Introduction
Push your art practice and creativity beyond existing boundaries, towards ethical, practical, and inclusive approaches addressing global health and wellbeing challenges, and make a positive contribution to society, healthcare, and planet through ethical and systemic creative interventions.
In a world that needs people to stay well, recover faster, manage long-term conditions, and experience a better quality of life, art professionals have never played such a central role - tackling physical, mental and social wellbeing as well as increasing human productivity, strengthening local relationships, and building strong communities through art-based interventions and creative non-clinical approaches that are connected, shared, and intelligent.
Study MA Art, Health, and Wellbeing at ARU, and develop the theoretical, practical, and leadership skills, understanding and knowledge that are critical to creating dynamic and inclusive forms of participatory research and practice, community engagement and resilience building, and creative urban culture. You’ll gain a broad understanding of ethical and future health from the perspective of art and will tackle mental, physical, emotional, and social wellbeing issues in a global context by rethinking existing places, environments, and communities including reducing individual loneliness and isolation, increasing prosocial behaviours, reducing aggression and discrimination, and improving social consciousness.
ARU has been recognised ranked first in the UK and 20th in the world for health and wellbeing in the 2022 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings.
Key facts
Entry requirements
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Fees and paying for university
Facilities and showcase
Industry-standard equipment
All our students have access to:
- the full Adobe Creative suite
- Apple iMacs
- wide-format printers and scanners
- vintage printmaking presses
- letterpress machine
- a 3D workshop
- photography equipment, including digital cameras and lighting kits.
Our team of technical officers will be on hand to offer training and support.
Futures Lab and workshop equipment
Our new digital workshop includes a variety of computer aided manufacturing machines, helping you learn up to date manufacturing and design processes as well as supporting many traditional techniques. These technologies include:
- 3D printers and scanners - FDM printers; material-specific extruders; SLA Formlabs printers; SLS Formlabs Fuse1; structured light 3D scanners
- 2D printing and cutting machines - laser cutters; Roland BN20 vinyl printer & cutter; Gerber substrate cutter; Mimaki TX300P sublimation printer.
Take a closer look
Our Creative Showcase shines a spotlight on what makes ARU creative and cultural – our spaces, places and people. Find out more about our community, the difference we make, the stories we tell, and the things that inspire us.
Meanwhile, Present is an exhibition that you curate for yourself. Explore the work of our graduating students in this eye-catching virtual degree show.
Idrees Rasouli
Deputy Head, Cambridge School of Art; Associate Professor, Art & Design
Julia Johnson
Lecturer and Course Leader, Photography
Elena Cologni
Senior Research Fellow in Art; Research Coordinator, REF 2021 Convener, and School Research Ethics Panel Chair
Careers
Our MA Art, Health, and Wellbeing will help you achieve a career within the public, private, and third sector in roles such as:
- Health and Social Care Researcher
- Psycho-Social Interventionist (physical/digital)
- Culture and Community Innovator
- UX/UI Artist/Researcher
- Health and Wellbeing Strategist
- Social Service Artist/Designer
- Health and Wellbeing Experience Artist/Designer
- Wellbeing Consultant
- Creative Health Specialist
- Health Policy Advisor
- Wellbeing Artist.
All of our modules integrate professional practice, and you’ll be introduced to different aspects of the creative industry by the teaching team and external guests. This will help you develop an appreciation and awareness of the changing role of creatives and artists, and the increasing responsibilities within potential career paths. Your awareness of current practices and responsibilities will develop at an early stage of your studies, particularly in the Care Ethics and Care Practices modules.
You’ll also use the Personal Development Planning (PDP) tool to record, map and review your employability skills and experience across the course, and engage with employability and career development supported by academic and technical staff as well as the ARU Employability Service and ARU Enterprise and Innovation. These in-house centres provide:
- daily drop-in sessions
- careers advice and guidance
- workshops covering job search, making applications, and designing CVs
- interview preparation
- Job Fairs, employability events and presentations from employers
- job opportunities, internships, and work placements.
Graduation doesn’t have to be the end of your time with us. You could choose to continue your academic career with a PhD programme at ARU. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and save £400 on your fees.
DEBORAH
“By opting to study part-time it has given me the most incredible opportunity to take my time. I can soak in the experiences that ARU offers me and finely tune and hone my skills.”
DEBORAH
MA Fine Art student
Read more about Deborah's postgraduate journeyWant to talk to someone?
Do you have a question that we haven't answered so far? Talk to our application experts. You can also ask our Student Ambassadors about life at ARU.
We're here Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm (please note we close at 3.30pm on the first and third Thursday of the month for staff training), and Friday 9am-4.30pm.
Life in Cambridge
Our friendly, bustling campus is a stone’s throw from the centre of Cambridge, often described as the perfect student city.
Our favourite places in Cambridge Did you know...? Facts about Cambridge Watch: Our CambridgeBenefits of postgraduate study
Improve your employability, progress in your career, and take on an intellectual challenge with our flexible postgraduate degrees.
Postgraduate study at ARULoading...
