Master’s Programme in Nordic Visual Studies and Art Education (NoVA)

Please note: This study option was not available in the previous application round (3.12.2018-11.1.2019).
 

Study objectives

Nordic Visual Studies and Art Education (NoVA) educates contemporary art and visual culture professionals and researchers, to achieve understanding of the best Nordic practices and traditions in art education and other visual culture professions. Through the NoVA education, you achieve relevant competencies and pedagogical interaction skills for working in cross-cultural and international educational situations and environments. NoVA builds on Nordic competences and expertise, which are related to current discussions in the field of international art education. The program is open for international students.

NoVA courses are mapped around three concepts: sights, sites, cites. Throughout the NoVA programme, students focus on the significance of “sight” in relation to theories, practices, and networks of visual studies. With the concept of ”site”, students investigate the geo-political and pedagogical dimensions of space, place, the public sphere, and private realms. And, students are provided with opportunities to critically reflect upon previous experiences and knowledge as well as generate new knowledge through “citational” practices that draw upon existing social and cultural texts, theories, artworks, and research.

Study language

The language of instruction is English.

Tuition fees

The tuition fee is €15 000 per academic year for non-EU/EEA citizens. More information: https://www.aalto.fi/en/node/30591

Career opportunities

Students that graduate from NoVA will have strong intercultural understanding, experiences, and knowledge of educational practices and theories in different Nordic countries. This cross-cultural study offers work opportunities internationally in different art, educational, and visual communicational areas, institutions, organisations, communities, art and culture projects. Students may direct themselves toward teaching, producing, designing, guidance and consultant tasks on different levels of schooling, or in the fields of art and visual and media culture, social sectors and corporate life. The degree alone does not qualify as teacher competency. Through NoVA, students are prepared for doctoral studies and for the possibility to continue their research profession.

Post-graduate study options

The degree grants eligibility for doctoral studies.

Content of the studies

NoVA students engage in a variety of learning and teaching methods, including in-person, on-line, and whole group pedagogy, at home and host universities (during possible exchange studies), and at retreats and Nordic seminars. Learning by doing and problem-oriented approaches are integrated with practical and theoretical e-learning based activities. Contact teaching is a combination of lectures, seminars, peer working and student presentations, using multimodal approaches: texts, images, audio, and different physical and digital interfaces and communication.

Through courses on visual culture, social theory, pedagogy, research competences, for example, students investigate the practices of looking, seeing and being seen. NoVA students explore how digital technologies affect perception and how vision is constructed. Students research visual events to understand the relationship between institutions, the media, society, and the economic sphere.

Focus areas of the studies:

• Visual culture developed in the Nordic region
  This incorporates exploring creative and critical approaches to design and art making, coupled with a deep responsibility for openness, caring, and equality.
   
• Critical pedagogy with social and cultural awareness
  This stems from aspects of the highly valued Nordic education systems, emphasising democratic societies, egalitarianism, socially just pedagogical skills and practices, human rights and social and cultural sustainability.
   
• Digital technologies in learning
  Social and cultural competences in ICT & online communication are included to the programme as content and as pedagogical methods.
   
• Contemporary art education
  This includes project and problem oriented teaching, and collaborative and participatory based learning based on contemporary methods, and theories of art, pedagogy, and mediation.
   
• Project management and administration
  Engaging with communities, institutions and productions provide practical experience in project management, administration, entrepreneurship and finance of cultural and educational initiatives.

Internationalization

Studying in another Nordic university for one or two semesters is recommended. Alternatively, domestic or Nordic internship is a valuable study-option that provides students with hands-on experience in Nordic work-life in the field of art education. The current NoVA programme is developed in collaboration with three Nordic universities: Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Finland, Aalborg University, Department of Communication and Psychology, Denmark and Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design, Sweden.

Each university has significant experience and capacity with art and/or media education at the national level. Competences between and among institutions offer a broad range of areas of study, including critical pedagogy and social and cultural awareness; contemporary art education, digital technology, and ICT; project oriented, collaborative, problem-based, and participatory-based work; sustainable development; intercultural and social entrepreneurship; and double perspective - combining theory and practice. NoVA international members cooperate in teaching, and by organizing seminars and study trips.

Focus of the research

Visual culture developed in the Nordic region, Critical pedagogy with social and cultural awareness, Digital technologies in learning, Contemporary art education, Project management and administration.

Contact details

Jaana Brinck
Lecturer and Head of Nordic Visual Studies and Art Education (NoVA)

nova-arts(at)aalto.fi

Please note: Application instructions will be updated in autumn 2019.