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CONTEMPORARY ART, DESIGN & NEW MEDIA ART HISTORIES

Description

The Master of Arts (MA) in Contemporary Art, Design & New Media Art Histories program prepares students to investigate the breadth and complexity of today's creative cultural activity. Artists and designers in the 21st century often employ unconventional and hybrid strategies that can challenge traditional forms of analysis. Examinations of contemporary art, new media and design therefore require flexible and creative conceptual approaches. Through historical contextualization, scholarly rigour, and cross-disciplinary methods, this program supports the production of pioneering research into newly emerging art and design practices.

This unique and innovative academic program offers students three fields of specialization:

  • Contemporary Art History (VISA courses)
  • Design History (VISD courses)
  • New Media Art History (VISM courses)

Because they all draw from the discipline of art history and share analytical techniques, theory and terminology, these three fields form a complementary affiliation. Yet they also bear their own distinctiveness, which will be emphasized in field-specific seminars and independent study. While students may take courses in any of the specializations, one field will be selected as the focus for the degree.

Objectives

  1. To cultivate original research into the analysis of contemporary art, design and new media art.

  2. To provide students with advanced writing and research skills for historical, critical and theoretical investigations.

  3. To prepare students for employment at galleries, museums and other art institutions.
  4. To prepare students for continuing research in PhD programs.

Required courses

The MA in Contemporary Art, Design & New Media Art Histories is a full-time, 45-credit program that is normally completed within two years (five semesters). Some part-time students may be admitted (with the Program Director’s approval) with a more flexible completion schedule.

Curriculum: 45 credit-hours

Major Research Paper (MRP) stream:

 

Year One
Fall (6) Winter (9) Summer (4.5)

CADN 6B06: Academic Writing and Scholarly Practices (3)

                          

CADN 6B02: Contemporary Art Theory (3)

CADN 6B08: MRP/Thesis Research, Design and Proposal (3)

 
Field-specific Seminar* (3)
CADN 6AXX: MRP/Thesis Research (1.5)

Field-specific seminar* (3)
 2 freestanding electives, 3 credits each (6)
Year Two
Fall (9) Winter (7.5)
CADN 6C02: MRP/Thesis Research (6)

Field-specific seminar* (VISA, VISD, or VISM) (3)
             
Fall & Winter
CADN 6BXX: Scholarly and Professional Practices (3)

 

*One Field-specific Seminar for each field will be offered each semester. Students in Contemporary Art History must take the VISA course; students in Design History must take the VISD course; and students in New Media Art History must take the VISM course, unless otherwise noted in the Academic Calendar.


Thesis stream**

Year One
Fall (6) Winter (9) Summer (4.5)

CADN 6B02: Contemporary Art Theory (3)

Field-specific Seminar* (3)

   

CADN 6AXXMRP/Thesis Research (1.5)

Field-specific seminar* (3)

2 freestanding electives, 3 credits each (6)

Year Two
Fall (6) Winter (10.5)
CADN 6C02: MRP/Thesis Research (6)
Fall & Winter
CADN 6BXX: Scholarly and Professional Practices (3)

 

*One Field-specific Seminar for each field will be offered each semester. Students in Contemporary Art History must take the VISA course; students in Design History must take the VISD course; and students in New Media Art History must take the VISM course, unless otherwise noted in the Academic Calendar.

**Students may enter the thesis stream only with the permission of the student's Principal Advisor and the Graduate Program Director.

Electives

At least one elective must be chosen from a field other than the student’s chosen field. For example, a student in the Contemporary Art History field must take at least one elective from either the Design History or New Media Art Histories fields.

For additional elective choices, students may choose from:

a) Courses in other fields within the CADN program.

b) Approved graduate-level courses in other OCAD U graduate programs. For 2014/2015, students may choose from the following, subject to available room in the course:

 

c) A 300 or 400-level Liberal Studies course, with the approval of the instructor and the Graduate Program Director. Students should consult the Academic Calendar for undergraduate course offerings and must complete a “Request to Enroll in an Undergraduate Course as an Elective” form and secure the appropriate permissions before they will be allowed to register. Please see the Graduate Student Handbook for more information.

d) A graduate course at another university through the Ontario Visiting Graduate Student Plan (OVGS) or the Canadian University Graduate Transfer Agreement (CUGTA). Information on this process is available in the Graduate Student Handbook located on the Graduate Studies section of the OCAD U website.

Students must meet with their Graduate Program Director for advising on the selection of elective courses. A record of student advising will be kept in the student file and students are advised to keep a copy for their records.

Last Modified:7/10/2014 2:45:12 PM