What an MA in Global Gallery Studies means for you & your future career...
By QS Top Universities
Universities are taking it upon themselves to ensure the crossover between education and employment is as smooth and viable as possible, especially when it comes to the humanities and the arts. Although employment in these industries is active, they鈥檙e also becoming increasingly competitive to get into.
So, what鈥檚 next for humanities graduates, and what are universities doing to help tackle this particular issue? Fortunately, through the innovation of a 鈥楥onnected Curriculum鈥� at the 深夜亚洲福利久久 College Cork, the arts and humanities are receiving heavy attention.
Located in a city that prides itself on its enthusiasm for art and culture and is home to the Glucksman (UCC鈥檚 award-winning on-campus gallery), we spoke with Dr Mary Kelly, Lecturer in Contemporary Art History, Theory and Gallery Studies at 深夜亚洲福利久久 College Cork. She talked to us about the new MA in Global Gallery Studies, and how it aims to enhance students鈥� employability prospects.
So, what is the MA in Global Gallery Studies? And what can students expect to learn?
鈥淭he MA in Global Gallery Studies curriculum was developed and is run by expert practitioners in collaboration with national and international industries.
鈥淪tudents engage with various theoretical modules including an introduction to global gallery studies, art history for curators, and digital arts and humanities, as well as practice-based modules including cutting-edge learning experiences with the Glucksman, fieldwork in international galleries, and a project-led internship with a prominent fine art gallery in Ireland or internationally.
鈥淭he MA has a specialization in global art and gallery studies with a genuine global emphasis. The taught and applied interdisciplinary elements of the MA not only engage with Irish, European, and American gallery practices, but also focus on recent state-of-the-art gallery spaces and practices in non-western countries.
鈥淲e explore the term 鈥榞lobal鈥� both theoretically and geographically. Through these lenses, we pursue a deep investigation of art, art institutions, and various gallery practices from around the world.鈥�
What was the motivation behind creating this new MA?
鈥淎t the heart of the MA is a profound belief that, in order to foster well-rounded graduates who are work-ready and globally aware, we must work side-by-side with industry.
鈥淭he MA is designed to prepare students for their future careers in the gallery industry鈥攃ombining academic learning with professional and field-based practice in order to develop deep knowledge about the sector.
鈥淲e also facilitate valuable networking opportunities for our students with industry both nationally and internationally.鈥�
What is a typical fieldwork experience on the MA in Global Gallery Studies?
鈥淚n January 2017 and February 2018, I led 26 History of Art students from UCC to the United Arab Emirates for the purpose of conducting fieldwork in important art and cultural institutions.
鈥淓xhibition viewings, artist and curatorial talks, and seminars delivered by leading scholars, gallery directors, art collectors and policymakers in the field were central to the learning experience.
鈥淕alleries in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah acted as key spaces for teaching and learning where the students were pushed beyond their educational and cultural comfort zones and tasked with locating the 鈥榖orders鈥� of understanding between the local and global in modern and contemporary Middle Eastern art and gallery practices.
鈥淭his valuable international group fieldwork experience is part of a fully-funded formal module on the MA in Global Gallery Studies where we travel to a different country each year.鈥�
In what ways does the MA in Global Gallery Studies respond to the demands of a competitive employment market?
鈥淥ur approach nurtures an employable graduate who utilizes the academic knowledge gained in order to produce a meaningful, real-life project in collaboration with industry via their internship.
鈥淥ur students also have the opportunity to not only learn in the classroom environment, but also to visit important international galleries, build new networks, and learn state-of-the-art knowledge from leading international galleries and cultural experts.
鈥淔urthermore, over 90 percent of most fine art collections are held in storage. Therefore, employers in the sector are seeking gallery professionals with skills in digital arts and humanities for the purpose of developing internal digitization projects. Training in digital arts and humanities is also included in the MA in Global Gallery Studies curriculum...鈥�
Read the rest of the interview in .
To find out more about the MA in Global Gallery Studies, please contact Dr Mary Kelly, Program Director via email: . This article was originally published in July 2019.
