Educational Standard

Applicants for the Professional Master in Education (Art & Design) should hold a level 8 degree or equivalent in art and/or design recognised by the Registration Council for Secondary Teachers of the Department of Education and Science in Ireland.  The applicant must have received a minimum of a pass in each examination and a 2.2 or higher overall. The degree should include credits in the following 

a) Drawing, 2D and 3D Visual Studies in Art/Craft/Design

b) Media

c) Art/Design History and Critical Studies/Visual Cultural Studies

Applicants will also be required to complete Irish Teaching Council Subject Declaration form. The form is included in the link below. More information can be found at the Teaching Council website. 

Applicants who do not meet the minimum academic entry requirements may be considered on the basis of prior work or learning experience (RPEL). Candidates may be required to pass a qualifying examination set by the relevant department before being accepted to a Masters degree programme. Attendance at selected undergraduate lecture courses at NCAD, together with related written work may be prescribed. 

You may apply for the programme if you are currently completing your Undergraduate Degree. NCAD will review the rest of your application If necessary, we can make you a Conditional Offer. When your degree is completed and you send us final transcripts we will upgrade this to a Full Offer. 

All applicants will be Garda vetted.

Essential Supporting Documents

• A Statement of Interest

  • Statements should refer to the most enjoyable aspects of your own education.

  • Indicate which aspects of education policy and practice especially interest you and outline your views on current issues on art and design education within second-level schools.

• A recent CV

• Certified transcripts of previous programmes followed

• Certified copies of degree/ certificates and/or other appropriate third level qualifications bearing the official stamp of the institution.

• Reference 1 (Academic - Head of School/Department preferred)

  • Some referees prefer to submit the reference directly to the college. If this is the case, please instruct your referee to email a standard reference to postgraduate@ncad.ie. Please make sure all references contain the letterhead and the institution contact email address for the referee.

• Reference 2 (Tutor or Current/Recent Employer)

• Subject Declaration Form-Please complete this form online. Download it as a PDF and add it to your application along with other supporting documents. Alternatively, you can email it as a PDF to postgraduate@ncad.ie Please click here to complete the form. 

In order to start school placement, it is necessary to be Garda vetted.  Please do not delay completing these forms once they have been sent to you. 

See also Teaching Council Information

Document Description

When uploading documents please make sure you clearly label them using the Description Box like in the example below 

Portfolio

You will not be asked to supply your portfolio until all of the other documents have been received and have been reviewed.  Only those who are called for interview are asked to submit a portfolio.  Therefore we do not ask you to submit it when making your application. 

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English Language Requirements

All programmes in NCAD are taught through English. International Applicants are asked to provide proof of their English Language Proficiency.

Full details of acceptable tests and the standard required can be found at the following link English Language Requirement.

After Your Master’s Degree

Graduates of the programme take up positions as second level art teachers in Ireland and across the world, as third level art educators, as school principals and deputy-principals, as museum curators, youth workers, arts officers, artists in residence in primary and secondary schools, independent art education consultants and as researchers in art education.

The priority deadline for applications is 19 February 2025

Fees

For information on tuition fees please follow this Link 

There is an application fee of €55.00*

Please note that if accepted onto the programme, you will need to pay a €500 deposit within 10 days in order to secure your place.  Deposits are non-refundable.

Apply

Step 1: Click on Apply Now button below | Step 2: Fill in your details

Step 3: Upload your Supporting Documents

• Please submit the PME Subject Declaration form. Please click here to complete the form.

• Remember, do not submit your portfolio at the application stage. We will request it later. 

• You can also submit your application even before you upload the necessary documents. 

• You will not be able to upload new new documents after you have submitted but any additional documents can be sent to postgraduate@ncad.ie and we will upload them on your behalf. 

Step 4: Pay the application fee & submit your application to NCAD*

• If you are applying for multiple Postgraduate Programmes then you are only obliged to pay the application fee once.

  • Complete your application as far as the fee payment page

  • Click save + exit

  • Email postgraduate@ncad.ie and let us know you are ready to submit and we will submit the application on your behalf. 

• NCAD Graduates are not required to pay the application fee. 

  • Complete your application as far as the fee payment page

  • Click save + exit 

  • Email postgraduate@ncad.ie and let us know you are ready to submit and we will submit the application on your behalf. 

Admissions Team 

Please contact the Admissions Team with any questions. You can email us at 

postgraduate@ncad.ie

Programme Team

Fiona King

Fiona King is a Lecturer in Art and Design Education and coordinator of the Professional Master of Education programme at NCAD. She studied Fine Art Print in Crawford College of Art and Design before training as a teacher at NCAD. She completed a Masters in Visual Art Education (MAVA) in 2010. Her research interests are two fold: firstly, examining how art and design pedagogical processes are multidisciplinary and transferable to the wider education sector; secondly, how Development Education provides the student art teachers with a critical space to investigate how social justice and environmental themes can be taught through the lens of Art and Design in Post Primary Curriculum. Fiona King (as researcher) was part of the Creative Connections European Art and Citizenship project in Ireland, involving 6 European partner countries.