Advance your carving expertise
Your existing skills, interests and professional ambitions provide the starting point for your MA. You’ll be encouraged to develop an individual direction through practical experimentation, research and critical reflection.
Whether your interests lie in architectural carving, figurative work, ornament, contemporary carved work or heritage practice, you’ll have opportunities to deepen your expertise and investigate new approaches to materials and making.
Learn from expert practitioners
You’ll be taught by established professional carvers and specialists whose experience spans contemporary commissions, architectural projects and the conservation of historic buildings and monuments.
Specialist demonstrations, practical supervision, individual tutorials and group discussions will help you develop technical precision, independent judgement and confidence in your work.
Develop advanced material and technical skills
You’ll work intensively with stone and/or wood, developing your understanding of materials, tools, processes and the demands of professional carving.
Specialist teaching may include drawing, modelling, ornament, casting and design, alongside opportunities to explore contemporary carving techniques, materials and digital processes.
The Art School’s specialist workshops and technical expertise provide an environment in which practical knowledge and experimentation are central to learning.
Join a wider postgraduate community
MA Carving is part of the Graduate School, bringing together artists, carvers, conservators and researchers through a shared culture of critical enquiry and material understanding.
Cross-course seminars, research events and presentations offer opportunities to exchange ideas about making, preserving and interpreting cultural objects, and to consider your practice within wider artistic and historical contexts.
Present your work publicly
You’ll develop and present a resolved body of work in the Art School’s MA Show, gaining experience in selecting, preparing and presenting work for public exhibition.
You’ll also participate in a final Critical Practice Event, providing an opportunity to communicate your research and reflect on the development of your practice.
Prepare for professional practice
The course has strong connections with professional carving and heritage practice, supported by tutors working across architectural, ecclesiastical and public art projects.
You’ll develop an understanding of professional standards, project planning, documentation, collaboration and the practical responsibilities of working with materials at scale.
Whether you intend to pursue commissions, specialist heritage work, independent carving practice or further research, you’ll be supported to consider how your skills and interests can develop beyond the MA.