Heritage Management - MA (Athens)

The MA in Heritage Management is a unique programme combining the worlds of archaeology and business and is taught in Athens at Elefsina (ancient Eleusis), an area of world-class archaeological significance.

The course focuses on teaching the skills required for the management of heritage sites across the world and how to work effectively with archaeologists, architects, conservators, marketing and education specialists while also fundraising and supervising specific projects.

The programme is a collaborative dual award from the University of Kent and the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB), a partnership that ensures world-class tuition and an interdisciplinary learning environment. As a collaborative programme between Kent and AUEB, the programme is taught by staff from the Department of Classical & Archaeological Studies and the AUEB.

The programme is entirely based in Elefsina, and taught over a 16-month period. Elefsina is one of most important archaeological religious sites in the world, as the home of the Eleusinian mysteries. It is also close to many other important sites including Parthenon, Ancient Corinth, Nemea and Thebes. With bus connections to the centre of Athens as well as to Peloponnese, modern Elefsina is a great town to live and study, endowed with world-class heritage that will be most important for your studies, as well as facilities such as a hospital, restaurants and bars.

Most classes will take place either in the archaeological sites, or in purpose-built classrooms provided by the Heritage Management Organisation and the Municipality in Elefsina or in central Athens. A list of suitable accommodation in Elefsina will be provided, along with advice on arranging your own rented accommodation and liaising with landlords.

Course structure

The mode of study for this programme is 16 months full-time, running over three academic semesters. The programme is assessed through a combination of coursework, oral presentation, and/or examinations as well as by the dissertation.

During the course of the programme, students have unlimited access to the following major library resources: the British School at Athens, which is located in the centre of Athens, and which holds a large collection of archaeological books, rare archive materials and collections; the library of the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB), also located in the centre of Athens and the library of the Heritage Management Organization in Elefsina, which is equipped with the most relevant materials for our courses. Kent’s digital library resources will be accessible online, along with the electronic library of AUEB.

Programme aims

The programme aims to:

• introduce students to all the fields necessary for effective archaeological heritage management, through a distinctive and unique programme, relating this to real world examples that are available in archaeological sites in Greece and more specifically in Eleusis.
• provide students with a robust grounding in theories, methods and approaches on archaeological site management and planning issues (covering, for instance, public archaeology, conservation and international law), examining areas of controversy and differing expression.
• establish the relationship of sites in Eleusis to wider issues of heritage management.
• provide opportunities for students to shine through practicals and on-site tutorials.
• firmly develop students’ practical abilities, through a hands-on double supervised (from Kent and AUEB) collaborative project which is market based and makes a contribution to the management of archaeological heritage.
• enable students to engage critically with a selected theme or topic within the field of heritage management.
• assist students to acquire the critical and organisational skills necessary for successful completion of research for their supervised dissertation or collaborative project (optional replacing dissertation) as well as other project work (this work being on an approved topic/s or theme from a different choice of projects each year).
• assist students to develop the necessary range of generic and subject-specific skills – in research, in data handling, in writing, and in the communication of ideas, using both traditional resources and the full range of contemporary IT resources.

Careers

Our MA programmes include much scope for vocational training, skills acquisition and guided project work, often with use of our extensive facilities. These aspects of our programmes have been praised by external assessors in recent years.

Recent graduates have progressed to careers in a wide range of related professional and leadership areas, including national and local museums, teaching and senior roles with archaeological organisations (national government institutions, contracting units and trusts). A large proportion of completing Master’s students have progressed onto PhD study.

Visit the Heritage Management - MA (Athens) page on the University of Kent website for more details!