General Information

The purpose of the MA programme offered by the Department of Theory and History of Art, Athens School of Fine Arts, is to create the necessary conditions for the acquisition of specialized knowledge, skills and abilities for research – and its implementation – in the field of History and Theory of Art, particularly in the following two scientific areas:

• History and Theory of Art and Architecture

• Philosophy of Art and Humanities

The Department of Theory and History of Art, through its competent bodies, by applying an outcome-focused approach, ensures the creation of those conditions that favor the active participation of students in the learning process of the MA programme. This pursuit is clearly visible in the wording of the expected learning outcomes of the MA programme, as determined in accordance with the European and National Framework of Higher Education Qualifications. The consistent pursuit of the expected learning outcomes of the programme is subject to continuous monitoring by implementing the Quality Assurance Policy of the Department. This pursuit is also under constant supervision in the context of the biennial update of the MA programme and the resulting restructuring of the outlines of the courses offered.

Specifically, after successfully completing the MA programme in Theory and History of Art, graduates are expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes:

• To comprehend the specialized issues concerning the scientific field of Theory and History of Art, focusing on the cognitive areas of “History and Theory of Art and Architecture” and “Philosophy of Art and Humanities.”

• To have acquired satisfactory knowledge in order to pursue a doctoral research degree (PhD) in the above scientific areas.

• To be sufficiently aware of the specialized issues concerning recent research developments in the field of History and Theory of Art, in order to be able to produce original scientific conclusions.

• To critically engage with primary and secondary sources in the field of Theory and History of Art so that they can make the necessary connections with other related disciplines.

• To effectively cope with new research issues in order to contribute to the development of new knowledge that is both integrated in their specific research field and also open to correlations with other scientific areas.

• To have enriched their methodological and conceptual tools in relation to the cognitive areas of the MA programme.

• To produce new solutions by adapting their methodological tools to complex research problems lately emerging in their field of expertise.

• To fully utilize the expertise of their scientific field so as to solve research problems through the cultivation of creative and inductive reasoning and the use of appropriate research tools and methods.

• To pursue a career as specialists in the field of History and Theory of Art, having acquired sufficient scientific tools from the whole range of the areas covered by the MA programme.

• To be adequately prepared to meet the demands of a university career or a profession in other fields of education and culture – in Greece and abroad.

• To effectively participate in group work in their field of expertise by proposing novel work practices that aim to produce tangible and objective results.

• To exemplify their competence in the utilization of scientific knowledge and skills in the field of their studies and vocation, thus contributing to their social and personal development.

• To demonstrate social, professional and ethical responsibility and sensitivity to issues of gender, diversity and multiculturalism.

The academic profile of the Department of Theory and History of Art, Athens School of Fine Arts, which addresses the interdisciplinary, historical, critical and theoretical examination of art issues with an emphasis on the period of modernity, has been successfully shaped within a broader operational and competitive academic context. It is our aim and imperative to strengthen the Department’s successful academic profile. Therefore, the Department of Theory and History of Art is committed to strengthening its current academic identity, as well as to expanding and deepening its thematic scope. This commitment implies a simultaneous devotion to the implementation of a specific Quality Policy, which ensures the realization of the strategic goals of the Undergraduate Studies Programme, through the particularization of the means of their achievement and a professed interest in:

• the effective structuring and organization of the Programme of Studies through its updating on an annual basis in the context of the Department’s General Assembly and through the establishment of relevant Committees [Programme of Studies Committee, Study Guide Committee],

• the systematic pursuit of learning outcomes, from their explicit formulation and publication [see the learning outcomes of the MA programme] to being committed to their achievement (see respective Course Outlines for the learning outcomes of each MA course),

• the supervision of the procedure of selecting competent and suitable teaching staff through the implementation of transparent procedures for the pertinent employment of faculty members and cooperating teachers [appointment of advisory committee, writing advisory reports, etc.],

• guaranteeing and enhancing the quality and quantity of research conducted by the teaching staff, in combination with the dissemination of scientific results, through scientific collaboration – both national and international – and cooperation with other Schools at home and abroad [by responding to external invitations for lectures, presentations at conferences, etc].  The intensification of the Department’s broad activity as regards scientific publications is also in focus,

• strengthening the connection between research and teaching through the involvement of PhD candidates, PhD holders and postdoctoral fellows in the Department’s teaching process,

• monitoring the teaching process in order to ensure its quality and adequacy through its systematic inventory, assessment and evaluation [course evaluation questionnaire, teacher and course inventory report],

• getting feedback regarding the operation of the support services in order to ensure their effectiveness [secretarial services evaluation questionnaire],

• the extroversion of the Department through the continuous and active presence of the faculty members, the scientific staff and the students of the Department in local and international places of scientific dialogue and cultural interaction, in events taking place within the premises of the School [seminars, lectures, conferences], but also outside [educational visits, Erasmus+ mobility] ,

• the regular monitoring of the implementation of the quality assurance procedures of the MA programme by conducting an annual review and internal inspection in collaboration with the Quality Assurance Unit of the Department (OMEA) and the School’s Internal Evaluation Group (MODIP) [preparation of an Internal Evaluation Report].

In this way, the Department of Theory and History of Art of the Athens School of Fine Arts – aware of its role in co-shaping the current cultural condition – is committed to strengthening its academic profile (along with the individual aspects of its activity) and to ensuring the diffusion of its profile and produced work in the wider academic community.

The Department of Theory and History of Art is further committed to the implementation of a Quality Assurance Policy for the MA programme in Theory and History of Art, which forms part of the Quality Assurance Policy of the Institution  and of the Department. Through this Quality Assurance Policy the Department seeks to promote the academic character, orientation, purposes and objectives of the MA programme [in accordance with the applicable regulatory provisions for the establishment and operation of the programme], as well as to determine the means and ways of achieving them, in accordance with the indicated quality procedures, while opting for its continuous improvement.

For the implementation of this policy, the Department, through its competent bodies, is committed to implementing quality procedures based on the following main axes:

• The continuous updating and improvement of the MA programme so that it meets the expected learning outcomes and qualifications, which are determined by the European and National Framework of Higher Education Qualifications. This updating also measures up to international developments in the field of research and innovation in the programme’s scientific areas [see learning outcomes and targeting].

• Strengthening student-centered learning, with the ultimate goal of improving the competency and performance of postgraduate students [see course outlines].

• Strengthening the teaching and research work produced in the framework of the MA programme through the pursuit of collaborations with distinguished young researchers [e.g. invitations to lectures, etc.].

• Strengthening the collaboration with the Department of Visual Arts of the Athens School of Fine Arts, through the initiative for joint research and curatorial projects.

• Strengthening extroversion through the development of collaborations with other Institutions abroad and at home, as well as through the effective dissemination of the results of scientific research and contemporary artistic practice to the wider scientific and artistic community.

• Solving problems regarding the operation of the MA programme related to infrastructure, so as to improving the quality and efficiency of support services, such as administration, library services and student welfare.

• Finding and utilizing alternative sources of funding [e.g. participation in international and European programmes, sponsorships/donations].

• The systematic annual internal evaluation and review of the quality assurance procedures of the MA Programme in collaboration with the Quality Assurance Unit of the Department (OMEA) and the School’s Internal Evaluation Group (MODIP) [collection and processing of questionnaires, maintaining quality data, conducting alumni surveys, writing internal reports].