MPhil in Fine Art
Newtown, Ireland
Master degree
DURATION
3 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
EUR 18,650 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
* international students: €18,650 per year | EU students: €9,500 per year
Key Summary
About: The MPhil (Fine Art) is a practice-based postgraduate research program at Burren College of Art that asks you to contribute to knowledge in fine art. You’ll combine practice-led enquiry with other research methods, produce a body of work and a supporting thesis of ~20,000 words, culminating in a final exhibition. The program mirrors years one and two of the PhD (Studio Art) and lead to PhD progression or act as an exit award.
Career Outcomes: This MPhil prepares you for careers as an artist, curator, arts educator, or PhD candidate, and supports roles in galleries and cultural organizations.
The MPhil (Fine Art) is a practice-based postgraduate research programme. The aim of the programme is the generation of a contribution to knowledge and understanding in the discipline of Fine Art.
Students will undertake a programme of enquiry conducted through a combination of practice-based research and other research methods as appropriate. Students undertaking the programme are required to produce a significant body of work supported by a written thesis with a word count of approximately 20,000, providing a critical account of the research process undertaken. The student’s work will be presented in the form of a final exhibition of work at Burren College of Art.
The MPhil (Fine Art) provides a similar experience to years 1 and 2 of the PhD fulltime programme, providing the opportunity to undertake an extended body of research through fine art practice supported by a written text. It will also allow students to progress to the PhD (Studio Art), where the research being undertaken is adjudged to be sufficiently robust to meet the requirements for a PhD programme. Alternatively, it can also provide an exit route from the PhD programme, which provides recognition for the research completed in situations where a student is unable to complete the requirements of the PhD programme through personal or other circumstances.
Assessment & Examination
Assessment is conducted at the end of each semester by an Internal Examination Board, who is the Dean and faculty teaching on the programme. At the end of each academic year, and in the final examination, they are joined by an External Examiner, an independent academic appointed by NUI Galway, to assure critical distance and objectivity in the examination process. Upon completion of the external examination process, an Examination Board meeting is convened, comprising of the Dean, External Examiner and a representative from the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies at NUI Galway, who formally approve final marks.
The final examination comprises:
- the submission of a body of work that embodies a contribution to knowledge and understanding, normally by exhibition;
- a written reflective analysis of the theoretical and historical context of the research subject to a maximum word count of 10,000 words and a minimum of 5,000 words;
- a written critical review of the process of the research subject to a maximum word count of 10,000 words and a minimum of 6,000 words;
- a 500-word summary of the contribution to knowledge and understanding together with documentation of the work;
All elements of the examination must be passed. The submission is examined with reference to the initial aims of the research project.
Please note that in the event of a failure to progress, or a voluntary withdrawal from the program, tuition is non-refundable.
Award of the MPhil
The MPhil is awarded by the National University of Ireland, Galway, within the regulations and terms for the MPhil degree and subject to the guidelines and protocols of the University, as published in the General Calendar of the University and other sources as may be in place from time to time.
The objective of the programme is to allow students to undertake practice-based research related to the following aspects of fine art:
- Drawing and painting as processes of enquiry;
- Art & Ecology;
- Creative methods and methodology in art;
- Public, site-specific, political, social and relational aspects of art;
- Performance and live art, including video;
- Feminism in art;
- Interdisciplinary art research that promotes collaboration across academic boundaries.
Learning Outcomes for the Programme
On the successful completion of this programme, students will be able to:
- Pursue a defined key research question through studio research;
- Investigate cognate studio research undertaken by others internationally;
- Evaluate the practical dimensions of practice-based research;
- Provide a reflective analysis of the process of research in fine art;
- Critique the process of the research and its contribution to the process of creating art.