The Arts MRes course offers you the opportunity to undertake a closely-supervised piece of original research within the broad spectrum of visual and material culture, including historical or theoretical studies in art, design, architecture, fashion, film, television, visual digital media or performance.

1. ARTS
AT NORTHUMBRIA

2. Welcome to Arts MRes
at Northumbria University
If you have any questions, members of the teaching team are available on Live
Chat throughout the presentation and for 15 minutes afterwards to answer your
queries.

4. YOUR COURSE

5. Arts MRes
Whether you are a practitioner in Art or Drama, or a scholar of film, visual culture,
or arts education, the Arts MRes offers an opportunity to develop your
understanding of your specific subject through an extended research project.

6.  From day one, your learning is centred on your specific research project, and
much of the module content is decided by the students each year.
 Group seminars provide a dynamic opportunity to test your ideas, and share
knowledge of concepts and research methods with other students.
 Whether you are a recent Film Studies graduate, or an arts practitioner with an
established career, the emphasis is on supporting, questioning and developing
understanding with your fellow MRes students – all under the guidance of
tutors with specialist research knowledge in the arts.
 Consequently, MRes students push their studies forward in critically rigorous,
and sometimes unexpected ways!
 MRes graduates find it a smooth transition into PhD study, or new career
opportunities in the arts.
Why Arts MRes at Northumbria?

7.  REF2014 placed Northumbria’s Art and Design research
within the UK top ten for “research power.”
 Prepare for a PhD - an MRes offers much more research
experience and more extensive research training, allowing
you to hit the ground running when you start a PhD.
 Many professions value research skills but a full, three-year
PhD may not be necessary. An MRes offers a shorter, more
focused route to research training.
 Many of our alumni work in the creative sector, education or
as self-employed practitioners.
 The Arts MRes also enables practitioners in Art, Drama or
other parts of Visual Culture to investigate the conceptual
and theoretical aspects of their practice.
Why Arts MRes at Northumbria?

8.  Regular one-to-one tutorials with project supervisors will
enable you to develop your project effectively.
 Learn from staff with specialist knowledge in art and
design theory, film and television studies, curating, arts
festivals, landscape, architecture, fashion, socially
engaged arts, performance and digital arts practices.
 Demonstrate advanced self-management skills, including
the ability to take responsibility for a large-scale project,
make editorial choices, and produce an extended piece
of written work to high scholarly standards using
academic conventions.
Arts MRes at Northumbria

9. Arts Mres
Examples of Current Modules
MRes Dissertation Research Development
Critical Contexts
Research Methods
Academic Language
Skills in FADSS
(optional)
DISCLAIMER: Please note that information, advice and guidance received at the Open Day is accurate as of today, and is subject to
change as we review our courses and our offers to ensure that you are receiving the best possible educational experience. The
University continues to monitor guidance in relation to Covid-19 to ensure compliance with government requirements and to ensure the
health and safety of our students and staff. Our website is the most up to date place to review our information.

10. Ways to Study
Module Overview
Academic Language Skills in FADSS
Level 7
(Optional, 0 Credits)
MRes Dissertation
(Core, 90 Credits)
Research Development
(Core, 30 Credits)
Research Methods
(Core, 30 Credits)
Critical Contexts
(Optional, 30 Credits)
2 Years Part-Time
September start
Module Overview
Year 1
Academic Language Skills in FADSS
Level 7
(Optional, 0 Credits)
Research Development
(Core, 30 Credits)
Critical Contexts
(Optional, 30 Credits)
1 Year Full-Time
September start
Module Overview
Year 2
Academic Language Skills in FADSS
Level 7
(Optional, 0 Credits)
Research Methods
(Core, 30 Credits)
MRes Dissertation
(Core, 90 Credits)

11. Teaching
The Arts MRes is based around self-directed study, but
you are supported by a framework of three modules.
 Modules are worth 30 credits.
 You will also complete an MRes Dissertation worth 90
credits.
 You study for 180 credits in total.
 This course involves seminars (small group discussions),
workshops (interactive, practical sessions) and a
dissertation (large scale research project) as well as regular
meetings with a designated “Principal Supervisor.”
Teaching and Assessment

12.  Teaching is focussed on individual tutorials and group
seminars – in which concepts, themes and research
methods are investigated in dynamic discussion. The
emphasis is on sharing knowledge and interrogating
ideas.
 Contact time in university totals 5 hours per week (full
time), and you will be expected to supplement this with
20 to 25 hours per week of private study.
 Assessment is through submitted written coursework
and presentations methods – totalling around 6000
words (over two assignments) per module.
Teaching and Assessment

13. Assessment focuses on:
 Developing research techniques and presenting findings to an audience of academics and
students.
 Working with classmates to organise, advertise and present a one-day symposium of research
papers that express your scholarly projects.
 Writing critical reviews, essays and project plans relating to the artworks, theories, academic
scholarship, and research methods relevant to your specific area of research.
 An extended dissertation of 20,000 words. The dissertation is intended to demonstrate a high-
level of independence in research, problem-solving, writing and presentation.
 The companion course, MRes Design provides for students to choose the 20,000 word
dissertation, or produce a major project with a 10,000 word dissertation.
Teaching and Assessment

14. If you are joining us in September 2020
• Your health and wellbeing are our priority – but so is your education, and we will work tirelessly to deliver
our quality learning experience safely.
• If you can travel safely to us, we will welcome you from 21st September 2020 for your induction
programmes; teaching will start from 28th September. If you can’t travel to us safely, you will start online and
join us when you can.
• Learn on campus with fellow students, as appropriate, through small group teaching, with access to digital
hubs, classrooms, laboratories, studios and clinics, and with full access to the University Library – one of the
best academic libraries in the UK.
• On-campus learning will be combined with flexible online study; with online lectures (both live and pre-
recorded), interactive activities, webcasts, seminars, workshops, discussion groups and more. You will
experience a truly blended learning experience.
• Online learning will be collaborative and engaging – designed for a virtual experience and tailored to you
and your subject and delivered through our user friendly learning environment – Blackboard Ultra –
providing access to virtual classrooms, laboratories, studios, clinics and our library online.
• Taught, directed and independent learning activities will be clearly communicated week by week, developing
your critical thinking and enabling you to challenge yourself and each other, and apply your learning.

15. Our Staff
 The Arts MRes team have wide ranging professional experience and research
specialisms, which are aligned to the courses to inform teaching.
 Your individual project supervisor will be allocated on the basis of specialist
knowledge in your specific subject area.
 You will meet them every three weeks for individual tutorials.
Ysanne Holt is Professor of
Art History in the Department
of Arts. Her research is
focussed on themes relating
to 20th and 21st century art in
Britain.
Rupert Ashmore is an
art and design historian
whose research spans
fine art, photography,
film and digital media.

16. You are in control of
your research
 With a student-focused course of study,
supported by supervisors specifically chosen to
compliment your project, research is embedded
in the Arts MRes course from your initial project
proposal.
 You will be encouraged to think about, develop,
evaluate and refine your research approaches
throughout the programme.
 As an MRes graduate you will have proven that
you are an academic researcher with expertise
in a specialist area.

17.  Applicants should normally have A minimum of a 2:2 honours degree in a
relevant subject. Applicants with appropriate work experience and/or a
relevant professional qualification will be considered.
 International qualifications - if you have studied a non-UK qualification, you
can see how your qualifications compare to the standard entry criteria, by
selecting the country that you received the qualification in from our country
pages at www.northumbria.ac.uk/yourcountry.
 English language requirements - International applicants are required to have
a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 with 5.5 in each component
(or approved equivalent*).
* The university accepts many UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find
more details at www.northumbria.ac.uk/englishqualifications.
Entry Requirements

18. YOUR CAMPUS

19. • Northumbria are 11th in the UK for
Facilities.*
• Major campus investment in recent
years – Sport Central, Student Central,
Digital Commons, Architecture Studios,
Computer and Information Sciences
Building.
• One of the best academic libraries in
the UK, held Customer Service
Excellence (CSE) accreditation since
2010, and with 24/7 access.***
• Our IT, library and course resources
are all ahead of sector for
satisfaction.**
Our Facilities
*Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey 2018
*** National Student Survey 2019
*** Digital library is currently 24/7, access to library learning spaces reviewed in line with Covid-19 guidance.

20.  Seminars are taught in Sandyford Building at City
Campus, in the centre of Newcastle and
encourage discussion and the exchange of ideas
between researchers from a wide range of
disciplines.
 You will gain access to specialist postgraduate
training workshops.
 All students are continually informed of events on
and off campus, as well as opportunities of special
interest to their research through the electronic
learning portal.
Arts MRes Facilities

21. YOUR
EXPERIENCE

22. On-course Experience
 As the MRes course is centred around research,
you will immediately be part of Northumbria’s
research community.
 You will exchange ideas with postgraduate
researchers from other disciplines in the Arts,
Design and beyond.
 You can also attend research seminars
presented by postgraduate researchers and
staff, such as the regular Wednesday afternoon
Visual and Material Culture research seminars.

23. YOUR FUTURE

24.  Boost your earning potential: according to the Department for Education’s
Graduate Labour Market Statistics 2017, postgraduates earn on average
£6,000 a year more than their undergraduate counterparts.
 Which? University Student Survey 2018 ranked us as one of the top rated
universities for ‘job readiness’ in the UK.
 Northumbria is ranked 2nd in the UK for graduate start-ups based on
turnover (HEBCIS Survey 2017/18).
 Our Careers and Employment Service will help at every stage, from
finding part-time jobs that fit alongside your studies and volunteering
opportunities, through to finding your first full-time job after graduation.
Career Success at Northumbria

25. Where do our graduates go?
 The Arts MRes is an ideal way to develop a set of impressive outlooks, attributes and
skills whether you wish to pursue further academic research at doctoral level or build
a career in the cultural professions or education.
 MRes students develop a host of skills relating to project organisation, teamwork,
marketing, using communication platforms, and event management through directing
an individual research project from initial proposal to finished thesis and by organising
an academic symposium with others from different disciplines.
 As such, our graduates have advanced their careers in the arts, as self-employed
practitioners or in the cultural industries. Many have gone on to PhD research and
teaching in Higher Education. Some even work at Northumbria!

26. THANKS FOR
WATCHING.
What’s Next? DISCLAIMER: Please note that
information, advice and guidance
received at the Open Day is
accurate as of today, and is
subject to change as we review
our courses and our offers to
ensure that you are receiving the
best possible educational
experience. The University
continues to monitor guidance in
relation to Covid-19 to ensure
compliance with government
requirements and to ensure the
health and safety of our students
and staff. Our website is the most
up to date place to review our
information.
• Have any questions? Why not speak to our
academics who are live right now, using our
LIVE CHAT feature on the bottom right?
• To explore our other live events,
presentations and live talks go back to the
main event menu or view ‘My Itinerary’
• For Application queries email bc.applicantservices@northumbria.ac.uk
• For Postgraduate queries email nu.postgraduate@northumbria.ac.uk
• For Course queries email r.ashmore@northumbria.ac.uk