Welcome to the Postgraduate Certificate in Professional and Research Skills: Art & Design programme (CPRS). The programme offers a detailed and comprehensive introduction to the range of methods, strategies and debates which can apply to art and design professional practice and research. It is built around the four key areas of professional practice, research methods, research design, and the criticality that is essential for the generation of knowledge. The programme is ideal for artists and designers who want to develop a research proposal or a professional intervention project based on their practice.

This page describes briefly the content of the modules, and makes available the Programme Handbook and module descriptors for downloading as PDFs.

CPRS is included as part of Cardiff School of Art and Design’s MA (Art & Design), MDes, MFA, MPhil and PhD programmes. It can also be taken as a stand-alone programme in preparation for writing a research application or a professional intervention project. It runs from October to January and is normally taught on a Wednesday but can be taken via the University’s virtual learning environment at any time in the academic year. The fee for the stand-alone programme is one third of the fee for one year on a full-time research degree programme. See Fees for more information.

You take three out of four modules on the programme. The modules are:

Professional Methods in Art and Design (option). A wide range of methods are available within art and design professional practice. Certain methods are appropriate to certain kinds of professional context. This module familiarizes you with key art and design professional methods, and indicates how they address particular kinds of professional art and design practice. Download the module brief here.

Research Methods in Art and Design (option). A wide range of methods are available within art and design research. Certain methods are appropriate to certain kinds of research question. This module familiarizes you with key art and design research methods, and indicates how they address particular kinds of research question. Download the module brief here.

Critical Positions in Art and Design (core). Holding a position on a subject is crucial for having a sense of where you stand within a subject, and a sense of what your contribution to the subject might be, in both a professional and a research context. This module shows how reflection on practice introduces the concepts and names necessary to form a subject territory, and guides you through the process of identifying and articulating your own critical position within that territory. Download the module brief here.

Project Design (core). Project design determines the structure, shape and focus of the contribution(s) you aim to make in your professional or research situation. This module familiarizes students with key questions and strategies for organizing a professional or research project in art and design. Download the module brief here.

Postgraduate Certificate in Professional and Research Skills: Art and Design Programme Handbook. This describes the aims, objectives and content of the programme, and sets out key points of academic, regulatory and practical information. It also contains the following. Download the Programme Handbook here:

• • Outlines of all CPRS modules
• • A guide to PDP writing
• • An essay writing and presentation guide
• • A guide to referencing
• • Exemplar research proposals
• • A manuscript presentation checklist.

For entry to CPRS you must have a good honours degree, and/or equivalent professional standing or experience in an art and design discipline, or a discipline associated with their programme of study. To apply for a place on CPRS, follow the procedure for research degree applications. In the section where it asks for your research proposal, please describe your reasons for wanting to take the CPRS programme and give an outline of the professional or research project you wish to develop.

If you have a proposal idea and would like to discuss it informally, please contact Professor Clive Cazeaux, Head of Research Degrees, on +44 (0)29 2041 6680 or csadresdegrees@cardiffmet.ac.uk.