MA in Critical and Curatorial Studies of Contemporary Art

Call for applications from international students
The MA in Critical and Curatorial Studies of Contemporary Art (CCSCA) is a two-year, international graduate program that offers students a practice-oriented and research-inspired approach to the study of key ideas, issues and contexts of contemporary art and curating, with a focus on the Asia Pacific region. The final call for applications for fall 2021 will be open from February 1 until April 30, 2021.

Launched in 2016 at the National Taipei University of Education, CCSCA is unique in its focus on the study of art and curatorial practice not only in Taiwan but also in the Asia Pacific. Given Taiwan’s growing importance as a vibrant and diverse artistic and cultural hub in Asia and the notable success of the country’s pandemic response, CCSCA is well placed to offer a safe and exciting environment for the study of art and curating in East and Southeast Asia, as well as the Pacific region. Through an integrated approach to learning and teaching that combines scholarly research and professional training, CCSCA offers students a critical and practical understanding of contemporary art and curating in the region and beyond.

The five modules of CCSCA—art history, art criticism, curatorial studies, museum studies and creative industries—are designed to enable students to develop a familiarity with the work of major art scholars, critics, curators and museum professionals, the diverse art histories of the region, different genres of art writing, and the history and practce of exhibitions and curating. Along with on-campus seminars and lectures, the program is also organized through workshops, international exchanges, internships, and local and overseas study trips. Aside from core and elective courses, students can choose to complete a research dissertation or curate an exhibition as their final project.

CCSCA also offers students the opportunity to meet visiting scholars, critics and curators who are regularly invited to deliver guest lectures in the program. In the lead up to the Taipei Biennial 2020, CCSCA hosted a symposium—The “New Normal”: Art and Curation in Times of Crises—to explore the impact of the global pandemic on art and curating.  In 2019, CCSCA worked in partnership with the Cube Project Space, Taipei Fine Arts Museum and the National Culture and Arts Foundation to co-program the Curatorial Intensive Taipei (CIT19) Workshop and Conference which featured local and international speakers including David Teh (author of Thai Art: Currencies of the Contemporary), Raqs Media Collective (artistic director of Yokohama Triennale 2020) and ruangrupa (artistic director of Documenta 15, 2022).

CCSCA’s program is delivered in partnership with our on-campus university museum—MoNTUE—and in close collaboration with a broad range of museums, galleries and educational institutions across Taiwan and in the region. As part of the 5th anniversary of the founding of the MA program, CCSCA will launch its online journal—Southerly—a publishing platform featuring essays, reviews, interviews and experimental forms of art writing by its students, as well as critics, curators and scholars in the region 

The program’s integrated approach ensures that upon completion, students are well-equipped with transferable scholarly and professional skills and knowledge to embark on future careers as exhibition organizers, curators, arts educators, writers and researchers in museums, galleries and other art and creative sectors around the world.

Language of instruction: English

Program highlights:
​–Affordable tuition fee (3500 USD per year)
​–Focus on contemporary art and curating in the Asia Pacific region
​–Integration of scholarly research with professional training and practice
​–Local field excursions and overseas study trips
​–Intensive museum internship
​–Scholarship offer
–Chinese language training program on campus

Applicants are required to submit:
(1) University/College Certificate or Degree/Diploma. (2) An autobiography or a personal statement (no more than two A4 pages). (3) Study plan. (4) Other documents that may facilitate the review/ (5) English proficiency test score (applicable to students whose first language is not English)

Full program details are available in the CCSCA website and you can follow program updates and activities on its Facebook page. Those who are interested in applying are encouraged to submit an online application by April 30, 2021.

For enquiries, please contact our Program Assistant via email at ccsca [​at​] mail.ntue.edu.tw