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Programme and Learning Outcomes

The research master Art and Visual Culture in a Historical Perspective is an advanced programme for highly qualified students interested in Art History, Visual Culture or Archaeology. The (sub)disciplines covered by the programme are Greek and Roman Archaeology, Provincial Roman Archaeology, the History of Art and Architecture and Visual Culture. These disciplines function as specialisations from which students make their personal choices.

The Nijmegen programme is unique in its focus on one common object, that is the material construct in its physical, artistic and visual qualities, seen from the perspectives of three different disciplines. The programme aims at developing disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge and skills that enable students to undertake independent scientific research in the fields of History of Art, Archaeology or Visual Culture at an international level.

The subjects and approaches taught in the courses are enhanced by the expertise of the researchers participating in the programme. This expertise represents the strong scholarly traditions based in the Radboud University, thus constituting a stimulating learning environment for the fields of Art and Visual Culture. Under the supervision of a tutor, students may specialise in almost any aspect of art, visual and material culture, within almost any historical period.

Criteria Research Master Thesis

The thesis requirements follow from the objectives outlined in the research master in Art and Visual Culture. The thesis is the final component of the research master in Art and Visual Culture. The general goal is to demonstrate your ability to conduct independent scientific research within your selected discipline. This means you can offer a personal interpretation of the selected subject matter and apply this to discipline-specific knowledge and debates. The thesis will reveal your ability to design and execute literary research with minimal supervision and report on the results in publishable form. In addition to a mastery of general scientific skills, the thesis also demonstrates your insight into the specific nature of the (specialisations within the) Art and Visual Culture discipline. The thesis is based on relevant sources and current scholarly literature.

Learning objectives: Capable of designing and executing original historical-scientific research at a professional level. This includes:

(1) selecting a topic from the professional scientific discourse and devising a relevant and original research question;
(2) systematically collecting relevant sources and current scholarly literature;
(3) designing a methodologically sound and independent argument;
(4) presenting this argument in a clear and organised manner, in accordance with the rules of scientific accountability.

Method of instruction: The master's thesis will be executed according to the research proposal and under individual supervision.