Overview
In simple terms, the study of art history and visual culture can be described as a form of object-based or image-centred cultural history. The things we study as 'artworks' or 'visual objects' often refelct or shape the beliefs and values of the society who make, commisioned and used them.
Besides providing students wiht the historical and contextual knowledge to understand art and other forms of visual representations, the Master of Arts (Visual Arts) programme also develop their visual literacy and interpretive skill-set. Critical analysis is taught to shed light on the political, social, economic, religious contexts in which workds or art are made.
While our focus is on Malaysia and Southeast Asia, the perspective is nevertheless global in character. Moreover, the study of art and visual culture from a historical perspective engages with may other areas of study, inlcuding History, Religion, Literature, Politics, Geography, Anthropology, Architecture, Design, Philosophy, Performance, Film, Television, and Area/Cultural Studies.
Whether one is thinking of a career in the growing heritage, museum, gallery and culture industry, or imporving one's writing skills when engaging with visual forms/images, or simply pursuing a life-long dream of independent reseach and learning, our MA programme have a teaching staff covering a wide range of areas and interests, a small classroom environment centred on cohort-building, and a vision to foster independent and critical thinking through the study and reseach or art history and visual culture.
Our academic staff includes scholars with industry experience, networks, and interest in different areas of study, inlcuding:
Malaysian art, architecture, design and visual cultures- Malay World Islamic art, architecture, design and visual cultures from inter-cultural perspectives
- Southeast Asian art, architecture, design and visual cultures
- Pre-modern Asian art, architecture, design and visual cultures
- Modern and contemporary Asian art, design, architecture and visual cultures
- Theories and historiographies of art history
- TV, film and cinema studies
- Research by practice in the visual arts
- Curatorial, exhibition, and museum studies
- Critical heritage studies
- Art education
- Remediations and intersections of visual forms with literary, performative, theatrical, sonic/musical forms
- Cross-disciplinary study of cultural practices (politics, economy, anthropology/sociology, architecture/urban studies, pure and applied sciences, philosophy, religious studies, geography and digital humanities)
Career Opportunity
Depending on the research focus and interest of students, graduates in this programme can tailor their studies in the Visual Arts program of the University of Malaya with the advice of our teaching staff to explore building up necessary skills for future careers as art writer/critic/journalist, art teacher, cultural programmer, marketing executive, art manager, independent researcher, art historian, curator, copywriter, lecturer, conservator, gallerist, public relations executive, education officer, consultant, policy adviser, and many others.
We recognise that each profession requires very specific skill-sets and that jobs in the cultural sector are often competitive. With this in mind, we often advise our students based on understanding their career and learning goals. A paper qualification may open up new opportunities and career possibilities, but it is not a guarantee of a job. Often, students are advised to acquire additional skills through volunteership/internship, attending workshops/programmes/lectures/seminars outside of their course of study, learning new languages, and strategic networking.
Principally the value of our programme is in cultivating transferable skill-sets in critical thinking, imaginative problem-solving, and a life-long thirst in curiosity-driven learning that are the hallmarks of doing research in the arts and humanities.Programme Structure
Courses include:
- Research Methodology in Visual Arts
- Visual Arts Theory
- Malaysian Art
- Art and Architecture of Southeast Asia
- Southeast Asian Modern Art
- Islamic Art
Key information
Duration
- Full-time
- 24 months
Start dates & application deadlines
- Starting
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- Starting
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Language
Credits
Delivered
Disciplines
Visual Arts Film, Photography & Media Art History View 9 other Masters in Film, Photography & Media in MalaysiaAcademic requirements
English requirements
Other requirements
General requirements
- A Bachelor's Degree or its equivalent in the related field
- Preference will be given to applicants with a Bachelor's Degree with CGPA 3.0 and above or its equivalent.
- Applicants with a Bachelor’s Degree with CGPA 3.7 and above can apply directly for the PhD programme.
- English Language Proficiency
Tuition Fee
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International
4747 USD/yearTuition FeeBased on the tuition of 9495 USD for the full programme during 24 months. -
National
1662 USD/yearTuition FeeBased on the tuition of 3325 USD for the full programme during 24 months.
- (Local) RM 13,689
- (International) RM 39,090
Living costs for Kuala Lumpur
The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.
Funding
Studyportals Tip: Students can search online for independent or external scholarships that can help fund their studies. Check the scholarships to see whether you are eligible to apply. Many scholarships are either merit-based or needs-based.