International Master of Fine Arts programmes

On January 1, 2020, Valand Academy and HDK – Academy of Design and Crafts merged and formed HDK-Valand—a new University of Gothenburg department for design and art. You are now able to apply to our international master’s programmes in Crafts, Design, Film, Fine Art or Photography. The programmes are fee-free for EU nationals.

HDK-Valand delivers education and research in Design, Film, Photography, Fine Art, Crafts and Literary Composition. We provide highly specialised degree programmes in an outward-facing, international environment with well-equipped workshops where our range of subjects also enables students to foster a broader artistic perspective. 

For fall of 2020 we offer the following MFA programmes:

Applied Arts and Design, specialisations: Metal Art, Textile-Body-Space or Wood Oriented Furniture Design
The programme examines questions that move between the local and the global, between art, craft and design. Applied Arts and Design has three departmental specialisations but works as one programme. Regardless of the specialisation, you will work independently and experimentally with materials, techniques, form, function and content.

Child Culture Design
Child Culture Design is a field that is growing in knowledge, need and demand both nationally and internationally. By focusing on children’s play, children’s perspectives and their specific conditions, we have created a program that has no equivalent in the world. Our aim is to combine the subject design and artistic practice, with child culture and in-depth knowledge of this specific user-group. Child Culture Design plays seriously.

Crafts, specialisations: Ceramic Art, Jewellery Art or Textile Art
The master’s programme in Craft invites students to explore the purpose of crafts in society today. Artistic exploration through materials and concepts is the basis of the programme. Course work encourages the development of skill-based knowledge, fosters debate about the meaning of material inquiries and investigates the conceptual identity of the crafts. Regardless of the specialisation, you will work in an independent and experimental way with materials, techniques, form, content and function.

Design
The main focus of the programme is to further develop your creative and artistic skills by working with complex and challenging issues, in particular where social implications are important. Practical projects, both individual and team projects, are at the core of your studies. The atmosphere of the programme is explorative and experimental. You will investigate new and challenging ideas of how designers can situate themselves and work for a sustainable society in the future.

Embedded Design
Companies and organisations in the private and public sectors are increasingly seeking competence and knowledge to meet to the challenges of globalisation, digitalisation and sustainability. The programme in Embedded Design addresses the field of design that is particularly situated in complex and systemised contexts and prepares you to be a friendly collaborator while simultaneously taking a critical stance in your role within an embedded design practice.

Film
This master’s programme is focused on developing your research skills and creative tools for enquiry in and with moving images. The programme defines itself in relation to the world. We encourage you, as a student of the programme, to examine social, cultural, and political image-making, and we facilitate your enquiry and exploration of the medium of film—its ethics and aesthetics.

Fine Art
The programme in Fine Art will prepare you to make artistic contributions in the public sphere. The courses focus on the many challenges that face us in being public together and on debates surrounding the roles artists can have in producing that publicness. As a student of the programme, you will explore these themes through the development of research-based practices. You will join a small group of students with diverse backgrounds, and learn with teachers who have considerable research expertise and professional practices.

Photography
The master’s programme in Photography offers you the opportunity to develop your already existing photographic practice, your visual literacy and your own creativity. In dialogue with teachers and fellow students, you will formulate your work in different contexts and have the possibility to present your work in public venues, school galleries, and printed matter.

Apply by January 15, 2020. The programmes are fee-free to EU nationals.

Read more: https://hdk-valand.gu.se/english/education/