3.5 days in-person over 4 weeks
Level 9 Award Professional Certificate
€600
5 Jun 2026
NCAD
5 ECTS
AD472PC
Do you want to develop your creative making and critical thinking skills in a meaningful and tangible way? If so, the Professional Certificate in Art and Ecology at NCAD may be just what you’re looking for.
This module introduces learners to fundamental principles, working methods, skills and theories relating to intersections of contemporary art with ecology. A special emphasis will be placed on ‘learning through doing’ in a series of workshops and situated environmental learning.
The course and programme work directly with an urban embedded novel ecology of the NCAD FIELD site. This taskscape acts as an outdoor classroom, a site for nature connection, commoning and a testing site for multi-species futures. Connecting to the site and its seasonal activity, nature/culture connections are explored and enacted allowing learners to expand their research, creative making and critical thinking skills in meaningful and liveable ways.
A grounding in the social, political, economic and historical issues that frame ecology’s of the surroundings site are explored. Through the programme practitioners will expand, develop and question their practices using the NCAD FIELD as a testing site and shared learning space.
This course introduces learners to the contemporary and historical field of art and expanded ecologies through situated environmental learning. Using and responding to NCAD’s physical inner city location learners will connect with inspiring ecological practices, environmental justice community projects and artists spearheading this emerging field.
**NOTE: The NovelEco survey mentioned in the video below has been completed in June 2023 and will be replaced with new course content in June 2026**
NCAD FIELD and the broader Liberties area will be the location for this work.
On successful completion of this module learners will be able to:
Course work is plotted onto seasonal and environmental time and will take place Thursdays (apart from the first class, which is ion Friday) 10am to 4pm.
Dates:
Friday, June 19th
Thursday, June 25th
Thursday, July 2nd
Thursday, July 9th
The course supports a range of creative approaches and interdisciplinary art and design practitioners that wish to connect and work in the space of critical ecologies and expanded environments. Learners aiming to work as artists, curators, activists, designers and cultural producers will be supported, giving them the tools, networks and knowledge to confidently work in this interdisciplinary field.
The Professional Certificate in Art and Ecology will also be of interest to a broad range of learners including: established and emerging artists, curators, activists, designers, makers, cultural producers, ecologists, scientists, architects, landscape architects, social workers, policy makers, biodiversity and sustainability officers, educators, horticulturalists, active citizenship, citizen scientists, and anyone interested in lifelong learning.
Professional Certificate module can be followed on by successive modules in Creative Collaborations, Creative Practices and a Creative Capstone upon completion of which a Diploma is awarded. This diploma lays the foundation for further study at Masters and Phd level.
Prof Cert in Art and Ecology (constituting the initial Creative Principles module of a greater, 20 credit award) can be followed on in the academic year 2027/28 by successive modules in Creative Collaborations, Creative Practices and a Creative Capstone upon completion of which a Diploma is awarded.
Creative Collaborations are due to start in October and run over four successive weeks.
Creative Practices and Creative Capstone will be delivered in Term 2 and Term 3.
This diploma lays the foundation for further study at Masters and Phd level.
Pre-requisites
All applicants are expected to present an approved Bachelor degree at minimum level of 2nd class honours (2.2)
As part of your application, you will be asked to upload the following supporting documentation:
You can see the full list of the English Language Qualifications NCAD recognises at this link.
“I’ve been searching for a way to integrate my love and interest in the environment with my art practice beyond the traditional approach of direct visual representational art. This course really helped me to push my practice beyond that while staying true to my own working methods and creative process. As well as that, a collaborative and supportive environment was nurtured and encouraged throughout the course”
“The course exceeded my expectations and I feel that what we covered is just the tip of the iceberg. I can’t wait to explore everything we discussed and discovered together further”.
“The lecturers’ enthusiasm, commitment and belief in this course was obvious and they made it a fruitful, diverse place of learning”
All new and continuing students will receive information by email on how to register and pay fees. For information on Fee Payment and Grant Eligibility go to NCAD Fees & Grants.
NCAD Students Handbook
The Handbook is available for download here
Continuing students and new postgraduate students who accepted the offer will start receiving ‘Invitation to Register’ emails from the week beginning 19th August.
More on the NCAD website.
There is a fee of €600 for this programme.
Programme Contact
Course content – Gareth Kennedy, kennedyg@staff.ncad.ie
CFA coordinator – Joanna Crawley crawleyj@staff.ncad.ie
Admissions Contact
postgraduate@ncad.ie
01 636 4200
