Academically oriented

Full-time study

2 years

doc. Mgr. Jan Zálešák, Ph.D.

Chairman :
doc. Mgr. Jan Zálešák, Ph.D.
Councillor internal :
Mgr. et MgA. Barbora Lungová
MgA. Lenka Veselá, M.A., Ph.D.
Mgr. Michal Kučerák
MgA. Katarína Magid Hládeková, Ph.D.
doc. MgA. Filip Cenek
prof. Mgr. A. Lenka Klodová, Ph.D.
Mgr. Martin Mazanec, Ph.D.

The study programme Fine Art and Design as a follow-up Master's programme is aimed mainly at graduates of Bachelor's degree programmes of the same or similar focus, but is also open to applicants with a Master's or PhD degree. The aim of the study programme is to produce graduates equipped with a refined set of practical skills and theoretical knowledge, but also with a strong reflexivity and critical thinking, the ability to search for new topics, problems and opportunities and to relate to them in a creative way. The content of the study is adapted to the main goal of educating creative and critical individuals capable of establishing themselves in the field of professional art and design as well as in related fields, or continuing successfully at the doctoral level.

The MA Fine Art and Design program is conceived in such a way as to create conditions for students to develop independent and original practice in the field of fine art or design. The course curriculum places an emphasis on enhancing creative skills in the fields of fine art and design acquired through previous studies at the undergraduate level in the same or related areas of study, as well as on self-reflection and critical scrutiny informed by contemporary art/design theory and contemporary philosophy and humanities.
The study plan of the program allows students to pursue their practice in different studios in which they acquire different specialist knowledge and skills and encounter different approaches to art/design making and their critical framing. Over the course of their studies, students are encouraged to collaborate on their projects with each other and to engage in interdisciplinary interactions. Graduates of the program are well prepared for taking up a career as either independently practicing artists/designers or as part of creative teams or interdisciplinary collectives. In the program, further emphasis is placed on students` ability to conduct research based on their practice or for the purposes of their practice. Graduates of the program are thus also prepared for teamwork and interdisciplinary cooperation beyond their creative specialization and are prospective students of PhD programs in the fields of fine art or design and related disciplines.

Subject specific knowledge:
- High level of knowledge and understanding in the fields of art/design theory and history of art/design; ability to apply this knowledge in creative practice
- Knowledge and understanding in the field of research through art/design; ability to articulate research concerns of their creative practice
- Knowledge and understanding in the fields of natural science, social science and humanities relevant to specific concerns of their practice; ability to deploy this knowledge for innovative objectives of their creative practice
- Understanding of what constitutes professional excellence in contemporary art/design; comprehensive understanding of the individual artistic and critical concerns of their practice at a level of professional excellence
- Well-informed insight into contemporary technologies of art/design making and dissemination/distribution of the outputs.

Subject specific skills:
- Ability to undertake independent practice, starting from finding and articulating a relevant topic, through determining project objectives and appropriate creative means and methods, to implementing a creative plan and creating the work of art/design;
- Ability to choose appropriate artforms and creative and technological solutions, ability to outsource work to specialists when appropriate;
- Ability to apply conceptual knowledge and critical reasoning for self-directed aims;
- Ability to subject the process of making of works of art/design, the ideas and concepts involved, and the works themselves to critical scrutiny;
- Ability to carry out independent research based on their creative practice or for the purposes of their practice; ability to communicate their research output.

Transferable skills:
- Ability to present their work at a level of professional excellence (exhibitions at art galleries and museums of art, art competitions, public presentations, art funding applications);
- Ability to discuss their work competently; ability to take part in a debate on contemporary art or design at an expert level;
- Ability to work collectively; ability to assume different positions within a collective structure
- Ability to defend their practice as socially relevant;
- Willingness to expand their knowledge, skills, and competencies.

In terms of their career prospects, graduates of Fine Art and Design program are ready to pursue a "freelance" career as an artist (in the broad field of current art practice) or as a designer (especially in the fields of graphic, product and critical or speculative design). With their knowledge and skills, they are prepared to enter a wide range of fields in the creative industries, both as independent entrepreneurs, members of creative teams and wider work collectives (e.g. in the fields of film or television production, the games industry, the advertising industry, the exhibition industry). A good understanding of contemporary art and design history and theory also predisposes graduates to careers in related fields, such as the teaching professions (art education, gallery pedagogy), art therapy, curating and art criticism, or art consultancy and business.

The general conditions for successful completion of studies are set out in the Study and Examination Regulations of the BUT. For successful completion of studies in the programme, it is necessary to obtain 120 credits and complete at least two courses from both groups of compulsory elective courses. The study program is completed with the Final State Examination consisting of two, separately assessed parts: the defense of the Research Paper and the presentation and defense of the Diploma Project. Both parts are concerned with a common topic established during the third semester. In the Research Paper, students demonstrate their ability to carry out research on a relevant topic related to their practice in keeping with high standards of writing in the field of contemporary art and design. In the Diploma Project, students prove their capability to create and present an original and innovative work of art/design at a level of professional excellence.

Study at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the BUT is ruled by the Study and Examination Regulations of the BUT and the BUT Information System is used for its registration. Study plans are made according to and regulated by the Regulations of Study Programmes of the BUT.
The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is used at the BUT. The standard period in the study programme Fine Art and Design is 2 years and is determined with regard to the expected study load, the content and aim of the study and the profile of the graduates. This is also reflected in the credit evaluation of the courses determined in accordance with the ECTS. The curriculum is spread over four semesters in three academic years. The total number of credits for successful completion of the Master's degree is 120 ECTS credits. The recommended annual curriculum is set at 60 credits; however, 50 credits are sufficient for advancement to the next year. Each lesson is scheduled for 50 minutes.
Courses in the curriculum are divided into compulsory, compulsory elective, and elective courses. Total credits for compulsory courses are 92. The compulsory electives are inserted in the curriculum in the first year of study and are divided into two groups ('workshops and laboratories', 'theory and discourse'). There is a requirement to pass at least two courses from each group. The minimum requirement of two courses in each group is deliberate – the structure of the curriculum thus responds to the key characteristic of the programme, which is based on a strong individual profile of the students. Courses from the groups of compulsory elective courses in the first year of study are offered as electives in the second year (with the restriction that one course cannot be taken twice). The following courses from other BUT faculties and units will also be offered as electives: PE (provided by CESA), foreign languages and "free courses" according to the current offer.

The Faculty of Fine Arts makes effort to integrate disabled students. In cooperation with the Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI), the faculty provides support to students with special educational needs. Special educational needs mean special needs on the grounds of: Specific learning disorders (dyslexia, dysgraphia, dysorthography, etc.); Disability (visual, hearing, or locomotive impairment); Autism spectrum disorders (eg. Asperger syndrome); Mental disease; Long-term somatic disease. Support in studies means adapting the study conditions by the FFA and/or making the support services of the Institute of Lifelong Learning available for students. Information on the support services provided by the LLI is available on the website of the Alfons Counselling Centre.  Barrier-free access is not possible at the Faculty of Fine Arts right now.

https://www.favu.vut.cz/en/international/special-needs

The study program is a follow up of the Fine Arts study program accredited at the FFA BUT. The graduates may continue in a doctoral study programme Fine Arts accredited at the FFA BUT or at the other Czech universities (e.g. AVU Prague, UMPRUM Prague, FUD UJEP Ústí nad Labem) or abroad.