Museum Studies

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.

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. 

A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree in a relevant subject from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Applicants should also have gained experience of working in museums or related organisations (this experience is often gained in a voluntary capacity).

Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

Enroll in the course

Institute of Archaeology Master's Awards: A small number of grants of £1,000 are available for the academic year 2017/18. All UK/EU and Overseas fee paying students with an offer to start any Master's degree offered by the IoA are eligible to apply. The deadline for applications is 1 March 2017.

Scholarships relevant to this department are displayed below.

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme (CSSS)

Value:

Full fees, flights, stipend, and other allowances (1 year)

Eligibility:

Overseas students

Criteria:

Based on both academic merit and financial need