Artistic Practice MRes

This research degree has been developed for the furtherment of artistic research and professional development of artists from a variety of disciplines, such as performing arts, fine art and design. 

On this course, you will embark on extensive research into your chosen topic. Your developing research will be informed by varied research methodologies, cutting-edge principles, theories, and critical analysis. Your research will focus on your chosen topic in relation to ethics, ethnography and autoethnography, aligned with the scope of artistic research. 

Your practice, artistic mode, and personal creative journey are situated at the heart of this degree. As a researcher, you will develop essential aspects of critical and creative inquiry, to provoke thought and enthuse your reflective capabilities, within a contextual critical awareness. 

The course is designed for you to develop theoretical, methodological, ethical, interrogative, practical, creative and reflective approaches to building your artistic practice. Research techniques will be informed by creative processes which offer findings within and through both the artistic dissemination, in a range of domains, and in writing.

You will study 2 30-credit taught modules with students across different disciplines within the School of the Arts. While carrying out the research project for the 120-credit thesis, you'll be welcomed into our community of postgraduate research students.

The course will provide students with the essential knowledges of artistic research methodologies, and understanding and awareness of recent artistic research literature, practices and bodies of artistic work.

How you will study

You can study this postgraduate course full time or part time.

The course will take 1 year to complete in full time study or 2 years in part time study.

You will study 2 modules worth 30 credits each, as well as 1 module worth 120 credits.

You can find out which modules are available in each term in the course specifications.

Modules

Teaching and learning

You will be allocated an academic tutor in your first week of study. You will be able to develop a supportive relationship with your tutor whilst also working on a set programme of personal, academic and professional development. This includes developing your research skills and critical reflection of your work and the work of others.

Independent exploration of your practice and research is vital to success on this course. Guided by your tutor, you will develop and enhance your research and investigation skills, identifying key resources to extract relevent information. In essence, this is self-guided learning. Throughout, you will have access to the University's resource library but will be encouraged to find your own research materials.

We keep our group sizes small so we can get to know your creative personality and support your aspirations. We deliver your modules through:

• Seminars
• Lectures
• Reading groups
• Interactive presentations and workshops
• Guided research tasks
• Dissertation supervision

Your learning will be informed by the most current thinking in the subject area. Our academic teams are constantly investigating, interrogating and contributing to their respective fields. You can find out more about our research and backgrounds by visiting our staff pages.

Assessment

You'll be required to demonstrate your research and increasing knowledge through different assessed mediums. These include:

• Thesis research report
• Short research skills portfolio
• Exams
• Oral presentations

A significant proportion of your time will be dedicated to the completion of your thesis, which is an independent research project. This will be supervised by academic staff members, who are nationally and internationally recognised for research excellence. Your thesis makes up the majority of your final grade.

Your thesis, and possibly other supplementary work, will be published in an academic journal. This will enable you to gain an understanding of the academic publication process.

Qualifications

Qualifications

If your first degree is not in the Arts but you have covered sufficient levels of artistic development and research methods, we will consider your application. Applications such as this will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Research proposal

You will be required to submit this outline research proposal in line with an advertised project area. To be accepted onto the course, your proposed thesis supervisor must accept the proposal.

Your research proposal should:

• Be up to 1500 words
• Identify who your project supervisor would be
• Identify the research question you would like to examine
• Briefly outline the theoretical background to your proposed research
• Outline the methods you may draw on

This is a non-binding research proposal and changes to your approach and the specifics of your topic will be possible.

You will be required to submit this outline research proposal in line with an advertised project area. In order to be accepted onto the course this outline application must be acceptable to the proposed thesis supervisor.

International students

If you are an international student you will need to show that your qualifications match our entry requirements.

Information about international qualifications and entry requirements can be found on our International pages.

If English is not your first language you will need to show that you have English Language competence at IELTS level 6.5 (with no skill below 6.0) or equivalent.

International entry requirements

Terms and conditions

Our terms and conditions, policies and procedures contain important information about studying at York St John University. You can read them on our Admissions page.

UK 2025 - 2026 entry

The tuition fee for 2025 entry to the Artistic Practice MRes is:

• £7,000 for full time study
• £3,500 per year for part time study

These costs apply to all UK, Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man students.

Postgraduate loans are available to help you pay for your master’s course. Find out more about funding your postgraduate studies.

Funding opportunities

International 2025 - 2026 entry

The tuition fee for 2025 entry to the Artistic Practice MRes is:

• £11,800 for full time study

These costs apply to all students living outside the UK.

Due to immigration laws, if you are an international student on a student visa, you must study full time. For more information about visa requirements and short-term study visas, please visit the International Visa and Immigration pages.

Find out more about funding your postgraduate studies.

International Fees and Funding

Tuition fees

Alumni Scholarships

If you are alumni of York St John University we have scholarships available to help you continue your studies.

Scholarships for alumni

Additional costs and financial support

Course-related costs

While studying for your degree, there may be additional costs related to your course. This may include purchasing personal equipment and stationery, books and optional field trips.

Accommodation and living costs

View our accommodation pages for detailed information on accommodation and living costs.

Where could Artistic Practice MRes take you?

A research degree is your opportunity to develop incredibly transferrable and desirable skills in investigation and data analysis.

You are also preparing yourself for a potential career within the academic sector. These roles include a lecturer of higher education or a university researcher.

Stand out from the crowd with postgraduate study.

Far fewer people have postgraduate degrees than undergraduate qualifications. This gives you something extra to set yourself apart in a competitive graduate job market. Those with a postgraduate qualification will earn an average of £8,000 a year more than those with only an undergraduate degree. (Department For Education Graduate Labour Market Report 2019)

Our careers service, LaunchPad, provides career support tailored to your ambitions. Through this service you can access:

• Employer events
• LinkedIn, CV and cover letter sessions
• Workshops on application writing and interview skills
• Work experience and volunteering opportunities
• Personalised career advice

This support does not end when you graduate. You can access our expert career advice for the rest of your life. We will help you gain the experience and confidence you need to succeed.