MA Arts, Health and Wellbeing
01 Sep 2025 - 31 Aug 2026
| Course Leader | Thania Acaron |
|---|---|
| Course Team | Heather Parnell |
| Awarding Body | University of South Wales |
| Teaching Institutions | University of South Wales |
| Modes of Study | Part Time |
Document Version
| Version | 1 |
|---|---|
| Valid From | 01 Sep 2025 |
| Valid To | 31 Aug 2026 |
QAA Benchmarks
Educational Aim
In line with external benchmarks and guidance the MA Arts Practice (Arts, Health and Wellbeing) aims to:
• To produce highly informed, flexible, reflective and skilled creative practitioners who can with confidence and autonomy make a significant contribution within the field of arts, health and wellbeing to their local economies and body of knowledge in their discipline.
• To facilitate students’ acquisition of creativity and innovative practice within the field of arts, health and wellbeing.
• To facilitate students’ development of advanced critical and professional skills with which to interrogate, evaluate and communicate their arts practice within the field of arts, health and wellbeing.
• To enable students to undertake complex problem solving and to attain practical and advanced cognitive understanding of their role as a creative practitioner working within arts health and wellbeing contexts.
• To develop students’ professional knowledge, skills and personal attributes enabling them to act in the expectation of best and ethical practice within the field of arts, health and wellbeing.
• To develop students’ advanced critical awareness and analysis of current practice, issues, debates and developments, scholarship and research within the field of arts health and wellbeing.
• To develop students’ ability to critique, synthesise and apply appropriate and effective theoretical and practical research methods.
Learning Outcomes
| A1 | Demonstrate a high level of knowledge and understanding of current practice, scholarship and research within the field of arts, health and wellbeing, effectively utilising this to undertake complex problem solving and to develop innovative creative practice. |
| A2 | Initiate, apply, consolidate and extend their learning and creative experiences in different contextual frameworks and situations. |
| A3 | Demonstrate advanced knowledge and critical understanding of current debate, development, strategies and policies, research and research methodologies relating to the field of arts, health and wellbeing. |
| A4 | Demonstrate advanced knowledge and understanding of key requirements pertaining to professional practice, attributes and skills within the field of arts, health and wellbeing. |
| B1 | Identify and analyse those factors informing practice or research within the field of arts, health and wellbeing. Employing critical awareness to evaluate and synthesise information and ideas to create and effectively communicate successful solutions |
| B2 | Engage in a variety of forms of critical research leading to both arts practice and writing that reflects sustained independent enquiry. |
| B3 | Successfully interpret/propose project briefs using technical, aesthetic and critically analytical skills to determine outcomes. |
| B4 | Formulate and use appropriate methodologies in research, creative practice and evaluation, demonstrating advanced critical and practical understanding of established techniques used to create and interpret knowledge within the field of arts, health and wellbeing. |
| C1 | Demonstrate the ability to deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, make sound judgements and communicate their conclusions clearly to specialists and non-specialist audiences through practical and theoretical means. |
| C2 | Demonstrate time management, self-motivation, personal initiative, organisational skills, negotiation and planning, strategizing and prioritising. |
| C3 | Undertake advanced arts, health and wellbeing practice at a professional level initiating, executing and critically evaluating process and outcomes, evidencing detailed knowledge and experience of the organisation and planning of events, processes and use of resources. |
| C4 | Negotiate, manage and complete arts practice and engage in critical debate with understanding and the application of ethical requirements and legislation relating to practice within the field of arts, health and wellbeing. |
Course Structure
Level 7 Modules
| Module Code | Module Id | Module Title | Module Status | Credit Value | Module Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FH4S20 | MOD012294 | Research and Development of Creative Practice | Running | 20 | specified |
| VH4D001 | MOD012214 | Arts Practice 1- Review and Develop | Running | 40 | specified |
| VH4D002 | MOD012215 | Arts Practice 2 – Progress and Situate | Running | 40 | specified |
| VH4S020 | MOD012295 | Professional Practice within Arts, Health and Wellbeing | Running | 20 | specified |
| VH4T001 | MOD012217 | Arts Practice 3 – Refine and Resolve | Running | 60 | specified |
Teaching and Assessment
Learning and Teaching Methods
Employer Engagement
Visiting Speakers
Visiting speakers are frequently used as part of modules in order for students to locate themselves and their work within a wider professional context and make industry contacts within the field of arts, health and wellbeing. In addition to this, the faculty regularly invites speakers from a wide scope of disciplines in the creative industries covering TV, Dance, Media, Music as well as Design. Students are encouraged to attend cross faculty events where speakers from other specialist areas share their expertise; this encourages networking beyond the students’ immediate discipline.
Volunteering
Students may undertake arts practice projects in a volunteering capacity. Sometimes volunteering opportunities can arise for students as a result of making industry contacts and are carried out in an extra-curricular way.
Fieldwork
Students engage in arts practice project within several modules, which often require carrying out fieldwork in the form of collaboration with external organisations.
Fieldtrips
Field trips are arranged as part of modules in order for students to gather knowledge about the industry.
Work Placements
Arts Practitioner modules have the capacity for work placements to be carried out – these are self-directed and negotiated with host organisations and Module Leaders. Students are expected to take the lead in locating and negotiating placements. Staff and students will be mindful of aligning themselves to the USW Policy for Placement and Work-Based Learning, which will typically be followed unless otherwise appropriate.
Students are typically required to complete an Ethics risk assessment in relation to their placement. The risk assessment requires the student to address safe- guarding issues and to address the question ‘Are there any issues around researcher safety and if so how will risks be managed?’
Staff offer appropriate support in locating and managing placements and in the completion of associated risk assessments.
Work-based Learning
As above. The course includes numerous opportunities for work-based learning through the undertaking arts practice projects and the communication/dissemination of professional practice via online channels, publication, performance and exhibition.
Employer Forums
These are arranged on an ad hoc and responsive basis as part of modules focused on professional practice.
Means of Assessment
Presentation
Essay
Project Output
Report
Research Plan/Proposal
Learning Support
Induction
An induction day is held in September to introduce students to the course, the teaching team and each other. The course introduction is thorough and covers all aspects of the course timetable, modes of teaching and learning, assessment, accessing learning resources, student advice and support and health and safety. Students are introduced to the teaching team via pecha kucha presentations. Students and staff take part in a practical workshop which fosters course cohesion and is focused on learning through participatory arts practice.
Personal Academic Coach
Learning support is provided via Module Leaders with overarching support provided by the Course Leader.
Office hours
When based in the building core staff offer office hours each week. When working remotely students are able to contact the Course Leader and Module Leaders throughout the course and can email to arrange to meet and discuss any issues.
Tutorials
Individual tutorials are utilised as teaching method in all modules.
Seminars
Small group tutorials or seminars are utilised throughout the course as a means to share and discuss practice, facilitate peer learning and enable workshop activities.
Formative Assessment
Formative assessment is integrated into modules and utilised at appropriate points in order to feedback or feed-forward on students work.
Progress meetings
Students regularly meet to discuss progress, both informally during classes and formally within modules.
Research Supervision
This is particularly employed as part of VH4TXXX Arts Practice 3.
In addition to taught sessions, contact with students is maintained via email, Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and scheduled meetings.
Online Resources
Online resources are frequently utilised during all modules. This can range from the online library resources, virtual classroom spaces and course information, resources, learning materials and recordings of presentations which are available via the VLE Blackboard.
Advice Zone
All students are made aware of the Advice Zone during induction, and then responsively across the year.
The Student Advice Zone is in the Library on the ground floor of the Cardiff campus. Students can make an appointment to see a specialist advisor on matters relating to finance, health and wellbeing, as well as support with study skills. Information and contacts for Advice Zone services are included in the course handbook.
Disability
The Disability and Dyslexia Support Service (DDS) provides a confidential and professional service where students can discuss individual requirements. USW is committed to providing a quality support service. Responsibility for their education remains with students, and their choices and preferences will be respect. Students are made aware of this service during induction and then responsively across the year.
IT/Library
Students are made aware of these services at induction and information is included in the course handbook.
IT and media resources are a common thread behind many of the activities which help to enhance students’ learning experience, such as their online student account (giving access to email, printing and payments and more), UniLearn (the online learning environment), open access to computers on each campus, printing services, and media equipment.
USW has a strong commitment to providing technology-based learning environments to support students. Whether studying on campus, at home or elsewhere, students have web access to their course materials anytime and anywhere.
The recently refurbished Library is where students can get the help of librarians who can offer advice on finding resources for their course. The library contains a wide range of books including copies of every set or recommended text for each of their modules. USW also provides access to journals related to the discipline so students can keep up to date with the latest thinking and developments.
There is also a periodicals collection with newspapers and magazines. Many of these resources are also available digitally.
Course Exit Points
| Award | Criteria | Final |
|---|---|---|
| Master of Arts | 180 credits of which at least 150 must be at Level 7 and no more than 30 at Level 6 | Final |
| Postgraduate Diploma | 120 credits of which at least 90 must be at Level 7 and no more than 30 at Level 6 | Exit |
| Postgraduate Certificate | 60 credits with at least 40 at Level 7 and no more than 20 at Level 6 | Exit |
Progression Route
Students have the possibility to apply to progress to PhD study at USW or other Institutions.
Entry Requirements
Admission to the course is typically through the following qualifications:
An Honours degree of 2.1 or above in a related discipline such as art or design or a significant body of practical work and/or written work in the field of the arts, that demonstrates competencies equivalent to a Bachelors degree. If students apply with a 2.2 Honours degree, they will be interviewed and must demonstrate that they are ready to study at this level.
Applicants with appropriate qualifications in related fields such as teaching, art training, arts administration, occupational therapy, arts therapies, health sector management, arts and disability, social services, community work, youth work, or a period of professional employment in the field, will also be considered.
A DBS check is not required for entry into the course or for general participation in the course. A DBS check may be required if a student elects to undertake participatory arts practice. In these cases, the expenses would be covered by the students.
Inclusive Curriculum Statement
The University of South Wales operates a policy of inclusive learning, teaching and assessment to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to fulfil their educational potential. Course teams will have considered ways of designing out any potentially disadvantageous element of courses during the course design process. However some specific needs may remain, details about how to apply to have your needs assessed can be found at: http://unilife.southwales.ac.uk/pages/3040-disability-and-dyslexia-service/
Addendum for Delivery at a Partner Institution
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Methods Of Quality Standards
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Quality Of Standards Indicators
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