Arts MRes
2 Years Part-Time | September Start
Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
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Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
The Arts MRes course offers you the opportunity to undertake a closely-supervised piece of original research within the broad spectrum of visual and material culture, including Fine Art practice, historical or theoretical studies in art, design, architecture, fashion, film, television, visual digital media or performance, while developing the skills to become an independent, critical, and innovative thinker, maker, and Arts researcher.
You will undertake a specialist research project, based upon your own focused proposal, which may be subject-specific or span multiple arts disciplines.
The centrepiece of the Arts MRes is an 20000-word Dissertation or body of practical work + 10000-word Dissertation.
This is supported by a framework of three modules, which provide expert knowledge and understanding of appropriate research methods to employ in your project, the wider critical contexts relating to your subject, and how to develop and communicate your research. The programme will enable you to position your research within a wider scholarly field, and furnish you with professional skills such as communication, self-management and planning, preparing you for doctoral study or further career advancement.
Research Project Proposal Guidelines
In addition to the Personal Statement required in the online application form, you should attach a 500–1000-word outline of your proposed research project for the programme. Consider that the research you propose will ultimately be presented as either a 20,000-word written dissertation or, in the case of practice-based students, a body of design practice and a 10,000-word dissertation. For more information read ourapplication guide.
Find out more about studying an MRes at Northumbria University.
Level of Study
Postgraduate
Mode of Study
2 years Part Time
1 other options available
Department
Northumbria School of Design, Arts and Creative Industries, Arts
Location
City Campus, Northumbria University
City
Newcastle
Start
September 2025
Fees
Fee Information
Modules
Module Information
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The Arts MRes is based around self-directed study, but you are supported by a framework of four modules.
Year one
In semester one, the Research Methods module is based around a series of seminars, which explore methodologies for researching visual and material culture. Module, assessment is through written assignments totalling 6,000 words (30 credits per module).
The semester two Research Development module is shared with students from other MRes courses in Humanities and Social Sciences, with whom you collaborate in all elements of organising (structuring, fundraising, marketing and publicity) and staging a cross-disciplinary symposium. You are assessed on a presentation at that symposium, a 3000 word written paper, and a 1500 word written reflection upon the organising process (totalling 30 credits).
Year two
In semester one, the Critical Contexts module is based around a series of seminars, which explore critical the themes, concepts and practices in contemporary arts research . Module, assessment is through written assignments totalling 6,000 words (30 credits per module).
Across semesters two and three the Dissertation module supports the development of your Arts MRes final project; a 20,000 word dissertation, or significant body of practical art work supported by a 10,000 word dissertation (90 credits).
How will I be assessed?
The majority of summative assessment on the MRes Arts is through written assignments. For art practice-based students, there is also the option of the submission of a body of practice work for the final Dissertation assessment. For each of these, written feedback will be provided in writing within 20 working days of submission. However, the programme also aims to develop the way you communicate your research in verbal and visual forms. So as well as a formal presentation in Research Development module, each module requires you to present your progress and ideas to the seminar group at key points, for formative assessment, discussion and verbal feedback from your tutors and fellow students.
Take a look at what Northumbria has to offer and discover what studying with us could do for you.
Your supervisors will be academic specialists with in-depth knowledge of the critical issues relating to your topic, hands-on experience in appropriate research methodologies, and a highly regarded reputation of publishing scholarly materials, or exhibiting or performing works. Arts staff have specialist knowledge in Fine Art and Performance practice, art and design practice and theory, film and television studies, curating, landscape, architecture, fashion, socially engaged arts, and digital arts practices.
Furthermore, if your project spans disciplines, your supervisory team may include staff members from different departments. Whatever your interests, you will be supported by the expertise of highly research-active staff whose work is of recognised excellence.
Take a look at what Northumbria has to offer and discover what studying with us could do for you.
In addition you have access to specialist postgraduate training workshops, studio space where relevant, and events both on and beyond the campus. Fine Art practice-based students have access to studio space at the Baltic 39 studios, and all students are continually informed of events and opportunities of special interest to their research through the electronic learning portal, while regular individual tutorials with project supervisors will enable you to develop your project effectively.
Overall the Arts MRes provides a learning environment in which disciplined and self-directed academic rigour is enhanced by opportunities for the interdisciplinary pollination of ideas.
An interdisciplinary retreat to support shared, innovative, creative practice through a series of practical workshops, discourse and play.
Take a look at what Northumbria has to offer and discover what studying with us could do for you.
The first module, Research Methods, will introduce you to generic considerations of research in the arts, before encouraging you to find and develop advanced methodologies specific to your project.
REF2014 placed Northumbria’s Art and Design research within the UK top ten for “research power”, and as you progress, your tutors and supervisory team will advise you on how to hone these approaches, drawing upon their own rich research expertise and knowledge of the latest practices and developments. You will apply your developing expertise to a wide range of research materials, subjecting them to disciplined analysis and interpretation, and presenting your findings in an academic symposium and in your final thesis or project.
Learn more about the varying strands of research currently being undertaken within the department
Take a look at what Northumbria has to offer and discover what studying with us could do for you.
A Masters of Research also develops transferable professional skills of communication, the ability to present intellectually complex information over written, verbal or visual platforms, time and resource management, and professional independence. In directing an individual research project from initial proposal to finished thesis, and through organising an academic symposium with others from different disciplines, MRes students develop a host of skills relating to project organisation, teamwork, marketing, using communication platforms, and event management.
The Arts MRes is an ideal way to develop a set of impressive outlooks, attributes and skills, which are directly transferable, whether you wish to pursue further academic research at doctoral level, or build a career in arts practice, the cultural professions or education.
Take a look at what Northumbria has to offer and discover what studying with us could do for you.
Through carrying out a focussed project of independent research, MRes students develop skills ideally suited to careers in the contextualisation, communication or promotion of the visual arts. Whether developing careers in creative practice, education, curating, cultural management, community engagement, or traditional and digital media publishing, MRes graduates possess a directly relevant qualification and skill set to push their ambitions forward.
Take a look at what Northumbria has to offer and discover what studying with us could do for you.
Applicants should normally have:
A minimum of a 2:2 honours degree in a relevant subject. Applicants with appropriate work experience and/or a relevant professional qualification will be considered.
Applicants are required to submit a statement of their proposed area of study in order to identify a suitable supervisor.
International qualifications:
If you have studied a non UK qualification, you can see how your qualifications compare to the standard entry criteria, by selecting the country that you received the qualification in, from our country pages. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/yourcountry
English language requirements:
International applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent*).
*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/englishqualifications
For further admissions guidance and requirements, please visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/admissionsguidance Please review this information before submitting your application.
Full UK Fee: £9,700
Full International Fee: £19,350
Scholarships and Discounts
ADDITIONAL COSTS
There are no Additional Costs
* At Northumbria we are strongly committed to protecting the privacy of personal data. To view the University’s Privacy Notice please click here
Module information is indicative and is reviewed annually therefore may be subject to change. Applicants will be informed if there are any changes.
HI7011 -
Research Development (Core,30 Credits)
In this module you will develop an aspect of your research project and present it in a professional manner to an audience of academics and students. You will work with classmates to organize, advertise, and present a one-day symposium of research papers that express your scholarly projects. The module aims to advance your professional skills and professional abilities by practice. You will learn how to effectively present a piece of research, develop event planning skills, gain practical project management experience, all of which are necessary to sustain this type of work.
More informationVA7029 -
Research Methods (Core,30 Credits)
In this module you will be equipped with a range of core skills essential to research in the arts, as well as specific methodologies appropriate to your specialist field of enquiry (as historian, critic or theoretician). There are four key elements to the module: identifying the key issues and methodologies appropriate to your subject; identifying and retrieving appropriate data and sources; understanding ways to evaluate and employ these sources, and the implications of doing so; and developing and a practicable appreciation of how theory, research methods and practice mutually inform the creation of knowledge in the arts.
On completing the module you will have an enhanced awareness of how the choice of methodologies can fundamentally influence the direction of your research, and be able to: Understand and employ a range of advanced research skills, methods and critical approaches necessary to conduct a major academic research project in the arts; exhibit enhanced skills in the identification and evaluation of research sources relevant to your specific project and articulate a strategy for retrieving and utilising those sources; understand the characteristics of research questions, and frame your specific research questions within a feasible and sustainable topic of enquiry, appropriate to available research materials; develop original responses to the historical and conceptual questions posed by the research topic and to be able to situate your research within the larger context of research in the arts; communicate complex arguments and methods in written, visual and verbal form in a clear and credible way.
DE7028 -
MRes Dissertation (Core,90 Credits)
In this module you will identify a research question and produce a 20,000 word dissertation or portfolio of practical work with an accompanying 10,000-word dissertation, which represents the culmination of your postgraduate studies on the MRes programme. It will enable you to apply the skills you have acquired in other modules and yield a discrete body of primary sources related to an identifiable area of enquiry. As an exercise in advanced research, it is intended to develop further your research skills and your ability to work independently as autonomous learner. It is the capstone project for your Masters of Research. Your Dissertation topic will be informed by your work on previous modules and your aims/objectives for this project, your future career direction and macro considerations, such as social responsible design/arts, ethical research and the benefit of research to wider communities. A series of seminar/workshops through the module will provide you with information on gathering primary/secondary data, information analysis, research thinking and writing skills and practice-led /based research, all with the aim of feeding into high quality Dissertation outputs. Your individual supervisor(s) will encourage you to engage with cultural, economic, strategic and social themes, critical discussion and high quality debate related to your area of enquiry. You will operate as part of an early career researcher community of practice, in contact with other researchers and interdisciplinary groups.
More informationVA7030 -
Critical Contexts (Core,30 Credits)
This module will address the intellectual contexts for research in the visual arts, media and design. You will examine the wider conceptual and theoretical frameworks that inform and impact upon your specific research project. In doing so you will assess how these frameworks reflect and inform a variety of historical, visual, performative and literary texts and practices (in the fields of fine art, film and television, performance, cultural and media studies, and history of art and contemporary design and design history), and are interrelated with broader cultural, social and political developments.
You will analyse how writers, critics, historians and practitioners think about knowledge and how they pursue their disciplines from epistemological and theoretical perspectives. In this way you will develop a structured overview of the ways in which key critical writing has changed over time, and how theory and conceptual thinking has influenced those working within disciplinary and cross-disciplinary fields.
On completion of the module, you will have developed original and critical responses to key theoretical questions raised via the analysis of sources, ideas, and other bodies of work, and be able to:
Locate your research within wider relevant disciplinary debates; demonstrate an enhanced knowledge of selected theories, concepts and critical literatures, and how to employ them in regard to your own research; interrogate and problematise theories and concepts; demonstrate how curiosity and dynamic debate underpin academic enquiry; communicate complex ideas, and their relevance to your research project, in open discussion and formal written, visual and verbal forms in a clear and credible way.
Module information is indicative and is reviewed annually therefore may be subject to change. Applicants will be informed if there are any changes.
HI7011 -
Research Development (Core,30 Credits)
In this module you will develop an aspect of your research project and present it in a professional manner to an audience of academics and students. You will work with classmates to organize, advertise, and present a one-day symposium of research papers that express your scholarly projects. The module aims to advance your professional skills and professional abilities by practice. You will learn how to effectively present a piece of research, develop event planning skills, gain practical project management experience, all of which are necessary to sustain this type of work.
More informationVA7029 -
Research Methods (Core,30 Credits)
In this module you will be equipped with a range of core skills essential to research in the arts, as well as specific methodologies appropriate to your specialist field of enquiry (as historian, critic or theoretician). There are four key elements to the module: identifying the key issues and methodologies appropriate to your subject; identifying and retrieving appropriate data and sources; understanding ways to evaluate and employ these sources, and the implications of doing so; and developing and a practicable appreciation of how theory, research methods and practice mutually inform the creation of knowledge in the arts.
On completing the module you will have an enhanced awareness of how the choice of methodologies can fundamentally influence the direction of your research, and be able to: Understand and employ a range of advanced research skills, methods and critical approaches necessary to conduct a major academic research project in the arts; exhibit enhanced skills in the identification and evaluation of research sources relevant to your specific project and articulate a strategy for retrieving and utilising those sources; understand the characteristics of research questions, and frame your specific research questions within a feasible and sustainable topic of enquiry, appropriate to available research materials; develop original responses to the historical and conceptual questions posed by the research topic and to be able to situate your research within the larger context of research in the arts; communicate complex arguments and methods in written, visual and verbal form in a clear and credible way.
DE7028 -
MRes Dissertation (Core,90 Credits)
In this module you will identify a research question and produce a 20,000 word dissertation or portfolio of practical work with an accompanying 10,000-word dissertation, which represents the culmination of your postgraduate studies on the MRes programme. It will enable you to apply the skills you have acquired in other modules and yield a discrete body of primary sources related to an identifiable area of enquiry. As an exercise in advanced research, it is intended to develop further your research skills and your ability to work independently as autonomous learner. It is the capstone project for your Masters of Research. Your Dissertation topic will be informed by your work on previous modules and your aims/objectives for this project, your future career direction and macro considerations, such as social responsible design/arts, ethical research and the benefit of research to wider communities. A series of seminar/workshops through the module will provide you with information on gathering primary/secondary data, information analysis, research thinking and writing skills and practice-led /based research, all with the aim of feeding into high quality Dissertation outputs. Your individual supervisor(s) will encourage you to engage with cultural, economic, strategic and social themes, critical discussion and high quality debate related to your area of enquiry. You will operate as part of an early career researcher community of practice, in contact with other researchers and interdisciplinary groups.
More informationVA7030 -
Critical Contexts (Core,30 Credits)
This module will address the intellectual contexts for research in the visual arts, media and design. You will examine the wider conceptual and theoretical frameworks that inform and impact upon your specific research project. In doing so you will assess how these frameworks reflect and inform a variety of historical, visual, performative and literary texts and practices (in the fields of fine art, film and television, performance, cultural and media studies, and history of art and contemporary design and design history), and are interrelated with broader cultural, social and political developments.
You will analyse how writers, critics, historians and practitioners think about knowledge and how they pursue their disciplines from epistemological and theoretical perspectives. In this way you will develop a structured overview of the ways in which key critical writing has changed over time, and how theory and conceptual thinking has influenced those working within disciplinary and cross-disciplinary fields.
On completion of the module, you will have developed original and critical responses to key theoretical questions raised via the analysis of sources, ideas, and other bodies of work, and be able to:
Locate your research within wider relevant disciplinary debates; demonstrate an enhanced knowledge of selected theories, concepts and critical literatures, and how to employ them in regard to your own research; interrogate and problematise theories and concepts; demonstrate how curiosity and dynamic debate underpin academic enquiry; communicate complex ideas, and their relevance to your research project, in open discussion and formal written, visual and verbal forms in a clear and credible way.
The following alternative study options are available for this course:
Sep start
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