Masters Degrees (Museum Management)

Our MBA Museum Management equips you with the skills to become a successful manager or entrepreneur within the museum and gallery sector. If you are self-funding your studies, our MBA scholarship could offer you a £5,000 fee discount.

You gain a solid grounding in the essentials of business management, from operations and human resources to business strategy. You also learn the specifics of managing galleries and exhibitions, curation and art history, so you graduate with the necessary knowledge and skills to make a meaningful contribution as a leader within the arts sector.

This is a unique degree among Anglo-American universities, drawing on strengths from two of Essex’s world renowned Schools. Essex Business School is ranked in the UK’s top 20 (Association of Business Schools) and our Art History programme, home to the highly innovative Centre for Curatorial Studies, ranks 6th for research excellence.

With our MBA Museum Management, you benefit from a fully-rounded business education, centred on the themes of innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainability and international business, yet with the added benefit of acquiring expertise in the arts sector.

This course can also be studied part-time.

Our expert staff

Essex Business School is home to internationally respected academics and practitioners, who conduct world-class research in the areas of: business ethics and corporate social responsibility; organisation studies; leadership and strategy; finance and banking; risk management and international management. You are taught by staff from a wide range of nationalities, preparing you for an international career.

Our MBA Director, Nigel Pye, has academic and private sector experience, having held several senior positions at organisations such as Ernst and Young, KPMG, Warwick Business School and Cranfield University.

In Art History, our academic staff are experts in the history, theory and practice of curating art from the Renaissance to the present, as well as more unconventional forms of visual culture, such as protest placards and medical imagery. Here are a few examples of recent or current projects by staff members:
-Dr Gavin Grindon, Lecturer in Art History and co-director of our Centre for Curatorial Studies, recently curated The Museum of Cruel Designs and Guerilla Island at Banksy's Dismaland show. He also co-curated the Disobedient Objects exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, one of the best attended shows in the museum’s history. He has also widely published on activist art in leading journals such as Art History
-Dr Adrian Locke, a Visiting Fellow in Art History and Senior Curator at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, has curated a diverse range of exhibitions, including Mexico: A Revolution in Art, 1910–1940 (2013) and Radical Geometry: Modern Art of South American from the Patricia Phelps de Cisneros Collection (2014). He also co-curated the exhibition Ai Weiwei, which opens at the Royal Academy in September 2015
-Dr Matt Lodder, Lecturer in Art History with an emphasis on modern and contemporary visual culture, is co-curating the exhibition Tattoo: Ancient Myths, Modern Meanings, which opens next year in the U.S
-Dr Michael Tymkiw, co-director of the Centre for Curatorial Studies, has a book under contract entitled Nazi Exhibition Design and Modernism. He has also just launched an interdisciplinary research project that focuses on using digital technologies to expand disability access in museums—a project that involves collaborations with several museums in Colchester and London, including firstsite and the Victoria and Albert Museum

Specialist facilities

You benefit from state-of-the-art facilities, including the new Essex Business School building - the first zero-carbon business school building in the UK.

You can enjoy a stunning working environment, including:
-A beautiful winter garden, which gives the building its own micro-climate
-A virtual trading floor with Bloomberg Financial Market Labs to practice trading stocks and securities
-Light and spacious teaching areas
-Study pods and innovation booths for group working
-A café with an adjacent sun terrace

Our art history facilities, where several modules are taught, also enable you to gain curatorial experience and engage in object-based learning, a cornerstone of our approach when teaching the history of art and its modes of display:
-Our Essex Collection of Art from Latin America (ESCALA) is the most comprehensive Latin American art research resource in the UK and has a state-of-the-art teaching and research space
-Our onsite gallery Art Exchange runs an ongoing programme of contemporary art exhibitions, talks and workshops by curators and artists, as well as exhibitions organised by our postgraduate students, including those who pursue the MBA in Museum Management
Colchester’s iconic Firstsite gallery features an exciting programme of contemporary art exhibitions, film screenings and talks, and exhibitions organised by our curatorial students
-Our Centre for Curatorial Studies is home to staff who specialise in the history and theory of exhibition design and who curate high-profile exhibitions

Your future

Our MBA Museum Management allows you to position yourself competitively for managerial positions in museum and gallery sectors, auction houses, art insurance and art law, or to begin your own entrepreneurial venture in the cultural industries. We equip you with subject-specific knowledge and encourage you to draw on your creativity, innovation and ethical awareness when solving business challenges.

You have access to Essex Business School’s employability team, as well as the University’s Employability and Careers Centre. Together, they can provide support when seeking additional work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities.

Example structure

-Business Research Methods and Skills
-International Business Environment
-Business Strategy
-People and Organisations
-Managerial Economics
-Venture Academy: Creating and Growing a New Venture
-International Marketing Strategy
-Sustainable Operations
-Accounting and Finance for Managers
-Managing Galleries and Exhibition Projects
-Critique and Curating
-Exhibition (Joint Project)
-Dissertation: MBA Museum Management

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This MA provides a broad academic and professional training in all aspects of museum work, and encourages students to reflect on the concept of the museum and its associated practices. The programme looks at all types of museum, from art galleries to science museums, without concentrating on any particular kind.

Degree information

Students are equipped with a range of skills that they can apply in any museum and develop critically aware perspectives on professional practice and research processes. The programme's main aim is to provide an in-depth understanding of approaches to the research, documentation, communication, interpretation, presentation and preservation of curated materials in museums, while responding to their audiences and communities.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of four core modules (75 credits), two optional modules (30 credits), work placement (15 credits) and a research dissertation (60 credits).

Core modules - all students are required to take the following:
-The Museum: Critical Perspectives
-Managing Museums
-Collections Management and Care
-Museum Communication

Optional modules - students also choose further options to the value of 30 credits from the following:
-Antiquities and the Law
-Collections Curatorship
-Cultural Heritage, Globalisation and Development
-Cultural Memory
-Exhibition Project
-Intangible Dimensions of Museum Objects from Egypt
-Oral History from Creation to Curation

Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project on a museological topic which culminates in a dissertation of 10,000 words.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through lectures, seminars, practical workshops, museum visits and guest speakers. Students are required to undertake a work placement for a total of 20 days. Assessment is through coursework assignments, projects, essays, field reports, portfolio and the dissertation.

Placement
Students are required to undertake a 20 days' work in a museum (or similar institution). This usually takes place one day per week during term-time, although other arrangements may be possible. Students write an assessed 2,500 word report at the end of the placement reflecting on their experience.

Recent placements have included: Brent Museum, the British Museum, Croydon Museum, Event Communications, the Freud Museum, Hackney Museum, London Transport Museum, the Museum of London, RAF Museums, the Royal Academy, Royal Botanical Gardens, Royal Historical Palaces, St Paul's Cathedral, Tate Britain, UCL Museums & Collections.

Careers

Some recent graduates of the programme have gone to do complete a PhD while others have pursued a career in professional organisations associated with the museum and/or heritage sector. 90% of UK graduates from this degree take up employment in the museum sector within six months.

Top career destinations for this degree:
-Research Officer, Imperial War Museum
-Archivist, Madame Tussauds
-Assistant Curator, Victoria and Albert Museum
-Cataloguer, Historic Royal Palaces
-Museum Assistant, British Museum

Employability
The MA in Museum Studies facilitates the development of both practical skills relevant to a professional career in the museum and galleries sector and a solid understanding of, and critical engagement with, theoretical issues involved in contemporary museum practice. Core practical skills include collections care procedures, packing and storing objects, documentation, collections-based research, exhibition production, and display evaluation. A museum-based placement and optional modules can be chosen to enable students to focus on specific additional areas of theory and practice. Thansferable skills include independent research, writing and communication skills, interpersonal skills, use of IT, time management and group working.

Why study this degree at UCL?

The UCL Institute of Archaeology is the largest and most diverse department of archaeology in the UK, and provides a stimulating environment for postgraduate study in related fields such as museum studies, heritage studies and conservation.

Its outstanding archaeological library is complemented by UCL's main library, University of London Senate House and other specialist libraries.

London's many museums and galleries are a wonderful source of discussion and material for this degree, but in particular UCL's own important museums and collections are drawn upon for teaching, including those of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, the Art Museum, and the Grant Museum of Zoology. Students have access to MA degree programmes taught in other UCL departments. Please note that students need to contact the relevant programme coordinators to register their interest since there are only limited spaces available.

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St Andrews is Scotland’s leading centre for postgraduate research and training in the heritage sector and the MGS Postgraduate Diploma/MLitt provides Scotland’s pre-eminent museum studies programme. The one-year Postgraduate Diploma is available as stand-alone vocational training or there is an option to present a dissertation on an approved topic for an MLitt degree. These programmes have attracted funding for students from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland and various English and Northern Irish Local Education Authorities as well as the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

The Museum and Gallery Studies programmes prepare you for employment in museums, principally as curators. We ensure that the training is broad, covering all types of museums, galleries and other heritage facilities. The main focus of the training is curatorial work, but curators also need a proper understanding of the work of all their colleagues since, especially in small museums, the ‘curator’ may have to tackle a very wide range of duties. Hence, the principles of conservation, museum education, exhibition planning and design, and various management topics are also included. Two taught modules on the theory and practice of museums provide knowledge of museum systems and practices and understanding of issues relevant to today’s museums. These are complemented by project work, including individual museum tasks and the preparation, in a team, of a public exhibition, which enables you to develop relevant practical skills.

The extensive University Museum Collections at St Andrews are particularly suitable for curatorial training and give the programme a unique character. The Collections include over 100,000 museum items in a wide range of subject areas, from art to zoology, and these collections and the staff who look after them are actively involved in the Museum and Gallery Studies teaching programme. Close to the School of Art History is the Museum of the University of St Andrews (MUSA), where most of the Museum and Galleries Studies teaching takes place. MUSA includes four display galleries on the ground floor, and on the first floor is a ‘Learning Loft’ for education and a Viewing Terrace. Students on the Museum and Gallery Studies Art History programme prepare an exhibition in the Gateway Galleries and the St Andrews Museum. Other facilities include extensive library holdings in museum studies, access to computers, and a dedicated work and study area with computers and other appropriate equipment.

St Andrews museum training benefits enormously from the willing participation of the Scottish museum profession. Museums Galleries Scotland and its member museums of all shapes and sizes generously provide visiting lecturers and host class visits and individual student placements. In return, St Andrews has developed several initiatives to extend its training beyond the University and into the museum community.

A part-time version of the Postgraduate Diploma and MLitt, taught through residential schools and work-based projects, is aimed in particular at people already working in museums. Participants are welcomed from Scotland, the rest of the UK and EU. The Museum and Gallery Studies teaching staff are experienced museum curators who continue to be involved directly in museum work.

Teaching methods

Students take three compulsory 40-credit modules during the two semesters of coursework. The taught courses are delivered through a mixture of lectures, seminars, practical sessions and visits to museums and galleries. A programme of project work, based on the University Collections or with local museums and galleries, complements the taught element. This incorporates problem-based learning and enables students to develop relevant practical skills and to experience the dynamics of teamwork. There are short taught sessions related to the exhibition element of the project work and regular formal meetings. There is also a series of research methods classes to help prepare for the dissertation element.

Assessment

Assessment is by coursework. Students complete three assignments per module in a variety of formats including an essay, a documentation and database project, an object study, an exhibition or website review, a lesson plan and a management report. The dissertation module during the summer semester provides the opportunity to undertake an independent research project under the supervision of an academic member of staff.

Careers

A postgraduate degree in Art History, History of Photography or Museum and Gallery Studies provides an excellent foundation for a career in the art or museum world.

The Museum and Gallery Studies course provides a theoretical foundation combined with hands-on, practical and transferable experience. Recent graduates have gone on to work for a range of institutions, from the Scottish Light House Museum to the National Museums of Scotland, the Victoria and Albert Museum to the Detroit Institute of Arts, the McManus Galleries in Dundee to Zhejiang University Museum of Art & Archaeology, and auctioneers Lyon and Turnbull, and Bonham’s, among many others. Two year-long traineeships within University Collections are open uniquely to Museum and Gallery Studies graduates, as is the four to five month David Nicholls Curatorial Internship at the South Georgia Museum in Antarctica.

Recent postgraduates in Art History and History of Photography are employed in universities and archives, museums and galleries, auction houses, radio stations, publishing houses and magazines and are also working in journalism, teaching, and retail.

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This programme shares best practice and expertise in various aspects of museum studies, cultural management, exhibition practice and care of collections. The modules draw upon the expectations of the museum standards programmes in UK and Ireland and provide these with an international context. Lectures include points of discussion on key issues concerning the museum profession globally. Tutors are either lecturers in the University of Ulster or senior staff in the museum sector.

Visit the website: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/course/ma-museum-practice-and-management-pt-el

Course detail

- Description -

In developing the Museum Practice and Management programme we worked closely with the Heritage Council, and the course was designed to reflect the Museum Standards Programme Ireland.

This is an entirely online programme, with no requirement to attend the Ulster University. However, there is an annual calendar of museum events in Ireland which many students attend and the tutors use as an opportunity to informally meet with students.

- Teaching and learning assessment -

When enrolled you are provided, week by week over a period of 12 weeks, online access to lectures, readings, and discussion topics. Lectures and all required reading can be downloaded via the module area. Each lecture contains discussion topics to encourage dialogue between you, fellow students, and your module tutor. Each module has approximately two assignments. The first assignment is submitted during the module, with feedback within three weeks, and the final assignment is due a fortnight after the module is completed. On successful completion of 4 modules (a total of 120 credits) you may to exit with Postgraduate Diploma in Museum Practice of Management. You also have the option to continue to the research module (60 credits) and exit with Master’s Museum Practice and Management.

You may choose to complete one module as a stand-alone course (30credits), two modules for a PG Cert (60 credits) and four modules for a Post Graduate Diploma (120 credits). All modules are Master’s level (Level 7).

- Work placement / study abroad -

We work with students and local museums or heritage properties to arrange work placements.

Career options

The majority of the students on this programme are working the museum or related sectors. Often these students want to learn more about museum practice and theory. Others are keen to enter the sector and the programme provides invaluable learning. Such students gain a lot from discussion with their peers and tutors. In addition, the Course Director can advise you on finding a work placement in a museum.

How to apply: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/apply/how-to-apply#pg

Why Choose Ulster University ?

1. Over 92% of our graduates are in work or further study six months after graduation.
2. We are a top UK university for providing courses with a period of work placement.
3. Our teaching and the learning experience we deliver are rated at the highest level by the Quality Assurance Agency.
4. We recruit international students from more than 100 different countries.
5. More than 4,000 students from over 50 countries have successfully completed eLearning courses at Ulster University.

Flexible payment

To help spread the cost of your studies, tuition fees can be paid back in monthly instalments while you learn. If you study for a one-year, full-time master’s, you can pay your fees up-front, in one lump sum, or in either five* or ten* equal monthly payments. If you study for a master’s on a part-time basis (e.g. over three years), you can pay each year’s fees up-front or in five or ten equal monthly payments each year. This flexibility allows you to spread the payment of your fees over each academic year. Find out more by visiting https://www.ulster.ac.uk/apply/fees-and-finance/postgraduate

Scholarships

A comprehensive range of financial scholarships, awards and prizes are available to undergraduate, postgraduate and research students. Scholarships recognise the many ways in which our students are outstanding in their subject. Individuals may be able to apply directly or may automatically be nominated for awards. Visit the website: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/apply/fees-and-finance/scholarships

English Language Tuition

CELT offers courses and consultations in English language and study skills to Ulster University students of all subjects, levels and nationalities. Students and researchers for whom English is an additional language can access free CELT support throughout the academic year: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/international/english-language-support

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Durham University's unique MA in Museum and Artefact Studies aims to provide students with high quality training relevant to a career in museums, the cultural heritage sector, and in the academic world. In particular, it is intended to equip students with a sound knowledge and critical understanding of current professional principles, good practice and contemporary debates relating to museum and artefact studies.

It aims to help students develop a variety of skills:
Professional skills - relevant to the care, management and exhibition of collections in museums.
Analytical skills - relevant to the study of a wide range of materials and artefacts, from different periods and cultures, and from a variety of disciplinary perspectives.
Research skills - relevant to studies of museums and artefacts, including an awareness of current theoretical issues.
Communication skills (oral, written and visual) - relevant to work in the museum profession and to academic research.

It also aims to encourage students to take personal responsibility for their own learning, team-work and professional conduct.

Course Structure

Two distinct routes can be followed through the MA in Museum and Artefact Studies. These comprise different combinations of modules.

Route 1

The first route is intended for students who firmly intend to pursue a career in museums and galleries. It comprises six compulsory taught modules:
-Approaches to museum and artefact studies
-Museum principles and practice
-Artefact studies
-Care of collections
-Museum communication
-Research paper

Route 2

The second route through the MA provides students with a different choice of modules. It is intended for students with a strong interest in artefact studies, who may wish to pursue a career in the cultural heritage sector or undertake further postgraduate research in museum or artefact studies after completing the MA course, but who also wish to keep their options open. It comprises four compulsory modules (one of which is a dissertation) and a choice of a fifth module:
-Approaches to museum and artefact studies
-Museum principles and practice
-Artefact studies
-Dissertation
And either
-Museum communication
Or
-Care of collections
Or
-A module from the MA in Archaeology (e.g. Prehistory; Roman Archaeology; Medieval Archaeology; Post-Medieval Archaeology; or the Archaeology of Egypt, the Near East and India (when available).

Learning and Teaching

The programme is mainly delivered through a mixture of lectures, tutorials and practical classes. Typically lectures provide key information on a particular area, and identify the main areas for discussion and debate in the Museums sector. Tutorials, seminars and workshops then provide opportunities for students to discuss and debate particular issues or areas, based on the knowledge that they have gained through their lectures and through independent study outside the programmes formal contact hours. Finally, practical classes allow students to gain direct experience of practical and interpretative skills in Museum and Artefact Studies through placements and curating an exhibition and/or developing an educational programme for the University Museums.

The balance of these types of activities changes over the course of the programme, as students develop their knowledge and ability as independent learners , giving them the opportunity to engage in research, professional practice, and developing and demonstrating research skills in a particular area of the subject. The programme aims to develop these key attributes in its students thereby preparing them for work or further study once they have completed the programme.

In Terms 1 and 2 students typically attend 3-4 hours a week of lectures, up to 4 hours of tutorials or seminars, in addition to 2 workshops and 2-3 hours of practical sessions working with artefacts or museum environment-related matters or fieldtrips over the term. Students have a 20-day Museum placement at Easter in a museum or archive. Outside timetabled contact hours, students are also expected to undertake their own independent study to prepare for their classes and broaden their subject knowledge. Professional speakers are brought in to engage the students with issues within the professional body.

In Term 3 the balance shifts from learning the basic skills required, to applying them within a real-life museum environment in the module Museum Communications where students work together on a specific project(s) with an opening date in May, June or July. Typically, students could be spending the equivalent of a working week as they complete the work for their projects, under supervision.

The move towards greater emphasis on independent research and research continues in Term 3, where the use of research skills acquired earlier in the programme are developed through the Dissertation research project or the Research Paper. Under the supervision of a member of academic staff with whom they will typically have between 3 and 5 one-to-one supervisory meetings, students undertake a detailed study of a particular area resulting in a significant piece of independent research. The Dissertation is regarded as a preparation for further academic work while the exhibition and Research Paper route is designed for a more professional environment.

Throughout the programme, all students also have access to an academic adviser who will provide them with academic support and guidance. Typically a student will meet their adviser two to three times a year, in addition to which all members of teaching staff have weekly office hours when they are available to meet with students on a ‘drop-in’ basis. The department also has an exciting programme of weekly one hour research seminars which postgraduate students are strongly encouraged to attend as well as Friends of the Oriental Museum events.

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The MA Museum Cultures offers you the opportunity to study this expanding and dynamic field at close proximity to the most world-distinguished museums and galleries. If you are contemplating a career in the museum and gallery sector and if you are interested in developing an in-depth understanding of contemporary debates about museums and their cultural significance, then this is the course for you. Our MA gives you the chance to develop a range of key skills, from critical thinking and writing to practical experience through a work placement in a museum, gallery or archive. Museums have been of enormous importance in shaping empires, nations and cities, and their collections are connected to wider histories of conflict and social change. To study museums is to study the development and fierce contestation of our collective cultural imagination and memory.

You begin with a core course that introduces interdisciplinary perspectives on the study of museums and a research skills module where you work collaboratively with your classmates. You then take 2 options in areas of specialist interest and either an independent research project or a work placement in a museum, gallery or archive. Finally, you will be individually counselled in your choice of dissertation topic.

The Department of History of Art at Birkbeck has an international reputation for its innovative approaches to the history of art, visual culture and museum studies. Our expertise extends into areas such as postcolonial museums, museums in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, the senses and museums, architecture and museums, museums and art, museums and memory, museums and conflict, museums and gender, small museums, and museums, politics and heritage. As well as regular gallery and museum visits, we offer an exciting study trip abroad every spring. Students are encouraged to become involved in the lively research culture of the department through the History and Theory of Photography Research Centre, the Architecture, Space and Society Centre and the Vasari Research Centre, which has pioneered the field of digital art history. In addition to the core teaching and individual research support, students benefit from many events in the Department of History of Art at Birkbeck, including: the department’s postgraduate events; the annual Murray lecture where speakers have included Penelope Curtis, director of Tate Britain and Neil McGregor, director of the British Museum; and the programme of exhibitions and displays at the Peltz Gallery, the School of Arts' purpose-built exhibition space. Students are also welcome to attend other seminars and events across the School of Arts and at the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities.

Our flexible approach to full-time and part-time evening study is ideal if you are thinking about undertaking paid or voluntary work experience in London’s museums and galleries during the daytime, while studying for a postgraduate degree that can give you a head start in a competitive jobs market.

We offer taster events and information evenings for prospective students interested in our MA Museum Cultures programme throughout the year.

Why study this course at Birkbeck?

Arts and humanities courses at Birkbeck are ranked third best in London and 11th in the UK in the Times Higher Education 2015-16 World University Subject Rankings.
Taught by scholars across Birkbeck, including our Department of History of Art, Department of Film, Media and Cultural Studies and Department of History, Classics and Archaeology. This programme offers an interdisciplinary perspective on contemporary debates within museum studies and encompasses museums in Africa, Asia and the Americas as well as in Europe.
We provide students with supervised work placements in museums, galleries and archives including Tate, the British Museum, the Whitechapel Gallery and the Horniman Museum. Past students have helped design and run schools programmes, documented collections that were previously uncatalogued, conducted visitor research and assisted curators in producing exhibitions.
This course of study offers you access to cutting-edge research by some of Britain’s foremost scholars and all the flexibility of evening study at Birkbeck. Whether you have a busy job, have other commitments or want to maximise library time during the day, evening study makes MA study work better.
You can choose option modules from postgraduate courses including History of Art and Arts Policy and Management.
Students studying Museum Cultures are invited to attend postgraduate events in the Department of History of Art and across the School of Arts. Guest speakers include international curators, museum directors, art historians and artists.
The department attracts a rich programme of visiting scholars and practitioners. Our History and Theory of Photography Research Centre and the newly established Architecture, Space and Society Centre offer students the opportunity to develop their knowledge of those areas, as does the Centre for Film and Visual Media which is based in the Department of Film, Media and Cultural Studies.
The Department of History of Art has an outstanding reputation for offering critical and creative programmes designed and taught by leading academics and practitioners in the field, within a learning environment that is supportive of the needs of students from a wide range of educational backgrounds.
With our location in Bloomsbury in central London, you can explore some of the world's best architecture, galleries and museums, collections and arts spaces - many of which are on our doorstep or a short distance away. The British Library is within close proximity as is the British Museum, Sir John Soane's Museum, Foundling Museum, Wellcome Gallery, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain, Tate Modern and V&A.
We have a state-of-the art cinema and exhibition spaces, all housed in a historic building that was a former home to key members of the Bloomsbury Group, including the author Virginia Woolf and the artist Vanessa Bell.
Birkbeck Library has an extensive collection of books and journals in art history and museum studies. You can also take advantage of the rich research collections nearby, including Senate House Library, the British Library and the National Art Library at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A).

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Why you should choose this course:
-You want to explore emerging critical approaches and shifts in museum practice and theory
-You would like to undertake a work placement in a museum, gallery or related cultural organisation in or around Manchester
-You are interested in the rich museum and cultural scene of Manchester and the opportunities for case studies, fieldwork and networking on offer

Art Gallery and Museum Studies (AGMS) has been taught at The University of Manchester for more than 40 years. It is one of the longest established MA degree courses in museum studies in the country, and our alumni have reached senior positions in museums and galleries throughout the UK and overseas.

Today, the AGMS course is continually being reviewed and developed in response to new research, emerging critical approaches and shifts in museum practice. Manchester's traditional focus on the art gallery remains, but is now balanced by course units which address history, theory and practice in a range of institutions.

Throughout the degree, you will examine diverse issues related to museum theory and practice, visit numerous museums, galleries and cultural organisations, and have many opportunities to discuss ideas and issues with professionals and academics in the field. The AGMS course combines both guided and independent study, and includes seminars, guest lectures and site visits.

Teaching and learning

Most teaching takes place in small interactive seminar groups, involving, as appropriate, directed-reading, fieldwork in museums and galleries, staff and student presentations, discussion, debate, problem-solving and group-work.

Most courses run one day/week over 12 weeks and there are variations in the number of class hours per teaching day depending on the course/week (i.e. 2-5 hours). As a general rule, a 30 credit course includes 300 learning hours, which can be roughly divided as follows: a third in classes or class-related work; a third in independent study; and a third in preparation of assignments.

Students undertake also a collections management group project (as part of the 'Managing Collections and Exhibitions' and an exhibition group project (as part of the 'Professional Practice Project' course) in collaboration with a museum, gallery or related cultural organisation in Manchester or the North West of England.

Course unit details

The AGMS MA is a modular degree with core and optional elements totalling to 180 credits. Core and options courses combine to make 120 credits with the remaining 60 credits allocated to the dissertation.

Semester one
Full-time students take two core course units: 'Introduction to Museum Studies' and 'Managing Collections and Exhibitions' (each 30 credits). Part-time students take 'Introduction to Museum Studies' in Year 1 and 'Managing Collections and Exhibitions' in Year 2. These core units are designed to introduce you to key issues and ideas in museum practice, and also to different approaches to the study and analysis of museums. All elements in Semester One are compulsory. Unit details are below.

Semester two
Semester two option courses build on the knowledge and understanding you have gained in semester one, and enable you to develop expertise in a particular disciplinary area of curating (e.g. art or archaeology) or sphere of museum practice (e.g. museum learning or exhibition development). Full-time students take 60 credits of option course units (option courses are offered as 15 or 30 credits). Part-time students take 30 credits of option course units each year. Unit details are below. Please note that not all option courses may be available every year. Students may choose to take one option course in a related subject area, e.g. Archaeology, History, or Social Anthropology.

Dissertation (Semester 2 and summer)
On successful completion of the coursework, you proceed to write a dissertation (60 credits) on a topic of your choice, agreed in conjunction with your dissertation supervisor. Dissertations, like articles (depending on the journal), may be strongly based on original primary source research, they might aim to re-interpret an already well-trawled area of the subject, or they might take up an approach somewhere between these two extremes. In all cases, however, the authors will have chosen and elaborated a body of relevant material which they bring to bear on a clearly defined issue. Dissertation planning and supervision takes place in Semester 2 (February - end of June) and you continue with your independent writing in July and August. You can either undertake a standard dissertation or a practice-based dissertation:
-Standard : 12-15,000 words
-Practice-based A : Exhibition. An exhibition, show or plan thereof. Outcome - exhibition and/or plan plus 8-10,000 words reflection
-Practice-based B : Policy. Student to develop a piece of museum policy. Outcome - policy or report plus max 8-10,000 words reflection.
-Practice-based C : Digital/Online (building on skills developed in Digital Curating). Outcome - digital media application plus max 8-10,000 words reflection.

Career opportunities

How will the AGMS support my career goals?
The AGMS is an important entry-level qualification for anyone seeking to pursue a career in museums or galleries. It is also a valuable resource for continuing professional development for mid-career professionals. In addition, the MA provides a thorough training in the skills needed to do further postgraduate research. These skills in research design and planning are transferable to jobs in the museum sector, as well as being a vital first step to PhD research.

What are the career destinations of AGMS graduates?
Of course, job destinations vary according to the interests, ambitions and skills of each individual, but most of our students are successful in obtaining professional posts in collections, exhibitions, education, interpretation, or some aspect of museum/arts management soon after completing the MA.

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After launching over 20 years ago to cater for students seeking the key skills to work in the cultural sector, many graduates from this course now work in high profile arts jobs all over the world.

Drawing on close working relationships with a host of partner organisations, including Museums Sheffield and the Cultural Industries Quarter Agency, this course combines a thorough grounding in cultural policy and theory with practical management skills.

With the creative economy continuing to out-perform other sectors in the UK and overseas, this course is ideal if you are

• a cultural manager seeking a further qualification
• a graduate from any area wanting to develop professional and vocational skills at postgraduate level
• working in a different sector and seeking to change your career path to cultural management.

We offer flexible September and January start dates and full-time and part-time study options. You are supported to secure voluntary work experience with a range of partner organisations including Sheffield Theatres, Sheffield Industrial Heritage Museums, Site Gallery and several festival producers.

UK and international students undertake modules covering the policy, strategy and management of cultural organisations. Key areas of study include • UK and international arts funding models • the impact of heritage and regeneration policies on regional and national identity • the benefits of arts engagement in education, health and prison settings • an investigation of how issues of diversity are played out in museums.

You have the opportunity to go on study visits to Glasgow, Liverpool, Leeds and Manchester, which are complemented by visiting lectures from a range of well-established sector professionals from the visual and performing arts, heritage and community arts sectors.

Our experienced staff offer guided support to our small cohort of students, many of who progress to PhD study after excelling on our research methods and dissertation modules.

Thanks to our impressive reputation among employers, our graduates have found employment with • Arts Council England • the Natural History Museum • Hampton Court Palace • Yorkshire Sculpture Park • Baltic contemporary art gallery • Manchester's Contact Theatre • Guanfu Museum of Antiquities • 798 Artzone in Beijing.

Course structure

Modules

• Cultural policy
• Management of cultural organisations
• Culture and identity

For module descriptions please visit the website

Assessment

By assignment, oral presentation and professional report plus dissertation for MA    

Employability

After launching over 20 years ago to cater for students seeking the key skills to work in the cultural sector, many graduates from this course now work in high profile arts jobs all over the world.

Drawing on close working relationships with a host of partner organisations, including Museums Sheffield and the Cultural Industries Quarter Agency, this course combines a thorough grounding in cultural policy and theory with practical management skills.

With the creative economy continuing to out-perform other sectors in the UK and overseas, this course is ideal if you are

• a cultural manager seeking a further qualification
• a graduate from any area wanting to develop professional and vocational skills at postgraduate level
• working in a different sector and seeking to change your career path to cultural management.

Previous graduates have gone on to work in areas such as • museum curating • arts centre management • Arts Council England • gallery marketing • museum education • EU policy making • community arts project management • freelance events management • public art • theatre marketing and promotion • festival organisation.

Our alumni work for organisations including • Yorkshire Sculpture Park • Baltic Mill Gallery • 798 Artzone in Beijing • Hampton Court Palace • Natural History Museum • Arts Council England • Arts Marketing Consultant, Netherlands • Ludwigsburg Castle classical music festival, Stuttgart • Guanfu Museum of Antiquities, Beijing.           

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Summary

This well-established programme at the Ulster University is delivered through the School of Creative Arts and Technologies and is taught on the Belfast campus. It has many links with the museum and heritage profession both north and south and students have the advantage of meeting with practitioners through lectures and visits. Graduates have been successful in securing positions in the museum and heritage sectors both in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. To support your learning, we arrange a placement for all students in a local museum or heritage site.

The degree programme has been designed for individuals seeking further career development in the heritage and museum sectors, as well for graduates of Art and Design, Art History, Geography, History, Archaeology, Anthropology, Education, Sociology and allied disciplines, who wish to develop their research interests in these fields.

Key areas of investigation in this MA include

• Policy concerns relating to heritage, museum and cultural sectors in Ireland, north and south
• Analysis of the social, economic and cultural contexts of museums and heritage
• Management issues relating to museums and heritage sites; and
• Impact of digital technologies on the heritage experience.

Modules have been designed to reflect innovative and current research in these areas and will equip both graduates and those already working in the heritage sectors with the appropriate skills for further academic and professional development.

About

The MA requires successful completion of five taught modules and one research module.

Taught Modules

• Exploring Heritage
• Cultures of Curatorship
• Exhibition: Practice and Evaluation
• Strategic Management for the Heritage and Museum Sectors
• Research in Museum and Heritage Studies

MA Research Dissertation

If you choose not to do the research dissertation you may exit with a PGD, postgraduate diploma.

The MA Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies is delivered at the York Street Campus in Belfast to both full and part-time students.

Your Course Director is Elizabeth Crooke, Professor of Heritage and Museum Studies at Ulster University. Elizabeth works with a team of expert and experienced tutors to deliver this programme. In September 2015 Elizabeth was elected Chairperson of Board of Directors Northern Ireland Museums Council. Elizabeth is currently a member of the Museum Standards Programme Advisory Committee of the Heritage Council (Ireland) and member of the Board of Directors Irish Museums Association.

Attendance

This course is taught on the Belfast campus.

Full-time students attend lectures and seminars two days a week (typically Tuesday and Thursday) and Part-time students one day a week (typically a Thursday in the first year and a Tuesday in the second year).

Work placement / study abroad

We support all students in finding a work placement, which they complete alongside their studies.Students have had placements at National Museums Northern Ireland, local museums, Linen Hall Library, PRONI and the National Trust.

Career options

This programme was introduced in 2001 and since that time our graduates have pursued careers in museums, exhibition design, archives, the cultural sector and further education. Alumni from the programme now form a vibrant community and are having a positive impact on the sector.

The areas graduates have gone on to include:

• Museums, Archive and Galleries, entry level posts such as documentation, education, and outreach;
• Specialist museum-related training e.g. in conservation of museum objects
• museum based internships
• Archaeology (mainly excavation and research);
• Heritage (such as National Trust) and the Arts
• PhD research
• Graduates also pursue other interests such as travelling.

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The MA Art Gallery and Museum Studies aims to provide students with critical understandings of issues in curatorship, museology and museum management. The course considers the ways in which material culture has been represented and interpreted by historians and cultural theorists, the methodologies behind museum practice and methods of display and interpretation, and also puts theory and practice into dialogue.

Through the course, students develop critical understandings of the histories of art galleries and museums and explore and challenge key ideas that have shaped museum practice. Students will also deploy these historical and theoretical understandings to develop innovative approaches to curation, interpretation and engaging audiences.

You will develop practical skills through working on an interpretation project in our archives and collections on campus, and undertaking a negotiated work placement. Supported by the Centre for Critical Studies in Museums, Galleries and Heritage, you will gain the knowledge and skills for a successful career in the museum and art gallery sector.

You will study in the heart of a cultural hub for this diverse and vibrant region. Leeds is home to a wide variety of world-leading and innovative arts and heritage organisations, from the Royal Armouries, Opera North, West Yorkshire Playhouse and Northern Ballet through to nine council-run museums, galleries and heritage sites and many contemporary art spaces.

We are also close to everything the rest of Yorkshire has to offer, from The Hepworth Wakefield to the National Science and Media Museum, Yorkshire Sculpture Park and the Brontë Parsonage Museum. We have close links with many of these cultural institutions to support your practical learning.

Centre for Critical Studies in Museums, Galleries and Heritage

All students on the degree become members of the Centre for Critical Studies in Museums, Galleries and Heritage and enjoy opportunities from networking events and links to alumni to conferences, seminars and reading groups.

Course content

A set of core modules form the bedrock of the programme, introducing you to the concept of the ‘museum’ and the ways in which Western museums have represented and interpreted history and historical material.

You’ll also use contemporary theory to consider 20th-century museum practice and key questions around curatorship, museology and museum management. The role of the curator, funding and sponsorship and the display and interpretation of objects are among the topics you’ll cover.

Your core modules will give you the chance to apply your theoretical knowledge and gain practical skills. You’ll take part in an interpretation project in the University’s Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery, as well as completing a work placement in an external arts or heritage organisation.

All MA students in the School take two core modules which develop the research skills to complete research projects such as your essays and dissertation.

This will build to our unique MA Symposium in Semester 2, where you present some of your own research across interdisciplinary panels, and a dissertation which enables you to undertake research in a topic of interest to you.

If you choose to study part-time, you’ll study over a longer period and take fewer modules in each year.

Course structure

Compulsory modules

• Advanced Research Skills 15 credits
• Advanced Research Skills 25 credits
• History and the Museum: Representation, Narrative and Memory 30 credits
• Museum, Object, Practice 30 credits
• Interpreting Cultures 30 credits
• Dissertation 50 credits

Optional modules

• Derrida and Deconstruction 30 credits
• Capitalism-Criticism-Contemporary Art 30 credits
• Unfinished Business: Trauma, Cultural Memory and the Holocaust 30 credits
• From Chagall to Kitaj and Beyond 30 credits
• Critical and Curatorial Challenges in Contemporary Art: The Documenta Exhibitions at Kassel 1992-2012 30 credits
• Encountering Things: Art and Entanglement in Anglo-Saxon England 30 credits
• Anthropology, Art and Representation 30 credits
• Humanity, Animality and Globality 30 credits
• Audience Engagement and Impact 30 credits

For more information on typical modules, read Art Gallery and Museum Studies MA Full Time in the course catalogue

For more information on typical modules, read Art Gallery and Museum Studies MA Part Time in the course catalogue

Learning and teaching

You’ll be taught by leading researchers and experienced practitioners in their fields, and you’ll benefit from a range of teaching and learning methods. They include lectures and seminars, gallery and museum visits, as well as hands-on experience of specific collections in library sessions.

You’ll also learn from practical experience when you undertake your work placement, and a variety of external speakers will give you an insight into contemporary practice in the sector. Independent study is an important element of the degree, allowing you to develop your research and critical skills.

Assessment

We use a range of assessment methods including essays, presentations, assignments and literature reviews among others, depending on the modules you choose.

Career opportunities

Through a combination of theory and practice, the programme produces graduates who are able to develop professional careers in the museums and heritage sector whilst retaining a critical and reflexive eye on their own practice and that of the institutions in which they work.

It will equip you with a good understanding of the issues and approaches to art gallery and museum studies, as well as practical work experience – a combination which is very valuable to employers. You’ll also develop advanced skills in communication, research and analysis as well as cultural awareness.

Our graduates now work as heads of collection, curators and education staff in local authority museums, for national heritage organisations like the National Trust, charitable trusts and in arts marketing and public relations.

A significant number have also returned as research students and have secured scholarships to pursue their research topics, including Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) scholarships. Former research students are now forging academic careers in the UK, Canada and the US.

To get a flavour of the kinds of career trajectories our graduates have taken see the ‘news’ section of the Centre for Critical Studies in Museums, Galleries and Heritage and the alumni pages of the School website.

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The aim of this intensive 12 month program is to train future managers of arts and cultural institutions and future entrepreneurs in the cultural industries.
Core teaching weaves together a range of different approaches to the cultural industries: high-level business management, creative entrepreneurship, art and culture fundraising, event management, and design and creative marketing.

This MBA program is designed to develop students’ understanding of the art and performing arts sectors and develop professional skills in arts management and business. Professional studies are underpinned by courses on the history of twentieth century art and theatre, providing students with a hands-on experience of the artistic and cultural backgrounds.

Structure

The curriculum in details:

This intensive twelve-month program is designed to develop students’ understanding of the art and performing arts sectors, while developing their professional skills in arts management and business, in order to become future managers of arts and cultural institutions and future entrepreneurs in the cultural industries. Throughout the year, students develop a professional project that they present in front of a jury, in validation of the Titre I diploma.

1st trimester (September – December):

Common courses: Marketing & Communication; International Business; Strategic Management; Finance for Managers; Digital Business

Electives: Sociology of Arts & Culture; History of the Decorative Arts

Performing arts track: History of Performing Arts
Arts track: Art history: Realism to 1945
Intensive January session:

Common courses: Research methodology; Business game; Leadership management; Computing software seminar; Career seminar

Performing arts track: European Cultural Policy & Artistic Creation; Culture Industries Survey; Event Management & Management Practices; Economics of Cultural Studies
Arts track: History of the Art Market; History of the Fine Arts; Curating Exhibitions; Economics of the Art Market
2nd trimester (February – April):

Electives: Public Relations & Branding through Social Media; Performance and Digital Arts

Performing arts track: Economics of Cultural Industries; Event Management; Performing Arts Production, Performing Arts Management; Creative Entrepreneurship; Cultural Industries Survey; Cultural Policy & Heritage Management; Legal Environment of Business Applied to the Arts
Elective: Organizing a Film Festival
Arts track: Museum Law; Intellectual Property Law; Legal Environment of the Arts: Economics of the Art Market; Financing Cultural Projects; Art History: 1945 to date; Curating Exhibitions; Mounting Exhibitions
Elective: Collecting Contemporary Art
3rd trimester (May – September): Internship, online classes; develop thesis and professional project.

The Program at a glance:

• Duration: 3 trimesters (12 months)
• Location: Paris
• Accreditation: Professional Master's degree from IESA: Titre 1 Degree recognized by the French governement. Double degree: MA in Arts & Cultural Management from PSB - Paris School of Business

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Through combining arts management with heritage studies, students will develop a sophisticated understanding of the changing political, policy and practice contexts within which the arts and heritage sectors operate today.

Core modules explore the nature of heritage and how meanings of objects, artworks and buildings change in different contexts. You will examine the challenges faced by arts managers and cultural leaders, and the changes that have led some museums to move towards the role of the ‘manager’ rather than the ‘curator’.

You will choose from optional modules to tailor your degree to your interests or career plans – including the opportunity to undertake a work placement or consultancy project role in either arts management or heritage. Previous students have undertaken placements focused on collections, digitisation work, digital interpretation and community engagement.

Supported by our Centre for Critical Studies in Museums, Galleries and Heritage, you will benefit from our partnerships with major arts and cultural organisations to find out what it means to work in this challenging sector.

You will study in the heart of a cultural hub for this diverse and vibrant region. Leeds is home to a wide variety of world-leading and innovative arts and heritage organisations, from the Royal Armouries, Opera North, West Yorkshire Playhouse and Northern Ballet through to nine council-run museums, galleries and heritage sites and many contemporary art spaces.

We are also close to everything the rest of Yorkshire has to offer, from The Hepworth Wakefield to the National Science and Media Museum, Yorkshire Sculpture Park and the Brontë Parsonage Museum. We have close links with many of these cultural institutions to support your practical learning.

Interdisciplinary learning

This exciting programme has been developed in close collaboration with the School of Performance and Cultural Industries and allows students to undertake core and optional courses in both Schools. Students become members of the Centre for Critical Studies in Museums, Galleries and Heritage and enjoy the opportunities that membership offers.

Course content

All MA students in the School take two core modules.

In Arts Management and Cultural Leadership, students will examine theoretical concepts in the emerging field of arts management and the challenges faced by arts managers and cultural leaders. Dialogue with our arts and cultural partners will give an insight into the exciting possibilities opened up by bringing theory and practice together. Students can deepen their learning in this area through optional modules that explore a variety of key issues, such as audience engagement and impact, cultural entrepreneurship, and contemporary cultural strategies, technologies and media.

In Heritage Studies: Key Words, students will develop a critical exploration of heritage through the ways in which people have sought to preserve, understand and pass on their cultures. This is underpinned through combining a sustained theoretical engagement with key ideas which animate heritage – place, community, memory, archive, future – with embedded skills development in heritage and museum interpretative and curatorial practice (which are a core set of sector skills). Students can build on these skills through optional modules such as exploring anthropology and representation, cultural memory and material culture.

Through our Advanced Research Skills modules, students are equipped to undertake assessments and ultimately develop their own research project. The modules build to a symposium in Semester 2 where students present initial research findings towards a dissertation on a research topic of interest.

In addition, students choose from a range of optional modules offered by the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies and the School of Performance and Cultural Industries. These include the opportunity to complete a placement or consultancy project role in either arts management or heritage. Previous students have undertaken placements focused on collections, digitisation work, digital interpretation and community engagement.

We use a range of teaching and learning methods to allow students to benefit from the expertise of our staff. These include weekly seminars, group learning sessions, tutorials and lectures.

Students will also benefit from the expertise of visiting speakers, visits off campus and practical experience. Independent study is also vital to this course, allowing students to develop individual skills and prepare for taught sessions

Course structure

Compulsory modules

• Arts Management and Heritage Studies Dissertation 50 credits
• Advanced Research Skills 15 credits
• Advanced Research Skills 25 credits
• Heritage Studies: Key Words 30 credits
• Arts Management and Cultural Leadership 30 credits

Optional modules

• Derrida and Deconstruction 30 credits
• Capitalism-Criticism-Contemporary Art 30 credits
• Unfinished Business: Trauma, Cultural Memory & the Holocaust 30 credits
• From Chagall to Kitaj and Beyond 30 credits
• Encountering Things: Art & Entanglement in Anglo-Saxon England 30 credits
• Anthropology, Art & Representation 30 credits
• Individual Directed Study 30 credits
• Placements in Context: Policy, Organizations and Practice 30 credits
• Performance & Collaborative Enterprise 30 credits
• Audience Engagement & Impact 30 credits

For more information on typical modules, read Arts Management and Heritage Studies MA Full Time in the course catalogue

For more information on typical modules, read Arts Management and Heritage Studies MA Part Time in the course catalogue

Learning and teaching

We use a range of teaching and learning methods to help you benefit from the expertise of our staff. These include weekly seminars, group learning sessions, tutorials and lectures. You’ll also benefit from the expertise of visiting speakers, visits off campus and practical experience. Independent study is also vital to this programme, allowing you to develop your individual skills and prepare for taught sessions.

Assessment

Depending on the modules you choose, you may experience a range of different assessment methods. These usually include essays of around 7,000 words, individual and group presentations, in-course assessment and project work. You may also be asked to complete a reflective log for your projects, allowing you to look back and critically assess your own practice.

Placement opportunities

All students have a choice of two optional modules. A number of these modules have a work or enterprise component to gain first-hand experience of contemporary museum and gallery practice. If you have a particular ambition in mind for a work placement, we try to find a role that suits you.

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Since the world went online, information has grown rapidly in volume and become infinitely more accessible. At the same time, information science and systems have been converging towards a common focus on information discovery, organisation, and management. Information management is essential in libraries, archives, museums and business, and is a much sought-after skill in careers spanning the sectors for example, in governmental, legal, financial, media and publishing organisations. Meanwhile, owners and users of information need to be able to access and evaluate information in faster and more intuitive ways.

Key benefits

This course is accredited by The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP).

Course detail

The MSc Information Management is vocational and practice-oriented, designed to support information and knowledge managers. The course provides an excellent balance of traditional information management and library science, informed by cutting edge developments in information architecture and data management. It's an important route for anyone seeking professional chartership or progress to management roles.

Modules

• Information Contexts (30 credits)
• Knowledge Organisation (30 credits)
• Information and Digital Literacy (15 credits)
• Personal and Organisational Management (15 credits)
• Information and Knowledge Management
• Data Management
• Designing The User Experience
• Big Data
• Cloud Computing
• Linked, Open Data and The Internet of Things
• Machine Learning and Predictive Analytics
• Social Media and Web Science
• Dissertation

Format

You'll learn through lectures, discussions, tutorials, practical exercises and independent reading, as well as working together in small groups.

The course has a virtual learning environment online that supports you throughout your studies. It's a useful way to communicate with fellow students and teaching staff, find administrative details about the modules, and access course materials.

We regularly welcome specialist tutors to the department to contribute to specific modules.

Assessment

Assessment in most modules is through written coursework, portfolios, presentations and written exams. The supervisor and second marker will assess your dissertation.

Careers / Further study

This qualification is an excellent route to range of careers, and as a complement to existing career skills and professional development for example, for those moving into managerial roles. Our graduates have gone on to successful careers in a wide range of sectors, including educational, public sector and museum archivist roles, plus a variety of consultancy and professional services positions.

Alumni have prominent roles in local library services, university libraries in Bristol and Bath, with the government, and in records management roles in public and private sectors.

For anyone looking to pursue PhD research positions, this course is considered a highly valuable preparatory route.

How to apply

Information on applications can be found at the following link: http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/study/applyingtouwebristol/postgraduateapplications.aspx

Funding

- New Postgraduate Master's loans for 2016/17 academic year –

The government are introducing a master’s loan scheme, whereby master’s students under 60 can access a loan of up to £10,000 as a contribution towards the cost of their study. This is part of the government’s long-term commitment to enhance support for postgraduate study.

Scholarships and other sources of funding are also available.

More information can be found here: http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/students/feesandfunding/fundingandscholarships/postgraduatefunding.aspx

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Gain the skills to take part in the exciting world of museums, galleries and the cultural heritage sector.

On this MA, you’ll work with academics and museum professionals – these have previously included senior staff from the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, the V&A, the National Trust, the Science Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum and Museum of Modern Art in New York – to explore the history, theory and politics of art institutions and to build a critical framework for the practice of curating.

This MA introduces you to:
-Curatorial scholarship and its methodologies (including conservation-led research and technical art history)
-The histories of museums and their collections
-The ethical and legal frameworks within which curators and museums work
-The nature and politics of museum displays

You visit a number of museums in Sussex and in London, allowing you to learn first-hand about institutional histories, collections, permanent galleries and temporary exhibitions.

How will I study?

In the autumn and spring terms, you take museum skills modules with seminars at Sussex and visits to local and national collections alongside core modules and options. The summer term is taken up with a work placement at a local or national museum or gallery.

Throughout the course, you are encouraged to participate actively in the taught sessions and museum visits. With your tutors and classmates, you debate a range of ethical concerns facing museum curators. You also develop your own research interests through the dissertation.

Assessed work includes:
-Term papers
-Practical assignments
-A learning journal (written during the placement as a reflection on that experience)
-A 12,000-word dissertation

Scholarships

Our aim is to ensure that every student who wants to study with us is able to despite financial barriers, so that we continue to attract talented and unique individuals.

Chancellor's International Scholarship (2017)
-25 scholarships of a 50% tuition fee waiver
-Application deadline: 1 May 2017

HESPAL Scholarship (Higher Education Scholarships Scheme for the Palestinian Territories) (2017)
-Two full fee waivers in conjuction with maintenance support from the British Council
-Application deadline: 1 January 2017

USA Friends Scholarships (2017)
-A scholarship of an amount equivalent to $10,000 for nationals or residents of the USA on a one year taught Masters degree course.
-Application deadline: 3 April 2017

Careers

You gain knowledge about objects and collections, and develop a critical awareness of museum practices.

You develop communication and project management skills. These skills provide the practical and theoretical foundation for careers in:
-Museums
-Galleries
-Heritage at curatorial level
-The cultural sector more broadly

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This MA at UCL Qatar equips students with the necessary theoretical and practical skills to assume a career as a leading museum professional within Qatar, the wider Gulf region or further afield. Through practical placements, students will gain a unique insight into the developing local and international museum sector.

Degree information

This programme introduces the theories and practices of museology, emphasising their significance and relevance in the Gulf region and beyond. Key areas of museum studies are taught, such as collections management, museum, gallery and site management, exhibition development, contemporary art debates, visual studies, education and emerging digital technologies.

This MA has a total value of 180 credits.

Students take five core modules (90 credits), two optional modules (30 credits) and a dissertation (60 credits).

Core modules
-Exhibition Project
-Interdisciplinary Methods for Heritage Research
-Museums Policies and Practices
-Principles of Museum and Gallery Practice
-Dissertation

Optional modules
-Museum Theory and Practice: Identities, Politics and Power
-Museum Learning, Outreach and Public Engagement
-Debates in Contemporary Art Curation
-The Digital Museum
-Placement I
-Placement II
-The Book in the World

Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of 12,000 words.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, practical sessions, and structured reading. Students undertake a 20-day professional placement. Assessment is through essays, presentations, portfolios, reports, oral examination and the dissertation.

Careers

Graduates of this programme will gain an in-depth historical and theoretical background in museums and cultural heritage as well as experience in a range of relevant technical skills. They will be trained in all aspects of museums work, including collections management, education and community outreach, emerging digital technologies, exhibition design and interpretation. Graduates will be familiar with regional and global cultural heritage practices.

Employability
There is an increasing need for qualified professionals with expertise in museums in the Gulf. We expect graduates to go on to assume leading roles within museums and galleries in Qatar and elsewhere in the region and internationally, including in management, collection building, curation and outreach.

Why study this degree at UCL?

Museums are flourishing in Qatar and the region, and this programme provides unmatched opportunities to network with leading local museums and heritage professionals.

UCL Qatar is based at Education City, Doha, alongside a number of the world's most prestigious institutions. International students benefit from the unique cultural experience of studying in Qatar, where the diverse range of cultural backgrounds ensures that unique perspectives are brought to classroom discussions.

The programme suits students with a genuine interest and curiosity about museums and heritage in the Arab and Islamic world.

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