Course Catalogue

The MA Art in Science programme 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 transdisciplinary research that may have a real world benefit to society.

The programme provides exciting opportunities for artists and scientists to collaborate across the visual arts and the world of scientific inquiry, and explore the boundaries of art and science, and sees students 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.

Students 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.

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.

The programme encourages students to work across disciplines and, where appropriate, collaborate with other postgraduate students and researchers and practitioners from research groups across LJMU and Liverpool City Region.

Access to a number of different research centres and cultural institutions across Liverpool supports the learning experience. 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 cutting-edge of art-science.

Learning takes place predominantly through lectures, seminars, reading groups and studio crits. Outcomes will be creatively driven and evidence critical reflection. Students will develop practice-based or practice-led art-science research projects.

The programme aims:

• To make students aware of the practical applications of art in a science context and be guided in understanding how this translates into contemporary practices, experiences and outcomes. 
• To help students define their existing practice and extend its scope and ambition in a art-science context.
• To develop new and existing skills, and provide opportunities to apply them within art-science contexts.
• To provide industry relevant learning and teaching experiences through engagement and collaboration with established internal and external partners, for example in the fields of science and technology, throughout the delivery of the programme.
• To introduce students to current and emerging art-science practice in relation to a diverse range of historical, theoretical and critical principles.
• To 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.
• To encourage critical engagement with, and critical evaluation and synthesis of, current art-science concepts, theories and research, to understand research happening in collaborative areas in art and science.
• To provide a range of learning experiences that will act as critical context for intellectual and professional development within the context of art and science.
• Critically discuss contemporary art-science issues for a specialist or non-specialist audience
• To develop research skills, relevant approaches to their practice and the critical abilities to support the development of a self-initiated art-science practice-based or practice-led research project.
• To enable students to develop critical awareness through group evaluation and group critique.
• To produce graduates who can apply critical and practical skills, research techniques and understanding in their chosen careers.

The programme aims to provide a balance of opportunities for students to acquire and develop advanced practical skills, academic knowledge and transferable skills.

It is a student-centred programme that recognises the need for students to 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 their 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. Students 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 students to a range of critical discourses in art-science. 

Peer review is a crucial part of the practice-based research experience and this is facilitated through student-led and tutor guided studio activities and critical reviews. At this level it is expected that students will show a high degree of motivation and ability to engage in self-directed study, demonstrating a level of scholarship, initiative and problem solving appropriate to Master's degree study.

• Teaching is through a programme of lectures, seminars, reading groups, workshops, studio critiques and site visits.
• Learning is consolidated through seminars, tutorials and studio activity.
• Throughout the programme the learner is encouraged to undertake independent reading and visits, to both supplement and consolidate what is being taught/learnt and to broaden their individual knowledge and understanding of the subject.
• Visiting lecturers and collaborations with internal and external partners will provide additional input.
• Interaction with professional figures and industry partners within chosen field of study will enhance learning and development of project outcomes.
• Students formally present research activities at key stages for formative feedback and peer review.
• The self-directed development of art-science projects is supported by a programme of themed lectures and seminars that enable students to establish a professional understanding of collaborative areas in art and science.
• Seminars provide the opportunity for discussion and the development of verbal skills.
• Studio based group critiques engage the students in critical discussion around their work in the context of their peer group.
• Individual tutorials provide the opportunity for in-depth discussion about developing practice and the students' motivation.
• Canvas will make teaching materials readily available.
• Assessment methods include presentations, proposals, portfolios of development work and outcomes, essays and reflective writing.
• A high level of seminar and tutorial contact allows for considerable amount of formative assessment and feedback before the summative assessment points for each module.
• All students will be assigned a personal tutor who will be responsible for their academic development and assessment.

The programme has been designed with collaborative practice and discovery at its core. The programme will facilitate study and collaboration with internal and external partners in art and science in order to give postgraduate students the opportunity to gain work-related learning experience. These opportunities will arise during modules 7006MALSAD, 7004MAAS and 7005MAAS. These opportunities will greatly enhance their professional development and understanding of the practical applications of art in a science context within industry. All students are encouraged to identify and evaluate their programme specific, personal and transferrable skills in an environment external to LJMU. Engagement with visiting speakers and supervision or collaboration on projects with scientists provides insight into the evaluation, production and application of art-science projects, in local and international contexts.