CALL FOR APPLICATIONS:
MASTER OF ARTS IN CONTEMPORARY ART,
DESIGN AND NEW MEDIA ART HISTORIES
OCAD University is pleased to announce the expansion of its Master's program in Contemporary Art History to now include New Media Art History and Design History. Housed in one innovative program – the MA in Contemporary Art, Design and New Media Art Histories – these three fields prepare students to investigate the full 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, design and new media practices.
This MA program offers three fields of specialization:
– Contemporary Art History
– Design History
– New Media Art History
With an extensive core faculty, the program offers students an impressive array of perspectives with which to explore the ever-shifting worlds of contemporary art, design and new media art. The moderate size of the program (16-20 students per year) ensures that each student receives personalized attention.
"It takes a resourceful faculty to address the pluralism that now defines contemporary art, design and new media art. Both in the classroom and in their professional practice, OCADU's faculty work across media, incorporate multiple cultural and theoretical frameworks, and directly participate in a wide range of artworld roles – thus offering students myriad ways to develop their own individual research."
– Jim Drobnick, Graduate Program Director
The MA in Contemporary Art, Design and New Media Art Histories is a full-time, two-year program comprised of the following:
– Two core graduate courses
– Rotating graduate seminars in each specialization
– Electives
– Individual reading and research
– Writing workshop and an MRP or Thesis
Objectives:
– To cultivate original research into the analysis of contemporary art, design and new media
– To provide students with advanced writing and research skills
– To prepare students for employment by galleries, museums and other art institutions
– To prepare students for continuing research in PhD programs
Key Features:
– OCADU's Contemporary Art History specialization is one of only a few that concentrate solely upon contemporary artists and issues.
– OCADU is the first university in Ontario and second in Canada to offer a graduate-level degree in Design History.
– New Media Art History is a pioneering specialization since most programs focusing on new media are practice-based or housed in communications studies. OCADU's New Media Art History degree joins a select handful in the world examining technology-based work in an art historical context.
– OCADU’s studio programs provide an active hub of experimentation in all types of media and design. Students will be situated in a context of ongoing artistic activity, a vibrant research culture, and an expanding slate of graduate programs.
– OCADU is located in the heart of the Toronto artistic community and among a number of the Canada's leading cultural institutions in art, dance, theatre and music. These sites include significant collections, libraries and archives that provide students with living laboratories for research on all aspects of contemporary art, design and new media.
– A Presidential Scholarship as well as teaching assistantships, research assistantships and application support for OGS and SSHRC scholarships.
HOW TO APPLY
The application deadline for Fall 2011 is January 14, 2011. For complete details, visit http://www.ocad.ca/programs/graduate_studies/masters_contemporary_art_design_and_new_media_art_histories.htm.
Contact: Alice Brummell
Assistant, Graduate Studies
abrummell@ocad.ca
416-977-6000, Ext. 423
OCAD University
100 McCaul Street
Toronto, Canada M5T 1W1
www.ocad.ca
