Graduate Programmes

• We pioneered the study of art history in Ireland, and our School is the oldest and largest of its kind in the country. Our MA in Cultural Policy & Arts Management is  the longest running programme of its kind in Ireland. The School is renowned for its diversity and excellence in research, internationalist ethos, and welcoming, supportive collegiality.
• All members of staff are actively involved in research and publishing of the highest international standards and are frequently invited to lecture at museums and universities at home and abroad and to contribute to the catalogues of major exhibitions. While we have expertise in an impressive variety of fields, there is a concentrated specialisation in Irish art, 20th-century art and architecture, and European painting of the Early Modern period.
• We have a distinguished record of attracting substantial research funding, including IRC, ERC, AHRC UK, The Samuel H. Kress Foundation, The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and the Naughton Trust.
• Our graduate and post-doctoral students have enjoyed success in attracting financial aid for their research. Many have been the recipients of fellowships from the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences, and other organisations. Among recent graduates have been two George Mitchell scholars.
• A strong research culture has been fostered in the School. Regular seminars are held where students, staff and visiting academics can present work in progress. The School organises regular national and international conferences.
• The new structured UCD PhD allows for a more attractive and broadly based educational experience. Among its innovative features is the appointment of doctoral panels, consisting of two or more academics drawn from different disciples, who assist the main supervisor in providing advice and support to the student. Taught modules, online modules and workshops help the student acquire transferable skills relevant to the successful completion of his or her research project and to wider career development.
• Graduates from our MA and PhD programmes occupy leading positions across the Irish cultural sector and also abroad. Among typical careers pursued are museum and gallery curators, academic positions in universities and art colleges, and arts administrators.

The MA in Art History, Collections and Curating is a Level 9, 90 credit programme. This course provides advanced postgraduate academic training in the history of art, with a special focus on collections and curatorial practice. It offers the opportunity to hone skills in the interpretation, critique, and analysis of works of art and architecture, developing the knowledge and capacity to pursue future careers in academia, research, writing, and curatorship. Combining academic scholarship with an introduction to the theory and practice of curation in museums and galleries, students will benefit from our School’s extensive partnerships with local, regional, and national cultural institutions and gain first-hand exposure to advanced, active research in art history.

This MA provides an excellent foundation for future careers in art historical research and writing, and prepares students for further study in either higher level academic research or specialized curatorial training programmes. Many of our graduates enjoy careers as academics, curators, educators, and administrators.

The full-time programme lasts for approximately one calendar year from September until August. Teaching ends in April and the dissertations are submitted in early August each year.  A field trip abroad occurs each year and forms an essential component of the programme.

Course Brochure: MA Art History, Collections, Curating Brochure | MA Blog: (opens in a new window)Click here >>>>

The MA in Cultural Policy and Arts Management is a one-year full-time course running from September to August. It enables participants to understand the theory and practice of cultural policy and arts management and encourages research expertise. It is relevant to those developing professional careers in arts and cultural management, including the heritage and cultural industries. Our mission is to produce ‘reflexive practitioners’ – people who can manage people and resources effectively on a day-to-day basis while having a sophisticated grasp of the philosophical values and cultural issues that condition the environment in which the contemporary cultural manager works.

The learning experience of participating in our MA programme is one in which you will be challenged by lecturers and fellow-students to think deeply about culture and society, the role and value of the arts and heritage, and to reflect upon how you can develop your own management skills to be an effective leader or team player in a cultural organisation. In recent years, the taught MA course has attracted an increasing number of high calibre international students, which has helped to enrich the learning experience for all participants.

Course Brochure: MA Cultural Policy and Arts Management Brochure

The Graduate Diploma in Cultural Policy and Arts Management is a full-time (one year) 60 credit programme. It complements the School's existing full-time (one-year) taught Masters Degree programme, and offers a flexible pathway for candidates to achieve a Graduate Diploma qualification. There is also an option to convert the Graduate Diploma qualification into a taught Masters Degree award.

The postgraduate programme at UCD School of Art History and Cultural Policy incorporates both full and part-time research degrees at MLitt and PhD level in Art History, and in Cultural Policy and Arts Management.  More specifically, research postgraduate studies are offered in cultural policy, and across the broad spectrum of the visual arts: in painting, sculpture, architecture, the applied arts, and new media. Please check our staff and research pages for work complementary to your proposed research area.

The School is the largest of its kind in Ireland, and prides itself on the diversity and excellence of its research output and supervision. Potential students are warmly encouraged to approach individual members of faculty with ideas and topics that may foster successful research projects.  Informal enquiries and expressions of interest are very welcome. With the approval of a potential academic supervisor, students should then seek to develop a clear and focussed idea of their research topic in the form of a well-written proposal. This should act as a prelude to completing an online application. Faculty members’ research interests and contact details are outlined below.