Online or in person
Alisdair Jones
9
15 Feb 2027
NCAD
5 ECTS
AD485PC-1
6 weeks, Mondays PM
€600
In a series of seminars and practical workshops, you will develop your skills as a writer, editor and critical thinker.
The course has been developed for artists, designers and other creatives who wish to communicate their practice and their ideas in a variety of contexts including academic publishing as well as new experimental formats.
The course is led by experienced writers with strong track records in arts journalism and academic publishing, David Crowley and Dr Declan Long.
This Professional Certificate has been designed for practicing artists and designers, research students undertaking high level research and third level teachers as well as others who wish to develop texts for publication.
Classes will explore
In preparation for each class, students will read key texts exploring inventive literary formats.
Participants will write two texts for in-class ‘crits’. In this way, they will not only test their writing skills but also act as an editor for other writers in the class.
High level research skills and critical understanding of research practices are vital skills for many artists and designers working today, as well as curators, arts writers and critics.
The professional certificate is also be an excellent foundation for a future research degree (MPhil, MLitt, MRes, PhD)
All applicants are expected to present an approved Bachelor degree at minimum level of 2nd class honours (2.2)
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.
Applicants who have not been educated through English must show proof of achieving IELTS 6.5 (with a minimum of 6 in the writing section on the Academic Version) or an equivalent score in another accepted test.
Duration: 6 x 3h classes – 8 March to 26 April 2027 inclusive (no classes on 22 and 29 March).
Monday afternoons, 2-5pm
Format: in-person and online
It is offered to both on-site learners and those who wish to participate remotely (via Zoom).
Seminars and workshops will be available to onsite and online learners in real time.
Dates:
8/3/27 FIRST Class
15/3/27
22/3/27 EASTER CLOSURE
29/3/27 EASTER CLOSURE
5/4/27
12/4/27
19/4/27
26/4/27 SIXTH CLASS
“The Prof. Cert in Writing As/For Research was an amazing opportunity to learn alongside fellow art practitioners and researchers in a flexible but structured way. The course content was engaging, interactive and gave a good overview of approaches to art writing and research. The lecturers provided a rich selection of reading material, and mentioned other texts for further research. I found the course incredibly interesting, well-paced and comprehensive (especially considering its short duration)”.
“Enjoyed the flexibility to take it online, lovely faculty, great cohort of students”.
“I really valued the feedback I received on my work as part of the Professional Certificate in Writing for / as Research. Declan and David are both very knowledgeable, and it was lovely to meet the other participants and hear their thoughts too! I felt that I received a confidence boost, and a little more direction on where I want to go from here”.
“I have really enjoyed the Prof Cert in Writing for/as Research 2026 (…). It felt like everyone’s unique writing voice was respected and encouraged, while also being pushed to challenge ourselves”.
There is a fee of €600 for this programme.
Places are limited. If the course fills sooner, applications will close/go to waitlist.
Apply via NCAD
(current NCAD students, please register using the course above)
CFA Scholarship:
A CFA scholarship encourages the participation of learners from sections of society that are significantly under-represented in higher education by offering one free place on all of our CFA short courses.
Find out if you are eligible to apply HERE
Fill in the CFA@NCAD scholarship application form HERE
Joanna Crawley crawleyj@staff.ncad.ie
From clicking APPLY to accessing course materials
Thank you for your interest in the postgraduate courses at the National College of Art and Design.
This brief guide will help you understand what to expect from the enrollment process and how to best prepare for all necessary stages.
In the process of enrolling into a postgraduate course at NCAD you will:
We advise you to start this process no later than a week before the application deadline to gather necessary documentation and allow for any troubleshooting.