study programme

Fine Arts

Original title in Czech: Volné uměníFaculty: FFAAbbreviation: VUM_MAcad. year: 2024/2025

Type of study programme: Master's

Study programme code: N0213A310018

Degree awarded: MgA.

Language of instruction: Czech

Accreditation: 26.9.2023 - 26.9.2033

Profile of the programme

Academically oriented

Mode of study

Full-time study

Standard study length

2 years

Programme supervisor

Degree Programme Board

Fields of education

Area Topic Share [%]
Art Free Art 100

Study aims

The study programme Fine Art as an academic follow-up Master's programme in the field of education Arts is aimed mainly at graduates of Bachelor's degree programmes of the same or similar focus, but is also open to applicants with a Master's or PhD degree. The aim of the study programme is to produce graduates who not only exhibit professional mastery of a wide range of skills and knowledge in the field of contemporary visual arts, but also are able to apply and develop them in a unique way. Graduates are equipped with strong reflexivity and critical thinking, they are able to search for new topics, problems or opportunities and find unusual expressive means of grasping them. The content of the study is adapted to the main goal, which is the education of complex creative personalities capable of asserting themselves in the field of professional art as well as in related fields, or continuing successfully in the doctoral level of study.

Graduate profile

The follow-up Master's degree programme in Fine Art is designed to create conditions for the systematic development of independent creative personalities in the field of visual arts and related cultural fields. The curriculum emphasises both the strengthening of creative competences acquired in previous studies in identical or related fields and the ability to critically reflect and evaluate one's own work and the work of others using the conceptual apparatus of contemporary art theory grounded in the broader interdisciplinary field of current thinking.
The curriculum allows students to work systematically on their own thesis project with the input of a range of consultants representing different approaches in art practice and theory. As they move through differently profiled studios, students not only deepen their knowledge and practical skills, but also develop different working approaches that reflect current artistic practice. During their studies, students*on the MA in Fine Art are encouraged*to take advantage of opportunities for collaboration and to work in an interdisciplinary way. Graduates have the necessary competences for independent artistic creation and for employment in creative teams and interdisciplinary collectives. The programme's emphasis on research based in or serving the needs of creative practice opens up the space for interdisciplinary collaborations at the intersection of art and science and makes graduate students promising aspirants for doctoral studies in the arts and related fields.

Subject specific knowledge:
- The graduate has an overview of current local and international art practice, is familiar with its working tools and discourses and is able to apply them within their own creative process;
- Has a comprehensive knowledge of contemporary art issues, art theory and history, has an overview of broader cultural history and topics of current public debate; is able to apply this knowledge in their own creative process, reflection and presentation;
- Is oriented in the field of research through art and is able to articulate their own creative research intentions;
- Has knowledge of selected disciplines in the natural sciences and humanities relevant to the individual focus of their creative practice and is able to use knowledge from these disciplines to achieve a creative intention;
- Knows the criteria that establish excellence in contemporary art and can relate to them in their creative practice;
- Is familiar with the range of contemporary technologies available for artistic work and the possibilities for disseminating their results.

Subject specific skills:
- The graduate is able to independently manage the creative process, from the stage of inspiration and articulation of the theme, through conceptualization and choice of expressive means, to the realization of the final work;
- Is able to find appropriate formal and technological solutions for creative intentions and navigates the supply of professional services in the case of solutions whose complexity or time demands exceed the possibilities of individual work;
- Is able to use the acquired knowledge and critical apparatus of contemporary art to achieve set goals;
- Can subject their creative work and the work of others to critical analysis in terms of its results, the processes by which it is carried out and its thought base;
- Can undertake research based on or serving the needs of creative practice; can communicate their research in the form of a professional output.

Transferable skills:
- The graduate is able to present their creative work at a professional level (in exhibitions, competitions or public presentations, for grant applications);
- Is able to have informed discussions about their own work, as well as contemporary cultural production and their wider social contexts;
- Is able to work in a team, and is prepared to take on a variety of roles within teamwork;
- Is able to defend their work as socially relevant;
- Is ready and willing to continue to learn and expand their knowledge and competences;
- Flexibly and confidently applies acquired competencies in a wide range of fields – from related to more distant.

Profession characteristics

In terms of career prospects, graduates of the Fine Art programme are prepared for the "freelance" career as an artist. A good orientation in the field of contemporary art history and theory, together with a high level of written expression, also predisposes graduates for employment in important non-artistic positions in the institutions of contemporary art (curating, art criticism, managing exhibition institutions, organizing exhibitions and festivals, realizing gallery installations and architecture). Graduates are also well-prepared for academic careers in art and its theory (teaching positions in art colleges associated with teaching studio practice, workshop and theoretical courses, publishing and lecturing focused on the visual arts). They may also find employment in other teaching professions (art teaching, gallery pedagogy), in art therapy or in art consultancy and business. With their knowledge and skills, they are ready to apply themselves in a wide range of creative industries, not only as independent entrepreneurs, but also as members of creative teams and broader work collectives (e.g. in the fields of film or television production, advertising, exhibition, cultivation of public space).

Fulfilment criteria

The general conditions for successful completion of studies are set out in the Study and Examination Regulations of the BUT. For successful completion of studies in the programme, 120 credits must be obtained, including at least 60 credits for compulsory courses and at least 14 credits for compulsory elective courses. The study programme is completed by the State Final Examination consisting of two separately assessed parts – the defence of the Master's Theoretical Thesis and Presentation and the defence of the Diploma Thesis – usually an artwork or other type of output in the field of visual arts (exhibition, publication, etc.). Both parts of the State Final Examination are the culmination of the Master's project, on the basis of which students are admitted and the form of which is gradually refined during the course of study. The Master's theoretical thesis is a textual output of 15–20 standard pages, which can be genred as an academic essay as well as a theoretical text of a free and experimental character. This text demonstrates the graduate student’s ability to find an appropriate verbal expression of their own creative intent, to conduct adequate research, and to develop it into a comprehensible, persuasive, and consistent literary form. The thesis is a practical original project in the field of art and demonstrates the capacity for independent creative activity at a level that can be appreciated as a new and novel contribution to the field of contemporary art.

Study plan creation

Study at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the BUT is governed by the Study and Examination Regulations of the BUT and the BUT Information System is used for its registration. The creation of study plans is governed by the internal regulations of the University - the Regulations of Study Programmes of the BUT.
The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is used at Brno University of Technology. The standard study period in the study programme Fine Arts is 2 years and is determined with regard to the expected study load, the content and aim of the study and the profile of the graduate. This is also reflected in the credit evaluation of the courses determined in accordance with the ECTS. The curriculum is spread over 4 semesters in 2 academic years. The total number of credits for successful completion of the Master's degree is 120 ECTS credits. The recommended annual study plan is set at 60 credits, however, 50 credits are sufficient for advancement to the next year. The duration of the class is 50 minutes.
The courses in the curriculum are divided into compulsory, compulsory elective and elective courses. The total number of credits for compulsory subjects is 92. Two groups of compulsory elective courses (PVP type B) taught in English are included in the first two semesters of the study. There is a requirement to obtain at least 3 credits in each of these groups, which corresponds to the obligation to take at least two courses taught in English in the NMSP Liberal Arts. The curriculum includes a varied range of elective courses, with the help of which learners can profile their studies more specifically.

Availability for the disabled

The Faculty of Fine Arts makes effort to integrate disabled students. In cooperation with the Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI), the faculty provides support to students with special educational needs. Special educational needs mean special needs on the grounds of: Specific learning disorders (dyslexia, dysgraphia, dysorthography, etc.); Disability (visual, hearing, or locomotive impairment); Autism spectrum disorders (eg. Asperger syndrome); Mental disease; Long-term somatic disease. Support in studies means adapting the study conditions by the FFA and/or making the support services of the Institute of Lifelong Learning available for students. Information on the support services provided by the LLI is available on the website of the Alfons Counselling Centre.  Barrier-free access is not possible at the Faculty of Fine Arts right now.

https://www.favu.vut.cz/en/international/special-needs

What degree programme types may have preceded

The study program is a follow up of the Fine Arts study program accredited at the FFA BUT. The graduates may continue in a doctoral study programme Fine Arts accredited at the FFA BUT or at the other Czech universities (e.g. AVU Prague, UMPRUM Prague, FUD UJEP Ústí nad Labem) or abroad.

Specialization