Established in 2001, this postgraduate degree remains unique in Scotland. It brings together ideas and materials from a wide range of disciplines to investigate contemporary visual practices, cultural theory and organisational praxis.

Contemporary art has long been acclaimed as a means of encouraging audiences to challenge prevailing discourses and media. The multifaceted roles of today’s art workers and the social opportunities attributed to their endeavors are founded on the supposition that art practices, theories, criticism, organisational contexts and cultural economies are indivisible.

As the roles of artists and administrators, audiences and curators, critics and entrepreneurs become as indistinct as they are globalised, the MA Contemporary Art Theory seeks to critically examine these presumptions. The MA encourages creative, holistic, and practicable knowledge of this increasingly polymathic field, situating a combined academic and practical schooling in contemporary art within broader cultural and historical contexts.
The MA seeks to address the issues raised by the practices of contemporary art, criticism and curating as a means of encouraging you to contribute both critically and practically. The programme aims to provide you with both an overall level of expertise in recent developments in art practices and theories, and a high degree of specialisation within this field, culminating in an original research project.

This new postgraduate degree offers a course of study unique in Scotland. The programme draws influences from a wide range of sources and offers a holistic approach to Visual and Material Culture. This is made possible through its location within the College’s Centre for Visual and Cultural Studies (CVCS) and the combination of an art school environment with an interdisplinary centre encompassing staff from a wide range of theoretical, historical and practice based backgrounds. The multifaceted roles of today’s art and design workers and the social opportunities attributed to their endeavours are founded on the supposition that art and design practices, theories, criticism, organisational contexts and cultural economies are indivisible. As the roles of designers, artists, audiences, curators, critics and futurologists become as indistinct as they are globalised, the MA Visual and Material Culture seeks to critically examine these presumptions. The MA encourages creative, holistic, and practicable knowledge of these often specialised fields, situating a combined academic and practical schooling in visual and material culture within broader cultural and historical contexts.

The MA seeks to employ critical discussion of the visual and material world, enabling students to expand and deepen their knowledge and insights into its various aspects. By thematically exploring material cultures, students are encouraged to engage with the various associated theories and disciplines through example. Visual cultures are explored systematically through the methods and theories they involve. Criticism and curating are utilised as a means of encouraging you to contribute both critically and practically. The programme aims to provide students with an overall level of expertise in theories of visual and material culture, while assisting them in achieving their own particular specialisation within these fields, culminating in an original research project.

This multidisciplinary postgraduate degree brings together ideas and materials from a wide range of disciplines to investigate contemporary visual and material culture, cultural theory and organisational praxis. The programme encourages the study of contemporary art, design, the moving image, cultural geography and material culture – specialist disciplines of the art college that are normally delivered separately. The MFA/MPhil Visual Culture encourages creative, holistic, and practicable knowledge of the polymathic discipline of Visual Culture at a very advanced level.

The MFA/MPhil seeks to address the issues raised by the practices of contemporary art, criticism, curating, design and material culture as a means of encouraging student to contribute both critically and practically. The programme aims to provide students both with an overall level of expertise in recent developments in art practices, design, material culture, film and television and related theories, and a high degree of specialisation within these fields, culminating in an original research project.

The strong, independent and outward-looking research base at eca has grown rapidly in recent years. In addition to having the highest quality of expertise and experience on hand, the College has a dynamic, open-ended and inquiring atmosphere which encourages cutting-edge thinking. Over two-thirds of staff are involved in high-level research.

This allows the College a unique ability to offer students a flexible training in research of all kinds, including research-based Masters degrees, MPhil and PhD awards. Research at ECA covers a vast field, contributing to and extending the theoretical, conceptual and practical aspects of art, design and environmental studies. In particular, the College promotes the developments of practice-based PhDs as a route whereby working artists, designers and other professionals can elevate their own visions, techniques and approaches to new levels.

ECA has shared provision of research methods training for PhD student methods since 2004 with the University of Edinburgh's School of Arts, Culture and Environment (ACE), with support from an AHRC grant. All research students access the postgraduate training skills programmes offered by the University's Transkills unit.
In 2004, ECA was recognized as an accredited institution of the University of Edinburgh and the latter now validates all ECA degrees. An academic federation between ECA and the University, launched in September 2007, now provides a framework for close collaboration whilst retaining the independent identities of the two institutions. Research committees also combine to coordinate a lively programme of public lectures, research workshops and seminar programmes.

The formation of the federation runs parallel to the continuing, Scottish Research Council funded project to support the alignment of architectural education and research between the two institutions and with Heriot-Watt University. Research students benefit from this collaboration in a number of ways.  For further information see http://ace.caad.ed.ac.uk/eca-ace/

The research programmes at ECA are as follows:

Qualification: MPhil

The period of study prescribed for registered students is normally 24 months full-time. The period of study prescribed for students registered as part-time is 36 months minimum and 60 months maximum.

Qualification: PhD

The period of study prescribed for registered students is normally 36 months full-time. The period of study prescribed for students registered as part-time is 48 months minimum and 72 months maximum.