International Programmes 2023/2024

Public Art and New Artistic Strategies (MFA) Public Art and New Artistic Strategies (MFA)

Bauhaus-Universität Weimar • Weimar

Degree
Master of Fine Arts
Teaching language
  • English
Languages

Courses are held in English only.

Full-time / part-time
  • full-time
Programme duration
4 semesters
Beginning
Winter semester
Additional information on beginning, duration and mode of study

The semester periods are October to February and April to July.

Application deadline

31 March

Tuition fees per semester in EUR
None
Combined Master's degree / PhD programme
No
Joint degree / double degree programme
No
Description/content

Three major areas are covered during the first three semesters of the programme:

  1. Art, Architecture, and History
  2. Situations, Interventions, and New Artistic Strategies
  3. Art, Society, and Public Space

Teaching focuses primarily on the participants' individual art work. The student artists learn to think and react contextually. They hone their ability to react within dynamic and changing parameters. This "Weimar Model" combines theory and practice in interdisciplinary and project-oriented studies. This course emphasises the intensive theoretical investigation of public space. Students are concerned with the historical, philosophical and sociological aspects of public space as well as other topics generated in relationship to the art works in process. Contemporary art production and the history of art and culture are part of the discourse.

Course organisation

Courses are offered as public art projects, mostly in cooperation with an institution or a municipality as well as academical modules, workshops, and specialised modules. (The concept of the programme attempts to utilise and unlock the potential available in the immediate environment as well as in the region.) Every semester, students undertake one main public art project and the associated scientific module, as well as compulsory and optional modules (specialist module, workshop). An important adjunct is the "Monday Night Lectures" in collaboration with the ACC Gallery Weimar.

A Diploma supplement will be issued
Yes
International elements
  • Integrated study abroad unit(s)
Integrated study abroad unit(s)

Close cooperation with seven international partner schools
German participants spend the third semester at one of our partner schools to improve their international competence. The courses and grades will be accepted on the basis of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

Course-specific, integrated German language courses
No
Course-specific, integrated English language courses
No
Tuition fees per semester in EUR
None
Semester contribution

Enrolment fees amount to approx. 200 EUR per semester. This is a contribution to student services and the student council. It includes free regional transport by buses in Weimar, Erfurt, Jena and Gera as well as by regional trains in Thuringia, student discounts for meals at the university cafeteria and for theatre and museum tickets, access to the university sports complex and buildings. The additional fee for the "Thoska" student ID is 20 EUR (a one-time only fee).

Costs of living

In Weimar, living expenses tend to be lower than in larger German cities. We recommend for students to budget about 861 EUR per month:

  • Health insurance approx. 100 EUR
  • Books and stationery approx. 70 EUR
  • Rent approx. 291 EUR
  • Meals approx. 200 EUR
  • Other expenses approx. 200 EUR
Funding opportunities within the university
Yes
Description of the above-mentioned funding opportunities within the university

There are scholarships granted by the university as an institution. Additionally, the International Office grants scholarships that support international students and students going abroad for studies or internships.
https://www.uni-weimar.de/en/university/studies/financing-your-studies/financing-opportunities/

Academic admission requirements

To be admitted to the MFA course of study, the main requirement is completion of either a first art college or academy degree with a minimum of six semesters or a degree determined to be equivalent by the examining committee. The final selection of students is based on documentation of the art work in combination with the aptitude test and, if necessary, an interview. (Please see our website for more information about the application: www.uni-weimar.de/panas.)

Language requirements

A very good knowledge of English is necessary for the MFA programme.
Applicants who are not native speakers must document their proficiency in the English language through: Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English, Level C, or IELTS, Band 7.0, or UNIcert, Level 3, or other comparable certificates. This also applies for German-speaking candidates. Exceptions are possible in the case of successful completion of an English-language degree programme in the past.
All applicants (with the exception of German native speakers) acquire proof of a basic knowledge of German at level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages through Goethe Institute Certificate Start Deutsch 1 or comparable certificates.

Application deadline

31 March

Submit application to

Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
Faculty of Art and Design
Public Art and New Artistic Strategies
Geschwister-Scholl-Str. 7
99423 Weimar
Germany

Possibility of finding part-time employment

A part-time job can be a good way to finance your studies. There are opportunities for students who are looking for teaching and research assistantships at the university or part-time jobs with local companies. Be sure to check the job openings. Jobs are offered on the "Pinnwand" message board, on the job portal operated by the Career Service and by the "Studierendenwerk Thüringen" Student Service.

Weimar is a small town with few jobs for students. Although basic English is spoken nearly everywhere, as the historic city of Weimar attracts many visitors from all over the world, you have to speak German very well to have a chance to find a job.

International students are only permitted to work in Germany with a work permit.

Accommodation

You can find accommodation in Weimar through Thuringia's student services ("Studierendenwerk Thüringen"). More than 1,000 apartments in the city are administered by Thuringia's student services. These residences are at various locations, and they cater to different needs and preferences. Costs for accommodation range between 250 and 350 EUR per month depending on size and location. The university itself does not provide accommodation.

Further information: https://www.stw-thueringen.de/en/housing/residential-homes.html
Online application: https://www.stw-thueringen.de/en/housing/application/online-application.html

Typically, between two and up to five students share an apartment. Students have their own bedrooms and share a kitchen and a bathroom. Most rooms are furnished (bed, desk, chair, cupboard, shelf), but kitchenware and appliances are not included. Mentors for international students provide assistance in settling in during the first couple of days and also organise events.

Students advertise private and shared flats on the message board ("Pinnwand") on the university website: https://www.uni-weimar.de/de/universitaet/aktuell/pinnwaende/bereich/wohnen/.

Support for international students and doctoral candidates
  • Welcome event
  • Buddy programme
  • Tutors
  • Specialist counselling
  • Cultural and linguistic preparation
  • Visa matters
  • Pick-up service

Bauhaus-Universität Weimar

Bauhaus-Universität Weimar is a small and very international university with a highly distinctive spectrum of subjects. Situated in the historic city of Weimar, Germany, it originated from two progressive institutions: The "Weimar Saxon-Grand Ducal Art School" and the "Staatliches Bauhaus".

Different personalities from various countries have shaped the institution and developed ideas known and respected worldwide. At Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, we continue to follow a unique path that offers unparalleled opportunities by combining science and technology with art and design.

We see our university as a "Bauhaus of the 21st century" – open, experimental, innovative in the technical as well as in the aesthetic sense, and free from any imitation of the past. The university's main fields of study and research are architecture, civil engineering, art and design as well as media.

We offer an ideal space for creative academic and artistic work, supported by laboratories, workshops, studios, libraries, online teaching facilities and a favourable student-teacher ratio. Bauhaus-Universität Weimar is connected worldwide due to a large network of partners, which our students benefit from through programmes such as study abroad periods as well as international projects and excursions. Among more than 200 international partners are universities and schools in Ethiopia, France, Italy, Japan, Romania, the Russian Federation, Switzerland, and the USA.

Here are some important facts from the history of the university: In 1919, Walter Gropius created the "Staatliches Bauhaus" in Weimar. Four years later, he called for the search for the "new unity of art and engineering". That meant combining the vanguard of art and design with modern industry. With this approach, the Bauhaus became the most famous school of architecture, art, and design in the 20th century.

Our university flourishes through its experimental environment, familiar atmosphere and especially through the people, who study, research and work here at the university. The best way is to experience this special atmosphere yourself. Join our "Welcome to Weimar" online crash course or visit us, for example, at the annual Bauhaus Summer School and learn about what lies behind the following numbers:

Four faculties – Architecture and Urbanism, Civil Engineering, Art and Design, Media
47 degree programmes
Approx. 4,100 students including doctoral students
Approx. 27% international students
84 professors
More than 200 partner universities and more than 500 student exchanges

https://www.uni-weimar.de/en/university/international/to-weimar/fulltime-students/preparing-your-studies/

University location

The historic city of Weimar is a cosy town that has had a profound influence on Europe. This becomes most evident in architecture, art and design, music, and literature.

Weimar is situated right in the middle of Thuringia, the "green heart of Germany", and it is about 300 km from both the German capital, Berlin, and the German financial centre, Frankfurt am Main. Today, Weimar is a lively town with about 65,000 inhabitants and a town centre where you can reach everything within 15 minutes. The green areas of the town, such as the park on the river Ilm, include many sights, e.g. Goethe's summer house and the palaces of Tiefurt, Ettersburg, and Belvedere. Among many others, the famous German writers Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich Schiller walked in the park along the River Ilm. The famous pianist and composer Franz Liszt stimulated modern music, and the architects Walter Gropius and Henry van de Velde initiated modernism.

Weimar has much to offer for art lovers and culture lovers, revellers, lovers of nature, and gourmets. There are more than 20 museums, three cinemas, a national theatre and various cabaret theatres, student clubs, concerts, and multifaceted cultural events such as the traditional folk event and the "Zwiebelmarkt", not to mention Thuringian delicacies like "Rostbratwurst" (sausage), "Rostbrätel" (marinated grilled meat), and "Thüringer Klöße" (dumplings). During the summer, Weimar hosts the annual Bauhaus Summer School, Yiddish Summer Weimar (featuring klezmer music), and several art festivals. Other highlights include the "backup" film festival and Master classes at the "Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt". In the "International Student Barometer" survey, 95.4 percent of international students commend the exceptional quality of life in the city of Weimar. We hope to welcome you to Weimar soon!

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