At AKTO, key components of our educational philosophy are our connection to industry and the market, through collaborations with professionals, academics, as well as art and cultural organizations. Through your studies at AKTO, you’ll meet and connect with professors, other students, university staff, academics, and professionals in the field. Expanding your network will help you identify potential career options, develop your professional skills, and gain understanding and critical thinking in your field of study.

During your postgraduate studies, your fellow students share the desire to specialize in a specific field, and this in itself is an active network that you’ll have the opportunity to get to know, influence, and make use of in the future. You’ll be surrounded by professors, professional artists, academics, and fellow postgraduate students, who are motivated to achieve their goals. The academic team will guide you and offer you excellent study material and references in the fields of arts and design, always in line with the most recent technologies used in the market.

In addition, you’ll get to know members of AKTO’s Art and Design community, guest speakers, experts, professionals, like-minded artists, and future collaborators. After graduating from AKTO, you have the opportunity to become a member of AKTO Alumni, the largest graduate community in Art & Design. Through the alumni community, you’ll have the opportunity to network with other professionals and businesses in the field. AKTO Alumni also includes AKTO’s Careers Office, which dozens of businesses turn to every year looking for collaborators.

Postgraduate study programmes are more independent than undergraduate ones. Members of the postgraduate student community put in more personal effort into the learning process. They take the initiative to develop new personal and professional skills in specialized fields of their choice, such as independence, time management, decision-making, and others. Meeting other members from different cities, different ages, different portfolios, and different fields helps develop social skills, as well as build confidence in communication. Expanding your network of contacts will help you identify further options regarding your career, as well as gain deeper understanding and critical thinking in your field of study.

Every year, the job market places its trust in graduates from an educational institution with the standing, processes, consistency, and history of AKTO. With multiple practical and symbolic benefits, studying at AKTO gives all graduates the prestige of a nationally recognized educational institution synonymous with the arts and design. By choosing AKTO, students join the largest art & design community in Greece and become, after graduation, lifelong members of AKTO Alumni. Graduating from AKTO is a significant competitive advantage when seeking any kind of professional collaboration. Naturally, employers and future collaborators in general prefer to work with well-trained, up-to-date professionals — something that studying at AKTO guarantees. That’s why, for over 50 years, businesses have been choosing AKTO Alumni members to work with.

Read here all the reasons to choose AKTO

Academic innovation
The MA in Fine Art programme fills a gap in the field of Fine Art at Master’s level. It gives graduates the opportunity to develop a personal body of artistic work, to document it through artistic and theoretical research, and to gain knowledge and experience regarding professional practice.

Artistic development
Students on the programme deepen their knowledge at both theoretical and practical level through developing an autonomous body of artistic work, which they shape over the course of the programme with consistency and method, taking into account the contemporary issues raised by an ever-changing society today, which contemporary art is called upon to address. Students choose from a wide range of media, such as painting, installation, photography, video, and digital media, according to their interests, or combine some of these, placing emphasis on producing artistic work from the very start of the programme.

Academic support and development
Students are supported by their instructors through lectures, visual material, and ongoing dialogue, both in the classroom and through individual meetings, to develop their critical ability and document their visual research. They have the opportunity to attend additional cross-disciplinary undergraduate-level modules in order to strengthen their artistic research and specialize their knowledge. They have access to art studios, computer labs, the library, and photography and video studios, according to the needs that arise for developing their theoretical and artistic research.

Professional development and prospects
Students gain knowledge and experience around professional practice through building a portfolio, lectures by industry professionals, visits to museums and exhibitions, and presenting and curating their work under real degree show conditions, in order to be able to promote their artistic work. Students shape a complete body of work consisting of their final project, documented through theoretical research, and are able to form collaborations and participate as equals in the local and international art scene.

The programme aims to give you knowledge that will help you deeply understand visual language. At the same time, it aims to develop your practical skills so that you grow as a professional Visual Artist, enabling you to “generate” innovative ideas and high-quality work. Your educational environment allows you to combine your creative and professional knowledge through contemporary technologies. In addition, it places emphasis on research and broadens your horizons through critical analysis, experimentation, and creative exploration of the contemporary image. The structure and content of the programme allow you, first of all, to make use of your academic background in order to develop your theoretical and practical knowledge. At the same time, you can grow further and, as a graduate, you will be able to play an active role in the broader field of Image and Visual Media.

The MA in Fine Art examines a variety of areas concerning Fine Art. It studies the Visual Arts as Creative Expression & as a Means of Visual Communication, as well as their relationship with other Visual Media. It goes in depth into contemporary modes of Presentation (festivals, galleries, museums, publishers, etc.) as well as New Image Technologies, Arts Management (management, budgeting, communication & marketing), and Legal Issues (ethics and professional conduct of the medium, copyright). In this way you will gain a broad range of knowledge on the different types of Fine Art and their interconnections, so that you can choose which subject to specialize in as part of your Final Project (Major Project).

Contact us at admissions@aktocollege.gr so we can send you the Detailed Study Guide.

Here you can view the Programme Specification And Curriculum Map For Master Of Arts In Fine Art.

This programme was developed and is delivered and assessed by AKTO, awarded by and quality assured by Middlesex University London.

Semester 1 – modules

• Fine Art – Research, Development & Practice
• Contemporary Theories of Art & Culture
• Art & Digital Media

Semesters 2 & 3 – modules

• Professional Practice
• Major Project

Contact us at admissions@aktocollege.gr so we can send you the Detailed Study Guide.

This programme is currently under review pending re-validation by Middlesex University. Estimated validation date: May 2023.

I welcome you to the Master’s programme focused on contemporary art and its pivotal role within contemporary visual culture, as it is recorded through artistic media in all their creative forms. I consider it very important to assure you that the programme provides equal opportunities, values diversity, and includes all the different expressions of creativity, offering fertile ground for you to develop your artistic and theoretical research. One of the programme’s key strengths is exploring the boundaries of visual media through interdisciplinary artistic research and different artistic practices that combine a wide range of media, such as traditional and digital media, moving image, installation, and new technologies in general, in unexpected and innovative ways. It will support you in developing your personal language and your field of research and artistic practice. Through the programme you will engage with concepts such as hybridity and collaboration, key concepts of contemporary cultural identity characterized by fluidity and flexibility, much like the constantly shifting facets of the art world as well as the broader market you will be preparing for.

For this reason, the programme’s structure has embraced these key concepts of contemporary art, both in the content of its modules and as an open network of knowledge from all the different fields that artistic research today draws upon, promoting research and experimentation. In this way, through linear and non-linear narratives, equipped with knowledge and experience around aesthetics and the semiotic analysis of different research methodologies, you will develop new forms of knowledge concerning fine art and will be able to position your own practice within a contemporary critical framework, in order to act as a catalyst for change in contemporary society and bring your own critical voice, through your artistic work, to local, national, and global problems, challenges, and opportunities.

Katerina Apostolidou

Programme Leader, MA in Fine Art

At AKTO, distinguished Greek artists, visual artists, and art theorists teach, recognized for both their academic and artistic work. Specialized professors and PhD holders, together with research staff, pass on innovative and in-depth knowledge to students, responsive to the changing needs of society, technology, and the market. AKTO’s academic team helps students express themselves through a free and bold spirit of inquiry and research, aiming for social benefit both domestically and internationally.

Programme Academic Team Members

Apostolidou Katerina (Program Leader)
Gkinosatis Dimitris
Papanikolatos Lampros
Angelina Voskopoulou

Candidates for the MA Fine Art are artists and designers, either at the start of their professional path, or with many years of experience who wish to update their knowledge and their means of expression. Candidates for the programme have the opportunity, through this Master’s programme, either to enrich their existing path in the direction they already follow, or to change direction within the large and rich field of the Arts. The programme offers artists and designers of all specialties the opportunity to develop through personal in-depth research into their field and through interaction with their fellow students, within a cross-disciplinary environment. The balance between specialization and interaction is achieved through analysis and synthesis assignments given to students (individually or in groups). In this way, they deepen their expertise, and through assignments, discussions, and critical analysis of issues, they identify what different forms of artistic expression have in common, wherever they come from.

AKTO subsidizes students with discounts or even full subsidies, depending on the enrollment period, available places, and social criteria.

Read detailed information here

Contact us at admissions@aktocollege.gr for more information.

For the Postgraduate Study Programmes, the academic year has two (2) intake periods. The first period is in October, followed by the second period in February.

Contact us at admissions@aktocollege.gr for more information about intake periods.

Candidates for the Postgraduate Study Programmes must hold an undergraduate degree or have more than 5 years of professional experience in a field relevant to the Master’s programme they choose. Candidates for the programme go through an interview with an evaluation committee, following submission of the relevant application and the required supporting documents.

Read detailed information about the enrollment requirements at AKTO

AKTO, recognizing the pedagogical challenges and contemporary demands of education, offers its students a range of benefits to help them, both with their studies and with their social life. These benefits include:

• ISIC Student Card (International Student Identity Card)
  • Offers countless benefits and discounts to cardholders
• Counselling Centre
  • Specialized psychologists and counsellors
• VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) access
  • Microsoft Office 365
• Weekly Design Software workshops
• Technical Support
• Fonts from Fonts.GR
• E-Registrar’s Office

Read in detail about all the benefits AKTO offers

• Studies at AKTO are supported by modern, high-aesthetic building facilities, forming a contemporary environment ideal for learning and creation, across two state-of-the-art Campuses, the Athens Campus and the Thessaloniki Campus.

  At AKTO’s two Campuses, we give students access to state-of-the-art, specialized equipment in the fields of art and design, through:

  • Libraries
  • Computer Labs
  • Photography Studios
  • Fashion Labs
  • Fine Art Labs
  • Model-Making & Product Prototyping Labs
  • 3D Printing
  • Green Box Studio
  • Amphitheatre
  • AKTO Gallery

This programme will prepare you for a wide range of careers in the art and creative industry, both locally and internationally. Upon completion, you will be able to take part in the ever-expanding contemporary art scene in Greece.

It is a fact that, since 2014, our country has attracted international interest and has drawn a significant number of artists from around the world, as well as curators, and even important galleries from abroad — a result of the major growth in tourism that followed the economic crisis and sparked unprecedented interest in contemporary cultural production (a milestone for this was Documenta 14, held in Greece in 2017), as well as the pandemic, which gave artists the opportunity to work remotely and seek out more affordable living conditions and a better quality of life.

The EMST (National Museum of Contemporary Art), with its rich, international programme and its awareness of its role in documenting contemporary Greek art, has, over the last two years, under its new dynamic direction, radically changed the landscape, bringing thousands of visitors to the museum.

The partnership of five museums in Thessaloniki establishes MOMUS, the State Museum of contemporary art in the co-capital.

New art spaces are constantly opening and increasing rapidly, alternative spaces run by artists or curators, non-profit organizations, and private bodies such as NEON, OUTSET, and SNF create support programmes for artists and international exhibition programmes with international reach. At the same time, funding opportunities and the chance to take part in open competitions and awards from private and public programmes for artists and curators are increasing.

International institutions such as the Athens Biennale, the Thessaloniki Biennale, Art-Athina, and dozens of festivals related to contemporary art throughout Greece and abroad, as well as platforms where one can find out about these opportunities, make up a creative field that also draws in the commercial side of art, resulting in a growing entrepreneurship and a new market for artistic production.

Thus, these developments are also creating new momentum in commercial spaces and galleries, which are increasing impressively, giving rise to a new generation of collectors who appreciate and are interested in contemporary Greek art.

The opportunities to develop an exhibition practice, with a view to a successful career as a visual artist, have never been greater, the same goes for taking part in artist residencies, open competitions, seeking out and making use of funding mechanisms, or pursuing a career in cultural management or other creative fields such as the growing field of audiovisual production.

Graduates of the MA Fine Art study programme can be active in the world of visual arts, as well as in the broader art field, in many specializations such as:

• Visual artist collaborating with galleries or other exhibition spaces
• Management of art spaces (galleries, companies, non-profit organizations with artistic activity, etc.)
• Organizing productions of artistic events, e.g. festivals
• Production offices for artistic events and exhibitions (organization, coordination, collaborations with artists on visual projects)
• Digital applications, photography, video, creating digital material
• Art director in theatre and film productions
• Creator of audiovisual material for the television, film, and music industries or theatrical productions
• Educational programmes at museums and institutions (design & implementation)
• Art Education in schools and art studios, municipalities, etc.

Artworks (murals, traditional & digital artworks) are commissioned or sold by artists worldwide through private art galleries, dealers, and online hubs.

AKTO’s Careers Office helps graduates connect with the job market and a wide range of professional activity across various fields. AKTO Alumni is the largest 360˚ Art & Design community in Greece.

AKTO’s university Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, awarded in collaboration with Middlesex University London, are recognized as professionally equivalent, in accordance with Presidential Decree 38/2010, as amended by Law 4093/2012, 4111/2013, 4205/2013, and 4635/2019. Middlesex University London is recognized by DOATAP as an institution equivalent to Greek Higher Education Institutions. AKTO’s postgraduate programmes are recognized in both the private and public sector for employment purposes. In accordance with Presidential Decree 38/2010, as amended by Law 4093/2012, 4111/2013, 4205/2013, and 4635/2019, professional equivalence is recognized by A.T.E.E.N., for university Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Greece. Holders of these degrees are able to take part in ASEP competitions, in accordance with Article 13 of Law 4148/2013.

See here some decisions concerning AKTO graduates (for personal data protection reasons, the graduates’ details and application reference numbers have been removed).

Read more about the Recognition and Accreditation of AKTO’s University Degrees