Master of Arts

This MA-course is offered in English only

Course contents - teaching and learning methods

The course is structured in modules. In each module we have scheduled different learning and teaching methods. By specifically applying these, it will lead to an optimised development of competence. Basically, the very good mentoring relation in each module almost enables a one to one learning-teaching-situation as well as a very good knowledge transfer.

The methods and generation of knowledge inside a project module are based on post graduate programmes of universities and establish the foundation of a master project plenum.
Here the project participants meet for discussion: Students and teachers discuss project development, methods, aims and solutions. The discussion forum is open to all students. This is how an individual network of social, theoretical and design oriented questions and knowledge can grow for each project. This is how methods, philosophy of science and creative development of the professional approaches are initiated and accelerated. It is also our goal to encourage our students to gain an early scientific independence.

Graduate skills

The MA programme enables those with a bachelor degree or diploma to participate in a thesis- and/or research-orientated course and therefore qualifies them to solve complex design tasks in a conceptual, theoretical and practical manner. Graduates will be especially qualified to work individually, scientifically and focused on fine arts.

The future job opportunities with this background and the aforementioned career prospects range between self-determined (and even self-employed) authorship, requested services and the implementation in various fields of business.
The MA programme makes available complex and innovative design projects based on a highly developed conceptual composition, a competent professional ability to articulate and a heightened cultural education of the graduates.

Graduate skills:

• Capacity to reflect critically
  • Defined self-conception of authorship
  • Ability to evaluate design taking into consideration economical and ethnical aspects
  • Critical awareness and being able to define and resolve design problems
  • Ability to extensively analyse an idea under formal, social, psychological, historical and economical aspects
• Decision making and responsibility
  • Ability to think and act creatively
  • Awareness for knowledge-management
  • Ability to express the main messages of design and design process as well as creative development
• Cultural competence
  • Ability to work in a team
  • Competence in social, negotiative and presentation communication
  • Ability to interpret cultural practice, intercultural communication and artistic intervention
• Competence in the field of research and development in an extended aesthetic, artistic and social environment

Aims and outcomes

This MA course in gemstone and jewellery design (GJD) enables its graduates to contribute to the contemporary national and international gemstone and jewellery scene with the aim to become an active and decisive part of it. It also combines creative development in the field of gemstone and jewellery design and its co-related subjects with design theory and the specific topics of gemstone and jewellery design.

This course orientation also considers that the job expectations require innovative thinking and advancement, which can be achieved by interpreting the course contents in a broad manner. These versatile assignments range from elaborating fine-art-related topics to interdisciplinary design projects and to pure market-oriented analysis. Therefore, creative developments are initiated in the scope of the MA course and students are encouraged to effectively and critically reflect their individual expressed solutions and conclusions.

The graduates will be qualified for the complex development of  ideas, concepts, designs and the production of marketable products in the field of GJD. In addition to the specialization and extension of knowledge in art and design, acquired interdisciplinary abilities and critical reflection play major roles. The accumulation of competence and qualifications is part of the framework in which art, art history, technology and economics are combined. This qualifies the graduates to incorporate an independent professional function in the field of commerce or fine arts.

This MA course is project-orientated aiming to prepare the students for the professional world. The field of activity will be defined carefully and individually during the project proposal. The freelance authorship will play a decisive role in the later profession emphasising on gemstones and jewellery. Furthermore, you will find following career prospects integrated in the programme:

• Freelance authorship in the field of gemstones and jewellery
• Employed or freelance designer
• Artistic line-producer, studio management and art director
• Design-management
• Teaching and education
• Publishing