Overview

The MFA/MA in Art & Ecology was launched in 2013 as one of the first postgraduate degrees in this field in Europe. This highly prescient and innovative programme 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 in 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, The Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark, and University of 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.

The PG Dip (1 year, 2 semesters) aims to provide students with a postgraduate education in the subject with credit that recognizes their level of attainment through study.

PARTNERSHIPS

The MFA/MA in Art & Ecology has established working partnerships with the following community based organisations:

Burren Beo, who host lectures and lead fieldtrips on Place Based Learning and Farming for Nature. Students also participate in the annual Learning Landscapes symposium.

Burren GeoPark, who present lectures and lead fieldtrips focused on Burren geology and the stewardship of this protected landscape.

Course Structure

MFA / MA Art & Ecology
Year 1, Semester 1
Studio Research 1 : Research Methods, Materiality and the Land, 15 ECTS
Theory and Art & Ecology 1 : Land-based Art, 5 ECTS
Environmental Studies 1 : Introduction to Ecosystem Science, 5 ECTS
Professional Studies 1 : Introduction to Professionalism, 5ECTS

Year 1, Semester 2
Studio Research 2 : Refinement/Coherence of Enquiry & Practice,15 ECTS
Theory and Art & Ecology 2 : Visualising Research, 5 ECTS
Environmental Studies 2 : Ecology & Sustainability in the Burren, 5 ECTS
Professional Studies 2 : Student Selected Project, 5 ECTS

TOTAL FOR PGDIP IN ART & ECOLOGY : 60 ECTS

Year 1, Semester 3, Summer Term, For MA in Art & Ecology only
Studio Research Project : The MA Exhibition, 30 ECTS
A studio-based, independent studies module for students seeking to graduate with the award of MA in Art & Ecology.  Students develop a body of work for exhibition supported by a written Artist’s Statement.

TOTAL FOR MA IN ART & ECOLOGY : 90 ECTS

Year 2, Semester 3
Studio Research 3 : Engaging Place, 20 ECTS
Theory and Art & Ecology 3 : The Dissertation  5 ECTS
Professional Studies 3 : Organising and Publicising an Exhibition, 5 ECTS

Year 2, Semester 4
Studio Research 4 : The MFA Exhibition, 20 ECTS
Theory and Art & Ecology 4 : The Position Statement 5 ECTS
Professional Studies 4 : Exhibition Installation, 5 ECTS

TOTAL FOR MFA IN ART & ECOLOGY : 120 ECTS

Through our relationship with University of Galway, our postgraduate students will register both with the University and at Burren College of Art.  Final transcripts and the certificate of completion (diploma) will be issued by University of Galway.  

These courses meet international standards with regard to coursework requirements, content hours, and faculty standards necessary to achieve the MFA/MA in Art & Ecology. The MFA/MA/PGDip is accredited by University of Galway and is recognized as a Level 9 Master degree, Level 7 Major, by the Irish Register of Qualifications (QQI) HERE, HERE and HERE.

On completion of the MFA or MA, students are eligible to apply to progress on to the PhD in Studio Art with supervisor/faculty approval. Completion of the PGDip may allow students to progress on to complete the MFA or MA.

Career Paths:

• College-level teaching positions
• Curatorial or administrative roles in galleries or museums
• Career as a professional artist
• Collaborating with science-based organizations
• Progression to practice-based MPhil or PhD

While the emphasis in our teaching methods is not industry-focused, students are given the skills to prepare their portfolios and profiles to exhibit as professional artists.

Our Professional Practices modules also prepare students for curating and installing exhibitions, either collaboratively or as solo artists.  Students also learn promotional and marketing tools, as well as how to create a budget for exhibiting their work.

Graduates have gone on to further research at PhD level and have acquired positions as lecturers and researchers in third level institutions. Graduates have also founded their own arts organizations and DIY gallery exhibitions.  Many are working as professional artists who regularly exhibit their work internationally.