MA Fine Art Digital

Explore what it means to be an artist today, from anywhere in the world. Whatever your art specialism, this online learning space allows you to question fine art practice in a digital context. Established in 2004, this course has extensive experience in delivering online teaching.

“You would think it would be difficult to learn in a course via correspondence and a weekly chat with your fellow classmates and professor, but this course makes it work so well. Each group session leaves you with more knowledge, thoughts and opportunities to keep learning and creating and working on your practice.” MA Fine Art Digital alum

MA Fine Art Digital at Central Saint Martins supports a broad range of experimental art practices. It will test and challenge your work, bringing it into a contemporary critical context. Our research-based teaching strategies actively seek to extend your experience and skills. We work responsively to your changing needs as individuals. We also encourage collaborative projects in relation to your work.

Students on MA Fine Art Digital work in many media—including painting, sculpture, print, installation, time-based and digital. The course offers an environment where complex social, cultural and artistic viewpoints are negotiated. Here, art-making is a testing ground for ideas and media. Artists who study with us are open to change—not just in expanding their practices—but also in creating new positions. Our focus is on student- centred learning, bringing your work to the critical scrutiny of the academic setting. Through these interactions, you will develop your individual research into a confident, sustained practice.

We place emphasis on creating a supportive but challenging space for investigating your creative practice. Since 2004, the online environment for learning has proved to be highly effective, which in the new context of Central Saint Martins, will continue to expand and develop. MA Fine Art Digital has a track record of innovative teaching and its flexible structure is designed for widely accessible learning, allowing students to engage from incredibly diverse settings. This offers students the enriching experience of collectively exploring what art is in a digital environment. Whatever media you are investigating, the opportunities afforded by the online space are broad and exciting.

On this course, diverse approaches to creative practice are supported by strong critical engagement with contemporary technologies of making and dissemination. Weekly group sessions act as forums for cross-course and trans-disciplinary exchange and collaboration. An intensive programme of study will develop your skills and knowledge of research methods in art-related fields. Your learning will extend across our postgraduate Art programme, offering input from the College’s research community. On the course, we aim to provide you with a range of opportunities and learning experiences, giving you a broad skill set to go out into professional life.

We recommend you apply as soon as possible before this date, for equal consideration. We may still be able to accept applications after this date, depending on availability.

Start date
September 2021

Mode of study 
MA Fine Art Digital is offered online in extended full-time mode which runs for 60 weeks over two academic years. You will be expected to commit 30 hours per week to study, which includes teaching time and independent study. 

The course has been designed in this way to enable you to pursue studies, while also undertaking part-time employment, internships or care responsibilities. 

The online mode works successfully across the world’s time zones by carefully timing synchronous weekly group sessions in the afternoon UK time. The allows North and South American students to connect in the morning, European, African and Middle Eastern students through the afternoon and Central to East Asia in early to late evenings. Other activities are asynchronous and can fit around your own commitments.

Students will need an internet connection and computer or mobile device to engage with online learning. Working from their own homes or studios, students will be able to access all synchronous and asynchronous materials online. We emphasise options that are as open and cross platform as possible, using both the University’s virtual learning environment and supporting students in building their own, personal learning environments.

The image used in this announcement is by 2020 graduate Axash Zhang. You can find out more about their work and explore work from the rest of the graduating class online as part of the UAL 2020 Graduate Showcase.