MA in Critical and Curatorial Studies of Contemporary Art

The MA in Critical and Curatorial Studies of Contemporary Art (CCSCA) is a two-year, international graduate program that offers a practice-oriented and research-inspired approach to the study of contemporary art and curating, with a focus on Taiwan and the Asia Pacific region. The call for applications for fall 2023 will be open from February 1 until April 28, 2023.

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 central geographical location and growing importance as a vibrant and diverse artistic and cultural hub in Asia, CCSCA is well placed to facilitate 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, CCSCA offers professional training that combines critical thinking, research and writing skills with scholarly and practical knowledge of contemporary art and exhibition-making.

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 and curators, the diverse histories of art in the region, different genres of art writing, and the history and practice 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 capstone project.

CCSCA also offers students the opportunity to meet and engage with visiting scholars, critics and curators who are regularly invited to deliver guest lectures in the program. In 2022, CCSCA partnered with Monash University Art Design & Architecture (MADA) in Melbourne to jointly host the international symposium Shifting Grounds, New Horizons: Thinking and doing contemporary Southeast Asian art now, which featured presentations by leading thinkers and practioners  in the field of contemporary Southeast Asian art including ruangrupa (artistic director of Documenta 15, 2022), David Teh (co-curator of Instanbul Biennale 2022) and Apinan Poshyananda (artistic director of Bangkok Art Biennale 2022). In 2021, guest speakers hosted by CCSCA included Patrick Flores (artistic director of Singapore Biennale 2019) and Robin Peckham (co-director of Taipei Dangdai). 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 Raqs Media Collective (artistic director of Yokohama Triennale 2020), Zoe Butt (artistic director of The Factory Contemporart Arts Centre, Ho Chi Minh City) and Pi Li (senior curator, M+ Museum, Hong Kong). 

CCSCA’s program is delivered in partnership with our on-campus university museum MoNTUE and the Digital Art Center, Taipei where exhibitions curated by CCSCA students are staged. The program also works in close collaboration with a wide range of museums, galleries and educational institutions across Taiwan and in the region. Through its extensive industry engagements and international partnerships, CCSCA provides students with a solid foundation for developing critical knowledge and practical understanding of art and curating in the Asia Pacific region and beyond.

The program’s integrated approach to learning and teaching 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 (approx 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 the following:
–University/College Certificate or Degree/Diploma
–A statement of your motivation and research interests (no more than two A4 pages)
–Study plan
–Other documents that may facilitate the review
–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 facebook and Instagram. Those who are interested in applying are encouraged to submit an online application by April 28, 2023. For enquiries, please contact our Program Assistant via email at ccsca [​at​] mail.ntue.edu.tw.