Architecture
| Specialisation of: | Arts and Culture |
|---|---|
| Degree: | Master of Arts in Arts and Culture |
| Mode of Study: | Full-time, part-time |
| Duration: | 1 year |
| Start date: | September, February |
| Language of instruction: | English |
| Location: | Leiden |
| Croho/isat code: | 60087 |
Architecture is a specialisation in the MA in Arts and Culture. In this specialisation you not only study architectural history from the perspective of the architects, their designs and the way in which their work is implemented, you also pay attention to clients, the public and how the public responds to architecture and the built-up environment.
Central themes include:
- Italian baroque
- exchanges between Italy and the Low Countries in the period from 1500 to1750
- alternative architecture discourses in the 20th century, from regionalism and traditionalism to neo-baroque
- architecture theory, where thinking on the impact of buildings on the public is key, as in classical rhetoric or the sublime.
In Leiden you will study these themes in close co-operation with the Dutch interuniversity art history institutes in Rome and Florence. Excursions are a structural part of the programme.
Programme
The MA in Arts and Culture can be followed as a one-year full-time programme or as a 1 ½ year part-time programme. The part-time programme is derived from the full-time MA. All courses are day courses.
Programme structure
The MA in Arts and Culture has one compulsory methodological course for all students. In this class you are introduced to theories and viewpoints relating to various forms of art, and you learn to reflect on them in a critical way.
Besides this course you also prepare a reading list in your field of specialisation and you choose two research courses from the specialisations offered. These courses teach you how to carry out research in the period and specialisation you are interested in. The themes and subjects of these specialist courses vary each year and ensure the MA remains dynamic and challenging.
The rest of the programme is reserved for workshops, an individual internship in a museum or institution, or an individual project with one of the tutors. You complete your MA with your final thesis.
The programme takes one year, which is divided into two semesters.
Semester 1
During the first semester you follow a compulsory general course ‘Practices and Debates in Art History’. This course is taught by tutors from various specialisations. It addresses current methodological issues in art history which are of importance to any field of specialisation. Besides this course you follow lectures and research seminars in your field or period of specialisation. The topics of these seminars vary per year. You also prepare for the exam on your reading list in your field of specialisation.
Semester 2
Your second semester is dedicated mainly to your master’s thesis and the preparation for your final exam. In addition, you can give a personal emphasis to your programme through the free component which allows you to follow an internship, a workshop or an additional specialist or period research seminar.
Nearby museums
Throughout the master’s programme in Arts and Culture you will be able to take advantage of Leiden’s proximity to a network of major museums, collections, libraries and research schools, accessing a range of unique texts and works of art. These include:
- The National Museum for Ethnology
- The Municipal Museum de Lakenhal/Scheltema location for contemporary art
- The Museum for the History of Science
- The National Museum of Antiquities
- Leiden University Library with its many special collections of prints, drawings and photography
