MA Contemporary Art Theory & MA Research Architecture

At Goldsmiths we’re constantly exploring, questioning, and reshaping the world around us. You can challenge yourself through our innovative taught postgraduate degrees delivered by renowned scholars and practitioners that will not only inspire you to see the world differently but will also encourage you to become active agents in bringing about change.

The MA Contemporary Art Theory is for those with a passionate interest in contemporary art, and a desire to reshape or contribute to theoretical work in the subject. This degree explores a range of theoretical perspectives that shape art and visual culture, and attitudes towards them in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. You’ll be encouraged to conceptually and creatively explore the ways in which contemporary artistic practice and urgent theoretical and political matters intersect. You’ll expand your knowledge of contemporary artistic developments and deepen your understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of academic discourses on visual culture. Our programme draws on and responds to the shifting fields of performance studies, art history, continental philosophy, ecology, feminist theory, queer theory, postcolonial/decolonial studies, and cultural studies. All teaching is research-led and delivered by a team of staff who are leaders in their field. 

Further information and details of how to apply here or email the Programme Leader Prof. Simon O’Sullivan s.o’sullivan [​at​] gold.ac.uk.

The MA Research Architecture is for graduates from a range of disciplines who want to examine how space and the built environment engage with questions of contemporary culture, politics, law, media, ecology, and justice. It focuses on the ways that spatial practice can become a form of research. You’ll join a diverse group of students to work collaboratively on a five-week real-time investigation as well as on a year-long individual research project; benefiting from peer-to-peer learning alongside the practical and intellectual guidance of our teaching staff. Studio work will be combined with theoretical reflections in either the Research Architecture or Forensic Architecture studio stream of the MA. Lectures, seminars, and technical workshops equip you with grounding in critical spatial practices and related areas of inquiry, while the theoretical module provides thorough coverage of the historical, philosophical, and technological aspects of the intersection of space, power, and conflict in light of changing geopolitical conditions.

Further information and details of how to apply here or email the Programme Leader Prof. Susan Schuppli s.schuppli [​at​] gold.ac.uk.

Information about the Centre for Research Architecture here.

The Department of Visual Cultures is a culturally diverse and intellectually challenging environment for exploring and producing new forms of practice and theoretical reflection. The department is well known for its experimental and innovative engagement in the field of visual culture and more broadly within a framework of critical theory, philosophy, and cultural studies. 

Scholarships and funding opportunities: For 2023–24 the Department of Visual Cultures is offering both a full-time Home student MA Contemporary Art Theory scholarship (tuition fees only) and a part-time year one Home student MA Contemporary Art Theory scholarship (tuition fees only). Each year the Forensic Architecture agency offers a full-time MA Research Architecture scholarship that covers tuition plus a monthly stipend for a home or international student. Please note your interest in any of these scholarships in your application. Deadline: March 22, 2024.