Master of Arts in Fine Arts

Purpose

The purpose of this qualification is to produce a qualified learner who is professionally and academically qualified to a higher level of competence in the field of visual culture.

The qualification provide qualifiers with postgraduate-level knowledge, specific skills and applied competence applicable to a variety of specialist and interrelated fields in the Fine Arts that provide opportunities for continued personal intellectual growth, gainful economic activity and rewarding contributions to society. The qualification represents planned learning outcomes, namely that the learner will be qualified to render holistic, integrated and intersectoral services, reflecting diversity, accessibility, and equal distribution of resources for all South Africans.

The outcomes are designed to promote lifelong learning. The qualification provides South Africa with significant numbers of postgraduates in Fine Arts in order to ensure that the local leadership base of innovative and knowledge based economic and scholarly activity is widened. This should contribute toward a cadre of advanced analysts, researchers, facilitators, developers, policy makers and experts in the field of fine arts who will have a clear and continuously growing understanding of the methods, procedures, strategies and progress of Fine arts, and people who will be able to contribute towards extenuation of their field of interest.

Rationale

The Master of Arts in Fine Arts is a qualification that provides advanced studies in Fine Arts / visual arts studies through the development of an independent visual arts practice, the established of the individual's research topic in visual culture theories and theorisations and critical thinking around historical and contemporary creative industries and the making of artwork. The candidate develops an independent practice (in any media of their choice) and dissertation, with each counting for 50% of their degree, but which is assessed in a wholistic manner with regards to creative expression in the field of fine art/visual art/art theory and the creative fields more generally

The qualification produces students that are independent critical thinkers and practitioners, as well as having advanced skills in cultural research and professional practice related to the historical and contemporary fields of fine arts / visual arts / creative work but also capable of engaging visual culture more broadly in South Africa, the global south and internationally.

The degree insists on innovative praxis and the contribution of new knowledge that contributes to society is encouraged. The degree enables students to write, research and make work across a range of creative fields, with a particular emphasis on practitioners of fine art/ visual arts, but also as research/academic scholars, writers, historians, curators and cultural workers. As such as Master of Arts in Fine Arts student participate in various ways to the creative economies and may proceed to Doctoral studies.

Recognition of Prior Learning

The institution has an approved Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy which is applicable with regards to equivalent qualifications for admission into the qualification. RPL will be applied to accommodate applicants who qualify. RPL thus provides alternative access and admission to qualifications, as well as advancement within qualifications. RPL may be applied for access, credits from modules and credits for or towards the qualification.

RPL for access

• Learners who do not meet the minimum entrance requirements or the required qualification that is at the same NQF level as the qualification required for admission may be considered for admission through RPL.
• To be considered for admission in the qualification based on RPL, applicants should provide evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates that they have acquired the relevant knowledge, skills, and competencies through formal, non-formal and/or informal learning to cope with the qualification expectations should they be allowed entrance into the qualification.

RPL for exemption of modules

• Learners may apply for RPL to be exempted for modules that form part of the qualification. For a learner to be exempted from a module, the learner needs to provide sufficient evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates that competency was achieved for the learning outcomes that are equivalent to the learning outcomes of the module.

RPL for credit

• Learners may also apply for RPL for credit for or towards the qualification, in which they must provide evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates prior learning through formal, non-formal and/or informal learning to obtain credits towards the qualification.
• Credit shall be appropriate to the context in which it is awarded and accepted.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Bachelor of Arts Honours in Fine Art, NQF Level 8.

Or

• Postgraduate Diploma in Fine Art, NQF Level 8.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at National Qualifications Framework Level 9 totalling 180 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 9 180 Credits

• Dissertation, 180 Credits.

1. Use the full range of terminology and key concepts in South African and international literature and professional art practice.
2. Communicate using a sophisticated understanding of generic, academic, oral, written and graphic conventions for discipline- and media-specific content.
3. Analyse and evaluate the modes of professional art practice and cultural content of the discipline.
4. Demonstrate and apply sophisticated research methods and their applications.
5. Demonstrate the importance of individual responsibility and creative independence in generating research projects.
6. Show understanding of individual and social dynamics.
7. Work independently in a complex environment.
8. Demonstrate understanding and use the concepts, methods, theories, analytical and creative processes currently and potentially significant in the discipline.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 1

• Develop a sophisticated selection of search strategies for appropriate databases and information resources.
• Find information and current forms of professional art practice in order to articulate own position within current debates and practices.
• Demonstrate sophisticated critical evaluation of different kinds of data and texts, specifically in visual culture.
• Process and present extensive, in-depth range of texts, data, images and artistic practices.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 2

• Use or develop appropriate written and visual conventions to sustain a clear coherent argument and presentation of creative work in the dissertation and practical work (or equivalent).
• Present effectively in oral and visual form, ideas, theories, and discipline-specific information.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 3

• Develop and critically examine innovative approaches in the scholarly and professional field.
• Integrate information, creative practices, theory and context to produce relevant visual culture.
• Critically evaluate limitations and strengths of different theoretical models and professional art practices and suggest alternatives.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 4

• Apply sophisticated scholarly and creative methods and approaches.
• Evaluate the outcome of the creative research process.
• Produce a written dissertation and body of creative work in a satisfactory way.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 5

• Become a mentor/tutor/role model in imparting skills and knowledge to others.
• Establish time management and productive creative habits.
• Show confidence in balancing and managing a range of creative and intellectual life-tasks.
• Be a resourceful learner and a creative producer of culture.
• Be confident in initiating and conducting research and creative work and have an intrinsic motivation to follow through on all aspects of an intellectual and creative project.
• Demonstrate a developed critical and creative approach to handling and integrating feedback from peers/supervisors.
• Make informed choices about task completion, setting deadlines and maintaining relationships with colleagues, supervisors and the institution.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 6

• Assess the effectiveness of individual and group processes and act on this new knowledge appropriately.
• Work through challenges creatively and solve problems effectively.
• Demonstrate initiative and leadership where appropriate.
• Work creatively and productively with diversity within a dynamic situation using all the aforementioned skills.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 7

• Understand the world as a dynamic set of interrelated systems and to be able to act creatively on this understanding.
• Create relationships between own discipline and others.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 8

• Apply practices, concepts, methods, theories, analytical and creative processes to new information and situations.
• Apply disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge (where appropriate) and creative experience to self-motivated enquiry.
• Demonstrate the connections and conflicts between scholars and cultural practitioners in the field.

INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT

A battery of assessment instruments, including a dissertation, seminar presentations, written assignments and an exhibition of independent work. A research project, seminar presentations, written assignments and one of the following an exhibition of independent work, a curated exhibition or a commissioned work.

In order to promote, monitor and measure student learning throughout a course, no single assessment may count for more than 40% of the final mark unless there are special circumstances, in which case the permission of the Dean is required.