Course details
The Higher Diploma in Fine Art is the equivalent to the Post Baccalaureate in the United States, and is known informally as the 'Post Bac'. This course assists you to find your voice as an artist and prepares you for application to and potential enrolllment in an MA / MFA programme. The Post Bac is also applicable for students who have a degree in a subject other than fine art and who wish to transfer onto a fine art educational track by progressing to an MA / MFA programme.
As a student who is in the process of finding your artistic identity, the Post Bac facilitates the development of your voice and studio practice through individually negotiated independent study. As a Post-Bac student you will produce a final exhibition, the quality of which will demonstrate your understanding of fine art practice at the graduate level. You will develop and deepend your understanding of the critical discourse informing contemporary art and be prepared for the next stage of your artistic development.
Programme Description
Studio Practice and Critique is at the core of the programme, taking the form of negotiated projects for independent study that also involve portfolio preparation and career planning.
Studio courses provide teaching in a choice of disciplines where you work alongside undergraduate students.
Historical and Critical Studies examines key concepts in modern and contemporary art to assist you to contextualise your emerging art practice.
The Burren : Culture & Environment introduces you to a wide range of environmental and cultural studies in the west of Ireland, ranging from natural history and geology through archaeology to modern history (one semester only).
You will also visit galleries and museums in Dublin with optional visits to London and Berlin.
Course Structure
Semester 1
- Studio Practice and Critique 1 :(Independent Study) 20 ECTS
- Studio Practice and Critique 2 : (Taught), 5 ECTS
- Historical and Critical Studies 1 : Introduction, 5 ECTS
Semester 2
- Studio Practice and Critique 3 :(Independent Study) 20 ECTS
- Studio Practice and Critique 4 :(Taught) 5 ECTS
- Studio Practice and Critique 5 :(Taught) 5 ECTS - optional
- The Burren : Culture and Environment, 5 ECTS - optional
TOTAL FOR POST BACCALAUREATE : 60 ECTS
English-Language Module
From 2013 the Post Baccalaureate Programme at Burren College of Art will offer students an optional English Language Module for speakers of English as a second language.
The aim of this module is to provide students with the essential English language skills for academic work at Master’s level. Students will gain the language competence in academic English to write up projects and a final thesis to the required standard.
Admissions
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. The application deadline is 1st February annually, although late applications may be accepted if all places have not been filled. All eligible applicants are interviewed either in person or by telephone.
Applicants should have a Bachelors Degree with first or upper second class honours in Fine Art; or a GPA or 3.50 or above; or evidence of equivalent achievement. In the case of an outstanding portfolio, a Bachelors Degree with a lower second class/2.2 honours/GPA of 3.0 may be accepted. A major in Fine Art is not a requirement.
Updated on 08 November, 2015Course Location
About Burren College of Art
To be a hothouse for artists, led by artists – reflective and challenging; remote and connected; at the confluence of cultures.
- Respect for the inpidual;
- Commitment to excellence;
- Support for students and colleagues;
- Community spirit.
Providing Time, Space and Inspiration for artists in the unique Burren landscape was the founding principle of the We_They. Liberation from rigid programming and opportunity for intense focus has helped the many artists who have studied at the college to find their artistic voice.
While reflection and introspection are essential to the creative process, the contemporary artist's unique insight is relelvant only when it connects with and engages the wider world. The Burren, a microcosm of society, provides a rich context from which to connect with wider issues.
Creativity is the source of the We_They. Establishing the college was the innovative response of a highly creative inpidual. To date, the core of the Burren experience has been the education of artists, with ecology, law, archaeology, business, leadership and other subjects as background elements. Our new vision unites these disciplines and aims to connect creativity to all academic disciplines through our centre for creative learning.
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