Master of Ecology

• Master

  Degree

• English

  Language of instructions

• 2 years

  Years of study

• Full-time

  Study mode

• Ireland

  Location

The MFA/MA in Art & Ecology is an interdisciplinary, research-based programme designed for students who wish to develop an ecologically focused artistic practice. Graduate students develop key skills in producing work in studio and field-based contexts, investigate how social and earth ecologies coexist within the unique context of the Burren, and have the opportunity to participate in collaborative or community based initiatives. Students work with BCA’s core faculty team alongside environmental scientists and local community based organisations to develop critical enquiry through arts practice. Graduates produce a final exhibition of work engaging the dynamic between ecology and arts practice and demonstrating an embodiment of the social, cultural and theoretical concerns shaping the relationship between contemporary art and ecological thinking. PROGRAM STRUCTURE Studio Research provides for the development of artistic practice alongside students in the MFA / MA Studio Art. These modules provide for studio and field-based investigation, experimentation and reflection leading to the production of a body of work engaging ecology, earth systems and environmental change. Theory and Art & Ecology engages with historical and contemporary discourse informing arts practice, ecological thinking, activism and the changing global climate. In the first year an Introduction to Ecosystem Science provides an engagement with ecosystems through lectures and first-hand experience of the Burren. In Ecology and Sustainability in the Burren, the stewardship of the Burren is explored as a microcosm of global ecological and environmental concerns. In this module students work with local conservationists, geologists and archaeologists, though BCA’s partnerships with Burren Beo, Burren GeoPark and NUI Galway. Additionally, Professional Studies modules, taken alongside the MFA/MA Studio Art students, focus on the development of the professional skills necessary to survive and thrive as a practicing artist. The MFA in Art & Ecology is a two year programme comprising of 120 ECTS. The MA in Art & Ecology is a one year programme (Sept-August) comprising of 90 ECTS. Please see the Course Structure opposite for an outline of the modules specific to each programme.