MA Asian Art Histories

Read history, make history.

The MA in Asian Art Histories programme cultivates a new generation of art historians, curators, art writers, and exhibition-makers. It is a global pioneer to focus on Asian modern and contemporary art histories.

It nurtures a nuanced and impactful appreciation of art from Asia, attracting a diverse and rich community of learners and scholars who seek to make a difference in their respective fields, countries, and art.

Located in the McNally School of the Fine Arts, the programme provides you a rare opportunity to work alongside and engage with emerging and established artists, field experts, curators and collectors drawn from Singapore and Asia’s rich visual arts ecology. You will also be oriented to critically engage with the wide range of exhibitions presented by LASALLE’s Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore.

Singapore's strategic geographic and culturally connected position in Asia and its investment in arts infrastructure have created numerous opportunities for our students to connect globally and engage with contemporary art discourse. The programme plugs centrally into this development, providing you with sustainable career opportunities.

You will be provided with appropriate research, art historical and theoretical knowledge and resources, and the opportunity to undertake original research in largely under-explored fields, investigate and amplify emerging artists and movements, and contribute to art historical discourse and scholarship.

The programme also encourages you to establish and expand your professional practices and networks to hone your potential to become a leading thinker and cultural producer in your field. Its rigour will adequately prepare you to pursue Ph.D. studies in art history.

Graduates have successfully gone to work as art historians, curators, gallerists and policymakers, and pursue Ph.D. studies.

Why apply

Timeliness: The burgeoning success of the visual arts industry in Asia presents a key motivation to make Asian art histories through concerted and guided study and research.

Urgency: Art needs art histories sensitive to the dynamic developments of its arts ecologies.

Emerging networks: Participate in conferences, publications and research projects alongside academic and industry leaders in the contested and exciting field of Asian art histories.

Experiential learning: Drawing on Singapore's vast resources of Southeast Asian art, this program provides opportunities for you to participate in visits to local galleries and cultural institutions in Singapore and the region.

Art historian, art teacher/educator, art writer, arts administrator, art consultant, curator, gallery manager or researcher.

Full-time

• Histories and Theories on Asian Art (30 credits)

• Society and Politics in Asian Art (30 credits)

• Exhibitions and the Making of Art Histories in Asia (30 credits)

• The Agora (30 credits)

• Final Research (60 credits)

Modes of assessment

• Written Assignment

• Seminar Presentation

• Thesis or Project Work

• Student Designed Assessment

Curriculum framework

The LASALLE MA framework aims to provide graduates with a competitive edge that will meet the demands of the dynamic cultural and creative sector.

The MA framework has the following common structure:

Core modules

You will study three core modules* according to your chosen program of study. These modules aim to equip you with discipline-specific skills relevant to your area of research inquiry.
*For the MA Art Therapy and MA Music Therapy programmes, there will be additional modules for clinical placements.

Common module – the Agora

The common module, the Agora, has been designed to prepare you for the intensely collaborative experience of a creative career. You will be guided to reflect on the ‘place’ of your particular discipline in society, the economy, and the environment. You will consider and experiment with combining your discipline with others (multidisciplinary), blending your skills and knowledge with those of other disciplines (interdisciplinary) or even discovering new ways of working together (transdisciplinary).

The Final Research module

Research methods will be embedded into the Final Research (thesis) module. Within this module, formal and dedicated ‘research weeks’ will occur in the first and second semesters. The research weeks will be distinctive points within your programme to allow you to concentrate fully on your research. The spread of its delivery is intended to provide you time to reflect, synthesize and consolidate your learning, and develop your research questions. You will also be provided six hours of supervision of your research.

Besides the immersion in the postgraduate research culture built through shared learning modules, the MA framework provides a transformative educational experience designed to shape you into a future-ready professional, equipped with the skills and expertise demanded by the industry.

Sustainability and care

LASALLE recognizes the important role of artists and designers in creating a sustainable and caring world. The curriculum provides opportunities for students to identify and explore issues around sustainability (from ecology and global climate change to the sustainability of their creative practices and wider cultural communities) and care (for the well-being and advancement of oneself and others).

The College actively encourages students to engage with and investigate these crucial contemporary issues as part of their studies, including through their projects, and critical and creative outputs. Through interdisciplinary learning and strong engagement with these topics, the aim is to empower students to lead the way toward sustainable practices and caring communities within the cultural and creative industries.

Materials

Basic learning materials are provided by the College.

As a developing artist, you are required to have certain items that are personal to you and cannot be shared. Such items include books, dance shoes, rehearsal clothes, safety boots, portable musical instruments, paints, canvas, basic tools, design software, cameras, etc., that will support you through your three-year learning journey. The College does not encourage the purchase of extravagant or costly materials or equipment. Our lecturers can provide you with affordable suggestions.

You are also encouraged to have your laptop for education. If you do not own one, computer labs are available on campus with the requisite software for you to undertake your work.

There may be opportunities for you to undertake extra-curricular study trips to enhance your overall learning. Trips are not compulsory and may incur additional costs.