Given my academic background in Arts and interest in pursuing a Master's in the UK or Ireland, which specialized MA courses would best align with my career goals of becoming an artist, curator, or working in the cultural sector?

Do not judge these courses by title alone. The real split is between programmes that are studio and practice based, ones built around curating and exhibition making, and ones oriented toward the business and policy side of arts organisations, and each leads to a noticeably different first job.

If You Are Still Choosing Between Artist and Curator

UAL's MA Culture, Criticism and Curation works on live curatorial projects with cultural organisations and combines cultural history with practical research, writing and production, so it does not force you to commit to one identity before you start.

If Museums and Collections Are the Goal

• UAL MA Curating and Collections: exhibition design, collection management, artist liaison and budgeting.
• Leeds MA Art Gallery and Museum Studies: curatorship, museology and how artworks are represented and interpreted.

If You Want the Cultural Sector More Broadly

UCD's MA Cultural Policy and Arts Management in Dublin combines cultural policy analysis with management, marketing, law and finance, and offers a placement, making it a stronger fit than a fine art masters if you see yourself running or advising cultural organisations rather than producing work yourself.

My Advice

Check delivery mode before anything else. Some low residency arts courses do not qualify for the UK's Student Route visa, so confirm a programme's visa eligibility and whether it is studio based, practice led or mainly academic before comparing portfolios, tuition or rankings.

This Information Is Also Available On

University of the Arts London's own MA Culture, Criticism and Curation and MA Curating and Collections programme pages.