Concept by MA in Curating students inspired by symposium workshop.
Image by Cynthia Post Hunt (2022).
Today, curating is not just concerned with visual arts – it is a cultural practice that spans numerous disciplines and cultural fields. The MA in Curating reflects this diversity by promoting an interdisciplinary approach to curating, providing you with broad competences in cultural analysis, critical thinking and communication.
On this website, you can read about the MA in Curating programme at Aarhus University and find out what students think about the programme. You can also find information about the admission requirements and application procedure.
If you have any questions, you are welcome to contact programme coordinator Trine Friis Sørensen
The MA in Curating is a professional Master’s degree programme designed for practitioners and professionals in the fields of curating, cultural programming, education and communication. It is an international, two-year, part-time and low-residency degree programme that enables you to establish an interdisciplinary understanding of curating in contemporary society and develop your own position within the field. The programme is designed in a way that allows you to maintain a full-time job while studying.
Building on the experiences and practices of the enrolled students, the MA in Curating focuses on the close relationship between practice and theory, doing and thinking, and experience and reflection. During the programme, you will be introduced to theories, concepts and methodologies that enable you to analyse and evaluate curatorial practices and projects and to self-reflectively develop your own curatorial practice. The MA in Curating is furthermore organised in a way that allows you to pursue individual learning and research interests alongside the shared curriculum and course work.
Throughout the programme, you will be able to expand your network through interaction with international curators, scholars and fellow students – both in the classroom and during field trips. By introducing you to new tools and perspectives, the programme also enhances your career opportunities and enables you to operate within and across a range of contemporary institutions and platforms that organise, present and convey exhibitions and other curated activities.
The MA in Curating provides a challenging, international study environment that draws on the expertise of researchers across departments at Aarhus University as well as visiting scholars and curators. The programme also has partnerships with a number of prominent art and cultural institutions that we visit and engage with during the course of the programme (see lists below).
To learn more about the degree programme, take a look at Light Bulbs and Round Tables: A Conversation about MA in Curating at Aarhus University by alumni Line Sandvad Mengers and Nanna Balslev Strøjer and programme coordinator Trine Friis Sørensen. The conversation is published by Peripeti – Journal of Dramaturgical Studies in 2022.
The MA in Curating is designed for practitioners and professionals in the fields of curating, cultural programming, education and communication, who wish to develop their professional practice in an international and interdisciplinary environment.
Students generally enrol in the programme to strengthen their existing curatorial or cultural profile or to support their transition into curating from a related field/practice, e.g. artistic practice or communication.
The programme enables students to operate within and across a range of institutions, platforms and contexts that organise, present and convey exhibitions and other curated activities, for example museums, art centres, galleries, biennials, festivals, cultural programming at large, publishing, art education, and organisations, private enterprises and self-organised initiatives within the cultural field.
Applicants must have an appropriate educational background, a minimum of two years of relevant, practical experience obtained after completing the degree programme on which admission is based, and English proficiency according to the specifications below.
Enrolment in the programme also requires
All applicants with a non-Danish qualifying degree must document English language qualifications comparable to an ‘English B level’ in the Danish upper secondary school (‘gymnasium’).
English language qualifications comparable to an ‘English B level’ in Denmark can be documented as follows:
For further information, please read the description of the English language requirements.
How to apply
Your application must be submitted online through the application portal. Simply click the blue button "Apply for admission" to start. You may save your application and submit it at a later stage.
As part of your application, you are required to upload your transcripts, CV and documentation of work experience from third party e.g pay slips, employment contract or statement from the employer covering minimum two years of fulltime work post-graduation.
The sooner we receive your documents, the sooner we can process your application. We strive to provide feedback and assessment on applications on an ongoing basis. You may re-submit additional documents if needed.
Please note, the academic regulations for MA in Curating are currently undergoing revision, which will lead to a number of changes to be implemented by September 2022. The revision process focuses on strengthening continuity and progression between modules, specifying learning goals and aligning exam forms with workload and ECTS credits.
MA in Curating comprises four modules of 15 ECTS credits each that can be taken sequentially over two years of part-time study or as individual modules. In order to complete the fourth and final module, students must have finished the first three modules.
The programme includes lectures, seminars, discussions, group work, independent study, peer learning, workshops, field trips, individual supervision and peer feedback, and is supported online by AU’s digital learning platform.
All courses are taught in English. Discussions, assignments and exams are also in English.
Find more information about the degree programme, examination rules etc. in the Academic Regulations for the Professional Master’s Degree Programme in Curating (2022)
The programme is offered under the Board of Studies of the School of Communication and Culture.
The MA in Curating draws on the expertise of scholars across a number of departments at Aarhus University as well as visiting curators and scholars. The programme furthermore collaborates with a number of art, cultural and educational institutions.
The lists below include some of the institutions, scholars and curators that we have engaged with so far, many of which will return in the next round of the programme.
The programme is coordinated by Trine Friis Sørensen, PhD, who is a curator and a postdoc fellow in a project between Kunsthal Aarhus and Aesthetics & Culture, Aarhus University.
The programme was established at the initiative of Jacob Lund, Geoff Cox and Jette Gejl Kristensen.
The first three modules consist of three intensive three-day seminars (Friday–Sunday). During autumn modules, seminars usually take place in September, October and November and during spring modules in February, March and April. At least one seminar each semester will take place outside of Aarhus in relation to one or more partner institutions. Seminars generally begin at 11 am CET on Fridays and end no later than at 4 pm CET on Sundays. In between seminars, online learning may also occur. The fourth and final module, which supports the students’ thesis-writing process, is primarily online.
Seminars in Aarhus predominantly take place at the
School of Communication and Culture
Aarhus University
Langelandsgade 145
8000 Aarhus C
No. Building networks, engaging with professionals, visiting exhibitions and sharing experiences are essential aspects of the programme, which makes in-person participation necessary. However, the first three modules are likely to include online sessions in between seminars, supervision can take place online, and the fourth and final semester is primarily online.
Covid-19-related restrictions may temporarily change the emphasis on in-person teaching.
Yes, the programme has accommodated overseas students before, but you have to be willing to travel three times during each of the first three modules and for exams that require in-person participation.
Unless you are absolutely sure that you only want to follow a single module, we recommend that you apply for the whole programme in order to secure your place in the programme. Tuition fees are charged per module, which means that your enrolment in a forthcoming module is not final until the payment has been made. You can withdraw from a module and be reimbursed if we receive your cancellation no later than 1. september for modules beginning in autumn and 1. February for modules beginning in spring. Please note it is not posible to be reimbursed after the cancellation deadline.
The workload is consistent with part-time (50%) studies with varying degrees of intensity. You will have to carve out time to study, especially before seminars and during exam periods. Many students work full-time while enrolled and schedule their reading and writing for week nights, weekends and holidays.
The full programme must be completed within six years of enrolment. If you are enrolled in single modules, you must finish no later than two years after enrolment.
You have to plan and cover your own travel and accommodation expenses during seminars. Low-budget hotels in Aarhus include Wakeup Aarhus and Cabinn Aarhus. You usually do not have to spend much money on books as most literature is shared via AU’s online learning platform.
All visitors to Denmark must have a valid passport to enter the country. Visa and residence permit requirements may vary and are always subject to change, so it would be wise to check with the Danish embassy or consulate in your area before finalising any travel plans. For more information about visa and residence permit requirements, please visit the Danish Immigration website, newtodenmark.dk.
The tuition fee for the MA in Curating is DKK 82,000 for 60 ECTS credits (DKK 20,500 per module of 15 ECTS-credits).
The fee is charged per module and covers the classes in the relevant semester and three examination attempts per module.
In addition to the tuition fee, students will be expected to contribute to the costs of their studies when travelling to other locations, as several sessions will be arranged elsewhere in Europe. Visits to other events and institutions are considered to be an important part of the programme, both to share experiences and to extend networks.
All non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens (including students holding a British national overseas passport) are liable to pay an additional tuition fee of EUR 8,000 for 60 ECTS credits or EUR 2,000 for 15 ECTS credits.
For questions about academic content and relevance, please contact
Programme coordinator Trine Friis Sørensen (trinefs@cc.au.dk)
For questions regarding admission requirements, application process and requirements, enrolment and invoicing, please contact
Continuing Education, Arts
Faculty of Arts
E-mail: evu.arts@au.dk
Phone: +45 87 16 10 97
Office hours: Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays 10am-12noon CET
