Please note the course details apply to 2025 entry. Details for 2026 entry for our postgraduate courses will be published from mid-October 2025.
Education in Arts & Cultural Settings MA
Key information
Study mode:
Full time
Part time
Duration:
One year full-time, two years part-time, September to September
Credit value (UK/ECTS equivalent):
UK 180/ECTS 90
Application status:
Open
Start date:
September 2025
Our Education in Arts & Cultural Settings MA offers you the exciting opportunity to study a course that combines academic and practice-based knowledge in the growing area of art-based education, engagement and participation, through diverse and engaging modes of teaching/learning. It is designed to provide the professional knowledge and expertise in that area for both students who are already working in the culture/arts sector and for students who are aspiring to get into an education-related career in culture and the arts.
Key benefits
- A unique collaboration between King’s College London and a diverse range of London - and UK - based art organisations.
- Access to interprofessional and multidisciplinary expertise drawn from academic and art-based contexts.
- Innovative course for current and aspiring educators in arts and culture.
“I made the right choice coming to King's! The atmosphere is warm here. The staff is always very friendly, enthusiastic, and dedicated. All lecturers always encourage us to raise our hands and to give some questions. Academic learning and cultural awareness enrich our knowledge and allow us to experience London in depth.”
The MA Education in Arts & Cultural Settings is designed for both applicants with some relevant work experience as well as for applicants who aspire to work within education, learning and participation in arts and cultural organisations and related sectors. It offers an interdisciplinary study programme designed to provide students with theoretical and practical knowledge relevant to education, learning and participatory approaches in art organisations. It is poised between theory and practice, as it aims to provide participants with knowledge and understanding of theoretical approaches as well as practical understanding and critical awareness about the approaches, work techniques and challenges pertaining to the conception, design, management and delivery of effective educational activities and programmes within arts and cultural settings. The MA benefits from valuable contributions from a diverse range of London-based partner art organisations, which is also useful for our students’ professional networking in the sector. The teaching and learning benefits from diverse and dynamic pedagogical approaches that encourage student engagement and interactive learning.
Base campus
Waterloo Campus
Waterloo campus is home of the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery and facilities for other faculties
Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the modules you study.
Regulating bodies
King's is regulated by the Office for Students
UK applicants
Standard requirements
A minimum 2:1 undergraduate Bachelor’s (honours) degree
If you have a lower degree classification, or a degree in an unrelated subject, your application may be considered if you can demonstrate significant relevant work experience, or offer a related graduate qualification (such as a Masters or PGDip).
Programme-Specific Requirements
A 2:1 Honours degree or an equivalent qualification in an area relevant to culture or education. Lower undergraduate grades will be considered in exceptional circumstances, and only when combined with work experience in the cultural sector.
In order to meet the academic entry requirements for this programme you should have a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree with a final mark of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme. If you are still studying you should be achieving an average of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme.
International applicants
Equivalent International qualifications
English language requirements
English language band:
B
To study at King's, it is essential that you can communicate in English effectively in an academic environment. You are usually required to provide certification of your competence in English before starting your studies.
Nationals of majority English speaking countries (as defined by the UKVI) who have permanently resided in this country are not usually required to complete an additional English language test. This is also the case for applicants who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree (of at least three years duration), a postgraduate taught degree (of at least one year), or a PhD in a majority English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI) within five years of the course start date.
For information on our English language requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.
Selection process
Applications must be made online using King’s Apply, the Admissions Portal. A non-refundable application fee of £130 applies.
Due to the large volume of applications, this programme operates a partial “gathered-field” approach to decision making for applicants who meet our advertised academic entry requirements. This means that for some of these applicants, a decision may not be reached until after February and where possible, will be made by May. You will be informed via King’s Apply if your application has been assessed and being held as part of this process.
If you receive an offer, please make a note of your deadline to accept your offer. Due to the competitive of this course, we cannot guarantee that we can reinstate any offer which was not accepted by the deadline.
Personal statement and supporting information
You will be asked to submit the following documents in order for your application to be considered:
| Personal Statement | Yes |
A personal statement is required. This can be entered directly into the online application form (maximum 4,000 characters) or uploaded as an attachment to the online application form (maximum 2 pages). Please give your reasons for choosing to study at master's level and for choosing this programme in particular together with an explanation of what you hope to gain from the programme. |
|---|---|---|
| Previous Academic Study | Yes | A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents. |
| References | Yes | One academic reference is required. A professional reference will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago. In some cases, we may request an additional reference from you. |
| Other | Optional | Applicants may wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of their application. |
Teaching methods - what to expect
Check out further information about our Education, Communication and Society courses including our teaching team, exclusive videos and more on our hub page.
We will use a delivery method that will ensure students have a rich, exciting experience from the start. Face to face teaching will be complemented and supported with innovative technology so that students also experience elements of digital learning and assessment.
The following table will give you an idea of how a typical academic workload might look as you progress through your studies:
|
|
Lectures, seminars and feedback |
Self-study |
|
Taught modules |
The Arts, Culture & Education module has 32 hours of class time. The Creative Learning in Arts Organisations module has 20 hours of class time. The optional internship module typically involves 6 hours of class time and students must spend at least 160 hours (20 working days) on the internship placement. The other 30-credit optional modules typically have 20 hours of class time. In all cases, the time in class can include lecturing, teacher-led class discussions and student-led group work. |
The Arts, Culture & Education module has 268 hours of self-guided learning time. The Creative learning in Arts Organisations module has 280 hours of self-guided learning time. The internship module has approximately 294 hours of self-guided learning time, which includes at least 160 hours of work experience. The optional modules typically have 280 hours of self-guided learning time. |
|
Dissertation module |
Contact time for the dissertation will typically include a mixture of lectures, seminars, workshops and 1:1 and /or group supervision. Teaching is organised and run jointly with the Research Methods compulsory module |
Approximately 567 hours. |
Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
Location
This course is primarily taught at the King’s College London Waterloo Campus
If students opt for the internship module, they will also complete a placement in an art/cultural organisation.
Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the optional module you select.
Assessment
Your performance will be assessed through a combination of coursework and written examinations. Forms of assessment may typically include essays, placement reports, presentations, research proposals and case studies. All students complete a 60-credit dissertation, which is assessed by an extended piece of writing based on independent research on a topic of your choice, related to the course. This dissertation is supported by the Research Methods module lectures, seminars, programme-specific dissertation workshops, and individual and/or group supervision.
The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they are subject to change.
Structure
Required modules
You are required to take the following modules:
Creative Learning in Arts Organisations (30 credits)
The Arts, Culture & Education (30 credits)
Research Methods (30 credits)
Dissertation (60 credits)
If you are a part-time student, you will usually complete the Creative Learning in Arts Organisations and The Arts, Culture & Education modules in your first year. In your second year you will take Research Methods, your optional module, and the Dissertation.
Optional modules
You are required to take one module (worth 30 credits) from a range of optional modules that may typically include (but are not limited to):
The Social Context of Education (30 credits)
Internship: Education in Arts & Cultural Settings (30 credits)
Gender, Power and Inequality in Educational Leadership (30 credits)
Recent Developments in Digital Technologies in Education (30 credits)
The Political Economy of Education in a Globalised World (30 credits)
Environmental Education: Sustainability and Society (30 credits)
Social Justice & Education Policy (30 credits)
International & Comparative Education (30 credits)
With the approval of the Programme Director, you may take 30 credits of relevant optional modules from another course in place of the 30 credits from the list above.
King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.
Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.
Employability
You will be able to use the skills that you develop over the duration of this course to excel in a variety of Education/Learning-related roles. For example, our graduates have gone on to careers within arts and cultural organisations and to enhance their careers in art education. Others have continued their studies to a higher level.
Curious to find out more? Access on-demand content including taster lectures and talks, and meet our current staff and students on our subject hub page.
Tuition Fees
UK:
Full time: £13,500 per year (2025/26)
Part time: £6,750 per year (2025/26)
International:
Full time: £30,000 per year (2025/26)
Part time: £15,000 per year (2025/26)
These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.
Deposit
If you receive an offer for this programme, you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your place. Deposit payments are credited towards the total tuition fee payment.
The Home deposit is £500. The International deposit is £2000.
- If you receive an offer before January, payment is due within two months of receiving the offer.
- If you receive an offer between 1 January and 20 May, payment is due within one month of receiving the offer.
- If you receive an offer between 21 May and 15 July, payment is due within two weeks of receiving the offer.
- If you receive an offer between 16 July and 10 August, payment is due within one week of receiving the offer.
- If you receive an offer from 11 August onwards, payment is due within three days of receiving the offer.
If you are a current undergraduate King’s student in receipt of the King's Living Bursary this academic year, you are not required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme. Please note, this will not change the total fees payable for your chosen programme.
Please visit our web pages on fees and funding for more information.
Additional Costs
In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:
- Books if you choose to buy your own copies.
- Library fees and fines.
- Personal photocopies.
- Printing course handouts.
- Society membership fees.
- Stationery.
- Travel costs for travel around London and between campuses.
- Graduation costs.
Funding
To find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans, and other financial help available at King's please visit the Fees and Funding section.
The MA Education in Arts & Cultural Settings is designed for both applicants with some relevant work experience as well as for applicants who aspire to work within education, learning and participation in arts and cultural organisations and related sectors. It offers an interdisciplinary study programme designed to provide students with theoretical and practical knowledge relevant to education, learning and participatory approaches in art organisations. It is poised between theory and practice, as it aims to provide participants with knowledge and understanding of theoretical approaches as well as practical understanding and critical awareness about the approaches, work techniques and challenges pertaining to the conception, design, management and delivery of effective educational activities and programmes within arts and cultural settings. The MA benefits from valuable contributions from a diverse range of London-based partner art organisations, which is also useful for our students’ professional networking in the sector. The teaching and learning benefits from diverse and dynamic pedagogical approaches that encourage student engagement and interactive learning.
Base campus
Waterloo Campus
Waterloo campus is home of the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery and facilities for other faculties
Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the modules you study.
Regulating bodies
King's is regulated by the Office for Students
UK applicants
Standard requirements
A minimum 2:1 undergraduate Bachelor’s (honours) degree
If you have a lower degree classification, or a degree in an unrelated subject, your application may be considered if you can demonstrate significant relevant work experience, or offer a related graduate qualification (such as a Masters or PGDip).
Programme-Specific Requirements
A 2:1 Honours degree or an equivalent qualification in an area relevant to culture or education. Lower undergraduate grades will be considered in exceptional circumstances, and only when combined with work experience in the cultural sector.
In order to meet the academic entry requirements for this programme you should have a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree with a final mark of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme. If you are still studying you should be achieving an average of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme.
International applicants
Equivalent International qualifications
English language requirements
English language band:
B
To study at King's, it is essential that you can communicate in English effectively in an academic environment. You are usually required to provide certification of your competence in English before starting your studies.
Nationals of majority English speaking countries (as defined by the UKVI) who have permanently resided in this country are not usually required to complete an additional English language test. This is also the case for applicants who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree (of at least three years duration), a postgraduate taught degree (of at least one year), or a PhD in a majority English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI) within five years of the course start date.
For information on our English language requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.
Selection process
Applications must be made online using King’s Apply, the Admissions Portal. A non-refundable application fee of £130 applies.
Due to the large volume of applications, this programme operates a partial “gathered-field” approach to decision making for applicants who meet our advertised academic entry requirements. This means that for some of these applicants, a decision may not be reached until after February and where possible, will be made by May. You will be informed via King’s Apply if your application has been assessed and being held as part of this process.
If you receive an offer, please make a note of your deadline to accept your offer. Due to the competitive of this course, we cannot guarantee that we can reinstate any offer which was not accepted by the deadline.
Personal statement and supporting information
You will be asked to submit the following documents in order for your application to be considered:
| Personal Statement | Yes |
A personal statement is required. This can be entered directly into the online application form (maximum 4,000 characters) or uploaded as an attachment to the online application form (maximum 2 pages). Please give your reasons for choosing to study at master's level and for choosing this programme in particular together with an explanation of what you hope to gain from the programme. |
|---|---|---|
| Previous Academic Study | Yes | A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents. |
| References | Yes | One academic reference is required. A professional reference will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago. In some cases, we may request an additional reference from you. |
| Other | Optional | Applicants may wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of their application. |
Teaching methods - what to expect
Check out further information about our Education, Communication and Society courses including our teaching team, exclusive videos and more on our hub page.
We will use a delivery method that will ensure students have a rich, exciting experience from the start. Face to face teaching will be complemented and supported with innovative technology so that students also experience elements of digital learning and assessment.
The following table will give you an idea of how a typical academic workload might look as you progress through your studies:
|
|
Lectures, seminars and feedback |
Self-study |
|
Taught modules |
The Arts, Culture & Education module has 32 hours of class time. The Creative Learning in Arts Organisations module has 20 hours of class time. The optional internship module typically involves 6 hours of class time and students must spend at least 160 hours (20 working days) on the internship placement. The other 30-credit optional modules typically have 20 hours of class time. In all cases, the time in class can include lecturing, teacher-led class discussions and student-led group work. |
The Arts, Culture & Education module has 268 hours of self-guided learning time. The Creative learning in Arts Organisations module has 280 hours of self-guided learning time. The internship module has approximately 294 hours of self-guided learning time, which includes at least 160 hours of work experience. The optional modules typically have 280 hours of self-guided learning time. |
|
Dissertation module |
Contact time for the dissertation will typically include a mixture of lectures, seminars, workshops and 1:1 and /or group supervision. Teaching is organised and run jointly with the Research Methods compulsory module |
Approximately 567 hours. |
Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
Location
This course is primarily taught at the King’s College London Waterloo Campus
If students opt for the internship module, they will also complete a placement in an art/cultural organisation.
Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the optional module you select.
Assessment
Your performance will be assessed through a combination of coursework and written examinations. Forms of assessment may typically include essays, placement reports, presentations, research proposals and case studies. All students complete a 60-credit dissertation, which is assessed by an extended piece of writing based on independent research on a topic of your choice, related to the course. This dissertation is supported by the Research Methods module lectures, seminars, programme-specific dissertation workshops, and individual and/or group supervision.
The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they are subject to change.
Structure
Required modules
You are required to take the following modules:
Creative Learning in Arts Organisations (30 credits)
The Arts, Culture & Education (30 credits)
Research Methods (30 credits)
Dissertation (60 credits)
If you are a part-time student, you will usually complete the Creative Learning in Arts Organisations and The Arts, Culture & Education modules in your first year. In your second year you will take Research Methods, your optional module, and the Dissertation.
Optional modules
You are required to take one module (worth 30 credits) from a range of optional modules that may typically include (but are not limited to):
The Social Context of Education (30 credits)
Internship: Education in Arts & Cultural Settings (30 credits)
Gender, Power and Inequality in Educational Leadership (30 credits)
Recent Developments in Digital Technologies in Education (30 credits)
The Political Economy of Education in a Globalised World (30 credits)
Environmental Education: Sustainability and Society (30 credits)
Social Justice & Education Policy (30 credits)
International & Comparative Education (30 credits)
With the approval of the Programme Director, you may take 30 credits of relevant optional modules from another course in place of the 30 credits from the list above.
King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.
Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.
Employability
You will be able to use the skills that you develop over the duration of this course to excel in a variety of Education/Learning-related roles. For example, our graduates have gone on to careers within arts and cultural organisations and to enhance their careers in art education. Others have continued their studies to a higher level.
Curious to find out more? Access on-demand content including taster lectures and talks, and meet our current staff and students on our subject hub page.
Tuition Fees
UK:
Full time: £13,500 per year (2025/26)
Part time: £6,750 per year (2025/26)
International:
Full time: £30,000 per year (2025/26)
Part time: £15,000 per year (2025/26)
These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.
Deposit
If you receive an offer for this programme, you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your place. Deposit payments are credited towards the total tuition fee payment.
The Home deposit is £500. The International deposit is £2000.
- If you receive an offer before January, payment is due within two months of receiving the offer.
- If you receive an offer between 1 January and 20 May, payment is due within one month of receiving the offer.
- If you receive an offer between 21 May and 15 July, payment is due within two weeks of receiving the offer.
- If you receive an offer between 16 July and 10 August, payment is due within one week of receiving the offer.
- If you receive an offer from 11 August onwards, payment is due within three days of receiving the offer.
If you are a current undergraduate King’s student in receipt of the King's Living Bursary this academic year, you are not required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme. Please note, this will not change the total fees payable for your chosen programme.
Please visit our web pages on fees and funding for more information.
Additional Costs
In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:
- Books if you choose to buy your own copies.
- Library fees and fines.
- Personal photocopies.
- Printing course handouts.
- Society membership fees.
- Stationery.
- Travel costs for travel around London and between campuses.
- Graduation costs.
Funding
To find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans, and other financial help available at King's please visit the Fees and Funding section.
Application closing date guidance
We encourage you to apply as early as possible so that there is sufficient time for your application to be assessed and we may need to request further information from you during the application process.
The final application deadlines for this programme are:
· Overseas (international) fee status: 25 July 2025 (23:59 UK time)
· Home fee status: 25 August 2025 (23:59 UK time)
If the programme becomes full before the final application deadlines stated above, we will close the programme to further applications. Please note, you will not be eligible for an application fee refund if we are unable to process further offers because places are filled and we close the course before the final application deadline.
Key information
Study mode:
Full time
Part time
Duration:
One year full-time, two years part-time, September to September
Credit value (UK/ECTS equivalent):
UK 180/ECTS 90
Application status:
Open
Start date:
September 2025
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