Program Overview
The Visual Arts and Culture at Durham University is a MA programme in Arts & Design over 12 months, delivered On-campus. This programme equips graduates with advanced knowledge and practical skills for professional and academic careers in the field.
Students gain a rigorous grounding in both the theoretical foundations and applied dimensions of arts & design. The programme combines coursework, research components, and practical projects that develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and specialist expertise relevant to industry and research needs.
Graduates of the Visual Arts and Culture programme are well-prepared for careers in academia, industry, government, and the private sector across United Kingdom and internationally. The programme provides an internationally recognised qualification within the Bologna higher education framework.
Key Program Features
- Duration: 12 months
- Language of instruction: English
- Study mode: On-campus
- English requirement: IELTS 7
- Tuition: GBP 15,700 (Tuition (Year)) — International students; GBP 7,000 (Tuition (Year)) — EU/EEA students
- Location: Durham, United Kingdom
Career Opportunities
Graduates of the Visual Arts and Culture programme are prepared for diverse careers in arts & design:
- Creative Director
- Graphic / UX Designer
- Art Director
- Curator
- Visual Artist
- Media Producer
Program Curriculum
Course Structure
- Critical Curatorship
- History, Knowledge and Visual Culture
- Representing Otherness
- Negotiating the Human
- Theorizing History and Historicising Theory: An Introduction to Photographic Studies
- Digital Imaging
- Cultural Heritage, Communities and Identities
- Current Issues in Aesthetics and Theory of Art
- Ethics of Cultural Heritage
- Monumental architecture of the Roman Empire in the Antonine and Severan periods
- Art in Ecological Perspective
- Texts and Cultures I: Visual and Verbal Cultures (Early Modern)
- Energy, Society and Energy Practices
- German Reading Skills for Research
- French Reading Skills for Research
Admission Requirements
Academic Requirements
You need the following GPA score:
Applicants for graduate programs must have the equivalent of a bachelor\xe2\x80\x99s degree with a minimum GPA equivalent to Upper Second Class on the UK Honour scale. Admitted applicants typically have an undergraduate GPA of or better on the UK Honour scale. No exam grade should be lower than 4.5 (European grade scale) or D (American grade scale).
Your GPA (Grade Point Average) is calculated using the grades that you received in each course, and is determined by the points assigned to each grade (e.g. for the US grading scale from A-F).
Students will normally be required to have an Honours Degree, usually at 2:1 level or higher or GPA average of 3.2 from a recognised national or international university in an arts, humanities or social science subject.\xc2\xa0
The course assumes no prior knowledge of visual arts and culture, but previous interest or experience of visual culture would be an advantage.
Two positive academic or equivalent professional references.Relevant professional practice in a field of visual arts and culture to be evaluated on an individual basis, may be considered in lieu of formal academic qualifications in some cases.
English Proficiency: IELTS 7 or equivalent.
Tuition & Financial Information
Tuition Fee
GBP 15,700 (Tuition (Year)) — International students; GBP 7,000 (Tuition (Year)) — EU/EEA students
Tuition fees: GBP 15,700 (Tuition (Year)) — International students; GBP 7,000 (Tuition (Year)) — EU/EEA students
IELTS requirement: 7
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Contact Durham University directly for scholarship, grant, and financial aid information for this programme. Many European universities offer merit-based and need-based funding for international and domestic students.
About Durham University
Durham University
Durham, United Kingdom
Durham University is a prestigious public research university in Durham, England, UK, founded in 1832, making it the third oldest university in England after Oxford and Cambridge. It enrolls...
University Profile- Start Date April 2026
- Language English
- Duration 12 months