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Postgraduate Taught

Participatory Arts - MA

Interest is growing in how artists and creative practitioners can work beyond traditional venues like galleries, theatres and museums. Designed to prepare you for work in arts and social practice, this MA in Participatory Arts explores how creative skills can be applied in social contexts, including community work, health, education and social welfare.

The course combines classroom learning with industry-based opportunities, enabling you to apply theory in practice while becoming part of a supportive network of practitioners. It prepares you for a freelance career and/or within organisations with community outreach activities. It is suited to those already working in participatory settings, professionals seeking a flexible qualification, and recent arts graduates wanting to apply their skills in community contexts. Study is available full or part-time, with September and January entry points.

‘Participatory Arts’ is an umbrella term covering practices such as community arts, activist arts, and arts in healthcare. Rather than defining a single approach, the course supports any type of creative work within social contexts. In the UK, this field has grown significantly over the past three decades, with increasing recognition of the arts in areas such as public health and wellbeing, including social prescribing. The course explores the history of socially engaged practice while building skills for work across sectors. It also emphasises ethical reflection and provides enterprise skills, including fundraising, planning and marketing, to help sustain a professional creative practice.

Why QMU?

Unique course content designed to prepare you to work in arts and social practice: The combination of modules on this MA makes it unique in Scotland and will prepare you to play a key part in the growing creative health and wellbeing of the nation.
Our small class sizes are perfect for sharing experiences and fostering new ideas: Enjoy the support of staff and encouragement of fellow students. While our academics are experts in their fields, we believe it is vitally important to have a strong community of learners around you. Not only will this be important to your learning and development whilst studying, but also as future colleagues and support networks.
Teaching team with wide-ranging expertise: Our staff are highly experienced in both the theory and practice of participatory art, and all bring very different perspectives, giving our students a broad overview of the subject. The lecturers have collectively been involved in such activities as delivering international socially engaged art projects, guiding international research, leading cultural projects and businesses, and advising the government on cultural policy. Our team’s research has also been published and exhibited widely - including several books on the subject - and we have written reports for national bodies on a wide variety of subjects. As such, we have significant, broad knowledge of the sector to share with students.
Optimum balance of theoretical and practical learning: The course offers a variety of learning experiences, including industry-based learning, which are sure to enrich your studies. Our location in Edinburgh means rapid access to a variety of communities and arts organisations with which to work.
Industry input and our professional links ensure you are up to date with key developments: You’ll benefit from a range of professional expertise as well as insight from key cultural organisations working this way across Scotland. Teaching staff have extensive professional experience and networks, including local and national bodies. We also have formal partnerships with a variety of organisations, such as Out of the Blue, Craigmillar Now, Artlink Edinburgh, and North Edinburgh Arts, that students can access as part of their learning.

Studying our MA Participatory Arts (formerly Applied Arts and Social Practice)

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Structure and exit awards

You can opt to study for the full MA (180 credits), a PgDip (120 credits) or a PgCert Participatory Arts (60 credits). Please note that all students enrol in the full MA degree initially.

You can also register as an associate student to complete a single module for CPD. On completion of a single module, you may wish to complete further modules and progress your studies to a named award. Please contact Anthony Schrag for more information on single module study.

Teaching, learning and assessment

Teaching comprises a stimulating combination of lectures, seminars, workshops, tutorials, case studies, simulation exercises, field trips and projects, as well as a period of practice-based learning. Assessment throughout the course will take a variety of forms, including essays, reports, exams, group and individual presentations, and a practice-based dissertation for the final MA component.

Placements/industry-based learning

You will be required to take up some industry-based learning opportunities to put theory into practice. Although we support you to find opportunities, you are responsible for securing your own arrangements in line with your personal interests. We have numerous connections across a wide range of organisations, and we are particularly well regarded by our industry peers in the cultural sector. If you are already working in the sector, you can use your existing employment as the location for your industry-based learning.

Teaching hours and attendance

Your specific timetable will depend on whether you are studying full-time, part-time, or an individual module, but all teaching on the course occurs on either a Thursday or a Friday. Each module involves approximately 20 hours of face-to-face teaching over a 10-week semester. This will be a mixture of weekly classes, with the possibility of some field trips outside regular teaching time. Timetables will normally be available to matriculated students around one month before you commence your studies.

Class sizes

Normally, we would expect around 10 to 15 students to enrol in the course each year.

Teaching staff

You can read more about the teaching staff on this course at the bottom of this page. You can also click on the staff profiles immediately below. Please note that teaching staff is subject to change.

You will study the following modules:

Practice as Research (20 credits): This module is driven by reflective considerations on your own practice, and explores how to position this work as 'research'. You will explore broader theoretical reflections on the purpose of research, but also case studies and insights from guest speakers and experts in the field who can speak of their own practical experience of engaging in participatory arts projects.
Theories and Histories of Participatory Arts (20 credits): Taking a historical perspective as a foundation, this module examines the theoretical justification for participatory arts, using case studies and past projects. It grounds your thinking about the types of histories and legacies that can be drawn from to complicate the practices of engagement.
Participatory Art Laboratory (40 credits): This module examines the practical skills required to engage with people, including concepts such as dialogue, interpersonal skills, and group facilitation. The most practical of the modules, this module is taught as a ‘lab’ where you will get to try out and engage with groups and communities to expand your skill set and experience working with people.
Fundraising, Finance and Development (20 credits): This module will equip you with a critical understanding of the principles and practices of fundraising, development and financial management. The assessments invite you to examine financial support mechanisms (eg completing a funding application or designing a sponsorship pack) as well as a financial literacy exam. This module makes our course quite unique in this regard.
The Only Way is Ethics: Art Representation and Ethics (20 credits): This module is designed to develop the critical and practical skills you need to engage with the public in the delivery of cultural projects. It looks at examples from history as well as contemporaneous projects that engage with people at the ethical edges of participation, challenging you to develop your own ethical frameworks.
Practice-Based Dissertation (60 credits): For the MA, you will also complete a final practice-based dissertation. This consists of enacting a real-world project with a community/context of your choice, or working with the wide range of QMU partners (eg Out of the Blue, or Craigmillar Now). It should include all elements of social engagement, including framing the concept, ethical approval, planning, delivery, and reflection on practice. This is a fantastic opportunity to develop a portfolio piece of social practice arts for the first time, or to explore different elements of your own pre-existing practice.

The course meets the growing needs of organisations with community-based outreach departments, but it will also prepare you with the practical and enterprise skills to develop a sustainable freelance career in your chosen field. Even though the course is relatively new, our current graduates have already gained work with, for example, the Lyceum Theatre, or have set up their own organisations, or are working in the field as successful freelance artists.

Entry requirements

You should meet one of the following entry criteria:

UK Honours degree or equivalent in a creative subject area
UK Honours degree or equivalent in a non-creative subject area - portfolio would be required
Bachelor ordinary degree or equivalent in a creative subject plus two years relevant work experience
Bachelor ordinary degree or equivalent in a non - creative subject plus two years relevant work experience, plus portfolio
HND or equivalent in any subject area plus two years relevant work experience, plus portfolio
No undergraduate degree study could be considered with a minimum of seven years relevant work experience plus portfolio

If you do not meet any of the above criteria, we may still be able to consider you for the Associate route which would allow you to enrol onto one module initially.

Information on the portfolio requirement will be issued to you following submission and review of your application form.

Disability/health conditions

If you have a disability, long-term physical or mental health condition, or learning disability, it should not stand in the way of your studying at QMU. However, if you are not sure whether your disability might be a barrier in your studies or in relation to the professional standards, please contact the disability service who will be able to have a conversation with you about reasonable adjustments and supports available to you.

Applying for this course

For more information on applying, or to apply for this course, please follow the links in the 'Start your application' box at the top right of this page.

Application deadline

Home students: End of August for September 2027 start and mid-December for January 2028 start.

International students: End of June for September 2027 start and end of November for January 2028 start.

Contact Dr Anthony Schrag (Programme Leader) or contact Admissions

We would be delighted for you to visit us on campus to find out more about our MA Applied Arts and Social Practice course.

More information on our forthcoming open events

The delivery of this course is subject to the terms and conditions set out in our 2027/28 Entry - Terms and Conditions (Postgraduate).
The information on this page is correct at the time of posting (October 2026) but is subject to change. In the event that modules change, QMU will seek to use reasonable endeavours to ensure that there is no detrimental impact on students. Please keep an eye on this page for updates.