In Conversation: Dr Roger Nelson with Ho Tzu Nyen, Nguyen Trinh Thi, and Dr June Yap, Ghosts and Spectres – Shadows of History Symposium, 28 October 2017, NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore. Courtesy of NTU CCA Singapore.
Programme Structure and Duration
Application start: October 2026
Programme start: August 2027
Duration: 1 year (full-time) / 2–4 years (part-time)
Tarek Atoui, The Ground: From the Land to the Sea, 24 March – 24 June 2018, NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore, opening performance by artist Tarek Atoui. Courtesy NTU CCA Singapore.
Course Structure
The one-year full-time or two-to four-year part-time curriculum combines academic rigour with professional experience. It is structured around three interconnected pillars:
Curatorial Practices
Explore new fields of curating from festivals, public, private and corporate organizations, as well as diverse formats such as art in non-art spaces and in the digital sphere encompassing the various audio-visual formats of artistic practices and the wide variety spaces of the curatorial today.
Museum Studies
Examine the expanding roles of museums in both public and private contexts. Their transformation—from traditional institutions to cross-disciplinary and digital spaces—reflects the evolving institutional frameworks across Southeast Asia.
Cultural Heritage
Engage with diverse approaches to studying, managing, and preserving local and regional cultural histories, with a focus on Southeast Asia—its material cultures and forms of presentation.
Students are required to pursue one specialisation within the programme. At the time of submission, prospective students must indicate the specialisation they wish to pursue and should also specify a second choice.
Tracks
To graduate, students must complete a total of 30 Academic Units (AUs).
The requirements can be fulfilled through one of the following tracks:
10-Course Track
- Pass 2 Core Courses (CC)
- Complete 2 Prescribed Electives (PE)
- Complete 6 additional Electives (E), chosen from either Electives or Prescribed Electives
Internship Track
- Pass 2 Core Courses
- Complete 2 Prescribed Electives
- Complete 4 additional courses, chosen from either Electives or Prescribed Electives
- Complete a 10-week professional attachment at an approved art, museum, or heritage institution in Singapore or abroad. Submit a 5,000-word Internship Report upon completion of the attachment (6 AUs). A supervisor will be appointed to guide the student. Subject to approval.
Thesis Track
- Pass 2 Core Courses
- Complete 2 Prescribed Electives
- Complete 4 additional courses, chosen from either Electives or Prescribed Electives
- Complete a 12,000–15,000-word Thesis on a subject approved by the MA Programme (6 AUs). The thesis may be based on primary source research or offer a reinterpretation of established aspects of a given subject. A supervisor with relevant expertise will be appointed to guide the student. Subject to approval.
Curriculum (for full-time students)
Classes are taught in English and take place on the NTU Campus, at the NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore @ Gillman Barracks and other venues in town.
Core Courses
- Academic Skills, Research Methodologies, and Curatorial Writing
- Cultural Histories of Southeast Asia
Prescribed Electives
Curatorial Practices
- Introduction to Curatorial Practices
- Curatorial Spatial Practices: Public Space, Institutions, and Expanded Fields
- Education and Outreach
Museum Studies
- Introduction to Museum Studies
- Collections, Care, Management
- Exhibition Design in the Context of Museums
Cultural Heritage
- Introduction to Cultural Heritage
- Material vs Culture
- Materialities in a Tropical Climate (Objects, Materials, Preservation)
Electives
- Curatorial Histories and Postcolonial Exhibitions in Southeast Asia
- Curating Time-Based Media
- Curatorship for Museums and Collections
- Global Art Histories
- Curating Residencies
Students may select additional Elective courses from the basket of Prescribed Electives offered under other pillars of this MA programme. Further Elective courses options may also be available from the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences’ graduate programmes. Both options are subject to the approval of the course instructor. All courses are to be confirmed by the beginning of the semester. Some courses might not be offered every semester.
