MA Visual Practice

We usually require applicants to hold an honours degree in an art or design discipline. We may also consider applicants who have relevant experience and who can demonstrate their suitability for the course.

Please prepare a portfolio of artwork that shows your interests and what you have done so far. We are not looking for perfection as we appreciate you may be still developing your practice.

Your portfolio should be a PowerPoint presentation (preferable for applicants interested in the photography route), ZIP file, or links to websites or videos and can include:

• A variety of art and design work – we would like to see a range of styles and techniques
• Work completed in or outside of your studies
• Photographic works
• Ideas in sketchbooks/scrapbooks
• Photographs of 3D work in any medium
• Work in progress

We suggest between 10-20 slides/images would be sufficient.

For fees and funding options, please visit website to find out more.

We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries that are available to postgraduate students including subject-specific cash scholarships and tuition fee discounts

Many recent Sunderland graduates are now working as independent self-employed artists and are successful practitioners around the world, while some have moved on to teaching in schools and lecturing positions at universities. Others have chosen to move into other areas, including jewellery, architecture, interior design, engineering, photography, painting and sculpture.

During the course we’ll encourage you to gain creative industry experience which will enhance your skills, build up a valuable network of contacts and boost your employability. This experience can take the form of working on live commissions, entering competitions and exhibiting work in public exhibitions. We also have the Digital Incubator Unit and the Enterprise Place who can offer assistance for you to start your own business or freelance practice.

• Experiment and Reflect (60 credits)
• Developing your Creative and Professional Practice (60 credits)
• Resolve and Exhibit (60 credits)
• A final evaluation report that contextualises your practice with reference to appropriate professional contexts, issues and debates, with an overview of your professional development to date and aims/objectives for future work, or:
• An extended academic essay exploring a particular aspect of contemporary visual practice that is of interest to you or of relevance to your own practice and that will enhance your ability to advance to further study (research).