Masters Degrees in Curatorial Studies, United Kingdom

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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MA Curatorial Practise focuses on curating as a contemporary practice, bringing together history, theory and practice. We ask what is it that makes the role of the curator distinct, and how do we understand the essentials of curating, when it has become such a buzzword.

The course embraces contemporary curating in historic and collection-based settings as well as contemporary venues, digital, ‘pop-up’ and site specific contexts. It is delivered by experts in the field and working curators.

COURSE STRUCTURE AND CONTENT

The course covers a wide range of curatorial approaches, from management of historical collections to creative curating of cutting edge contemporary art, craft and design. Our students come from a wide variety of backgrounds; we challenge you to develop your interests, while understanding what you share with others across our discipline. Engagement and understanding audiences are central to curatorial practice.

Engagement and understanding audiences are central to curatorial practice. You’ll develop experience in ways of sharing and presenting ideas throughout the course.

If you're studying the course full-time you will study two modules per trimester, alternatively part-time students will study one per trimester.

MODULES

Research Methodologies will introduce the generic research methodologies and the ways subject specific material, analysis and evaluation techniques can be a vehicle for personal study.

In The Role of the Curator we consider the politics of curating, real-world issues and discuss the changing role of the curator.

Collections and Collecting considers the nature of collecting and the influence of collecting on curatorial practice.

Reaching Audiences allows you to present or study a live project to a real audience.

The Master's Project is an assessment that can include a dissertation, the study of historical or archival case studies, curating an exhibition or project in a venue, or forms of digital production.

For detailed information on each of the modules go to: https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/courses/pg-curatorial-practice/

TEACHING METHODS

You’ll be taught in seminars, complemented with field visits to key venues facilitated by lead curators. We adopt a practice-led approach; while some sessions are delivered by our academics, others are delivered by our collaborators and relate to particular case studies or collections.

You’ll frequently link your study to internships, volunteering and project work.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Project based work can be developed and assessed as part of the course. Real life projects can be pursued in response to assessment assignments, especially in relation to the final 'Master's Project' double module.

For more information on assessment methods, please go to our course webpage: https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/courses/pg-curatorial-practice/

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Recent graduates have found work in: .

• Curatorial work in museums and galleries
• Galleries/Arts administration
• Self-employed freelance curatorial work and consultancy
• Publishing and media work
• Education, gallery and museum learning and teaching
• General project management outside the visual arts and museums
• Critical writing
• Academic study and teaching

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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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A ground-breaking new MA delivered in partnership with the BFI to prepare students to build successful careers in film exhibition, programming, criticism or archival work.

‘I wholeheartedly support courses like the NFTS Film Studies MA. Finding and developing talented individuals who can programme unforgettable content is priceless.’ - Efe Cakarel, Founder, MUBI

-The course is delivered in partnership with the BFI (the leading body for film in the UK) who will also provide hands-on placement opportunities across a range of curatorial and critical activities.
-The course is delivered by film professionals in film exhibition and distribution, festivals, archives and film criticism, alongside academics and film makers
-Students on the course will attend film festivals.
-Students learn how to conceptualise film work in terms of idea, form and style, as well as understanding the relationship between film and audience.
-Students will learn about the practicalities of film exhibition, distribution and preservation in the changing digital landscape.
-Students will study the practice of film criticism and comment, including reviewing and critical writing about films, filmmakers and the broader culture.
-Students have the opportunity to mount festivals, pop up screenings and other events.
-Access to NFTS's Masterclasses led by major creative figures from film, television and games.

We welcome EU/EEA Students. Those accepted onto courses starting in 2018 will have their fees guaranteed at the UK rate for both years of the course. Postgraduate students can apply for a loan to help with their studies via the Student Loans Company Loans. A £ 10,000 loan is available to contribute to course and living costs. The Post Graduate Loan is only open to EU/EEA and UK Students who normally live in England. It is not currently available to Scottish, Welsh or Northern Ireland Students. Find out more here: https://nfts.co.uk/fees-funding

COURSE OVERVIEW

This course commences at the end of January each year.

The National Film and Television School’s Film Studies Programming and Curation Masters delivered in partnership with the BFI is designed for students who wish to make a career in the wider film and media culture, whether in the fields of curation, exhibition, criticism, archives, preservation or restoration. The course provides a detailed understanding of the concepts, contexts and critical thought that have shaped the production and reception of film as a basis for engagement with rapidly changing contemporary film and moving image culture. A rigorous academic framework is combined with real world applications enabling each student to develop their own skills, knowledge and understanding to provide a strong basis for a career in film and media.

The philosophy of this course is to give students a theoretical, historical and critical understanding of film, which they will apply practically in the fields of film curating and programming, distribution and archiving.

With all the resources of the National Film and Television School available to them, students on this Master’s programme benefit from working alongside a new generation of filmmakers, encouraging creative dialogue between makers and curators/critics.

'NFTS curating students are so full of energy and passion. I'm full of admiration for the NFTS which nurtures the talent that will build a future for film exhibition and filmmaking.' - Clare Binns, Director of Programming & Acquisitions, Picturehouse Cinemas Ltd

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Our MA Curating offers a practical and theoretical training in devising and curating exhibitions, as you work towards the preparation of an exhibition at our on-site Art Exchange gallery.

Our course combines practice, theory and histories of curating in equal measure. You will develop an essential base skills for a successful exhibition – from object handling to managing exhibition budgets – through visiting lectures by active museum professionals; practical workshops using our on-site collection and galleries; and competitive placements at leading institutions.

You will build your own confident grasp of the history and theory of exhibition-making, studying with academics who besides being active curators are producing new key texts on the curatorial history and theory. You study topics including:
-How an exhibition can be used as a means of social or political critique
-The historical role that museums have played in society
-Participation and social engagement between spectators, artists and curators
-A choice of history of art options

One of the major reasons for choosing Essex is the quality of the education you will receive. Our Art History programme is 6th in the UK for research excellence, with 89% of our work rated “world-leading” or “internationally excellent” (REF 2014), and we achieved an exceptional 95% student satisfaction in the 2016 National Student Survey.

Our expert staff

Our staff consists of a dynamic group of art historians. While our research interests span a range of cultures and media, from the early modern to the present, core specialties include exhibition design, modern and contemporary art, public engagement and activism.

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 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

At Essex, you have the best of both worlds: on the one hand, you are part of a tight-knit, campus community with close ties to several small but excellent museums in the nearby town of Colchester; on the other hand, you can travel from campus to London in an hour, which puts the world’s best museums and galleries at your fingertips.

Our facilities 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. Many of our students gain work and research experience through our collection
-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 curatorial students
-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 of exhibition design and curate high-profile exhibitions

Your future

The visual arts and culture industries have become an increasingly significant part of the national and international economy, and our art history graduates leave Essex with the skills to take advantage of this growing opportunity.

Graduates from our programmes are ideally prepared for roles in the media, in advertising, in museums and galleries, in education (in schools, universities, and cultural institutions), as conservators, as auctioneers, dealers and antiques specialists, in charities, in publishing, as specialist arts lawyers, as PR agents, in fashion, or to run their own galleries.

Our recent graduates have gone on to work for a wide range of high-profile companies including:
-National Portrait Gallery
-Victoria and Albert Museum
-Sotheby’s New York
-Momart Ltd
-John Lewis

We also offer research supervision for PhD and MPhil for those who want to continue with research. We cover the major areas of European art and architecture from 1300 to the present, as well as the art and architecture of Latin America and the United States.

We work with our university’s Employability and Careers Centre to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities.

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This well-connected degree is for those wishing to explore curating and develop curatorial skills in one or more of the following areas: fine art, digital media, film, festivals and social history.

Key benefits

You will work at least one day a week with your partner institution to gain experience in a real curatorial setting and develop skills required by industry.

Course detail

You will study alongside an intentionally small and supportive group of students with backgrounds in areas including fine art, sculpture, art history, architecture, 3D design, film studies and history, sharing practice and ideas and providing opportunities to work creatively and collaboratively on group projects.

You will benefit from unique and professional mentoring from a curator in one of our partner museums, galleries or other cultural spaces for the duration of the course, culminating in the delivery of a real-world curatorial project. Our partners are renowned creative and cultural organisations: Arnolfini, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, Encounters Film Festival, M-Shed, Royal West of England Academy, Situations, Spike Island, Watershed, National Museum of Wales, Cardiff and ss Great Britain. A mentor is allocated based on your skills, interests and career aspirations and brings current industry insight and valuable support and guidance.

Through the final live project with your partner institution, you will gain interesting and relevant curatorial experience, sourcing venues, developing audiences, planning, programming and project management whilst developing key contacts.

Structure

The full masters course comprises 180 credits divided into three 60 credits stages: Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, and Masters. Students work incrementally through the three stages and must pass all modules at each stage in order to progress to the next.

The course is made up of five modules taught over three semesters (January - December).

Modules

• Curatorial Histories
• Developing Practice and Audiences
• Professional Practice: Curating
• Curating and Project Management
• Final Project: Curating (MA) or Final Project: Curating (MFA)

Format

You are taught through a series of lectures, seminars, practical workshops, master classes and projects. Guest speakers and study visits enhance learning and provide valuable industry insight.

Assessment

You will be assessed through a combination of practical and written work at the end of each module.

Careers / Further study

MA Curating graduates have gone on to work in a range of professions in areas of social history, fine art, museum curating and film programming in various arts, culture and heritage-related organisations. There are also curating and programming opportunities at film festivals both nationally and internationally and options to teach or progress to further PhD study.

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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This programme, delivered by School of Arts and specialist visiting lecturers, develops your skills and provides experience relevant to a career in curating.

Based at the School of Arts Studio 3 Gallery, you are involved in all aspects of the running of the Gallery. You work closely with partner organisations such as Canterbury museums and the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA).

You have the opportunity to develop your own project, working within the Gallery’s exhibition programme.

Visit the website https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/96/curating

About the Department of History & Philosophy of Art

The History & Philosophy of Art Department within the School of Arts, provides opportunities for graduate study with well-established researchers in the fields of art history, philosophy of art and aesthetics. Staff research covers contemporary art and aesthetics, modernism, theories of art, the historiography of art and the Cold War; biographical monographs, the photograph (in its historical, contemporary and critical contexts), and the historical interplay of image, theory and institutions from the Renaissance to the present (especially European and North American).

Developing areas of interest include the cultural and historical significance of the print, and the role of performance and new media in contemporary art practices, which draw upon our links with other subjects within the School of Arts and the Faculty of Humanities. In particular, postgraduates have the opportunity to participate in the activities of the multidisciplinary Aesthetics Research Centre and the Art History and Visual Cultures Research Centre. There is also a full programme of visiting speakers from across the constituent subject areas within the School of Arts, which includes Film and Drama.

Course structure

Compulsory modules provide an overview of the history of collecting and exhibitions through a series of case studies, taking advantage of our proximity to major London collections. We also cover theoretical issues relating to curating and museology.

Optional modules focus on providing practice-based opportunities for developing curatorial skills.

Modules

The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This list is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take modules from other programmes so that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas that interest you.

HA826 - History and Theory of Curating (30 credits)
HA827 - Curatorial Internship (60 credits)

Assessment

Assessment is through a combination of coursework essays, critical logbooks and practice-based exercises. A long dissertation is required for the Exhibition Development and Design module.

[[Programme aims
This programme aims to:

- create and interpret knowledge at the forefront of the discipline through the development of critical, conceptual and practical abilities

- develop a self-directed programme of practice and related research

- contextualise and theorise practice in relation to, and through critical evaluation of, the work of contemporary practitioners and leading researchers within the discipline

- develop a comprehensive understanding of methodologies applicable to independent research

- develop autonomy in practice work within a context that fosters collaborative learning

- sustain an advanced practice that encompasses the disciplines of writing, discussion and producing practice-based outcomes

- achieve high-level skills and competencies as a preparation for professional practice and further development in the field of curating

- embed your research within the context of the University and utilise the resources offered in the research environment such as staff expertise, symposia and colloquia

- develop public outcomes outside the University in a range of formats

- attract students from a diversity of arts contexts and contexts that inform artistic practice, including fine art, history of art, sociology, journalism, English literature, film studies architecture and philosophy

- attract intellectually able and talented students who are enquiring, open to experimentation, discussion and collaboration as well able to work independently

- provide a forward-thinking, dynamic learning environment that responds to the current climate of debate and production in the arts.

- forge an international identity within the field of study through developing partnerships with international universities and non-HEIs

- support specialism and progression by allowing students to opt for specific routes of study that include curating, art history, cultural history, arts management, conservation or museum studies.

Research areas

The Department has a collective interest in developing interdisciplinary projects, including projects informed by art history and philosophy of art or aesthetics. Shared areas of research interest include: photography, art theory from the Renaissance to recent times and contemporary art.

Careers

Arts postgraduates have gone on to work in a range of professions, from museum positions and teaching roles to marketing and gallery assistants. Our graduates have found work with Tate Britain, the V&A, Museum of Childhood and other arts, culture and heritage-related organisations.

Find out how to apply here - https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/apply/

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Introduction

MA Curating and Collections at Chelsea College of Arts focuses on developing the skills needed to curate a range of art and design objects within the context of public and private collections.

Content

What students can expect from the course:

- Practical skills to sit alongside critical reflection that helps our students develop a balanced approach to curatorial methods

- A course that focuses on working with contemporary and historic collections, exhibition design, concept development, marketing, press releases and budgeting

- To explore current critical debates, keeping up to date on issues such as participation, the artist-curator dynamic and thinking about the public realm

- Our curatorial team at Chelsea Space to provide training within an active and supportive curatorial environment, engaging students with the best examples of contemporary practice

- To have access to the Chelsea library Special Collections, which have a strong emphasis on modern and contemporary art and design

Structure

Phase 1: Analysis of practice and exploration of methodologies

Phase 2: Development and consolidation

Phase 3: Resolution

These phases are set within a credit framework of three assessed units:

- Studio practice and Advanced studio practice, which run sequentially

- Theoretical studies, which runs throughout the course

Studio practice involves evolving and developing a personal programme of studio work and related research. Theoretical Studies provides a framework for students to develop a critical research paper, enabling them to locate their ideas and practice in relation to contemporary debate on cultural and theoretical issues.

Throughout the course students participate in individual and group tutorials, developing their skills through Personal Professional Development workshops and on-line resources while the postgraduate talks are organised that introduce them to a range of visiting artists and practitioners.

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Sunderland's MA Curating is one of the few courses in the UK to specialise in curating across art, design, media and culture and has a unique delivery system which aims to fit the needs of national and international working arts professionals, as well as full-time international students.

Course overview

This course is for people who want to work either in the traditional areas of curating fine art and cultural artefacts or in emerging areas such as curating digital art, media or live art. We will equip you for careers in the gallery, non-gallery and digital sectors.

By the end of the course, you will have advanced skills in collecting, organising, interpreting and exhibiting cultural items. You will also have expertise in effective teamwork and collaboration with artists and practitioners. All this will be grounded in a rigorous understanding of the historical contexts of curating, arts administration and museums.

The course features three week-long blocks of intensive delivery in October, February and June, plus weekly online contact, meaning national and European candidates can fit attendance and travel around work or family commitments, whilst regular online contact supports the completion of assignments. The course is also a full-time MA for international students, who will attend both intensive blocks and weekly contact onsite. The second intensive block will take place in London in February, accessing key curators and institutions during visits to organisations including Tate, V&A, and Wellcome Collection.

This block is also available as a professional development short course, building on a history of masterclasses including in New York and the UK. With accreditation of prior learning, this 60-credit block can also be taken as an accredited qualification leading to a Postgraduate Diploma.

Graduates from Sunderland can be found in curatorial and academic roles across the world, in cities such as New York, Stuttgart, Vancouver and London. Our graduates are also employed here in the North East by galleries and archival services.

You will be taught by academic staff with research interests that range across art, design, media and culture, with particular specialisms in public art, performance art, and new media art. We provide a well-regarded resource for curators and exhibitors of new media art, known as Curatorial Research for Upstart Media Bliss (CRUMB).

For a specialist web pages about the course and the activities of students, please see: http://www.macurating.net

Course content

The content of the course is shaped by your personal interests with guidance and inspiration from Sunderland's supportive tutors.

Modules on this course include:
Curating 1 – Certificate (60 Credits)
-Genealogies of Curating
-Mechanics of Curating

Curating 2 – Postgraduate Diploma (60 Credits)
-Contexts of Curating
-Visions of Curating

Curating 3 – Masters Degree (60 Credits)
-Curatorial Practice
-Major Project and Report

Teaching and assessment

Compared to an undergraduate course, you will find that this Masters requires a higher level of independent working.

We use a wide variety of teaching and learning methods which include lectures, seminars, study visits and group work. These are supported by a range of guest speakers from diverse academic and industry backgrounds. You will also have high levels of contact with tutors who give regular feedback and support.

Field trips and practical workshops are important elements of the course, giving you direct contact with curators. Host organisations have included the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Workplace Gallery, the Northern Gallery of Contemporary Art, the National Glass Centre and Shipley Art Gallery.

Facilities & location

The University has invested in modern facilities that include generous studio spaces and state-of-the-art teaching space and resources as part of a vibrant and outward-looking learning environment.

Arts and Design Library
Our Arts and Design Library has a specialist collection of over 120,000 books, CD-ROMs, videos, slides and one of the largest electronic information networks in the sector.

Journals and research
We subscribe to a comprehensive range of print and electronic journals so you can access the most reliable and up-to-date articles. Some of the most important sources include:
-Art Full Text + Art Abstracts, which is a major resource for media and arts information
-Design and Applied Arts Index, which covers journals featuring both new designers and the development of design and the applied arts since the mid-19th century
-British Universities Film and Video Council (BUFVC), which provides resources for the production, study and use of film and related media
-JSTOR (short for ‘Journal Storage’), which provides access to important journals across the humanities, social sciences and sciences

Employment & careers

Postgraduates are highly employable and, on average, earn more than individuals whose highest qualification is an undergraduate degree. On completing this course, you will be equipped for roles throughout the creative industries.

Specific opportunities include working in curatorial institutions and event management. Recent Sunderland graduates are now working in institutions such as the BALTIC, the Arnolfini (Bristol), Klomp Ching Gallery (New York), Banff Centre (Canada), Shipley Art Gallery and Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums.

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Are you fascinated by visual culture and exhibition practice?

Do you want to pursue a career in the gallery and arts sectors?

The MA in Art History and Curating is one of the few postgraduate programmes in the country that offers you the opportunity to work in a team with academic and museum professionals to curate an art exhibition in a public gallery. This will take place in the Barber Institute of Fine Arts on campus or at Grand Union in Birmingham city centre.

This unique programme enables you to develop the knowledge and skills to conduct original research into art objects, to understand at first hand the history, theory and contemporary practice of their curation, to co-curate a public art exhibition and complete a 15,000-word dissertation.

The core components of the programme include the 40-credit module ‘Curatorial Practices’ that provides you with a range of skills to curate an exhibition, and two single modules, 'Postgraduate Research Training and Methods,' which will help you to develop essential research skills, and 'Criticism and Methods in the History of Art and Visual Culture,' which provides a theoretical foundation for your studies.

The programme also offers you the flexibility to select a further two options from a range of complimentary practical, theoretical and historical modules. These include: a 12-week placement with a local gallery or other arts organisation set up on your behalf; the history and theory of exhibitions; aesthetics and the philosophy of art. As a result, this unique programme will provide you with the knowledge, experience and employability skills invaluable to the museum, commercial and academic sectors whilst enabling you to establish professional networks in both.

You will complete the programme with a 15,000-word dissertation, supported through one-to-one tutorials with your academic supervisor.

About the School of Languages, Cultures, Art History and Music

The School of Languages, Cultures, Art History and Music brings together a number of internationally renowned departments to offer an extensive portfolio of innovative and interdisciplinary programmes in an exciting and creative environment, underpinned by a vibrant research culture.
We received outstanding results across the School in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) exercise, with at least 75% of our research judged to be ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ across all subject areas.
The Department of Art History, Curating and Visual Studies is located in the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, which houses the Barber Institute gallery and an exceptional Fine Art Library. The Department of Music is based in the Bramall Music Building, with state-of-the-art facilities including the 450-seat Elgar Concert Hall, a suite dedicated to the study and performance of early music, five electroacoustic studios and a large rehearsal room. We also have one of the best music libraries in the country, with special collections including materials on 20th-century English music, Baroque music and an extensive microfilm collection.
In addition to housing one of the UK’s largest groups of internationally renowned researchers in the national cultures of Europe, the Department of Modern Languages also hosts a Language and Media Resource Centre which specifically supports language learning through the latest interactive learning technology. We have a vibrant, international postgraduate community and offer excellent study and research opportunities in a supportive working environment.

Funding and Scholarships

There are many ways to finance your postgraduate study at the University of Birmingham. To see what funding and scholarships are available, please visit: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/funding

Open Days

Explore postgraduate study at Birmingham at our on-campus open days.
Register to attend at: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/visit

Virtual Open Days

If you can’t make it to one of our on-campus open days, our virtual open days run regularly throughout the year. For more information, please visit: http://www.pg.bham.ac.uk

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Research profile

The dual focus of this distinctive programme will enable you to pursue research-focused study while developing a rigorous understanding of current debates and practices in the field of curatorship.

Delivered in partnership with flagship cultural institutions this degree directly responds to a growing need for our graduates to be able to work at the interface of academic research and the curatorial profession. It offers a rigorous framework for intellectual development and innovation, combining supervised independent research with seminar teaching and unique opportunities for live project delivery.

You will gain critical, analytical, interpretative and other research skills that are transferable to further academic research, to curatorial settings and to other careers.

Collections and Curating Practices is devised and delivered in cooperation with National Museums Scotland, the National Library of Scotland, the National Galleries of Scotland, Talbot Rice Gallery, The Fruitmarket Gallery, and the University of Edinburgh's own Special Collections.

Training and support

You will be assigned a research supervisor at the outset of your degree with secondary supervisory support for the dissertation component drawn from ECA, the University or from a member of staff in one of the external partner organisations.

The core course will examine the theories and methods of collecting and curatorship. Two intensive one-day workshops will offer introductory training in the practical aspects of curatorship and collections management from object handling and transportation issues to accreditation processes.

Career development opportunities are built into the syllabus including advice days and a bespoke mentoring programme.

Facilities

Situated in the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town, Edinburgh College of Art has a wide range of studios and workshop spaces, libraries and collections, places to socialise, perform and show work; all within walking distance of world-class museums, music venues and galleries.

Our facilities range from the historic, to contemporary, specialist spaces for making work at all scales, in and across all media. In this directory, you’ll find details of our own facilities, and selected places in the city to be inspired, research, collaborate or gain work experience.

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The MA in Art History and Curating offers a theoretical and critical approach to the study of art history and curatorial practice. Focusing mainly on the modern period (19th and 20th centuries), the programme will address key developments in art and art history up to the present day. For students who do not wish to undertake a full MA, a Postgraduate Certificate is also available.

The programme would appeal to graduates who have studied Fine Art, Art History or any other Arts and Humanities discipline, or those from non arts backgrounds wishing to pursue a new subject. It will also appeal to those already working in the museums or galleries sector wishing to undertake Continuing Professional Development (CPD). There are opportunities to participate in overseas study tours and in recent years the department has visited Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bilbao, Milan, Paris, Florence, Venice and New York. London visits and regional exhibition visits may also take place, depending on the exhibition programme for the year. The Arts play a significant and growing role in wealth creation and the regeneration of urban and rural environments. Visiting galleries and museums has never been more popular. The numbers of Art Education and heritage sites are expanding and all look to recruit postgraduates with a background in the Arts and Art History.

Study Details / Module Information

At the outset you will be introduced to the Art History and Curating programme through a series of lectures, seminars and tutorials, delivered by specialist academic staff. Your tutors will provide you with a firm foundation and knowledge of visual cultures and applied arts primarily in Europe and the U.S. enabling you to understand your own learning and study needs within the context of the subject. A contextual journal is introduced that will underpin your academic studies facilitating a personal and individual perspective.

You will continue to develop your theoretical skills through continuous tutorial consultation and supervision enabling you to devise your own work programme from the range of courses on offer. Teaching is by lectures, seminars, tutorials and gallery visits to enable the first hand study of artworks; their context and curation. We expect a critical approach towards writing with an awareness of contemporary art practice and the historical socio-political and cultural forces that inform it. Your programme of study will be agreed with your subject tutors, and will make full use of the museums and galleries on Merseyside and beyond.

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This innovative programme explores film curatorship and exhibition using a combination of rigorous academic study, integrated applied project work and critical thinking. Whether your background is in film, or you are intrigued by its social and cultural significance, you will discover how film meets its audiences and ways in which exhibitions are conceptualised and created in a rapidly transforming environment.

The programme draws on the expertise of visiting professionals, including film festival directors, curators, programmers and filmmakers. Through the combination of individual and group work you will learn how to integrate theoretical knowledge and critical thinking with professional skills, such as creative collaboration, programming, establishing industry links, sourcing films, promotion and communicating with diverse audiences.

Project work will enable you to reach out beyond the University to create events, and you will be supported in building collaborations and cross-disciplinary connections that engage with Scotland’s thriving film and festival cultures.

Please visit the Film, Exhibition and Curation blog for updates on activities and alumni.

• Film, Exhibition and Curation blog

Programme structure

Teaching and assignment work are integrated with applied activities including group exhibition projects and research into film festivals and expanded film exhibition.

You will be taught in small seminars with individual supervision for your final project (which can take the form of a dissertation, an industry report or a group portfolio charting the conception and delivery of an event or an exhibition or curatorial project).

You will complete three compulsory and two option courses, as well as training in subject-specific research skills and methods.

Compulsory courses:

• Exhibiting Film
• Mediating Film
• Applied Learning and Project Work

Option courses may include:

• Cinema Auteurs
• Contemporary Japanese Cinema
• Film Adaptation
• Film and Gender
• Film Philosophy
• Film Theory
• Gender, Revolution and Modernity in Chinese Cinema
• Sound and Fixed Media
• The Cultures and Politics of Display
• Text and the City
• Time and Space of Performance

Career opportunities

On completion of the programme you will be equipped with the insights and skills essential for a career in film programming, festival organisation and related professional activities.

You will have gained the knowledge of film curation and exhibition required for further academic research or professional practice. You will also have a transferable skill set in communication, research, collaborative working and project management that can be applied to any career you decide to pursue.

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The Art Museum and Gallery Practice MPrac is designed to provide you with a clear understanding of the frequently complex theoretical and practical issues that face those involved in art museums and galleries.

The course offers a flexible mixture of taught modules and a possible work-based placement, providing you with a unique blend of theoretical knowledge, understanding and practical experience.

The first year of the MPrac is the Art Museum and Gallery Studies MA, which must be completed successfully before undertaking the second year extended work-based placement.

Staff

You will have input from professional and academic experts with substantial experience of working in the museum sectors in various countries.

The course is based in the School of Arts and Cultures. It is also affiliated with the International Centre for Cultural and Heritage Studies (ICCHS), a leading academic centre for research and teaching in museum, gallery, and heritage studies. ICCHS has a thriving, high-profile interdisciplinary research community made up of postgraduate research students and experienced academic researchers who are key figures in their fields.

Delivery

We are based at our city centre campus with work placements or work related-projects usually taking place off campus. Part time study consists of the same modules and options as in the full time course, but spread over a longer period.

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Our Museum Studies MA, PGDip will develop the practical skills needed to operate a museum, whilst engaging you with theories on the societal role of museums. You gain a competitive edge by curating group exhibitions or organising and delivering complex education and learning events within high-profile public venues.

The Museum Studies course covers a broad range of issues encountered in museum work. We will provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to move into or enhance a career in museums.

Our course is well established internationally – we have been educating museum professionals since 1993. We encourage a hands-on approach, involving major input from museum professionals regionally, nationally and internationally. These professionals range from small, independent museums to those who curate national collections and internationally significant exhibitions.

Our courses are based in the School of Arts and Cultures. They are also affiliated with the International Centre for Cultural and Heritage Studies (ICCHS), a leading academic centre for research and teaching in museum, gallery, and heritage studies. ICCHS has a thriving, high-profile interdisciplinary research community made up of postgraduate research students and experienced academic researchers who are key figures in their fields.

Staff

The programme leader is Andrew Newman. Andrew will work closely with you throughout your studies. Other personal tutors and supervisors of Museum Studies MA dissertations include:
-Dr Susannah Eckersley
-Dr Areti Galani
-Dr Rhiannon Mason
-Andrew Newman

Delivery

The course covers all aspects of museum work. We use a variety of teaching and learning strategies to help you achieve your learning objectives. This includes a large proportion of guided independent study. Scheduled contact time is at our Newcastle city centre campus and includes:
-Lectures
-Seminars and practical sessions
-Workshops

The academic year usually starts in late September with Welcome Week. We provide a unique blend of theoretical knowledge, understanding and practical experience. This means you will have a mixture of taught modules and work-based placements.

You will take five compulsory modules, with a further choice of two possible pathways. More information about these pathways is on the module tab.

Part time study consists of the same modules and options as the full time course, but spread over a longer period.

Placement

Work placements or work related-projects are usually off campus. You will have the opportunity to complete a placement in a suitable gallery, museum, or heritage site. This could be either 12 days long or 6 weeks long, depending on which pathway you chose in Semester 2.

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