Course Summary
The MA/MFA Art and Social Action is a 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time postgraduate programme focused on trans-disciplinary practice and thinking that privileges collaborative approaches to production and creative approaches to social transformation, emphasising the capacity of arts practice to imagine our world differently.
College Link
Career Sectors
This course prepares you for working in the Career Sectors below. Follow the links to get a fuller understanding of the sectors you are preparing for.
Entry Requirements
All applicants are expected to present an approved Bachelor degree at minimum level of 2nd class honours (2.2)
Applicants who do not meet the minimum academic entry requirements may be considered on the basis of prior work or learning experience (RPEL). Candidates may be required to pass a qualifying examination set by the relevant department before being accepted to a Masters degree programme. Attendance at selected undergraduate lecture courses at NCAD, together with related written work may be prescribed.
You may apply for the programme if you are currently completing your Undergraduate Degree. NCAD will review the rest of your application If necessary, we can make you a Conditional Offer. When your degree is completed and you send us final transcripts we will upgrade this to a Full Offer.
Essential Supporting Documents
• A Statement of Interest - A Statement of Interest - 500 written words or a 2 minute video/audio file framing your reasons for applying to the programme.
• A recent CV
• Certified transcripts of previous programmes followed
• Certified copies of degree / certificates and/or other appropriate third level qualifications bearing the official stamp of the institution.
• Academic Reference (Head of School/Department preferred), or if you graduated more than 4 years' ago please submit an employer reference instead.
• Portfolio / Evidence of previous work:
° Applications must be supported by documentation that best represents your practice.
° Applicants are requested to upload a document via the online application with access to a portfolio/collection of documentation of your previous work. This document can include a link to an on-line portfolio or a link to a folder on Google Drive.
° Whatever your background or discipline, we do require evidence of previous work undertaken. What you include will depend on your experience and background. Whether you are coming from a background in art, education, community work, theatre, dance, youth work, music, architecture, activism or other related areas, feel free to submit any material you feel showcases an aspect of your practice and skill-set that is relevant to the programme you are applying for.
° We are open to reviewing written work, short video presentations, or any form of documentation of a project, including that which is theoretical or technical in nature. Some candidates may chose to describe projects they have been involved with in a "case study" format, eg. for the MA in Art and Social Action, you could consider writing or presenting a case study of a project you have been involved in, outlining the intentions, methods, approaches and challenges that were encountered and your role in the process.
° There is no set requirement on the number of pages, images or projects that you share with us - this is up to each individual applicant.
English Language Requirements
All programmes in NCAD are taught through English. International Applicants are asked to provide proof of their English Language Proficiency.
Full details of acceptable tests and the standard required can be found at the following link: https://www.ncad.ie/study-at-ncad/international/english-language-requirement/
Application Details
Applications are open. Please see "Application Weblink" above.
Programme commences September 2026.
Fees
There is a fee of €8,100. If successful, please note that there is a non-refundable deposit of €500 due within 10 working days to secure your place. There is an application fee of €55.00*
The Student
Career Interests
This course is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests. If these interests do not describe you, this course may prepare you for work you may not find satisfying.
Creative
Creative people are drawn to careers and activities that enable them to take responsibility for the design, layout or sensory impact of something (visual, auditory etc). They may be atrracted to the traditional artistic pursuits such as painting, sculpture, singing, or music. Or they may show more interest in design activities, such as architecture, animation, or craft areas, such as pottery and ceramics.
Creative people use their personal understanding of people and the world they live in to guide their work. Creative people like to work in unstructured workplaces, enjoy taking risks and prefer a minimum of routine.
Social
The Social person's interests focus on interacting with the people in their environment. In all cases, the Social person enjoys the personal contact with other people in preference to the impersonal dealings with things, data and ideas found in other groups.
Many will seek out positions where there is direct contact with the public in some advisory role, whether a receptionist or a counsellor. Social people are motivated by an interest in different types of people and like diversity in their work environments. Many are drawn towards careers in the caring professions and social welfare area, whilst others prefer teaching and other 'informing' roles.
Career Progression
The Art and Social Action programme has been designed to support the professional practice needs of a range of learners. Although not a narrowly vocational programme, it recognises the value and importance of ‘real world’ learning, and so features modules which are offered in formal partnership with external organisations including Create – the National Development Agency for Collaborative Arts.
Although students may choose to develop projects which constitute a deep investigation of theories of social-engagement in art, it is expected that the large majority of students on the MA/ MFA programme will engage directly with different stakeholders to realise public projects. As such, the programme is committed to supporting the acquisition of skills required for successful professional practice in art as well as in related fields such as education, public programming in museums and galleries and community based arts.