School of Arts
KASK en Koninklijk Conservatorium vormen samen de School of Arts van Hogeschool Gent
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The Master of Visual Arts and Audiovisual Arts programmes

In the ‘master’s year’, the KASK wants to offer students continuing from bachelor’s programmes in visual and audiovisual arts a chance to grow as artists or designers. Giving your own artistic process further direction and substance is
central. Students who have completed the three-year bachelor's programme are invited to complete their own master’s project. The substance of this artistic master's project is in a framework of extensive possibilities for reflection, research and consultation. In the master’s programme, the opportunity to make one's own artistic choices within a solid supporting framework is strongly emphasized.
To optimize the opportunities and possibilities for students’ own master's proposals, a number of procedures must be strictly followed to qualify for the master’s programme. The KASK faculty and staff find this application procedure the best means of being able to ensure guidance and support appropriate to each and every student.

The master’s programmes of the KASK include:
Master of Visual Arts
Fields of specialization: Fine Arts (Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, Installation Art, Media Art, Textile Design, Fashion, Multimedia Design, Photography, Graphic Design (Graphic Design, Graphic Arts, Web & Interactive Design, Illustration
Master of Audiovisual Art
Fields of specialization: Animation Film and Film



Programme Descriptions:


The master’s programmes in audiovisual or visual arts are divided into four segments, totalling 60 ECTS or credits. The complete curricula, objectives, means of evaluations, and so on, for each field of specialization, can be found in
the master’s programme curricula on our website (http://www.kask.be).
All segments of the programme are followed in the single academic master’s year. In order to facilitate part-time study, the master’s project is divided into two parts.

1) Master Projects I and II:
The master’s project is an artistic work based on research. Its starting point is the master’s proposal submitted by the student on applying for the master’s programme. Further development and formulation of a principle problem expressed in the master’s proposal takes place during the first half of the academic year, through preparatory research and the early realization of images, design or film content.
During the academic year, the student further develops this process by completing his or her own work of art and/or design, and/or film or animation film in a personal and critically sensitive manner. This work is expected to bear witness to a creative and critical approach to the medium or media employed.
The student’s skills and competencies must be able to make it possible for him or her to complete a work with sufficient inherent qualities for the work to be artistically meaningful outside the school context. The work must demonstrate independent artistic practice at the level of beginning professional researcher, artist, designer or filmmaker.
Faculty guidance during the master’s project is provided by two mentors, one of whom is a theory instructor and the other an instructor in a studio subject. On request from the student, an additional, third mentor is also possible. This third mentor can also be from outside the school, in which case, he or she must be approval by the two in-house mentors.

2) Thesis:
In the thesis segment of the programme, the student undertakes a languagebased, discursive investigation resulting in a written work. The thesis demonstrates that the student is capable of conducting relatively independent research and report on that research.
Students write a thesis of at least 5000 words. The problem being considered, the development of the theme and the conclusions must all be clearly stated. The student is expected to convince his or her mentors that the chosen subject, which he or she is free to chose, is in fact related to his or her master’s project and/or his or her artistic investigation in general. The student is also free to chose to write in part or wholly about his or her own work. The faculty advisors for the thesis segment of the programme are the same as for the master’s project.

3) Theoretical seminars:
At the start of the academic year, students register for four seminars. Each seminar is focused on specific problems and investigations. They are thematic in nature and not intended as overviews. In terms of contents, the theoretical seminars in the master’s programmes are open to all kinds of subjects and themes linked to the study of visual and audiovisual arts. The specific focus of the seminars generally evolve from the instructors’ area of research. Each June, a complete overview of the seminars to be held in the upcoming academic year can be found on our website (http://www.kask.be) and can also be requested from the programme counsellor.

4) Elective courses:
In this programme segment, 9 credits can be earned with selective studies, either with a single programme segment or in a combination of the student’s choice.



Acceptance Requirements


Since 2003, higher education in Flanders has undergone fundamental reforms. Currently, both professional and academic bachelor diplomas are awarded and recognized in Flanders. Professional bachelor programmes are focussed on
the acquisition of professional skills and do not directly qualify graduates for admission to the KASK master’s programmes. Academic bachelor programmes, on the other hand, with an emphasis on research skills, do qualify
graduates for admission to the master’s programmes.
In Flanders, the majority of art schools provide academic training. The research skills aimed for are theoretical and reflexive, as well as artistic. Immediate admission to the master’s programme at the KASK is only available to those who
hold an academic bachelor’s diploma in the visual arts or in audiovisual art, or an equivalent diploma.
If you wish to apply to one of our master’s programmes, together with you, we will examine whether your bachelor diploma can be considered the equivalent of an academic bachelor’s diploma. Once the equivalency has been determined, you
can directly apply for the master’s programme.

A recognition of equivalancy can be obtained in two ways:
1) When applying for the programme, the candidate provides us with a copy of his or her diploma, diploma supplements and, where possible, curricula descriptions. On the basis of the programme you followed, we can decide internally whether the diploma is the equivalent of a professional or an academic training.
2) An equivalency acknowledgement can also be acquired through the Ministry of Education. This is provided by the NARIC Flanders organization.
Information and the required forms to start this procedure are available at: http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/NARIC/default.htm.
Please note: this is not a requirement. You are free to wait for the internal KASK decision.
If we are unable to recognize your bachelor’s diploma as the equivalent of an academic bachelor’s diploma, you can still apply to the master’s programme. It simply means that you are not guaranteed admission. Depending on the decision
of the orientation committee and in consultation with the programme counsellor, you can follow a preparatory programme to prepare for the master’s course.
This course of study will depend on your previous education. For more information about the preparatory programme, feel free to contact the programme counsellor.



More info and application form


For more info on the program and for the application form, download this pdf