Museums and Galleries in Education

The Museums and Galleries in Education MA combines academic study with professional educational practice in museums, galleries and heritage sites, looking at influential contemporary and historic theories in museum and gallery education. This programme also enables international collaborations to take place across the academic and professional field of museum studies.

The programme enables students to carry out a practical and theoretical study on education in museums and galleries. University-based sessions are supplemented by teaching sessions at national, regional and university collections. Additionally students gain flexible access to historic and contemporary sites and full-time students have a 20-day research-based placement in a museum, gallery or heritage site.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of two core modules (60 credits), two optional modules (60 credits) and a dissertation and portfolio (60 credits).

Core modules

• Issues in Museum Studies
• Responsive Museums: Inclusion and Outreach in Practice

Optional modules

• Alternative Models for Art Education
• Constructing and Interpreting Heritage Culture
• Contemporary Art and Artists in Education
• Material and Virtual Cultures: Transforming the Museum and Gallery Experience

Dissertation/report

All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of 14,000 words with a portfolio equivalent to 6,000 words for full-time students and a 10,000-word report for flexible students.

Teaching and learning

Teaching is undertaken by UCL Institute of Education (IOE) staff and visiting lecturers in a variety of forms including lectures, seminars, workshops, visual presentations with a substantial part of the programme involving off-site teaching in museums, galleries and heritage sites. Assessment includes 5,000-word assignments and electronic media.

You will normally be required to have an upper second-class Bachelor's degree in an arts, humanities or science-related subject from a UK university, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard, together with professional or voluntary experience in museums, galleries or heritage sites.