contemporary cultural developments and new ideas;
• critically and creatively engage with topics of cultural significance across communities;
• understand and appreciate how the visual arts connect with the broader society and contribute to its social and economic development;
• understand their relationship with and responsibility to their cultural environment and society.