Abstract: This article describes the practical experience of a group of pedagogues, organizers of the elective module “Theory and Practice of Contemporary Art” in Moscow City Pedagogical University (D. S. Matyunina, M. V. Nozdracheva, M. A. Semenova). The authors share their opinion on the role and effectiveness of the system of elective modules in modern university education, outline the primary tasks, and discuss the peculiarities of teaching general university courses of artistic orientation. The focus attention is the questions of motivation of students, who chose the module, possibility of flexible arrangement of the content of disciplines thereof in accordance with attainment level and requests of the student audience. The researchers assume that elective courses allow the students to adjust the content of their professional education. Based on the three-year experience of conducting a joint elective course, the co-authors conclude that elective courses can expand the professional competencies of students in adjacent fields, as well as give confidence to the students majoring in other disciplines to change their own educational trajectory. The article is addressed to the pedagogues and students of higher education institutions.