Aesthetics and Art Theory MA

Why choose this course?

This course combines a grounding in philosophical aesthetics in the modern European tradition with a study of contemporary art theory and the philosophy of art history. It offers an overview of philosophical approaches to modern art, distinguishing between 'aesthetic', 'Romantic' and 'Modernist' problematics, and considers current debates on situated and 'planetary' aesthetics.

Modules engage with figures like Walter Benjamin, Theodor Adorno, Gilles Deleuze, Jacques Rancière, Rosalind Krauss and Benjamin Buchloh.

You will study at the UK's leading Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy at Kingston University, which hosts conferences, workshops and regular seminars.

Mode Duration Attendance Start date
Full time 1 year Two modules per week September 2024
Full time 2 years including professional placement Two modules per week plus placement year September 2024
Part time 2 years One module per week September 2024
Location Penrhyn Road

Reasons to choose Kingston University

  • This course is taught by leading specialists in the internationally renowned Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy (CRMEP).
  • Unlike most courses on art theory, it grounds its problems and concepts in their appropriate philosophical context.
  • The course will prepare you for careers in the arts, education and public policy, and for doctoral research across the humanities and social sciences.

The Art School Experience

As part of Kingston School of Art, students on this course benefit from joining a creative community where collaborative working and critical practice are encouraged.

Our workshops and studios are open to all disciplines, enabling students and staff to work together, share ideas and explore multi-disciplinary making.

Two students collaborate on a design project.

What you will study

You'll study canonical authors including Adorno, Aristotle, Benjamin, Deleuze, Derrida, de Duve, Duchamp, Greenberg, Heidegger, Kant, Krauss, Rancière, and Schlegel, and gain a clear overview of the main philosophical approaches to modern and contemporary art.

The course will distinguish between ‘aesthetic', ‘Romantic' ‘Modernist' and ‘Contemporary' (global) problematics, and will offer a distinctive grounding in ongoing debates over the reception of contemporary art.

Modules

You may also choose from a range of option modules from the Modern European Philosophy and Philosophy & Contemporary Critical Theory MA courses.

You'll take one core taught module worth 30 credits, and then choose three other 30-credit modules from a range of options, before preparing the 15,000-word dissertation (worth 60 credits).

Modules

Additional year with placement

You'll engage with some of the most influential texts in modern and contemporary art theory from Kant, Schiller and Schlegel to Greenberg, Adorno, Rancière and Deleuze – framed in terms of fundamental conceptual problems inherited from the German Idealists.

Core modules

Kant and the Aesthetic Tradition

30 credits

This module provides an introduction to the tradition of philosophical aesthetics through a detailed study of its founding text, Kant's Critique of the Power of Judgement.

Philosophy Dissertation

60 credits

This module provides you with an opportunity for intensive and detailed research-based study of your chosen topic under the guidance of an appropriate MA dissertation supervisor.

Optional modules

Art Theory: Modernism, Avant-Garde, Contemporary

30 credits

Based on a study of artists' texts, art criticism, art history and philosophical writings on art, this module comprises a critical examination of the legacy and possibilities of modernist and avant-garde criticism in contemporary art theory. As well as introducing students to some of the major texts and ideas in these traditions of art theory and art criticism, the modules aims to enable students to reflect critically on works of contemporary art in the light of their study.

Critique, Practice, Power

30 credits

A historical and philosophical introduction to the two main 20th-century traditions of Critical Theory: the Frankfurt School and French anti-humanism. After several works devoted to Kant's conception of freedom and practical philosophy, the module focuses on competing conceptions of critique, practice and empowerment, in, for example, Marx, Lukács, Adorno and Horkheimer, Althusser, Foucault, and one or two more recent thinkers (e.g. Badiou or Rancière).

German Critical Theory

30 credits

This module involves guided study of two or three major works of twentieth-century German critical theory or philosophy, focusing each year on the work of two or more related thinkers, such as Benjamin, Adorno, Horkheimer, Habermas, Sloterdijk. Indicative topics include: critique of enlightenment, philosophy of history, the non-identical, dialectics, materialism, reification, freedom, communicative reason and the philosophical response to the Shoah.

Hegel and his Legacy

30 credits

Through our reading of the Phenomenology of Spirit, we will focus on the issue of understanding, more specifically of philosophical understanding. In the Preface, Hegel states that "philosophical writings" "have to be read over and over before they can be understood" (§63). Which specific mental, cognitive and affective operations does such a rereading imply? According to Hegel, our understanding (Verstand) is not, as a faculty, able to give us access to the "concept" (Begriff). What is it that our understanding does not understand? Through despair, doubt, skepticism and pain produced by the resistance of the philosophical statement, something appears — spirit. "Spirit that appears", such is the meaning of the title Phenomenology of Spirit, such is also the name of the proper philosophical understanding: revelation.

Kant and his Legacy

30 credits

This module provides students with a grounding in Kant's philosophy, through detailed study of the Critique of Pure Reason and its competing interpretations. The module presents Kant's critical project as an historical and conceptual basis for the understanding of subsequent European philosophy as a whole.

Nietzsche and Heidegger

30 credits

This module offers students an opportunity to study major works by Nietzsche and Heidegger. In particular it considers the relationship between Nietzsche's critique of metaphysics as the manifestation of an ascetic 'will to truth' and Heidegger's project of 'dismantling' and 'overcoming' metaphysics in light of a renewal of the question of being.

Philosophy and Psychoanalysis

30 credits

Each year this module focusses on a study of a different selection of Freud's major and minor works, mining them for their philosophical significance and reflecting on the implications of psychoanalysis for philosophy, particularly in relation to the philosophical notion of the subject. Where appropriate the module will discuss the critical development of this theoretical framework by psychoanalysts such as Jacques Lacan and Jean Laplanche, its reception and deployment in the tradition of Freudo-Marxist critical theory, and the theoretical transformation and political critique of Freudian theory in feminist and queer theory.

Plasticity and Form

30 credits

This module aims to investigate, via the concept of plasticity, the relations between 'thought' and 'form, that have structured certain central aspects of nineteenth and twentieth-century 'continental' philosophy. Each year, these relations are studied from a different point of view, and in relation to different thinkers. Thinkers covered might include Hegel, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Foucault and Derrida. Each year the locus of study might include broad areas such as 'writing' (in Derrida's sense), 'literature' (Dichtung), 'habit', and 'trace'.

Political Philosophy

30 credits

This module involves guided study of one or more major works of modern political philosophy. Texts and themes vary from year to year, but possible topics include: power, class, the state, sovereignty, government, organisation, institution, constitution, representation, democracy, ideology, property, mode of production, capitalism, colonialism, slavery, violence, subjection, nature, citizenship, law, rights, difference, justice, legitimacy, insurrection, insurgency, revolution, resistance, and so on. Approaches to the material will be filtered through contemporary debates in European philosophy and critical theory, with reference to figures like Agamben, Foucault, Negri or Rancière; primary texts may include canonical works by Machiavelli, Hobbes, Spinoza, Locke, Rousseau, Hume, Kant, Fichte, Hegel, Feuerbach, Marx, as well as material associated with major political sequences like the revolutions in France, the Americas, Russia, Cuba, and so on, or with more recent sequences like the anti-colonial struggles, May 68, or social mobilisations around questions of race, sex, class, debt, etc. 

Recent French Philosophy

30 credits

This module involves guided study of two or three major works of twentieth-century French philosophy, focusing each year on the work of two related thinkers. Possible topics include: Sartre or de Beauvoir's existentialism, Levinasian ethics, Merleau-Ponty's theory of embodied perception, Foucault's theory of power, Derrida's practice of deconstruction, Deleuze's conception of difference, Badiou's concepts of the subject and truth.

Recent Italian Philosophy

30 credits

This module involves guided study of a selection of major works of post-war Italian philosophy, focusing each year on the work of two or more related thinkers. The module will explore the tension in Italian philosophy between the claims of theology and radical politics, one expressed in the turn to bio-philosophy and bio-politics during the 1990s. Thinkers studied include Agamben, Cacciari, Negri  and Esposito. Topics will include: the place of contemporary Italian philosophy with respect to the history of philosophy, its place with respect to French and German philosophy, political theology, time, bio-philosophy and bio-politics. 

Modes of Subjection

30 credits

Beginning with John Locke and Immanuel Kant, this module investigates the philosophical genealogy of the concept of the subject and its related terms, including subjection, subjectivity and subjectivation. We then study various twentieth- and twenty-first-century articulations of some historical modes of ‘subjection' and ‘subjectivation', especially in their racial and sexual configurations. Thinkers studied include W.E.B. Du Bois, Michel Foucault, Frantz Fanon, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Sylvia Wynter, Judith Butler and Simone de Beauvoir.

Planetary Aesthetics

30 credits

This module studies the emergence of a planetary aesthetic in contemporary art theory and practice. Including a critical assessment of the concepts of 'nature', 'earth', 'globe' and 'planet', it addresses both conservationist and interventionist aesthetic theories and art practices in both environmental art and activism. In this module students assess the extent to which planetary aesthetics poses a coherent and reasoned challenge to received understandings of the art object, artistic subjectivity and environmental art.

Many postgraduate courses at Kingston University allow students to do a 12-month work placement as part of their course. The responsibility for finding the work placement is with the student; we cannot guarantee the work placement, just the opportunity to undertake it. As the work placement is an assessed part of the course, it is covered by a student's Student Route visa.

Find out more about the postgraduate work placement scheme.

Please note

Optional modules only run if there is enough demand. If we have an insufficient number of students interested in an optional module, that module will not be offered for this course.

Entry requirements

Typical offer

  • Applicants must normally have a 2:2 or above honours degree in Philosophy or a humanities-based subject.
  • Applicants with academic qualifications in other subjects, or relevant work experience, will be considered on an individual basis.

International

All non-UK applicants must meet our English language requirement, which is Academic IELTS of 6.5 overall, with no element below 5.5. Make sure you read our full guidance about English language requirements, which includes details of other qualifications we consider.

Applicants who do not meet the English language requirements could be eligible to join our pre-sessional English language course.

Applicants from a recognised majority English speaking countries (MESCs) do not need to meet these requirements.

Country-specific information

You will find more information on country specific entry requirements in the International section of our website.

Find your country:

Teaching and assessment

The course is delivered through relatively small seminars, which involve a mixture of structured lectures or presentations, textual analysis, and group discussion.

Guided independent study (self-managed time)

When not attending timetabled sessions, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. This typically involves reading and analysing articles, regulations, policy documents and key texts, documenting individual projects, preparing coursework assignments and completing your PEDRs, etc.

Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities including online resources, the library and CANVAS, the University's online virtual learning platform.

Support for postgraduate students

At Kingston University, we know that postgraduate students have particular needs and therefore we have a range of support available to help you during your time here.

Your workload

5% of your time is spent in timetabled learning and teaching activity.

  • Scheduled learning and teaching: 43 hours
  • Guided independent study (self-managed time): 857 hours

Contact hours may vary depending on your modules.

Type of learning and teaching

Type of learning and teaching
  • Scheduled learning and teaching: 43 hours
  • Guided independent study (self-managed time): 857 hours

Please note: the above breakdowns are a guide calculated on core modules only. Depending on optional modules chosen, this breakdown may change.

How you will be assessed

You'll be assessed through short exercises, essays, independent study, and a 15,000-word dissertation.

For this course you will be assessed entirely on submitted coursework (i.e. there are no exams, and no assessed oral presentations or practical components).

Type of assessment

Type of assessment
  • Coursework: 100%

Please note: the above breakdowns are a guide calculated on core modules only. Depending on optional modules chosen, this breakdown may change.

Feedback summary

We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 20 working days.

Class sizes

To give you an indication of class sizes, this course normally enrols 10–12 students and module group sizes are normally 8–15 (plus other students who might be sitting in). However this can vary by module and academic year.

Who teaches this course?

This course is taught by leading specialists at the internationally renowned Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy.

Since its inception in 1994, the CRMEP has developed a national and international reputation for teaching and research in the field of post-Kantian European philosophy, characterised by a strong emphasis on broad cultural and intellectual contexts and a distinctive sense of social and political engagement.

In each of the last two research assessment exercises, RAE 2008 and REF2014, 65% of the research activities of the CRMEP were judged 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent', with 25% of its outputs for REF2014 judged 'world-leading'. 

Postgraduate students may also contribute to the teaching of seminars under the supervision of the module leader.

Fees for this course

2024/25 fees for this course

Home 2024/25

  • MA full time £9,900
  • MA part time £5,445

International 2024/25

  • MA full time £17,900
  • MA part time £9,845

2023/24 fees for this course

Home 2023/24

  • MA full time £8,770
  • MA part time £4,823

International 2023/24

  • MA full time £15,800
  • MA part time £8,690

Tuition fee information for future course years

If you start your second year straight after Year 1, you will pay the same fee for both years.

If you take a break before starting your second year, or if you repeat modules from Year 1 in Year 2, the fee for your second year may increase.

Fees for the optional placement year

If you choose to take a placement as part of this course, you will be invoiced for the placement fee in Year 2. Find out more about the postgraduate work placement scheme and the costs for the placement year.

Postgraduate loans

If you are a UK student, resident in England and are aged under the age of 60, you will be able to apply for a loan to study for a postgraduate degree. For more information, read the postgraduate loan information on the government's website.

Scholarships and bursaries

Kingston University offers a range of postgraduate scholarships, including:

If you are an international student, find out more about scholarships and bursaries.

We also offer the following discounts for Kingston University alumni:

Additional costs

Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs that are not covered by tuition fees which students will need to consider when planning their studies. Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessment and operating University facilities such as the library, access to shared IT equipment and other support services. Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees. 

Where a course has additional expenses, we make every effort to highlight them. These may include optional field trips, materials (e.g. art, design, engineering), security checks such as DBS, uniforms, specialist clothing or professional memberships.

Textbooks

Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. You may prefer to buy your own copy of key textbooks, this can cost between £50 and £250 per year.

Computer equipment

There are open-access networked computers available across the University, plus laptops available to loan. You may find it useful to have your own PC, laptop or tablet which you can use around campus and in halls of residences. Free WiFi is available on each of the campuses. You may wish to purchase your own computer, which can cost £100 to £3,000 depending on your course requirements.

Photocopying and printing

In the majority of cases written coursework can be submitted online. There may be instances when you will be required to submit work in a printed format. Printing, binding and photocopying costs are not included in your tuition fees, this may cost up to £100 per year.

Travel

Travel costs are not included in your tuition fees but we do have a free intersite bus service which links the campuses, Surbiton train station, Kingston upon Thames train station, Norbiton train station and halls of residence.

Facilities

The campus at Penrhyn Road is a hive of activity, housing the main student restaurant, the extensive learning resources centre (LRC), and a host of teaching rooms and lecture theatres.

The library provides books, journals, computers and a range of learning environments organised into silent, quiet and group study zones. It has long opening hours with 24 hour opening during key teaching weeks (October to June).

There are seven bookable group study rooms for when you need to work together. The large Learning Cafe serves light snacks and drinks.

At the heart of the campus is the John Galsworthy building, a six-storey complex that brings together lecture theatres, flexible teaching space and information technology suites around a landscaped courtyard.

After you graduate

Our graduates often progress to research degrees in European philosophy and critical theory, or to careers in media/journalism, publishing, the arts, education, and public policy.

For example, recent graduates from the Aesthetics and Art Theory MA course have progressed to the following:

  • Michael Sperlinger has become assistant director of the arts agency Lux (London);
  • Marta Kuzma has become director of the Office of Contemporary Art Norway (Oslo);
  • Ruth Blacksell has become a lecturer and associate director of O-SB Design, University of Reading;
  • Louise Hanson has begun a PhD at Brasenose College, Oxford;
  • Dessislava Dimova is finishing a PhD at the Bulgarian Academy;
  • Anda Klavina is now a curator at the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art (Riga);
  • Kate Parker is director of City Projects (London);
  • John Millar began a PhD at CRMEP in autumn 2015 having been awarded a TECHNE-AHRC Consortium Studentship;
  • Andrey Shental is senior editor at Theory and Practice while contributing to several other Russian periodicals, including Artchronika;
  • Alex Fletcher has been awarded a 3-Year PhD AHRC Studentship by the TECHNE consortium, to work on 'Spaces of Capital: Narrating Social Space and Time in the Photo and Video Essay' in the CRMEP;
  • Josefine Wikström has begun a PhD in the CRMEP on Ontologies of Production and Performance;
  • Luke Skrebowski submitted his PhD in CRMEP simultaneously with the dissertation for this, his second MA. He now lectures in art history at the University of Cambridge;
  • Gil Leung is distribution manager at the Lux Arts Agency, London, and editor of VERSUCH journal. She previously worked as assistant curator for Tate Film and Live Programmes; and
  • Pilar Villela Mascaro is a freelance curator in Mexico City.

Links with business, industry and the research environment

The Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy (CRMEP) organises regular research seminars, conferences or workshops each year. Research seminars are usually held every fortnight during term time; recent speakers have included:

  • Giorgio Agamben (University of Paris 8);
  • Emily Apter (New York University);
  • Antonia Birnbaum (University of Paris-8);
  • Barbara Cassin (CNRS);
  • Miguel de Beistegui (University of Warwick);
  • Peter Dews (University of Essex);
  • Donna Haraway (University of California, Santa Cruz);
  • Sandra Harding (University of California, LA);
  • Stephen Houlgate (University of Warwick);
  • Kojin Karatani (Columbia University);
  • Koichiro Kokubun (Tokyo Institute of Technology);
  • Quentin Meillassoux (École Normale Supérieure);
  • Nina Power (Roehampton University);
  • Isabelle Stengers (Université Libre de Bruxelles);
  • Philippe Van Haute (Radboud University, Nijmegen);
  • Slavoj Zizek (Institute for Social Studies Ljubljana);
  • Alenka Zupancic (Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts).

Research areas

This course is taught by internationally recognised specialists at the Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy (CRMEP), which has a national and international reputation for teaching and research in the field of post-Kantian European philosophy.

In each of the last two research assessment exercises, RAE 2008 and REF2014, 65% of the research activities of the CRMEP were judged 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent', with 25% of its outputs for REF2014 judged 'world-leading'.

Our research areas include:

  • modern European philosophy from the eighteenth century to the present;
  • Kant, Hegel, and German Idealism;
  • Marx and Marxism;
  • Frankfurt School critical theory;
  • philosophies of time and history;
  • critical philosophy of race;
  • conceptions of transdisciplinarity;
  • aesthetics, art theory and cultural theory;
  • philosophical and political approaches to contemporary art;
  • philosophy and the visual arts;
  • recent and contemporary French philosophy;
  • recent Italian political philosophy;
  • globalisation, post-colonial theory, contemporary politics;
  • revolutionary political theory;
  • contemporary philosophies of sex and gender;
  • feminist philosophy; and
  • philosophical approaches to psychoanalysis.

Course changes and regulations

The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course. Course changes explained.

Programme Specifications for the course are published ahead of each academic year.

Regulations governing this course can be found on our website.