Lica building

Master's Study

The MArch (Master of) Architecture programme is intended to provide the second stage (Part II) of the three-stage process of professional qualification as an Architect in the UK and is open to students who took their Part I at other universities. Our focus is on developing the skills and knowledge that will enable you to be agile and ethical in your practice, and ready to meet the challenges posed by contemporary global problems such as climate emergency, workforce automation, data security and the ageing population.

The MA in Fine Art includes a residency with a festival, gallery, archive or site and provides a unique opportunity to study contemporary art practice at a postgraduate level while benefiting from the relevance and visibility that comes from working with the North West’s world-class cultural networks.

Additionally, the MA in Theatre for Social, Political and Environmental Change is designed to offer a unique approach to study theatrical responses to climate change and other pressing social and political issues.

The MA programme in Film Studies enables you to develop greater capacity for independent critical and interpretive analysis of global cinema through our diverse selection of research-led modules. The programme offers a critical study of contemporary film theory and the history of cinema with an emphasis on transnational cinemas and cultures.

The research interests of the teaching academics include: approaches to film aesthetics; the intersection between theory, culture and the image; transnational cinemas; British cinema; Hong Kong cinema and Asian filmmaking in general; African-American popular culture and Middle Eastern cinemas and practices to name a few.

Funding

Applications are invited for the following master's awards. Please note that you must have accepted an offer of a place on a relevant programme before you can be considered for the awards

Tab Content: Faculty Scholarships

The deadline for Lancaster University's Faculty Scholarships for entry in the 2022/23 academic year has now passed. Information about future funding awards offered by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences will be provided here when it is available.

Tab Content: University Scholarships

Lancaster Global Scholarship

Lancaster University is delighted to announce that we will offer a generous scholarship to high-achieving students from all international countries, who are liable for International tuition fees.

The scholarship is awarded as a £5,000 tuition fee waiver for students entering the first year of one of LICA's Master's programmes in October 2022. This scholarship will be automatically awarded if students meet the eligibility criteria and terms and conditions outlined on the Scholarships and Bursaries website.

Lancaster Master's Scholarship

Lancaster University is delighted to announce that we will offer a generous scholarship to students who are liable for Home tuition fees.

The scholarship is awarded as a £2,000 tuition fee waiver for students entering the first year of one of LICA's Master's programmes in October 2022. This scholarship will be automatically awarded if students meet the eligibility criteria and terms and conditions outlined on the Scholarships and Bursaries website.

To help with study and living costs, Lancaster University offers postgraduates a range of scholarships, studentships and bursaries. Full details of the alumni scholarship and other university-funded opportunities can be found on the Lancaster University funding page.

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Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Doctoral Training Partnership Studentships

In association with the North West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership (NWCDTP), each year Lancaster University invites applications from outstanding candidates for AHRC Doctoral Studentships. The NWCDTP expects to make approximately fifty awards across the whole range of arts and humanities subjects. A small number of these are likely to be for Master's study by candidates who show exceptional potential for doctoral research.

For further information please see the AHRC Studentships page.

University Funding Opportunities

In addition to the listed funding opportunities, there are a number of full and partial bursaries offered by Lancaster University. Details of all such funding opportunities are available on the Postgraduate Fees and Funding pages and in a searchable database on the Student Services website.

Postgraduate Loan Scheme

Non-means-tested loans of up to a maximum of £10,000 are available to taught and research Master's students.

  • Loans are available to UK Nationals (ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands), EU, EEA or Swiss nationals ordinarily resident in the EU, EEA or Switzerland.
  • Applicants are not eligible for PGL if they have outstanding student loan arrears or have previously been found to be ‘unfit’ for student support.

For further information please see the Postgraduate Loan Scheme page.

International Students

A number of funding opportunities are available for international students through the:

Lancaster Arts

One of the unique aspects about studying the arts at Lancaster is the professional arts organisation, Lancaster Arts. As a contemporary arts student you will be able to see, hear, and experience a diverse range of contemporary exhibitions and performances.

How to Apply

Applications for postgraduate study at Lancaster are made directly to the university via our dedicated Postgraduate Open Days which provides full details of what you need to include with your application. These will usually include:

  • transcripts of previous higher education (college/university) degrees or other courses that you have completed/for which you are currently studying. Note that, for transcripts in languages other than English, a certified English translation will be required.
  • 2 references, at least one must be an academic reference.
  • for those for whom English is not their first language, copies of English language test results

Once your application has been received by the Postgraduate Admissions Office it will be checked to ensure all required documents have been submitted and it will then be passed on to the Department for consideration. You may be contacted by the Postgraduate Admissions Office or the Department to discuss your application further.

Portfolios

We expect portfolios as part of applications to the MA Fine Art and MArch (Master of) Architecture courses.

For the MA Fine Art you should include a link to a portfolio of recent work. This should include at least 20 images, and we also accept links to short video or interactive works where appropriate. How many individual works this includes will depend on the scale and media, and will be different for disciplines such as drawing and painting, sculpture and installation, video and performance, digital or socially engaged practices. Images should be accompanied by relevant contextual information such as title, date, materials, scale, duration, location and/or short descriptions of intent.

For the MArch (Master of) Architecture you should include a link to a portfolio of recent work. For many applicants, this will constitute their full undergraduate portfolio in architecture. For those who have not completed a UK course in architecture previously, your portfolio should include at least 20 images, and we also accept links to Pinterest or to a short video where appropriate. Images should be accompanied by relevant contextual information such as title, date, scale, location and/or short descriptions of intent.

We do not expect portfolios as part of applications to the MA Film Studies and MA Theatre for Social, Political and Environmental Change courses.

Personal Statement Guidance

Applicants are required to complete a Personal Statement (minimum 100 words) as part of the application process. Please use the following guidance on how to complete the Personal Statement in your own words:

  • Why did you choose Lancaster University and the course you are applying for?
  • What makes you a suitable candidate for the course you are applying for?
  • What can you contribute to the course?
  • What benefits do you expect to gain from the course?
  • How is the course related to your academic and/or career development.

Deadline for your application

The deadline for applications is 31 August for UK/EU applicants and 31 July for Overseas applicants. However, if you are applying for funding you will need to apply at least 6 weeks before the funding body's deadline. Please note that if the department receives very high numbers of applications then the department will have to close admissions to our Master's courses before these deadlines. If there are a low number of applications for a particular course then the department reserves the right to cancel the course and offer alternatives for any students that have been offered a place.

For more information on University run visit days please see Postgraduate Open Days

Fees

Information on tuition fees please see Postgraduate fees and Funding. Tuition fees usually increase annually and fees for the next academic year are announced in the Spring.

When you apply, you will need to indicate your likely source of financial support during your studies. You should therefore investigate possible sources of finance as soon as you can.

Accommodation

Applications for accommodation open in the Spring. Students who have accepted a place on a course will receive an email inviting them to create an account and then apply for accommodation. You must have confirmed your place with the University before you are able to make an application.

For more information on Postgraduate accommodation please visit the Lancaster University Accommodation Website.

For course enquiries, please contact:

LICA Teaching Coordinator (Postgraduate), LICA Building, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YW, United Kingdom

E: lica-pgadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk

For admissions enquiries, please contact:

Postgraduate Admissions, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YD, United Kingdom

Complete our Enquiry form