Art in Science

Program Overview

MA Art in Science | Part-time

Why study this course with LJMU?

The MA Art in Science programme brings artists and scientists together to work at the intersection of disciplines. It provides exciting opportunities for artists and scientists to collaborate across the visual arts and the world of scientific inquiry, and facilitates discussions and interactions between subjects that have traditionally been studied in isolation in Higher Education. This provides opportunities for innovation and critical creativity, and encourages students to produce art-science research that may have a real world benefit to society.

About this course

The MA Art in Science programme explores the rich and complex intersection of disciplines through meaningful collaboration between artists and scientists.

Art and science are often seen as two different entities with very separate ideas of what constitutes research. Increasingly, collaborations between artists and scientists are a feature of our cultural landscape. Traditionally this relationship has been perceived as art in the service of science, whereby artists use their skills to visually interpret or communicate complex scientific ideas, objects or forms. However, a hybrid form of research has emerged over the last 30 years where artists and scientists are interested in the creative possibilities and speculative futures of the intersection of these two cultures.

The MA Art in Science programme is an exciting opportunity for artists and scientists to explore the boundaries of art and science, and encourages students to consider, adopt and implement a range of interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary or transdisciplinary methods, to refine, extend, develop and critically reflect upon their own practice, enhancing the skills that they bring with them to the programme and those that they develop during their studies.

• Enrol on an innovative programme, collaboratively developed with academic experts across a number of disciplines that include: Art and Design, Sports Science, Microbiology, Forensics, Public Health, Astrophysics, and Botany.
• Explore the relationship between art and science, including the historical and theoretical connections between art and science as cultures and practices, and understand how these ideas translate into contemporary experiences.
• Develop real world skills and decide which areas of art and science you wish to investigate as you progress through the programme.
• Design and deliver art-science practice-based or practice-led research projects in unexpected forms.
• Enjoy access to a number of different established art and science research centres across Liverpool John Moores University.
• Take advantage of the generous Michael Pugh Thomas and Julia Carter Preston Legacy £1000 scholarships offered to postgraduate applicants.
• Apply for postgraduate Susan Cotton travel funding to expand your research and cultural experience.
• This programme is also available in full-time study mode.

The programme fosters an inquisitive approach whereby the focus is on encounters with new practical skills and ideas to develop the student's art-science praxis. By acknowledging the specific relationships within, between, beyond or across conventional disciplines, and by working as individuals or in groups, or establishing new relationships and collaborations, students will produce innovative, visionary and speculative practical outcomes in the context of one or more disciplinary contexts. Outcomes will be creatively driven and evidence critical reflection.

Learning takes place predominantly through workshops lectures, seminars, reading groups and studio crits. You will study themes related to art-science interactions; studio/lab practice at the boundaries of disciplines; visualising the unseen and objectivity/subjectivity; ethics of display of human remains; anatomical and medical art; arts in health and graphic medicine; bioart, biohacking and bioethics; transhumanism and digital bodies; working with humans in research, and art-science public engagement.

Alongside your fellow Art in Science students there will also be several opportunities to collaborate with students and staff from the MAs in Cities, Exhibition Studies, Fashion Innovation, Fine Art, Illustration, and Immersive Media, particularly during two modules shared by all the postgraduate taught programmes.

You will be able to access a number of different research centres and cultural institutions across Liverpool to support your learning experience, including the World Museum Liverpool, Liverpool Medical Institution, Astrophysics Research Institute, Research Institute for Sports and Exercise Sciences, Public Health Institute, Forensic Research Institute, and Institute of Art and Technology.

Guest lecturers working across art-science disciplines will expose students to critically engaged making and design practices, and learning from and interacting with globally renowned practitioners and researchers; students will receive a rich and diverse introduction to a range of international collaborative practices that are at the root of cutting edge art-science collaborative research.

Collaborative opportunities enable you to specialise throughout the programme and, on graduation, you will leave with a portfolio of practical skills in areas such as visual interpretation and presentation of complex scientific ideas. You will develop an understanding of the research skills required to be employed as an artist in a scientific field, including an understanding of ethics and public engagement. As a graduate you will be able to apply critical and practical skills, research techniques and understanding of art-science praxis in your chosen career.

Course modules

Discover the building blocks of your programme

The Art in Science programme comprises five modules: four taught modules studied between September and April (two modules per semester) and one research project module undertaken between May and August.

To foster a collaborative research culture, students from all taught postgraduate programmes in the school study two modules together: 'Research Inquiry' and 'Transdisciplinary Practice'.

Core modules

• Research and Practice 2 - Art in Science (30 credits)
  • This module places emphasis on engagement with current debates and issues within contemporary art practice and its relationship with science, through analysis of the concepts, values and debates that inform study and practice in the field.
  • The module will enable you in understanding research happening in collaborative areas in art and science, including arts in health and graphic medicine; bioart and biohacking; transhumanism and digital bodies, and public engagement with science in unexpected locations such as festivals.
  • You will produce an illustrated and designed written project relating to your specific art-science research interests and relevant to a specific area of art-science.
• Research and Practice 1 (30 credits)
  • This module is shared by all students studying on taught postgraduate programmes at Liverpool School of Art and Design and allows you to collaborate across programmes.
  • A series of lectures, seminars, tutorials and visits will introduce you to current and emerging practice in relation to a diverse range of historical, theoretical and critical principles.
  • Guest lecturers will expose you to areas of collaboration.
  • Seminars and tutorials will require you to share, discuss and evaluate your ideas and practice with others.
• Transdisciplinary Practice (30 credits)
  • This module is shared by all students studying on taught Art and Design postgraduate programmes.
  • The Transdisciplinary Practice module concerns the development of your individual practice.
  • It sees you consider, adopt and implement a range of interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary or transdisciplinary methods, to refine, extend, develop and critically reflect upon your own practice.
  • This enables a deeper relationship to one's own practice by seeing it through the lens of other disciplines, and cultivates more sympathetic understanding of the contingencies of other practices and disciplines through the same process.
• Studio Practice - Art in Science (30 credits)
  • This module concerns the development of your individual art-science practice.
  • The module’s structure fosters an inquisitive approach whereby the focus is on introductory gestures with new practical skills and ideas in contemporary art-science to enable you to produce work that replicates and simulates real world interactions for making, research and collaborative practice.
  • The module equips you with a baseline of historical and theoretical underpinnings of art-science and an understanding of how to apply ideas that challenge existing knowledge.
  • You will study themes related to art-science interactions; studio/lab practice at the boundaries of disciplines; visualising the unseen and objectivity/subjectivity; anatomical and medical art; scientific illustration and bioart.
  • This ensures that you have the resources to engage with current debates and issues within art-science research and practice, and enables you to establish a deep and inquisitive relationship with critical theories and practices within experimental art-science interactions, the contexts within which they are deployed and the research against which they are evaluated.
• Major Project - Art in Science (60 credits)
  • In this module you will explore the creative possibilities and speculative futures at the intersection of Art and Science through the production of a research proposal and development of a practice-based or practice-led research project appropriate to your art-science research concerns, which is supported by critical reflection and evaluation.
  • The module provides an opportunity for innovation and critical creativity and encourages you to produce inter-multi-transdisciplinary work that may have a real world benefit to society.
  • You will have the opportunity to produce a self-directed and substantial body of work that is closely linked with your personal career aspirations.
  • The kind of work expected should demonstrate a high level of conceptual thought and understanding of the historical and theoretical connections between art and science as cultures and practices, and show how these ideas translate into contemporary experiences.

Your Learning Experience

Teaching Assessment

• Teaching methods
  • The programme aims to provide a balance of opportunities for students to acquire and develop advanced practical skills, academic knowledge and transferable skills.
  • As a student-centred programme you will establish a deep and inquisitive relationship with art-science critical theories and practices, the contexts within which they are deployed and the research against which they are evaluated to be able to develop your own art-science practice.
  • Learning on the programme combines experiential elements in studios and laboratories with more formal lecture and seminar based delivery supported by reading groups.
  • You will be introduced to specialist workshops and technical support and develop their practical skills and support on-going project work.
  • The programme is supported by guest lecturers from a range of science disciplines including botany, microbiology, forensics, astrophysics, mathematics, public health, and medical simulation who will expose you to a range of critical discourses in art-science.
• Study hours
  • Teaching across each semester is intensive and varies depending on the modules being studied.
  • The two main teaching contact days are Mondays and Tuesdays.
  • You are expected to develop your practice and projects in your non-contact study days.
• Applied learning
  • As a student on this programme you will be introduced to the Institute of Art and Technology (IAT).
  • The IAT is a world-leading centre for artistic, technological and transdisciplinary research and hosts inquisitive and creative researchers from around the world: all teaching, all learning, all working together for a better future.
  • As Liverpool's international flagship for cultural and creative research, the IAT is a collective network of artistic research and technologies laboratories, each with a team led by inspiring researchers.

Career paths

• Further your career prospects
  • LJMU has an excellent employability record with 94% (HESA 2022) of our postgraduates in work or further study fifteen months after graduation.
  • Our applied learning techniques and strong industry connections ensure our students are fully prepared for the workplace on graduation and understand how to apply their knowledge in a real world context.
• Our aim is for students to complete the programme in readiness for self-employment or the world of work within their chosen specialist field.
• On graduation this MA may be used for a range of purposes within public health, biomedical communications, scientific illustration, public engagement with science, and STEAM education.
• Many graduates may go on to work freelance, however there are also career opportunities in a range of related sectors.
• Graduates have gone on to secure Artist Residencies with METAL (Liverpool), Independents Biennial (Liverpool) and Open Eye Gallery (Liverpool), and exhibit work nationally at venues such as Plas Bodfa (Wales), or internationally, including at the Science Gallery Melbourne (Australia).
• Some have worked with national and international museums to engage the public with science in a range of contexts.
• Additionally, graduates have worked as Medical Writers for the National Institutes of Health (USA), and as Production Coordinators for the Science Museum Group (National Science and Media Museum, Bradford).
• Others have gone on to work as Research Assistants for research institutions with roles that include scientific illustration, public health communications, and public engagement with science through comics and games (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, and University of Liverpool).
• Some have trained as School Teachers or educational technologists, and others have gone on to complete Doctoral Research.

Tuition fees and funding

• Home
  • Part-time per credit: £60
• Fees
  • The fees quoted above cover registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examinations as well as library membership and student IT support with access to printed, multimedia and digital resources including programme-appropriate software and on campus wifi.
• Financial Support
  • There are many ways to fund postgraduate study for home and international students.
  • From loans to International Scholarships and subject-specific funding, you’ll find all of the information you need on our specialist postgraduate funding pages.
  • The University offers a range of financial support for students.
  • You'll find all the information you need on our specialist financial support pages including details of the Student Support Fund and other activities to support with the cost of living.
• Additional Costs
  • In addition to fees, students should also keep in mind the cost of:
    • Accommodation
    • Travel costs and field trips unless paid for by LJMU
    • Stationery, IT equipment, professional body membership and graduation gown hire

Entry requirements

• You will need:
  • Home
    • Qualification requirements
      • Undergraduate degree
        • minimum 2:1 honours degree in a related subject area
        • applicants with a 2:2, non-related degree or non-standard background will be considered on an individual basis and will need to attend an interview and provide a portfolio (plus a CV for non-standard applicants)
    • Further information
      • Extra Requirements
        • All applicants must submit a portfolio of 8-12 images of any subject in any media or written work, that demonstrate your own practice and/or interest in Art/Science
      • RPL
        • RPL is accepted on this programme
  • International
    • IELTS
      • IELTS English language requirement: 6.0 with a minimum 5.5 in each component
    • Further information
      • Extra Requirements
        • All applicants must submit a portfolio of 8-12 images of any subject in any media or written work, that demonstrate your own practice and/or interest in Art/Science
      • RPL
        • RPL is accepted on this programme

How to apply

• Securing your place at LJMU
  • To apply for this programme, you are required to complete an LJMU online application form.
  • You will need to provide details of previous qualifications and a personal statement outlining why you wish to study this programme.
  • All applicants should be able to demonstrate a sufficient level of knowledge to embark on the programme (including the linguistic competence) and to complete the programme within time limits.
  • You will also be required to submit a Portfolio, Personal Statement and Academic References to support your application.
  • You are required to submit a portfolio of 8-12 images or videos (of any subject in any media) or written work (such as essays, dissertations or blog posts), that demonstrate your own practice and/or interest in art-science.
  • It is recommended to submit your Portfolio as either a PDF, PowerPoint or link to an Online Portfolio (website, video hosting platform etc.) to enable us to consider your application.
  • Your personal statement should detail why you wish to study this programme and include personal experience and particular aspects of the programme that you find interesting.
  • It should outline your practice and your interests in art-science (who and what interests you).
• We recommend applications are submitted by July to allow sufficient time for these to be considered and necessary information and arrangements completed before the programme commences.
• However, applications will be considered up until the end of August.