Course Summary

This course recognises that the internet and associated technologies offer the artist and designer new opportunities for the creation and dissemination of work. The course is aimed at those who wish to acquire a broad professional basis in the expanding creative internet and new media technologies. It offers exciting possibilities for collaborative ventures between scientific and artistic disciplines.

You will work alongside MA Art and Design students, with an emphasis on the relationships between practice, theory and internet programming. Like art and design students, you will be encouraged to articulate contemporary art and design discourse and locate your work in a cultural and critical context.

You will not only be able to draw on expertise in art and design theory and practice, but also expertise in computing. The staff team is made up of professional practitioners and researchers, and there are strong links with both the Research Institute for Media, Art and Design and the Institute for Research in Applicable Computing.

Why choose this course?

Having completed an advanced course in Art, Design and Internet Technologies, you will be able to develop, focus and substantiate your creative ideas within an area of expertise that is offering new employment opportunities in the creative industries. The course will also equip you to establish your artistic and creative practice at a professional level, working as an independent artist or designer.

During the course you will:

• Experience a unique course that offers the opportunity to engage in creating and disseminating art and design work, exploiting the internet and new technologies
• Benefit from your own studio space and access to facilities for computing, printmaking, video and photography, as well as materials workshops
• Have the opportunity to investigate new practices in art and design and to devise ways of disseminating outcomes using internet technologies
• Experience cross-departmental collaboration to give expertise in computing and internet technologies
• Have access to technical and digital media such as image processing software, moving image software, high definition video equipment and high quality photo screen printing
• Benefit from a teaching and learning strategy that is aimed at giving a robust focus to your artistic or design practice
• Have one-to-one contact with staff with an emphasis on your personal creative development

Areas of study you may cover on this course include:

• Emerging technologies
• Applied programming
• Multimedia applications
• Contemporary issues in art and design
• Visual culture and critical theory
• Studio practice as research
• Professional studio practice

We strive to deliver the most exciting art and design courses in HE with a number of new and innovative ideas. We also run an Art & Design blog with the latest news and events, you can find that here: wecreatetogether.net

Colin Davies, Head of Art and Division

MAXDT

Assessment

Assessment is conceived to emanate naturally from the teaching and learning and as such is an intrinsic part of the learning experience. You should, provided you have engaged in the course, be able to meet the demands of formal summative assessment in your stride. The requirements for assessment range through the types listed below.

Since self-directed practical projects are at the heart of learning activities they will logically be the subject of assessment. Formative and summative assessments of practical assignments are seen as an important method of ensuring your understanding, developing relevant cognitive and practical skills and of ensuring personal creative development and progress.

Continuous appraisal by both peer review and your tutors is a feature of the course and although there are no end-point examinations, summative assessment is carried out in relation the work that you produce as part of the course. This will predominantly be based on an accumulation of the work that is done as a result of a research enquiry that is initiated and developed by you engaging in a range of activities as part of its production.

The following are examples of the various assessment methods used:

• Coursework to include examples of, creative practice in an appropriate medium, associated research material, notebooks, research reports, essays, contextual writing


• Assessments based on individual presentations


• Portfolio reviews are a key means of assessing but they are also important for collating work for presentation in a professional context, such as an interview


• Essays and reports feature in developing your writing skills, helping you to express ideas in a variety of ways and styles and to develop academic writing skills that are of particular benefit in producing the a contextual rationale for your major project

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to:

1. Appreciate to a depth significantly beyond undergraduate level the potential for you as a practitioner in art & design using new technologies.

2. Evaluate various production techniques and internet technologies and apply them with practical expertise in the development of your own independent artistic or design work.

3. Understand Internet technologies from a theoretical viewpoint and critically evaluate various production and dissemination techniques to establish a theoretical underpinning for your own creative practice.

4. Understand work by contemporary practitioners using new and internet based technologies to create a relevant context for your own creative practice.

5. Use current practice-led research methods to support your understanding of practice based production using new and internet technologies and give a critical focus to your own creative work.

6. Take on complex technical and conceptual problems in design briefs and/or research problems and plan and execute practice-based projects autonomously to offer creative solutions.

7. Develop your practice to a level that will sustain you beyond the course as a professional artistic or design practitioner or for further research in art and design.

External Benchmarking

N/A

Educational Aims

The course aims for MA Art, Design and Internet Technologies are:

• To help you gain an advanced understanding of art and design practices that embrace current technologies in internet development


• To develop an understanding and knowledge of critical theory relevant to art, design and internet technologies so that you can develop a focus for your own creative practice through analysis, synthesis and reflection


• To enable you to integrate the learning experience from the taught and self-directed aspects of studio-based projects with research from current developments in internet technologies as they affect artists and designers


• To engage you in advanced practices involving new developments in digital media and internet technologies, supported by a relevant contemporary critical and theoretical dimension so that you are able to become a critically autonomous creative practitioner using new technologies


• To support you in planning and following through a complex project from inception to presentation involving advanced creative and/or technical solutions, research and practice that can demonstrate a masters-level focus in independent creative thought


• Develop an advanced understanding of current technologies in internet development and apply this knowledge to your practice as artists and designers


• To apply research methods derived from creative practice to explore new ideas emerging from your work in art and/or design and the use of internet technologies

To encourage you to attempt an original contribution to the creative development of the relevant technology in your area of practice.

Student support

The course will encourage you to work and learn independently, however this will be based on academic tutorial support and supervision throughout the course.

At the beginning of the course you will take part in induction activities offered by the Division of Art and Design. During the first two weeks of your course there will also be a more specialised induction, which will introduce you to the teaching and learning strategy for the MA Art, Design and Internet Technologies course. It will also familiarise you with the study support and resources for the course.

Your course tutor will provide you with guidelines about your course and will advise you on specific subjects and assessment issues. In your final term you will undertake a self-determined major project, during which you will be supervised to ensure that you are meeting the objectives of your project.

The role of the Course Tutor is to ensure that issues of concern are identified at an early stage, and to assist you in the event of difficulties. If you are deemed at risk of failing, your course tutor can ensure that you receive appropriate advice and guidance.

Because of the self directed nature of much of the learning on the course you will be advised to maintain regular contact with your allocated tutor. You will be encouraged to take advantage of the staff expertise within the Division of Art and Design and you will be able to book appointments with staff as you need particular advice. There are close links between the Masters course and the Research Institute for Media Art and Design so it will be possible for you to meet with other academic staff with expertise outside of art and design and discuss aspects of your work and academic and personal development.

You can book time with staff during staff office sessions, which are posted on the doors of academic staff offices.

The Course Tutor also offers both academic advice and advice about professional practice and you have access to advisory sessions with the Field Administrator for the Postgraduate Field of Media, Art and Design.

The Subject Librarian at the University of Bedfordshire will be able to assist you with any queries you may have about access to learning resources.

The University Student Centre is able to offer advice and support for your learning as well as in personal or financial matters. The Student Union also provides advice and support for students.

The Universitys virtual learning environment, BREO (Bedfordshire Resources for Learning Online) is used by staff to communicate with students. Each learning unit has its own site and through this, you will be able to access course materials, announcements etc, which are uploaded by staff.

The University recognises the Disability Discrimination Act and students with disabilities can register them through specialist advisers in the Student Centre.

Students who experience learning difficulties such as dyslexia will be able seek support through the Student Centre, which liaises with the subject areas to provide additional support.

Team working

Most units include group work of some kind. Team working skills are developed through some group project work incorporated within both the practice and theory units. Much of the teaching and learning involves group discussion and the group crit is a significant feature of the learning experience and you will be expected to participate and contribute to this effectively.

Career Management Skills

Careers development is integrated into the course and the course seeks to provide you with an awareness of the real world context of the creative industries in general and

your specific art and design practice. You will be helped to develop a strategy for obtaining appropriate employment at the end of your course.

Professional practice will be emphasised as part of all learning units.

Career/Further study opportunities

Career:

Whilst this award is principally conceived as the means by which you might embark on a career as a practising artist or designer it also provides you with knowledge, skills and expertise that is highly transferable within the creative industries where digital media and internet technologies are involved.

As you will be used to thinking and working creatively and critically with a keen sensitivity for visual communication, employment in the galleries and museums sector, public or community arts participation or arts education is also an option.

Further study:

Following the masters course, you may wish to register for MPhil/PhD

Entry

Normally an honours degree in Art and/or Design (or appropriate academic or professional equivalent). Applicants should also be able to show evidence of recent art or design work that demonstrates an engagement with digital and / or internet technology.

EC or overseas candidates with evidence of successful completion of an equivalent higher education course in Art and / or Design will be considered for entry.

Additional:

Applicants will be expected to submit a statement of intent together with no more than 25 images included In either a Powerpoint presentation or in a PDF document. They will be expected attend a portfolio interview.

UK students Undergraduate entry requirements

Standard entry requirements for Foundation degrees (FD/FdSc)

A foundation degree will be of particular interest if you have completed a Modern Apprenticeship, vocational A levels, BTEC National or equivalent.

Foundation degrees are also particularly suitable if you want to qualify while working.

• As a guideline, a typical offer would require you to obtain a UCAS tariff score of between 80-120 points, based on your level 3 studies.
• Students who require a Tier 4 Student Visa cannot apply for our foundation courses. For these courses the University of Bedfordshire is not able to sponsor Tier 4 Student Visa applications.

Many students studying for foundation degrees come to us through work-based routes so you can apply for a foundation degree even if you don’t have traditional academic qualifications.

We welcome applicants with relevant work experience.

Standard entry requirements for Undergraduate degrees (BA/BSc)

We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for both breadth and depth in your current studies as well as enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.

The general requirement is one of the following:

• UCAS Tariff Score greater than 200, which should include either two A level passes or an AVCE Double Award
• An Access qualification
• Equivalent qualifications such as Irish Leaving Certificate, Scottish Highers, International Baccalaureate or BTEC National Diploma

Postgraduate taught courses

Postgraduate applications (MA/MSc) should be made direct to the University using the  standard University application form. There are some exceptions, please see individual course descriptions for details.

• UK/EU students application form
• International (non-EU) students application form
  

Students from the European Union

Entry requirements

As a general guide, to apply for a place on an undergraduate course (BA/BSc) at the University you need to have completed your high school education and have the required English qualification.

We have students from all the European Union member countries so we are quick to make decisions on most qualifications.

How to apply

International students

• Undergraduate applications (BA/BSc) can be made direct to the University or via our representatives in your home country. If you intend to apply to more than one university in the UK you should apply via UCAS. If you want to apply to the University of Bedfordshire only you should apply directly using our international application form (link below) or via our representatives in your home country
• Postgraduate applications should be made directly to the University using our international application form (link below) or via our representatives in your home country
• Healthcare, nursing and midwifery students Many of these courses are not available to overseas students due to UK immigration law in regard to bursary funding. Please contact international admissions to find out if you are eligible to apply
• BA Nursing Studies Level 3 (with or without Overseas Nursing Programme) is available to overseas students - please contact International Admissions by email at international-admissions@beds.ac.uk for further information

(Please note that applicants on a full student visa are not eligible for part-time study)

Course application form for international students

We recommend that you apply directly to the University where possible, as this allows us to offer the quickest turnaround time for your application.

• Course application form for direct applications [PDF]

How to complete your course application

Please read the Direct application instructions before completing the course application form.

Application forms for accommodation in the student halls at Bedford campus and Luton campus are available in the Student life section

Accreditation of prior certificated learning (APL)

APL is available for international students applying for undergraduate (Bachelor degree) study. Please do not use this APL form to apply for postgraduate courses.

Use the APL form to tell us about any non-standard qualifications and/or work experience you have that you think should be taken into consideration with your application. `

The APL form should be submitted at the same time as the course application form.

We regret we are unable to process APL forms from students who have not submitted a formal course application form.

• APL application form for International students [100Kb] updated 041007

What next?

Return your completed application to:

University of Bedfordshire
International Admissions
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU1 3JU
United Kingdom

Contact International Admissions

T: +44 (0)1582 489326 (non-EU Students)
F: +44 (0)1582 743469
E: international-admissions@beds.ac.uk

Awarding institution

University of Bedfordshire

Teaching Strategy

You will be expected at the outset of the course to be able to propose a personally conceived art or design project, which, depending on your experience and knowledge, will involve the use of new technologies to varying degrees. Over the first semester you will develop the project testing its potential and developing an understanding of its unfolding context. An essential feature of the teaching strategy will be to encourage you to engage in independent learning and research.

Your self-determined project will therefore engage you in creative and research activities that confront visual problems and ideas relevant to expression or response through art and/or design practices involving new and internet technologies. Depending on your knowledge and experience on entry to the course, your project may start off with a view to including new technologies. You will then be expected to consider how you will use internet technologies as a main means of articulation for your work. At the same time you will be expected to take broader professional and academic artistic or design practices into consideration.

The course aims to build a close relationship between practice and theory and to this end you will be encouraged to take ownership of your creativity and its outcomes, whilst at the same time developing an understanding of a range of contexts that affect art or design practices generally and your practice using internet technologies in particular.

Your original conception will inevitably change as you progress through the course and these changes will be the result of critical reflection using the contexts that you build for your practice as well as your growing understanding of software or programming implications. Key to this will be your maintaining a reflective and contextual studio journal that will document your research and your critical analysis and reflection. At the end of the course you should be able to realise a focused and critically justified creative project of your own devising and be able to demonstrate your own particular insights into the critical, cultural and professional contexts in which your own work is placed. This will be the product of a discursive approach to teaching and an approach to learning involving enquiry and analysis of issues and a synthesis of ideas with practice.

Teaching will also require you from time to time to participate in and contribute to peer review of your work in which the outcomes of your research and practice will be the subject of critical scrutiny by both your peers and your tutor(s). This is part of strategy that involves formative assessment as a way of learning,

Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body Accreditation

N/A

Students with disabilities

The Division of Art and Design recognises that a relatively high proportion of art and design students encounter difficulties with dyslexia, and special arrangements are in place to offer flexibility and learning support in the preparation and submission of written work.

Students with visual impairment may encounter difficulties with aspects of the course, and there would be a need for prior assessment of requirements and capabilities for this type of student.

The philosophy of the Division is to support and facilitate all students regardless of disability in their chosen field of study whenever practicable.

There is wheelchair access to all art and design facilities.

Skills Development

Communication

To help with the development of this you will:

Be involved with oral communication that will be practised and tested in presentations and individual critiques. You will be asked to produce work of different lengths and formats that should be properly referenced. Visual and verbal communication skills will be taught through all the studio practice units.

You will assess the quality of your own oral and visual communication and identify areas for improvement and deliver written or presentation assignments which succeed in communicating a series of points effectively.

Information Literacy

To help with the development of this you will:

Be able to use of a range of computer software, which will be available to you. As part of the course you will take units in computing in which you will develop an understanding of and an ability to use software related to the internet and you will be expected to practice their application in ways that are relevant to your own creative practice thus acquiring expertise as you do. Technical support will be available to help you. You will use information technology skills for generic purposes such as research and data analysis and presentation as it becomes relevant to your research and you will be able to complete a complex search using appropriate primary and secondary sources, and draw accurate conclusions independently using the subject methodology. Searching for and evaluating internet sources will be part of the research methods that you will be using and you will analyse the information found using appropriate techniques. You will be introduced to the services of the Learning Resources Centre where specialist staff will be able to offer support as needed.

Research and Evaluation:

The development of your own creative practice is at the heart of the course and you will develop practice-based research methods that will give robustness to your practice as well as help you to direct it. To help with the development of this you will have to decide on action plans and implement these effectively in order to complete work. You will have to clearly identify criteria for success and evaluate your own performance against those criteria.

Group discussion in seminars is key to the development of a critical understanding of your practice and relevant contexts for it. Working individually, you have to set your own tasks to achieve your research goals, drawing on previous learning experience to achieve creative solutions to common problems.

Creativity and Critical Thinking:

Your learning will be largely self-directed and determined by your creative interests, and relevant issues, contexts and locations and forms of articulation and dissemination that are most apposite for your practice. At the heart of your practice will be the development and articulation of solutions to visual or design problems or of responses to issues associated with creating and disseminating work using internet technologies. Although you will not take the contemporary issues strand of the course you will nonetheless be expected to develop an underpinning rationale and context for your work and thus relate your practice to theoretical and critical ideas. You will be required to maintain a contextual/reflective journal, the purpose of which is to monitor and reflect on your own learning. It will ultimately inform the rationale for your final major project.

You will be encouraged to become self reliant and you will have to decide on action plans and implement these effectively in order to complete work. You will produce creative and realistic solutions to complex problems that will include time management, monitoring your progress in working to deadlines. You will have to identify clearly criteria for success and evaluate your own performance against those criteria. The importance of action plans, strategies and success criteria will be measured for both individual work and group work.

Improving learning and performance

Throughout the course you will be involved with reflective practice, which will require you to maintain a contextual/reflective studio journal, the purpose of which is to document your research and the unfolding context for your work. The studio journal will be key in acting as an aid in focusing research and improving your performance. Through records that you keep about the development of your work and from feedback you will receive from your tutors, you will be able to maintain in your journal a personal profile that monitors your progress and you will be able to evaluate your own individual effectiveness in achieving your aims. Working individually, you will have to set your own tasks to achieve your research goals, drawing on previous learning experience to achieve creative solutions to problems and to develop creative ideas. You may work in groups and you need to be able to measure your own performance in relation to the group.

Progress files

For the purpose of documenting personal progress, you will be expected to maintain a contextual/reflective studio journal throughout the duration of the course. The documentation will include a record of assessment feedback, personal reflection on and evaluation of the way in which you have developed a working proposal and a strategy for its realisation. You will be expected to reflect on and evaluate each stage of your learning and this will be used as part of some summative assessments as well as the basis for discussion about progress and the mapping of courses of action. During the early stages of the course you will engage in an evaluation of your current position together with an audit of your personal skills.

Professional standards

The essential aims of the course are to develop your professionalism and to enhance your potential for employment within specific sectors of the creative industries or for self-employment. To this end the course will aim to promote professional attitudes and behaviour as well as to provide specific insights into professional ways of working.

Your engagement in the course should reflect professional standards and failing to do so may affect assessments outcomes.

Professional standards include:

• Expectations of punctuality, regular attendance, contactability and reliability


• Appropriate means of interpersonal behaviour, address, communication and presentation skills


• Personal organisation that will include being able to draw on and put to use experience, learned attitudes and skills


• Maintaining the fitness to practice and having an understanding of the Criminal Records Bureau, especially in circumstances where you may wish ultimately to work with young people


• The creative industries are competitive and by their nature can have their own specific ways of working, they often demand that its professionals are able to work to tight schedules and rapid turnaround. The course will make students aware of these demands and seek to inculcate an attitude of effective, prompt and reliable working


• The creative industries are frequently involved with such things as communication, branding, the promotion of identities and sometimes there is necessarily a need to deal with contentious issues and material as well as a need to take creative risks. It is therefore essential that students acquire an awareness of good and ethical practices, which avoid negative discrimination and exploitation


• Team working and the evaluation of outcomes


• The ability to engage in further learning

Strategy for developing and embedding the professional standards

Since the purpose of the course is essentially aimed at helping you to perform at a professional level within your creative practice discipline, the strategy for embedding the professional standards of a critical and creative practitioner will be manifest in all the learning activities and assessments. You will be advised about correct procedures, protocols and ethics as well as enabled through a habit of self-reflection and evaluation to apply learned skills and attitudes to professional contexts.

You will be expected to engage with the course respecting professional standards and your attitude in this regard may be taken into account when assessing your work.

Wherever possible, there will be inputs into the course by relevant practicing professionals.