Master of Art and Design

This is an interdisciplinary, modular research degree for art and design graduates and creative professionals. The programme is highly flexible, enabling students from a variety of backgrounds to extend and develop their area of interest. Special pathways include: Fashion (knit, print, textile, fashion and costume design); Graphics (typography, illustration, animation and short film, photography, graphic novel); Spatial Design (building, interior, furniture, performance, video and digital design); and Visual Arts (multi-media, painting, printmaking, sculpture, installation, performance).

The Master of Art and Design enables students to explore and develop a body of work at an advanced level, using interdisciplinary approaches to art and design. The first year coursework papers cover areas of research methodology, theoretical and contextual issues, technical development, analysis, critique and creative practice relevant to the development of the student’s research project, and leading into thesis research and presentation in the second year. Within this programme the thesis – which researches and processes a body of knowledge to produce original outcomes – can be presented in a written or predominantly visual form. Students are encouraged to explore, through supported self-directed learning, a range of processes, technologies, and cultural perspectives in the development of their work.

Master of Art and Design on-campus candidates enjoy dedicated individual studio spaces, specialist facilities with extended access hours, as well as library and learning centre facilities. Off campus students have regular weekly on line sessions, weekend residences in their specific geographic locations, and in Auckland; they also benefit from the flexible library delivery service.

Master of Art and Design