This programme aims to help create an active community of educators in the arts who can give leadership to arts-based education and research and who can contribute constructively to the formulation of policy and practice in education at local, national and international levels.
Particular features of the course include:
A specific focus on educational leadership in the arts, incorporating arts-led curriculum planning and contextual practice;
Collaborative work with other agencies, centres and colleges in arts-related work.
Arts-based research methods, including a variety of options of presentation modes: visual art work, performance, dissertation, visual essay,
Use and exploration of digital technologies, including animation, video-production, and cyber-pedagogy.
The programme is consciously directed at a diverse population of arts educators, including the following: Educators, teachers at primary and post-primary levels, lecturers, school principals and deputy principals, inspectors, artists, art therapists, health workers, community arts workers, museum and gallery education officers, arts officers.
This course is designed for an annual intake of about 15 students based at NCAD over four semesters (two academic years) or in some cases, over three semesters - (i.e. 3 x 15-week semesters within one calendar year or 4 x 15 week semesters over two calendar years).
An exit point is provided at the conclusion of Semester 2 whereby students may submit for a Postgraduate Diploma. It is also envisaged that a significant proportion of participants will choose to develop their studies to Doctorate level, having completed the programme.
The MA in Arts Education will be provided through taught classes in NCAD, Thomas Street on two evening per week for two or three hours each session, in Semesters 1 and 2. . In Semesters 3 and 4, the course will comprise a 90-minute session, one evening per week combined with a supervised project or thesis.
Provision will also be made for a 2-week summer course in Year 1 and a continuous arts practice element of c. 72 hours in Year 2.
Arts practice is a significant element of the course. Participants normally will be expected to pursue some element of their own chosen art specialism, either through their own art practice or through some applied practice of the art-form in an educational setting. For some participants, this Practice will evolve into a Project for submission at the end of Semester 3 or 4 as a central element in the assessment. Alternatively, students may choose a topic for study as a minor thesis.
NCAD staff, augmented by a significant input from invited specialists and prominent practitioners, will present the modules. Co-operative arrangements with other colleges may also be arranged: this may take the form of shared courses where appropriate.
Assessment assignments for various modules may include academic essay, or case study, or visual essay, or presentation/production/performance or video/dvd. The major assessment component at the end of the course will comprise an arts practice project or a minor thesis.