Master in Fine Art and Design

Subject-specific knowledge

• High level of knowledge and understanding in the fields of art/design theory and history of art/design; ability to apply this knowledge in creative practice;
• Knowledge and understanding in the field of research through art/design; ability to articulate research concerns of creative practice;
• Knowledge and understanding in the fields of natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities relevant to specific concerns of creative practice; ability to deploy this knowledge for innovative objectives of creative practice;
• Understanding of what constitutes professional excellence in contemporary art/design; comprehensive understanding of the individual artistic and critical concerns of creative practice at a level of professional excellence;
• Well-informed insight into contemporary technologies of art/design making.

Subject-specific skills

• Ability to undertake independent practice, starting from finding and articulating a relevant topic, through determining project objectives and appropriate creative means and methods, to implementing a creative plan and creating the work of art/design;
• Ability to choose appropriate creative and technological solutions, ability to outsource work to specialists when appropriate;
• Ability to apply conceptual knowledge and critical reasoning for self-directed aims;
• Ability to subject the process of making of works of art/design, the ideas and concepts involved, and the works themselves to critical scrutiny;
• Ability to carry out independent research based on creative practice or for the purposes of creative practice; ability to communicate research outputs.

Transferable skills

• Ability to present creative practice at a level of professional excellence (exhibitions at art galleries and museums of art, art competitions, public presentations, funding applications);
• Ability to discuss creative work competently; ability to take part in a debate on contemporary art/design at an expert level;
• Ability to work collectively, ability to assume different positions within a collective structure;
• Ability to defend the creative practice as socially relevant;
• Willingness to expand knowledge, skills, and competencies.

The Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA) is a part of Brno University of Technology. FFA resides in historical buildings of Brno's former German Technical University at 53 Údolní Street, close to the city centre.

FFA covers a diverse range of current approaches to contemporary art and design. The field of design is represented by the Graphic Design Studios 1 and 2 and the Product Design Studio. The field of intermedia and digital arts is represented by the Environment Studio, Performance Studio, Video Studio, Intermedia Studio, Photography Studio, Game Media Studio, and the Body Design Studio. The field of fine art is represented by the Sculpture Studio and Spatial Design Studio, Painting Studios 1, 2, and 3, and the Drawing and Printmaking Studio. Additionally, there is a studio led by a visiting artist, established in 2019. FFA studio tutors are notable artists, designers, and theoreticians active in the contemporary art scene who base their teaching methodology on their own artistic experience. Studio teaching is complemented by theoretical lectures on art history, aesthetics, philosophy, sociology, and a series of elective courses based on the needs of the studios. Lecturers at the Department of Art History and Theory are renowned Czech curators, art, design, and architecture historians and theorists. Tasks related to practical education and technology are supported by the Department of Audiovisual Technology, the Department of Design, the Department of Traditional Media, and the Department of 3D Technology which also includes the 3D Studio, established in 2007 as the first of its kind in the Czech Republic.

Thanks to cooperation with art galleries and the curatorial and organizational practices of academics, alumni, and current students, FFA offers numerous occasions for exhibitions and public presentations of students' work. Regular presentations of student' works enable public confrontation and networking with gallerists, curators, and collectors alike. Significant support is provided by the FFA Gallery, a lively communication space for the emerging and youngest generation of artists and curators. It is also something of an experimental laboratory of open dialog between the academia and the public.

In accordance with its mission, the faculty ranks among the country's top centres of education, independent knowledge, and creative activity. FFA plays an important role in the artistic, research, cultural, social, and economic development of society, providing access to higher education while respecting democratic principles. FFA preserves and expands human knowledge and performs artistic research, development, innovation, and other creative activities. As part of BUT, FFA is part of a Higher Educational Institution (HEI) that develops artistic talents of its students and links art education and artistic practice to research as a unique way of exploring the world and cultivating society. It does so through the creative work of its staff, students, and alumni who are active in the arts, design, and research sectors. The aim of FFA is to equip students with competencies that would allow them to take up careers as independently practicing artists or designers or as part of creative teams and interdisciplinary collectives, producing individual and collaborative work that is innovative, critical, and engaged.

Academic freedom is the traditional value from which FFA derives the principles of its activities. This value is associated in particular with institutional autonomy, political independence, freedom of thought, the right to present and defend opinions, the defence of equal opportunities, active participation in self-government, and the development of the principles of democracy. In collaboration with other art and educational institutions and other partners, the faculty creates space for public debate and contributes significantly to the openness, criticality, expertise, and sophistication of that debate. Aware of its position and role in society, FFA emphasizes ethical behaviour of its academic community, as well as all its employees.

Fine Art and Design is a postgraduate program in English offered in a full-time mode that runs for four semesters over two academic years. The program is credited with 120 ECTS credits. Students are expected to commit to seminars, workshops, and independent study.

The Fine Art and Design program is completed with the Final State Examination consisting of two, separately assessed parts: the defense of the Research Paper and the presentation and defense of the Diploma Project. On successfully completing the program, students gain an internationally recognized master's degree (MgA., Magister Artis), which is Level 7 under the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications.

The Fine Art and Design program curriculum consists of studio practice in studios of students' choice, lectures and seminars that develop and strengthen students' capabilities of critical thinking and contextualization, and elective courses aimed at expanding their knowledge of specific topics and developing specialist skills.

Core Courses

First Year

Second Year

Studio Practice

Students in the FAAD programme make use of their own studio facilitated by a FAAD studio tutor. In their home studio, students gather for regular meetings and use it for some of their lectures, workshops and seminars. The FAAD studio provides them with space to test and take up their creative projects, as well as to study, relax and meet each other. In addition to their permanent base in the FAAD studio, students receive support in one of the sixteen FFA specialist studios or in the Visiting Artist`s Studio. At the beginning of each semester, students are assigned to a supervisor in one of the studios based on an initial consultation, during which a preliminary plan of activities and participation in the studio is agreed upon. Alternatively, they can apply to take part in the Visiting Artist's Studio led by a different internationally renowned artist or designer each semester. Under the guidance of their supervisor, students acquire theoretical knowledge and practical skills concerning material processes and technological procedures in the field designated by the specialization of the studio and address creative and critical concerns of their art or design practice during one-to one-tutorials. On top of that, they are welcome to attend studio meetings, workshops and field trips, as well as to use the studio space and equipment for their work.

The progress of students' work is monitored and assessed in FAAD studio group crits, one-to-one tutorials with supervising tutors and during mid-term critiques and end-of-semester projects' presentations and assessments. After the mid-term critiques, students decide whether they want to complete and present their semester project in their home FAAD studio or in the studio they are assigned to for that semester. At the end of the semester, students can either renegotiate their stay or choose to pursue their practice under a supervision of another studio's tutor.

Contemporary Art in Local Contexts

The course introduces students to the local art networks and encourages their participation in them. By way of sessions with invited speakers, visits to art events, and field trips to museums and galleries, students learn about how art institutions operate and examine structures that sustain them. Students familiarize themselves with life at the faculty and get acquainted with the art scene in Brno and beyond.

Art After 2000

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the topics, tendencies, and approaches that have had a significant place in contemporary art over the last quarter of a century. Knowledge of current art practices and themes that have resonated in major exhibition institutions should help students to critically articulate their own position and creative direction.

Critical Practice

The course provides a critical but caring and responsive platform for collective discussions, experiments, and sharing of experiences. Students learn how to critically reflect on their art or design work and on the work of others. Students examine creative practices in relation to their complex histories and their currency in wider social and cultural processes. They engage with what it means to be a creative practitioner today and how creative works and ideas are understood in and across different cultural, social, and intellectual contexts. Seminars are facilitated by experienced tutors who respond to the needs and concerns of the participants and ensure the in-depth critical analysis of examined topics.

Research Through Art and Design

The course familiarizes students with the historical roots, institutionalization, and current developments of artistic research, instigates discussion about the production of knowledge in fine art and design, and explores new avenues that research through art and design opens for creative practitioners. Students develop and advance their ability to recognize and build on research aspects of their creative work. They learn how to formulate research questions, choose appropriate methods, interpret results, and articulate research contribution of their creative practice.

Research Paper Seminar

The aim of the course is to support students during the process of writing of their Research Paper. The course consists of seminars, workshops, and individual tutorials assisting students with implementing a research plan on a relevant topic and writing a Research Paper based on that topic in keeping with required standards of academic writing. In seminars, students learn the basics of academic writing, examine challenges posed by writing about practice-based research, and practice their writing skills through individual and group assignments. Regular workshops facilitate the writing process through group feedback sessions and discussions about the obstacles that students encounter while writing. Individual tutorials with research paper supervisors focus on specific issues arising from individual research projects and take place based on individual needs of students and with a view to the completeness of their work.

Diploma Project Seminar

In the final semester of their study, students' work on the Diploma Project is facilitated by the Diploma Project seminar. Students present and discuss their work in progress in regular meetings with their Diploma Project supervisors who provide theoretical and practical assistance to students' working towards the successful completion, presentation, and defence of the Diploma Project.

Elective Courses

The FAAD study program offers a wide range of elective courses in addition to the compulsory ones. These are divided into two groups – Workshops & Labs and Theory & Discourse. The first group of electives is designed to help students develop and master practical skills, techniques, and media. The second group includes courses aimed at expanding knowledge in contemporary art and design theory and related areas of the humanities.