Situated Design

Who is welcome to apply?

Graphic designers, illustrators, urbanists, communication & digital cultures, electronics and software engineers, filmmakers, visual storytellers, artists, data scientists.

What are we providing?

During this two-year Master programme, students from various disciplines learn how to provide meaning to the world outside of the studio. In an interdisciplinary learning environment, students will explore how to take environmental, social, cultural and political factors as the basis for design processes.

Through exposure to a variety of design methodologies and practices, students learn to iterate design concepts and are able to analyze, inform and shape their projects from concept to final project. Students learn to design with emerging technologies and creative software to create new perspectives and innovative forms of design and user experiences.

On the basis of partnerships with commercial, governmental, scientific and cultural organisations, the Master programme offers a range of real-world challenges to engage with. Working on these challenges, students develop the skills, experiences and critical mindset required for design after the situated turn.

The Master Institute of Visual Cultures is a locally grounded international community of learning and research. We have dedicated Master studio spaces. The Master Institute is committed to adopting new technical advancements in interactive and creative technologies. Our outstanding workshop and technical facilities provide courses in Data visualisation, VR/AR., web design related coding, non-linear immersive and iterative storytelling, spatial & location design, and interactive media – as well as access to workshops across film & photography, print, wood, ceramics, metal - allow students to immerse themselves in innovative artistic development projects, and are supported by a team of experienced staff on hand.

Programme Specification

Duration of study: 24 months (4 semesters)
Mode of study: Full-time
Award: Master of Fine Art and Design
Credits: 120
Awarding institution: Avans University of Applied Sciences
Board of studies: St. Joost School of Art and Design

We offer students a unique interdisciplinary (taught, research and knowledge exchange) programme of art & design activities, fostering key areas of research and scholarship in a much broader spectrum of art and design practices, while at the same time building a bridge with science and technology. Across all our pathways, practice and theory are co-taught, encouraging knowledge generation in relation to current social issues and civic urgencies that are relevant today, where the value of creativity, agency and critical production is understood as key for social change. 

The interdisciplinary curriculum across the MA FAD offers students flexibility, as well as a fixed programme of mandatory courses and elective modules that are shared across our MA pathways in Situated Design, Visual Arts and Post-Contemporary Practice and Ecology Futures. Fixed elements are: Independent Studio Practice, General Academic Studies (GAS), Professional Practice and Research Seminars (pathway specific). Flexible elements allow students to design their own curriculum through: Elective Modules, Tutorials (one-to-one and group), Skills Based Workshops, Lectures, Excursions and Group Critiques. Residencies, Internships, PhD preparatory trajectory and Caradt Research Fellowships offer students the possibility to broaden the spectrum of their personal curriculum choices.

Learning Tracks

The learning track of each semester of the MA FAD programme is as follows:
Semester 1 Context & Skills Learning
Semester 2 Co-research and External Enquiry in the Field
Semester 3 Consolidation of Practice-led Research
Semester 4 Graduation Phase

Units of study

MA FAD pathways are delivered across twenty-four months, comprised of 4 semesters and 6 units of study. Each unit ends with an assessment (either summative or formative) correlated to adhering learning outcomes.

Good to know

FAQ
Finance
Research
Study in the Netherlands

Admissions

We invite applications from designers who seek a deeper understanding of the fundamental changes taking place within the profession—and those who are eager to shape its future. The programme relies upon, and thereby cultivates, an independent attitude and personal agency.

Spoken and written proficiency in English is required.

See more about admission

Professional future

The programme Situated Design prepares you for a future in a dynamic profession that demands strong reflexive and adaptive abilities. In a critical and supportive environment, you will learn how to operate independently and as part of a team on complex, research-based projects. Graduates leave the Master Institute with a cohesive body of work and, more importantly, working methods upon which to build a sustainable, lifelong career in the field of design.

Your studies will take place within a diverse community of Master’s students from many different backgrounds. Engaging with people from all over the world in a multidisciplinary environment will enrich your practice and allow you to build a unique network of peers.

Furthermore, frequent collaboration with professionals outside of the academy ensures that our students gain experience in a wide range of practices and establish a valuable network within the professional field. To see what our alumni have gone on to to do with their degrees, please visit our community page.

Situated Design maintains strong connections with designers, publishers and institutions in the Netherlands and abroad. Recent collaborations include: V2_Lab for Unstable Media, JADS, DDW. Visit our blog to see what our students are up to.