Art History and Museum Curating MA

On this MA, students work with academics and museum professionals – these have previously included senior staff from the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, the V&A, the National Trust, the Science Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum and Museum of Modern Art in New York – to explore the history, theory and politics of art institutions and to build a critical framework for the practice of curating. It gains the skills to take part in the exciting world of museums, galleries and the cultural heritage sector.

This MA introduces you to curatorial scholarship and its methodologies (including conservation-led research and technical art history), the histories of museums and their collections, the ethical and legal frameworks within which curators and museums work and the nature and politics of museum displays. You gain knowledge about objects and collections, and develop a critical awareness of museum practices. You develop communication and project management skills. These skills provide the practical and theoretical foundation for careers in: museums, galleries, heritage at curatorial level and the cultural sector more broadly.

Students should normally have an upper second-class (2.1) undergraduate honours degree or above. Student's qualification should be in art history or another relevant humanities or social sciences subject. They may also be considered for the course if they have other professional qualifications or experience of equivalent standing.