PMASPEPER8-2023-4-O - L-Università ta' Malta

Course Title

Master of Arts in Social Practice Arts and Critical Education

MQF Level

Duration and Credits

4 Semesters

90 ECTS

Mode of Study

Part-time Evening (by Research)

Information for International applicants

Applicants must be in possession of:

Refer to the list of country-specific qualifications

A Bachelor degree obtained with at least Second Class (Honours) or with at least Category II in Theatre Studies, Fine Arts, Art Education, Drama Education or any other area deemed relevant by the Faculty Board, provided that applicants in possession of a degree with Third Class (Honours) or Category III shall satisfy the Faculty Board that they are in possession of other qualifications, including relevant experience, obtained following the first cycle degree.

In exceptional cases the Admissions Board, on the recommendation of the Faculty Board, may admit into the Course applicants not in possession of a first degree, provided that it is satisfied that such applicants are in possession of other relevant academic or professional qualifications and experience that together are deemed to be comparable to the level of a first degree in the areas indicated above.

The admission of applicants may be made conditional on the result of an interview.

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Applications for our February and October intakes have been officially open since the third week in November. You can submit your application online. The deadlines for submission of applications vary according to the intake and courses. We encourage all international applicants to submit their applications as soon as possible. This is especially important if you require a visa to travel and eventually stay in Malta.

You can compare your national qualifications to the local requirements by visiting our qualifications comparability webpage. Access more information about our admission process and English language requirements.

The University of Malta has student accommodation on campus called Campus Hub. Campus Hub is just a 2-minute walk from the main campus. For more information, visit the accommodation website.

Our dedicated team at the student recruitment office is here to support you every step of the way. From the moment you start your application to the moment when you receive your decision letter, we're here to assist you. If you have any questions or need further information, don't hesitate to reach out to us. You can contact us at info@um.edu.mt, and our team will be more than happy to help.

After you receive an offer from us, our International Office will assist you with visas, accommodation and other related issues.

M.A. in Social Practice Arts and Critical Education invites you as a professional and freelance arts-oriented person to connect your creative work with critical educational theories and community settings. This interdisciplinary postgraduate degree offers you the possibility of linking theatre, visual arts and education in a unique, socially engaged programme that brings together theoretical and project-based studies. If you are a graduate in theatre studies, fine arts, drama education, art education or a stakeholder involved in culture and community projects to further develop your entrepreneurial, pedagogical and social skills as well as artistic skills.


Year (This/these unit/s start/s in Semester 1 and continue/s in Semester 2)

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

ACA5030	Engaging Communities in the Arts	10 ECTS
ACA5034*	Dissertation and Project: Social Practice Arts	60 ECTS


Semester 1

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

ACA5031	Historical and Theoretical Perspectives on Social Practice in the Arts	5 ECTS
ACA5032	Conducting Research in the Arts, Education and Communities	5 ECTS
ACA5033	Critical Pedagogy and Social Practice	5 ECTS


Semester 2

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

ACA5035	Planning and Implementing Social Practice Arts	5 ECTS

* Work on the Dissertation is expected to start in the first semester of academic year 2023-24 and continue up to the end of the second semester of academic year 2024-25

This programme of study is governed by the General Regulations for University Postgraduate Awards, 2021 and by the Bye-Laws for the award of Master of Arts in Social Practice Arts and Critical Education under the auspices of the Faculty of Education.

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

Articulate clear relationships between practice, theory and communities in theatre, the visual arts and educational contexts.
Understand and engage with different educational theories and socio-political contexts.
Develop an independent research project that is both practice-based and attendant to teaching and learning processes in informal or institutional contexts.
Implement sustainable measures to artistic projects, particularly those that involve social practice and that target critical education.
Attract, secure and manage funding for artistic projects with components of social practice and critical education.
Disseminate and market the outcomes of artistic projects with components of social practice and critical education.

Subject Knowledge and Understanding:

Learning to articulate clear relationships between practice, theory and communities in theatre, the visual arts and educational contexts;
Understanding and engaging with different educational theories and socio-political contexts;
Understanding the history of visual and performing arts in the public sphere, participatory and activist projects and the educational domain;
Understanding the arts as social practices and processes;
Learning to lead projects based on collaborative, multidisciplinary, cultural research.

Intellectual Development:

Developing an independent research project that is both practice-based and attendant to teaching and learning processes in informal or institutional contexts;
Developing strong identities as reflexive educators and/or cultural practitioners who can reposition themselves and the role of art in society;
Developing a critically engaged attitude toward community and political issues.

Key/transferable skills:

Gaining mastery of research skills relevant to education and artistic practices;
Cultural practitioners and arts educators working with communities learn how to involve themselves holistically in innovative socially engaged projects that employ hands-on processes;
Developing a sense of ethical responsibility in social projects;
Implementing sustainability measures to artistic projects, particularly those that involve social practice and that target critical education.

Other skills relevant to employability and Personal Development:

Developing realistic project proposals linking theatre and the visual arts to education and communities;
Attracting, securing and managing funding for artistic projects with components of social practice and critical education;
Disseminating and marketing the outcomes of artistic projects with components of social practice and critical education.

Non EU Applicants:

Total Tuition Fees: Eur 10,800
Yr1: Eur 5,400 - Yr 2: Eur5,400

You are viewing the fees for non EU nationals. Switch to EU nationals if you are a national of any country from within the EU/EEA.

Graduates in the M.A. in Social Practice Arts and Critical Education will have opportunities to interact with various social settings within the context of artistic production. If you have a background in theatre, visual arts and/or arts education, then you will learn skills and attitudes from professionals in critical pedagogy, cultural management and different art forms that will help you develop innovative and artistically sound projects in the fields of the arts, community work, adult education and so on.