Masters in Creative Practices for Sustainability at Plymouth College of Art

(21 months part-time or 1 year full-time Masters degree)

Do you want to make a positive contribution to a sustainable future?
Or develop your creativity and expertise to find new areas of practice?
Perhaps you want to contribute to emergent eco-technologies and change the direction of your work?

As a specialist art college, we encourage the attitudes and skills to balance individuality with the ability to collaborate and the potential to become a change agent in your field. We encourage you to challenge and develop the roles of artists, designers, craftspeople and other creative practitioners to make a positive contribution to sustainable development.  We will help you develop your creativity and expertise.

This unique MA in Creative Practices for Sustainability addresses these key questions by exploring contemporary thinking and by providing opportunities within the economic, social and environmental sustainability agenda. The course will help you to develop your own technological, ethical and practical tools, methods and approaches to creating and making.

As people look for more meaningful relationships between what we produce and consume it is important to understand the larger context in which artist and designers operate - including climate change, resource depletion and economic decline as well as creative approaches to solutions and affecting change.

Placing creative practices at the heart of new value creation and fresh models of practice the course also provides students with a cross-disciplinary skill set to deal with the challenging issues of our day.  You will learn about emerging eco-technologies that radically change the way we conceive, make, distribute and sell; and will look for opportunities in the ethical demands of your audience and clients.  This course is suitable for practitioners across the spectrum of design and craft disciplines, but also the applied, visual and fine arts, as the ‘studio’ is re-invigorated for the twenty first century.

How is the programme structured?

This Masters is offered as a 21 month part-time degree or 1 year full time degree.  Part-time students have one formal day of study per week in the College and full-time students have two days of formal study per week. You need to commit to additional hours of personal study as required to achieve practical, theoretical and experiential assignments within the modules.

A specialist programme team, supported by visiting lecturers, enriches your course experience.  We have a local, national and international network of experienced professional practitioners.

What resources are available for me?

You will have access to a dedicated postgraduate space each week and, additionally, can use any of the technical resources and workshops which form a part of the College (print, ceramics, glass, small and large metals, dry workshop, fashion studios, laser cutters, fine arts studio and more). You will also have available the Learning Resource Centre, the Equipment Resource Centre, large format and special printers, and a full range of IT rooms and equipment. 

How much time and money will I need to commit?

This programme is offered part-time and full-time. For the part-time route you attend one formal study day a week for the duration of the programme, which will last 21 months. The full time route requires at least two formal study days per week and lasts for 1 year. You need to commit to additional hours of personal study time as required to achieve practical, theoretical and experiential assignments within the modules. 

Fees for 2012/13 are £4,800 for 1 year full-time or 21 months part-time. Fees can be paid in instalments of £240 pcm over 20 months for the part-time course and £480 pcm for the one year full-time course.

Recent Plymouth College of Art graduates (within 5 years of graduating) receive a 20% discount, so the fee is reduced to £4,000 for the full or part-time course. Discounted fees can also be paid in instalments of £200 pcm for 20 months for the part-time course and £400 pcm for the one year full-time course. 

For further information, please email Karin Jordan, Postgraduate Programme Leader kjordan@plymouthart.ac.uk or telephone:01752 203434