The academic focus of the Fine Art programme is to develop and foster authentic and professional artistic individuality. The curriculum is based on the examination of contemporary issues and lines of discourse, relevant artistic media and artistic strategies. The professors and teaching staff intensively consult with students throughout their studies. Personal mentoring and critiquing play an increasingly significant role as the programme progresses.
Freie Kunst (Fine Art; Diploma)
| Standard duration of programme | Deadline for application | Application |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Semesters | 31 March | Application |
Artistic Practice
Independent work in the studios and workshops of the university is at the centre of the study programme. The work is presented and discussed in the group in regular plenary sessions. In addition, individual consultations take place. In specialised courses and workshops, students can learn technical and craft skills as well as the basics of artistic activity.
In the first semester of study, thematic workshops are offered by all professors and staff of the Fine Art programme, which present exemplary contents and the artistic working methods of teaching. In addition, introductory workshop projects give students access to all artistic workshops in which they can work independently during their studies. The Fine Art degree programme concludes with a diploma in the standard period of study of 9 semesters.
Students can study in the areas of Experimental Painting and Drawing (Prof. Jana Gunstheimer), Sculpture, Object, Installation (Prof. Björn Dahlem) and Art and Social Terrain (Prof. Christine Hill). In the context of specialised courses and other courses, students can also choose from a variety of subject areas, including video, media art, new media, performance, photography, new artistic strategies, curating, basics of the art business, and much more.
Fully equipped workshops (including wood workshop, metal workshop, print workshop, photo workshop, plaster and mould making workshop, synthetic materials workshop, model making workshop and video studio) are available for students to use for their work.
Theory
The practical work is accompanied by theoretical examination and discussion provided by the Faculty‘s scientific departments and guest lectures. The interdisciplinary interweave with other degree programmes allows in depth study of Fine Art. Thanks to international contacts with partner universities, students have the opportunity to study abroad for one to two semesters.
Exhibitions and networks
Another distinctive feature of the Fine Art programme is its focus on professionalization and artistic positioning in art operation systems and networks. Lectures, talks and guest lectures by international experts complement the teaching. The teachers of Fine Arts support the students in the conception and realisation of their own projects and exhibitions.
Application for the aptitude test in the degree programme Fine Art
The application for the degree programme »Fine Art« at the Faculty of Art and Design at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar is exclusively conducted digitally via the online applicant portal. Applications are possible from 1 December of the year up to and including 31 March of the following year (application deadline). Please complete your application by uploading all necessary documents and your portfolio by 31 March.
These are the steps to passing the aptitude test:
- the upload of your digital application as of 1 December via the university's online applicant portal consisting of your digital portfolio, a signed Plagiarism Statement (Declaration of Originality) declaring that the work submitted was created by you, your curriculum vitae, as well as proof of your school-leaving qualification or vocational training
- preselection by reviewing the submitted digital portfolio
- the aptitude interview and review of your original artistic portfolio.
The aptitude test commission of the Fine Art degree programme makes a preselection after reviewing the submitted work samples. Those who make it to the shortlist will be invited to the further aptitude test and take part in a personal interview, to which please bring the original work from your digital application. Further details on the aptitude test are regulated by the aptitude test regulations (only available in German language).
Language requirements:
Please note that passing the aptitude test does not mean automatic admission to the degree programme. Please submit a current proof of language proficiency with your application documents, which shows that you will reach the required language level by the time of your matriculation at the latest.
Lessons are taught in German. You must provide proof of German language proficiency. Prerequisite for International Students are German language skills at the level C 1 (DSH-2 or TestDAF TDN 4).
If you have any questions relating to certification, please contact Frau Johanna Theuerkauf at the Office of Student and Academic Affairs: johanna.theuerkauf[at]uni-weimar.de
Application deadline:
The digital application can be uploaded as of 1 December until 31 March of the year.
In order to answer your questions as best as possible, we have compiled a FAQ list for you below:
How and by when can I submit my portfolio?
Digital portfolio submission is possible via the online applicant portal.
Application deadline:
The digital application can be uploaded until and including 31 March of the year.
What should my digital application look like and what should it contain?
In the degree programme Fine Art, your digital portfolio should contain about 20 samples of your artistic work. The works must have been made by you (Download Declaration of Originality). The portfolio should consist of artistic works (paintings, drawings, objects, photographs, etc.) that reveal individual interests and working methods and show interest in the chosen field of study.
- We recommend that you scan the work from your portfolio or simply take a photo with your mobile phone.
- Sketchbooks can be submitted digitally and count as one piece of work. Your sketchbooks are best represented by a short video in which you flip through your sketchbooks. This video(s) should not exceed 2 minutes in length. They can be provided in the form of links in the document within the digital application.
- Create ONE PDF file from your photographed or scanned work with a maximum size of 20 MB.
- Please upload your curriculum vitae and your school and professional qualifications as separate files.
- International applicants must also submit a current proof of language proficiency with their application, which shows that they will reach the required language level by the time of enrolment at the latest. German language skills at level C1 (DSH 2 or TestDAF TDN 4) are required for admission to the degree programme.
How do I create a PDF file?
There are several ways to create a PDF file. The Acrobat Reader from Adobe is a free software that you can download from the following link:
https://helpx.adobe.com/de/acrobat/using/creating-simple-pdfs-acrobat.html
Create a PDF file by using menu commands, dragging files onto the Acrobat application icon or converting data from the clipboard.
For more information, see for example various tutorials on Youtube.
What can I do with larger files such as moving images or audio files?
For the submission of moving images/audio files etc., only include links (e.g. to YouTube or Vimeo, if applicable as private/password-protected video) in the PDF of your portfolio. For capacity reasons, please avoid uploading such files.
How can I present the work from my portfolio and all other documents without a professional scanner?
You can also simply take photos of the work with your smartphone or camera. The original files can be reduced in size using the appropriate online tools.
E.g. https://compressjpeg.com/de/
What do I do with works that I cannot simply scan?
For example, try to take photos with different perspectives of your work and add notes about the materials used.
What do I do if the colours and materials of my work do not look like the original in the photos or scans?
We are aware that photos or scans do not exactly reproduce the original. This is taken into account by the examination committee. You do not have to incur any additional costs to have your portfolio professionally digitised.
Public Art and New Artistic Strategies (M.F.A.)
| Standard duration of programme | Deadline for application | Application |
|---|---|---|
| 4 Semesters | Only for applications for winter semester 2023/24: 17 April 2023 31 March | How to apply |
The Faculty of Art and Design at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar established the English-language, postgraduate M. F. A. degree programme in »Public Art and New Artistic Strategies« in the winter semester 2001/02. As the first and only master‘s degree programme of its kind in Germany, it prepares fine arts students for working in the public sphere and provides them with the skills required for effective artistic intervention.
This degree programme is targeted at international students and was established with start-up capital provided by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Students from around the world participate in this MFA programme, and German students benefit from the vast network of international partner universities where they can study for one or two semesters abroad. Enrolment in this degree programme is limited to 40 students. Foreign students spend four semesters studying in Weimar, while German students are required to study abroad for at least one semester. New students are only permitted to enrol in the winter semester.
Contents
The following four areas are crucial to artistic work in public space and are investigated in depth during this four-semester degree programme:
- Art, Architecture, and History
- Art Society and Public Space
- Situations, Interventions und New Artistic Strategies
The artistic and theoretical examination of these thematic areas takes place in »real projects«, i.e. context-related works are developed and installed in public space in cooperation with various partners. The ideas for artistic intervention in public space originate from the students‘ artistic approaches and entail independent development of an individual work. The forms of interventions include temporary installations, sculptures, actions and performances. Digital media has expanded the scope of public space to include virtual environments. The works frequently make reference to current political, cultural and social issues, as well as the status of public art. In addition to theoretically examining individual positions, the term »public« is also a central research topic. The programme also emphasizes other themes, such as integrating the fine arts into architecture and landscapes, investigating the culture of commemoration, the function of memorials and role of monuments in public space. The discussion also focuses on aspects of globalism, urbanism and migration.
The »Master of Fine Arts« degree is a second-level professional qualification. The master‘s examination is comprised of a final exhibition, an oral and written examination (master‘s thesis and presentation).
This degree programme is taught by associate professor: Ina Weise.
Application for the aptitude test in the Master's degree programme Public Art and New Artistic Strategies
To be eligible for admission to this degree programme, candidates must have attained a first-level professional qualification from a university/college of art in a degree programme of no less than six semesters, or an equivalent degree as confirmed by the examination committee. The selection of the students of the degree programme is based on an aptitude assessment examination consisting of:
- Documentation of artistic work
- Completed homework assignment
- if necessary, a personal interview
To register for the aptitude assessment examination please perform the
» online registration via our online applicant portal (by 15 January)
You will receive the link to the homework by e-mail after January, 15th.
In the next step, please solve this homework and upload it with the following documents via the university's online applicant portal by 31 March of the year (ATTENTION: Application deadline for the winter semester 2023/24: 17 April 2023):
- Documentation of artistic work (preferably in a format no larger than DIN A4)
- a signed declaration that the submitted work has been produced by you (Declaration of Originality)
- Completed homework assignment (The homework assignment will be sent to you by e-mail after registration.)
- Curriculum vitae
- copy of your higher education entrance qualification (Abitur, A-levels)
- copy of your certificate of graduation from a university/college of art, along with a copy of your transcript
- Language certificates (see section on language requirements below)
Application materials must be submitted exclusively via our online applicant portal and not via!
Attention!
Foreign applicants must include certified copies of all certificates and transcripts in the original language along with their translation in English or German. Applicants from the People's Republic of China are required to submit the certificate issued by the DAAD Academic Evaluation Centre in Beijing.
You will receive the link to apply for admission online as soon as you have passed the aptitude assessment examination.
Applicants who fail the aptitude assessment examination will receive written notification to that effect.
Language requirements:
English
Students in this degree programme require very good English language skills. If you are not a native speaker of English, you must provide proof of English language proficiency with one of the following certificates:
- Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English, Level C or
- IELTS, Band 7.0 or
- TOEFL 95 (internet-based)
- UNIcert, Level 3
- other comparable certificates
This also applies for German-speaking applicants. An exception can be made if a candidate has earned a previous degree or diploma in an English-speaking country.
German
To ensure that foreign applicants are able to cope with life in Germany, they must have some basic knowledge of German. Applicants must provide proof that they have gained the first level of competence A1 laid down in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. This requirement is met by providing one of the following:
- Start Deutsch 1 certificate from the Goethe Institute
- another certificate of an equivalent level
- certificate confirming completion of at least 130 to 160 hours of German language instruction
If a candidate lacks sufficient knowledge of German, he or she may choose to gain the necessary language skills in an intensive language course at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar before the first semester begins.
Recommendation for foreign applicants:
We recommend that foreign applicants participate in two language courses in August and September before commencing their studies (a four-week course at the Bauhaus Summer School and a three-week course at the Language Centre at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar).
Candidates can also participate in an intensive German language course (24 hours of instruction per week) during the summer semester (April to July), which can be extremely helpful for preparing for study in Germany.
Information about language examinations:
British Council
Cambridge Proficiency
Goethe Institute
Adult education centres (VHS) and university language instruction centres
Application deadline: 31 March of the year
phone: +49 (0) 36 43 / 58 33 92
fax: +49 (0) 36 43 / 58 33 93
e-mail: panas[at]gestaltung.uni-weimar.de
Degree programme contacts:
Ansprache von Florian Hesselbarth an die Studierenden im ersten Semester »Freie Kunst«
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