Visual Cultures and Art History

The goal of this tuition fee-paid programme is to create a place of excellent training in the field of visual cultures and art history. The main ambition of the programme is: 1) to develop indepth knowledge of visual cultures from the Middle Ages to the present day, with a particular focus on the role of visual media in constructing and shaping societies and cultures; 2) to promote skills in collective work, independent academic research, critical thinking and cultural mediation in both academic and non-academic institutions (i.e., museums, galleries, research institutes, editing houses); 3) to promote a interdisciplinary approach to visual, and material cultures and art history; 4) to create an international network of institutions involved in training Master students.

“Art history for the visual present”

Practical training

Special focus on practical know-how, both academic and non-academic, will be an integrative part of the master’s programme. As part of their curriculum, students will be doing a – a semester long – mandatory traineeship in a cultural or scholarly institution. These can be ranging from outstanding museal poles (with all possible jobs related), international research institutes, cultural foundations, or editing houses. As such, the practical training will be related deeply to the type of institution chosen for the internship, proposing a broad range of possibilities. Furthermore, during the collective work on a research project, part of the curriculum, students will be introduced to the practical aspects of scholarly work, going through all the steps of the intellectual elaboration throughout the publication of an original scientific project.

Further information

https://www.phil.muni.cz/en/studies/study-programmes-in-english

• Cultural management and monument care
• Art consulting
• Tourism
• Journalism (press and publishing, radio, television, online services)
• Pedagogy (high schools, teaching to adults, university) and mediation of art
• Cultural Mediation

Only applicants holding a Bachelor´s diploma in arts history or related fields can be admitted to this Master's study programme after passing the entrance examination

Detailed info can be found here.

Criteria for evaluation

1st Round – Document Evaluation (max. 50 points, min. 25 to pass to the next round)

• Motivation letter – max. 10 points
• Completed courses – max. 25 points
• Bachelor’s thesis (or another academic text) – max. 15 points

2nd Round – Interview (max. 50 points, min. 25 to pass the exam)

• Knowledge of the history of visual culture from the Middle Ages to the present – max. 15 points
• Familiarity with research conducted at the Department of Art History – max. 15 points
• An idea of the applicant’s own research focus and direction, possibly including a concept for the master’s thesis – max. 20 points

How the interview is conducted and what will be assessed:

In the first part of the interview, the candidate briefly introduces themselves, describes their experience with the field, and outlines their areas of interest. This is followed by a discussion during which the committee verifies the candidate’s knowledge in the following areas:

1. The field of the history of visual culture
2. Research topics addressed at the Department of Art History
3. The area the candidate wishes to focus on in their own research (including the master’s thesis)

Students trained within the master’s programme will present a highly competitive profile for applying to a Ph.D. programme at a Czech university, abroad, or in co-tutoring between a Czech and foreign university. The training in intellectual independency, know-how of visual cultures, but also their practical knowledge and the multidisciplinary approach promoted by the programme will allow the conception of an enticing Ph.D. project, already suited for international competitive contexts. The preparation, as part of the programme, of a publishable scholarly article as well as the first connexions established with a professional international network will enhance the possibilities of future Ph.D. candidates. Students trained in this master’s programme are also ideal candidates for further studies in the adjacent fields of the milieus related to visual studies, media, art history, and mediation of culture.