MFA Heritage and Exhibition Design

Explore the development of public spaces, civic amenities and heritage sites through applied principles of exhibition and display.

Overview

The MFA Heritage and Exhibition Design will develop your understanding of core aspects of heritage, exhibition, and museum design, as well as site-specific interpretive installations in Scotland’s vibrant and extensive heritage sector.

Part of the MA/MFA Design Suite, the course benefits from bringing together designers from a range of disciplines into core modules, as well as modules specific to your chosen pathway including 'Interpretation & Design' and Design for Heritage & Culture'.

All students complete the Live Project module and you’ll study 'Thinking: Research for Creative Practice', which will help you to determine your Dissertation (MA and MFA) and Major Project (MFA) topics.

The MFA is recognised as an advanced masters level degree and students already holding an appropriate MA can apply to enter the programme directly into the second year of study.

Course details

The City of Edinburgh is the perfect location for the MA Heritage and Exhibition Design. Edinburgh is a UNESCO world heritage site, and arguably one of the most picturesque cities in the UK. Its world famous medieval Old Town has hundreds of historic sites, buildings, and monuments. The Regency New Town boasts some of the most import neo-classical buildings in the world. Beyond Edinburgh, we have access to Scotland’s extensive heritage industry with thousands of historic sites and buildings.

Developing exhibition, interpretative and lighting design skills, you will learn how to create user/visitor experiences and installations in key historic areas. With a strong sense of integrity, you will develop an understanding of and sensitivity to the authenticity and preservation of historic sites for visitors.

The two year MFA offers students the opportunity to extend project work through an in depth, research-led creative enquiry. The first year of the programme is aligned to the MA and you will undertake six modules developing subject specific-skills and knowledge, external research and entrepreneurial collaboration, and practice-based research.

In the second year, you will extend your practice with two large modules: the self-directed Major Project with specialist supervisors, and Professional Practice with portfolio mentors. You will end the programme with a highly professional portfolio that enhances industry and employment opportunities or (with an emphasis on research) offers a robust gateway into PhD-level study.

Assessments

Assessment is through studio modules where practice-based student output is collated as a portfolio presentation.

Careers

Graduates from this programme can pursue careers in:

• the heritage and museum sector
• exhibition design
• interpretation design.

The entry requirement for this course is a Bachelor (Honours) Degree at 2:2 or above in an art & design or related discipline (architecture, creative computing & engineering design). We may also consider lesser qualifications if you have sufficient professional work experience within the industry. All candidates are interviewed with a portfolio of creative work or technical/business projects. Applicants from overseas can be interviewed by teleconference with an online portfolio.