MA Applied and Community Arts (with Specialism)

at University of Bolton

A variety of teaching and learning strategies will be used to help you acquire and develop appropriate concepts, knowledge and skills. You can expect practice-based enquiry, self-directed study, lectures, seminars, critiques, tutorials, presentations and work-based learning. You may also wish to undertake a negotiated placement in an applied or community context.
 

It’s important to realise that the time spent with a tutor during formally scheduled activities is only a small part of the learning time identified for a module. You’ll also be expected to spend a significant amount of time in guided independent study, such as general background reading, preparing for seminar activities and working on assignments. We are committed to supporting you throughout your learning journey, but as time progresses our guidance will become less structured and prescriptive. It‘s expected that you’ll demonstrate significant independence in your study, taking responsibility for the management of your own learning time and increasing in autonomy as your progress through the programme.
 

The assessment strategy for the programme is designed to help you achieve the overall aims of the programme, as well as the learning outcomes for individual modules. As well as being a way to assess your achievement, assessment also helps you to organise and develop your learning. Assessment feedback can help you develop your skills and an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses.
 

The types of assessment you’ll be required to complete fall into two general categories, formative and summative. You’ll have formative assessment to help you learn and develop your knowledge and skills and summative assessment on which you are graded. Formative assessment will take place via tutorial discussion, group workshops including peer and tutor review, and guidance on work in progress. Formative feedback will be provided face-to-face via discussion, online or in written form. Summative assessments consist of both practical and theoretical work. These will include practical projects, presentations, and written assessments in the form of essays, portfolios, funding bids and impact reports, practical portfolios, proposal documents and academic essays.
 

Modules

The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.

• The Arts and Cultural Landscape
• The Professional Practitioner
• Applied Arts: Models and Practitioners
• Inception to Impact: Project Design, Funding and Evaluation
• Masters Project (Full Time)
• Masters Project (Part Time)
• Masters Dissertation (Full Time)
• Masters Dissertation (Part Time)
   

• You should have at least an upper second class (2.1) honours degree in a relevant subject. Relevant subjects include Theatre, Performance, Drama, Dance, Creative Writing, Animation, Illustration, Art and Design, Fine Art, Graphic Design, Photography, Textiles and Surface Design and Fashion.
• If you don’t have this qualification but do have alternative qualifications or significant experience in a relevant field, then we’ll be happy to consider your application.
• We'll consider applications where appropriate work experience can be demonstrated in lieu of, or in addition to, the published academic qualifications in line with the University’s Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL) procedures.
• You may be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work.
• You’ll need to satisfactorily pass a fitness to practice assessment.
• This course involves working unsupervised with children and/or vulnerable young people and adults and you must gain an Enhanced Disclosure certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) before starting your studies. 
• If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). 

Overseas students starting this course in the first year will be required to pay a Overseas fee of £12,950

Our industry-focused MA Applied and Community Arts is designed to appeal if you hold a degree in an Art and Design, Theatre, Dance, Creative Writing or associated subject, and are looking to forge a career supporting arts and cultural organisations to effect positive change to communities, enable social regeneration, and enhance health and wellbeing. The University of Bolton’s strong and growing links with arts and cultural organisations across the North West means we can offer you relevant practical work experience that complements your on-campus studies of the theories and principles that underpin the practice in applied and community arts.
 

As a graduate of this MA, you’ll possess valuable skills in collaborative working with other practitioners and industry professionals, as well as community members and participants in a host of applied and community settings. You’ll be able to act autonomously, and use your initiative, problem-solving and leadership skills to manage complex situations. You should also have the skills to take charge of your personal and professional development and be able to reflect on your progress as you work towards your goals.