Visual and Critical Studies Staidéar Amhairc & Criticiúil

The MA Visual and Critical Studies programme, run by the School of Art and Design at TU Dublin, offers a unique opportunity for focussed study in an interdisciplinary environment that studies the theory and criticism of contemporary visual culture or the history of art and design.

The MA Contemporary Visual Culture is aimed at graduates of visual culture, art history, design history, and philosophy of art. It is designed to provide graduate students with the opportunity for focussed study in contemporary visual culture, supported by archival and textual research.

The programme is one of five delivered through the Creative Arts Masters Platform. Students on the MA Visual and Critical Studies programme will join those on the studio-based programmes in Interior Design, Visual Communications, 3D Design, and Fine Art. The Platform allows specialisation within a dynamic mix of historical and critical disciplines, placing particular emphasis upon close analysis of visual culture that engages with critical and historical debates.

Bachelor Degree (Honours 2.1 or above) in relevant disciplines.

If English is not your first language you will need to provide evidence of your English language proficiency as detailed on our website. Applicants for this programme should have a minimum IELTS (Academic Version) English Proficiency of 6 overall (or equivalent) with nothing less than 6 in each component.

Applicants are required to include an example of academic writing and a one-page research proposal with their application.

The MA Visual and Critical Studies is a twelve-month, full-time or twenty-four-month, part-time programme divided between core modules, including Discourses in Contemporary Art and Design, Research Methods, and a Discipline-Specific Seminar Series, and modules designed to provide core and advanced skills in critical and historical research. In the final semester/s, students deliver a final thesis in their chosen area of study.

Students of Contemporary Visual Culture benefit from an extensive library, access to local art and design archives, the possibility of collaboration with local and national arts institutions, and the opportunity to work with faculty on live research projects.

Current areas of faculty research specialisation include:

• Museum Studies and Museology
• Contemporary Art History and Theory
• Historiography of Art and Design
• History of Design and Material Culture in Ireland
• History and Theory of Typography and Graphic Design
• Contemporary Art and Environment
• Visual Culture of Science
• Aesthetics

The programme is offered full-time and part-time.

Full-time students will take a total of 30 credits of coursework per semester.

Applications for this course are now open.

• September 2026 Intake: Apply Now – EU & Non EU Applicants (Autumn 2026)

For further information on the application process, please visit How To Apply.