MA in Critical and Curatorial Studies of Contemporary Art

The MA in Critical and Curatorial Studies of Contemporary Art (CCSCA) is a two-year, international graduate program that offers a practice-oriented and research-inspired approach to the study of contemporary art and curating, with a focus on Taiwan and the Asia Pacific region. The call for applications for fall 2024 is open from February 1 until April 30, 2024.

Located in the heart of Taipei—one of Asia’s most vibrant and diverse artistic and cultural hub—CCSCA is well placed to facilitate the study of art and curating in East and Southeast Asia as well as the Pacific region. Through a practice-based approach to learning and teaching, CCSCA offers professional training that combines critical thinking, research and art writing skills with scholarly and practical knowledge of art and exhibition-making.

The key teaching areas of CCSCA—art history, art criticism, curatorial studies, museum studies and creative industries—are designed to provide students with an understanding of key issues that shape how art is practised and presented, the diverse histories of art in the region, different genres of art writing, and the history and practice of exhibitions and curating. In addition to core and elective courses, students can choose to complete a research dissertation or curate an exhibition as their capstone project. Along with on-campus seminars and lectures, the program is organized through workshops, internships, extensive industry engagements and international partnerships as well as local and overseas study trips.

CCSCA also offers students the opportunity to meet and engage with visiting scholars, art practitioners and industry experts who are regularly invited to deliver guest lectures in the program. In 2023, guest speakers hosted by CCSCA included Yu Jin Seng (Deputy Director, National Gallery Singapore) and Robin Peckham (co-director of Taipei Dangdai). In 2022, CCSCA partnered with Monash University Art Design & Architecture (MADA) in Melbourne to jointly host the international symposium Shifting Grounds, New Horizons: Thinking and doing contemporary Southeast Asian art now, which featured presentations by leading thinkers and practitioners  in the field of contemporary Southeast Asian art including ruangrupa (artistic director of Documenta 15, 2022), Patrick Flores (artistic director of Singapore Biennale 2019), David Teh (co-curator of Istanbul Biennale 2022) and Apinan Poshyananda (artistic director of Bangkok Art Biennale 2022).

CCSCA’s program is delivered in partnership with our on-campus university museum MoNTUE and the Digital Art Center, Taipei where exhibitions curated by CCSCA students are staged. The program also provides students with a platform to develop various styles and genres of art writing and criticism through its journal—Southerly—which features essays, reviews, interviews and experimental forms of art writing by CCSCA students, as well as critics, curators and scholars in the region.

The program’s distinctive practice-oriented and research-inspired approach to learning and teaching ensures that upon completion, students are well-equipped with transferable scholarly and professional skills and knowledge to embark on future careers as exhibition organizers, curators, arts administrators, art educators, writers and researchers in museums, galleries and other art and creative sectors around the world.

Language of instruction: English.

Program highlights:
–Affordable tuition fee (approx 3500 USD per year)
​–Focus on contemporary art and curating in the Asia Pacific region
​–Integration of scholarly research with professional training and practice
​–Local field excursions and overseas study trips
​–Internship opportunities
​–Scholarship offer
–Chinese language training program on campus

Applicants are required to submit the following:
–A copy of your university / college degree and academic transcript
–A statement of your motivation and research interests (no more than two A4 pages)
–Study plan
–Other documents (reference letter, portfolio) that support your application  
–English proficiency test score (applicable to students whose first language is not English)

Full program details are available in the CCSCA website and you can follow program updates and activities on facebook and Instagram. Those who are interested in applying are encouraged to submit an online application by April 30, 2024. For enquiries, please contact our Program Assistant via email at ccsca [​at​] mail.ntue.edu.tw.

*Images above: [1–3] Study trip to the Thailand Biennale, Chiang Rai, 2023. Courtesy of CCSCA.