bursaries available
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bursaries available 〰️
Our European Fine Art Masters is a two-year, full-time programme accredited by the French art school Esä, L'ecole supérieure d'art.
Why study at mast?
Embark on a process of building the curriculum with staff and other students, following interests and shaping new ways of working.
The opportunity to work collaboratively with other students, and with small cohorts, the chance to get continuous feedback from artists, tutors and guest lecturers.
The chance to build your practice in a thriving artistic community in an area with a history of self-expression and experimentation.
Learn and share knowledge within the TMS community and beyond: collaborating with studio holders, showing in our gallery, leading community workshops and working with students and tutors in our partner institution in Dunkirk, France.
The European Fine Art Masters (Art, Society Nature) at The Margate School of Art proceeds in the belief that art (its production, its reception, its distribution) is a form of ‘social contract’: with other artists, with community, and with the environment, across natural, social, and political spheres. Exactly what constitutes these spheres, where their borders begin and end and how they might be reshaped through diverse and innovative forms of spatial, temporal and aesthetic practice are live questions to be explored. In this 2-year, full-time postgraduate programme, students will develop their practice by interrogating these ideas, exploring how art can respond to the urgent questions of our time and effect meaningful change.
Bursaries Available:
Pauline Aviges-Graham Foundation Bursary, to cover 50% of the course fees over two years. Please enquire for more information.
Teaching sessions
Tuesday and Wednesday with occasional workshops on other days
Costs
See details below
Entry requirements
BA(Hons) or relevant experience, portfolio and interview
Qualification
Master of Fine Arts (MFA) research-level degree, Diplôme National Supérieur d'Expression Plastique (DNSEP)
Cohort size
up to 15
Duration
Full-time: October 2026 – June 2028
Course overview
The European Fine Art Masters (Art, Society Nature) at The Margate School of Art proceeds in the belief that art (its production, its reception, its distribution) is a form of ‘social contract’: with other artists, with community, and with the environment, across natural, social, and political spheres. Exactly what constitutes these spheres, where their borders begin and end and how they might be reshaped through diverse and innovative forms of spatial, temporal and aesthetic practice are live questions to be explored. In this 2-year, full-time postgraduate programme, students will develop their practice by interrogating these ideas, exploring how art can respond to the urgent questions of our time and effect meaningful change.
The taught, studio-based European Fine Art Masters is accredited by Esä (L'ecole supérieure d'art) in France, and grants students a Diplôme National Supérieur d'Expression Plastique (DNSEP), an MA-level qualification recognised across the UK and Europe. Students benefit from collaboration and expert guidance from academics and artists across The Margate School of Art, including workshops with the wider
Margate community and our partner art school, ESA Dunkirk.
Programme Structure
Through lectures, group seminars, one-to-one tuition, bespoke critique, gallery trips and field visits, students on the European Fine Art Masters expand and explore their practice, gaining valuable research skills and relevant work experience.
A key part of the course is the production of The Memoire, a “critical document of practice” that challenges students to question how their practice meets the conventions of academic form. The production of this 10,000-word document is supported by weekly seminars in History and Philosophy of Art and studio-based conversation in Making and Critiquing, introducing students to new modes of critical thinking and embodied thought. This process of learning and development is further enriched through the Maker Modules, in which students test their practice against a variety of innovative methodological approaches, gaining new insight and valuable technical skills. Maker Modules include:
Making Visible
Making Digital
Maker & Object
Maker of Sound
Maker & Body
Throughout the course your work will be assessed using the marking criteria of the accrediting institution. You will present your research to your peers and staff from both institutions, receiving supportive feedback in return. The summation of the two years is a rigorous “defence” of your practice-based research enquiry to an independent jury at Esa Dunkirk, followed by a showcase of your work beyond the institutional setting.
Outcomes
The practical and theoretical teaching on the European Fine Art Masters equips students for further postgraduate or doctoral-level studies, teaching, research, artistic practice, artist development and community development. Through consistent practice in speaking and writing about their work, students develop the skills and articulacy to present their research to a wide range of audiences and effectively communicate complex ideas.
What’s included
Ongoing cumulative modules
Practical workshops with world-class tutors and practitioners
Tutorial support
Regular one-to-ones with tutors, peer review and expert critique, small student numbers means more individual attention
In-demand skills
Including research and analysis, entrepreneurial experience and a portfolio to take into employment or further research and practice in your field
Guest lectures and gallery visits
Outstanding roster of visiting professionals plus discounts to public workshops, facilities and local businesses
Collaborative opportunities
Within The Margate School of Art and Esä, community workshops, inductions and events including monthly community lunches
French Language sessions
The MA degree qualification is recognised across Europe and opens up opportunities for graduates to teach at EU universities
Internship
Ideal course to build your portfolio or network
Requirements
BA (Hons), or equivalent relevant experience and a portfolio, to be
assessed at application and interview.
Application Deadline
Final deadline: Friday 7 September 2026, 12 noon (UK time)
Fees & funding
£6500 per year
Fees for October 2026 entry outlined, Include:
Registration fees for Esä, allowing students to participate in trips, collaborative work with Esä students and tutors, and to graduate with a DNSEP (MA-level Fine Art qualification).
Access to The Margate School of Art facilities, including: dedicated Masters teaching, study and collaboration spaces; fablab, woodwork area, subsidised darkroom and kiln use.
Access to all facilities at Esä, Dunkirk.
Gallery visits, workshops and talks by visiting professionals.
10% off TMS’s cafe, Coastal Art Coffee.
Bursaries Available:
Pauline Aviges-Graham Foundation Bursary, to cover 50% of the course fees over two years. Please enquire for more information.
Offering an alternative approach to higher education, you will explore how art can be used to benefit, protect and sustain the world through a series of practical and critical modules.
The first of its kind in the UK, this Master’s qualification is part of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) and is recognised across Europe, creating opportunities to work in the EU, including teaching at EU higher education institutions.
Art Society Nature will give you the tools to develop a unique and personal approach in the field of contemporary creative and intellectual practice.
The course concludes with a presentation of the student’s final work and examination held at the Esä campus in Dunkerque, France.