Art & Humanities

Why study Fine Art and Humanities at Dundee?

This programme combines studio art and masters level modules in the humanities (such as Philosophy, English or Film Studies). It embraces all forms of Fine Art practice - traditional and contemporary - and celebrates the inherent diversity in each year's participants.

You will be encouraged to read critically and analytically, and to develop abilities in conducting high level discourse in critical, contextual and theoretical thinking. This combination of skills is extended through lively debate, which strengthen each individual's self-evaluation, reflective practice and cumulative progression.

Throughout the course, you will be supported by a supervisor and dedicated tutorials, which add to the depth and breadth of your knowledge and understanding as personal study evolves.

Research led teaching

This course draws upon both the School of Humanities and Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design's (DJCAD) diverse, unique and internationally acclaimed research. In the RAE (Research Assessment Exercise) DJCAD was rated as the top institution in Scotland for research in art and design, and one of the best in the whole of the UK.

Aims of the Programme

This course aims to develop your understanding, knowledge and skills in a personal programme of interdisciplinary study and to provide research skills and methods relevant to both Fine Art and Humanities research-based practices.

It encourages ambitious investigation and enquiry through individual research, planned from the outset to achieve either a creative exhibition or major written dissertation, either of which are informed by a synthesis of critical and conceptual studies in art and humanities.

This programme will benefit graduates who are enthusiastic artists and thinkers, people who are equally at home in the studio, reading a book or writing a paper. It instills and refines a double track of research methods, both academic and creative, and will help you to refine a personal synthesis of the two.

Students should have interdisciplinary backgrounds at undergraduate level, and have demonstrated work in both creative (e.g. studio) and academic areas. For example, you may have an honours degree in English, Film Studies or Philosophy and have engaged in creative practices such as photography, video, drawing, sculpture, or painting on your own. Other students may have dual honours degrees or have taken our Art, Philosophy and Contemporary Practices BA.

Postgraduate culture

Students benefit from both the DJCAD and Humanities public lecture programmes. Speakers in collaboration with Dundee Contemporary Arts brings invited artists and professionals from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines. Students are also encouraged to attend speaker presentations in English, Film and Philosophy, a University wide Lecture Series and vibrant external community for events.