Curating Collections and Heritage MA

Intro

This vocational masters degree has been developed in partnership with the Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove in response to current priorities within the museums and heritage sector.

It aims to support future generations of practitioners to understand, investigate, question and debate the contemporary museum and heritage sector and its wider contexts.

Through wide-ranging module choices, it caters both for candidates working in the museums and heritage industry wishing to progress their careers, as well as those wishing to move into the sector. Students already working or volunteering in the sector in a position of some responsibility can choose to take up to 60 credits of business modules and have that reflected in the award they graduate with – Curating Collections and Heritage with Management MA.

Modules cover themes crucial to building a successful career in curating collections and heritage. They will challenge you to consider a range of theoretical and methodological approaches and all feature practical learning and experience at their heart. This MA will appeal to those with a broad range of interests, from curating design, dress and screen to visual culture, heritage and exhibitions.

Key facts

Location Brighton: City campus

Full-time 1 year
Part-time 2 years

Apply online

Please review the entry requirements carefully and if you have any questions do get in touch with us.

Apply now for your place

Course content

Why study with us?

The course has been developed in partnership with the Royal Pavilion and Museums, Brighton & Hove, and responds to employers’ demands for the collections and heritage workforce.
Part-time study and flexible learning means the course can be incorporated into workplace professional development. Elements of the programme are designed to support applicants who are undertaking or hope to take their Associateship of the Museums Association qualification.
Teaching staff include respected University of Brighton academics who develop leading research on the museums and heritage sector, and curating professionals from the Royal Pavilion Museums, the Design Archives and Screen Archive South East.
Students can gain industry experience on the course, either through a placement or through the week-long practical module, Collections Intensive, at a partner organisation.
Those with three years of management experience within the sector can develop their understanding and practice by choosing business management modules and graduate with Curating Collections and Heritage with Management.
Students have access to internationally important collections including the Royal Pavilion and Museum’s collections of decorative art, world art and natural history and University of Brighton-held collections relating to design history, screen history, and historic dress and textiles.
Off-site study visits, live briefs and hands-on sessions in all modules bring insight into contemporary practice.
Part-time students can arrange an individual programme of study which suits their needs.

Course structure

Your MA will be structured around two core modules: Museums and Collections in Context and Caring for Collections and Their Users (20 credits each). Over two semesters, these modules will support you to consider the critical questions of the museum and collections sector, exploring and debating the role and purpose of museums and collections, the ethical responsibilities involved, and key issues in collections care, learning, inclusivity and audience development.

The modules feature seminar discussion, guest lectures and hands-on workshops dealing with conservation and disaster planning. They are also designed to support students who are undertaking or hope to take their Associateship of the Museums Association qualification, and can be taken as freestanding modules.

Alongside your core modules, you will also take a Research Methods module (20 credits) and conduct a major 60-credit research project. This can either be a traditional dissertation or respond to a live brief co-designed by a heritage or collections organisation. It might relate to, for example, a collections management issue, a marketing concern or educational provision.

To complete your degree and cater to your specialist interests and learning requirements, you choose three further option modules, one in semester 1 and two that will take place in semester 2 and over the summer months.

See option modules tab for a list of options.

Vintage fabric from the university's on-site Dress History Teaching Collection.

Option modules

Semester 1 – choose one

Heritage in a Global Context
Strategy, Planning and Commissioning*
Issues in Graphic Design: Modernity, Identity and Meaning
Cultural Memory: Concepts, Theories, Methods
Globalisation and Global Politics
Aesthetics and Cultural Theory

Semester 2/summer – choose two

Digital Curating (online/distance learning)
Critical Reflection on Contemporary Exhibitions
Professional Placements in Collections and Heritage – a 150-hour placement that can be arranged according to host and student preference across semester 2 and the summer months, in a block or over a longer period of time. Students are either supported to arrange their own placement, locally, nationally or internationally, or can choose from a placement with one of our partner organisations.
History of Fashion and Dress: Method, Theory and Interpretation
Collections Intensive, this module is taught over one week during the summer behind the scenes in a museum or collection
Exploring Partnership Working*
Managing Finance in Different Contexts*
Marketing and Communication*
Leadership with Ethics*
Managing People*

Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

* These modules are taught by the university’s Business School which specialises in management in the not-for-profit sector. They are taught intensively over one week and can be taken by students who already have three years management experience in the museum or heritage sector. If you choose business modules amounting to 60 credits across both semesters, this will be reflected in the award you graduate with, Curating Collections and Heritage with Management MA.

Materials from the Design Archives, based on campus.

Facilities

Students on the MA will have access to our excellent collections, based on campus.

Our world-class Design Archives, an internationally significant research base with a curatorial team that initiates and promotes collaborative activity through a programme of projects
Excellent art and design library
Screen Archive South East, a moving image archive collection of magic lantern slides, films, video, and associated materials capturing the many varied aspects of life, work and creativity from the early days of screen history to the present day
Dress and Textiles Teaching Collection, a vast collection of garments from the eighteenth century onwards

Students have access to the moving image archive of the Screen Archive South East.

Professional development

The following modules are all available as freestanding modules for individuals who would prefer to work towards an MA over time, or take individual modules as continuing professional development.

Museums and Collections in Context: this module focuses on museums as institutions, exploring the role and impact of museums, the policy context for museum practice, the ethical responsibilities of museums, and how museums are governed and operate.
Caring for Collections and their Users: this module engages with museum collections and their users, exploring the development, care, management and research of collections, as well as learning, public engagement and audience development.
Digital Curating
Collections Intensive

If you are interested in taking a freestanding module, contact pghumanities@brighton.ac.uk +44(0)1273 643089.

Students have access to our renowned Design Archives.

Staff profile

Dr Claire Wintle, course leader

Dr Claire Wintle’s research focuses on objects, collecting and museums and examines the ways in which collections interact with the politics of empire, nationalism and decolonisation. She has a particular interest in the interpretation of India in museums and galleries, in the UK, the US and in India itself.

She has worked in collections and public programmes at National Museums Liverpool, Manchester's Museum of Science and Industry, and Royal Pavilion and Museums, Brighton & Hove.

Other teaching staff on the course include: Dr Louise Purbrick, Dr Megha Rajguru, Nicola Ashmore, Dr Lara Perry, Helen Mears, Keeper of World Art at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery and Kevin Bacon, Digital Manager at Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove.

Careers

This MA is designed to respond to current industry requirements. You will have unique access to museums and heritage professionals though behind-the-scenes working and guest lecturers.

Students choose option modules and develop areas of specialism but all leave with skills to begin or progress a career in the collections and heritage sector. A combination of practical work experience, industry connections and scholarly knowledge will provide an excellent springboard for working in roles such as traditional and digital curating, collections and business management, marketing, media and communication, partnerships and fundraising.

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

The entry requirements listed here are our typical offer for this course if you wish to begin studying with us in 2020. They should be used as a general guide.

Degree and experience
Successful applicants will normally have a BA(Hons) degree at level of 2:1 or higher, or its international equivalent, in a related subject such as history of art, history or anthropology. Candidates from other disciplinary backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Candidates with 2:2 awards or equivalent professional experience will also be considered. For example, employment or voluntary experience in fields related to museums, galleries, public art, heritage, education and publishing will be taken into consideration.

Applicants who wish to take business modules as part of their programme will also need to demonstrate three years’ management experience as an employee or volunteer in a related organisation.

English language requirements
IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each element. Find out more about the other English qualifications that we accept.

International students whose language skills do not match the IELTS scores set out here should consider applying for this course through the Extended Masters programme at the university's Language Institute.

Fees

Course fees

UK/EU (full-time) 6,624 GBP

International (full-time) 15,156 GBP

Scholarships, bursaries and loans

We offer a range of scholarships for postgraduate students. Bursaries and loans may also be available to you.

Find out more about postgraduate fees and funding.

The Change Studentship will be awarded to a black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) Curating Collections and Heritage MA applicant. Find out how to apply...

What's included

You may have to pay additional costs during your studies. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. A summary of the costs that you may be expected to pay, and what is included in the fee, while studying a course in the School of Humanities are listed here.

For a number of courses you will have the opportunity to attend field trips and off-site visits. These are optional and are not required to pass your course but under normal circumstances we would expect a budget of approximately £150 per year will cover the costs of particular trips. The amount spent would be based on location and number of trips taken.
You will have access to computers and necessary software, however many students choose to buy their own hardware, software and accessories. The amount spent will depend on your individual choices but this expenditure is not essential to pass any of our courses.
In most cases coursework submissions are electronic but you may wish to print notes and should budget up to £150 per year for printing.
Course books are available from the university but you may wish to budget up to £200 to buy your own copies

You can chat with our enquiries team through the Stay in touch panel at the end of this page if you require further information. Or check our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as more information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Info

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2020–21.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK/EU students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full-time or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

Location

Local area

About Brighton

The University of Brighton is at the heart of our city’s reputation as a welcoming, forward-thinking place which leads the way when it comes to the arts, music, sustainability and creative technology. Brighton is home to a thriving creative community and a digital sector worth £1bn a year. Many of the work-based learning opportunities offered on our courses such as placements, live briefs and guest lectures are provided by businesses and organisations based in the city.

We provide support and venues for key events in the city’s arts calendar including the Brighton Festival, the Festival Fringe, the Great Escape, the Brighton Digital Festival, Brighton Photo Biennial and the CineCity Brighton Film Festival. Other annual highlights include Pride, the Brighton Marathon, and Burning the Clocks which marks the winter solstice. Our own Brighton Graduate Show transforms our campus into the largest exhibition space in the South East as we celebrate the outstanding talent and creativity of our students.

As a student you’ll get lots of opportunities to experience these events at first hand and to develop your skills through the volunteering and other opportunities they offer.

You'll find living in Brighton enriches your learning experience and by the end of your course you will still be finding new things to explore and inspire you.

It's only 50 minutes by train from Brighton to central London and less than 40 minutes to Eastbourne. There are also daily direct trains to Bristol, Bedford, Cambridge, Gatwick Airport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Map showing distance to London from Brighton

Campus where this course is taught

City campus

Located in central Brighton, this campus is home to 3D design and craft, fine art, graphic design and illustration, digital music, digital media design, fashion and textiles, history of art and design, humanities, media, photography and film.

The facilities for making and designing, the theatre, galleries, workshops, studios, archives and the independent arts organisations based on site provide a unique and inspiring environment where creativity thrives.

St Peter’s House library and Phoenix halls of residence are close to the exhibition and learning facilities in the Grand Parade main building where you will also find the student centre with careers, counselling, student advice service and disability and dyslexia support. Edward Street provides extensive teaching and gallery space for media, photography and film.

Also on site are Photoworks, Screen Archive South East and University of Brighton Design Archives. Leading visual arts agency Photoworks runs the Brighton Photo Biennial and a national programme which frequently features the work of our graduates, staff and students. Screen Archive South East holds a wealth of material capturing life, work and creativity from the nineteenth to the twenty-first centuries. Our Design Archives received the Sir Misha Black Award for Innovation in Design Education in recognition of our contribution to design history scholarship and the quality of primary materials about British design held in the archive.

The Brighton Pavilion, Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, the iconic pier and beach are a very short walk away. The independent shops and businesses of the North Laine and Kemptown, and Brighton main line station, with frequent express services to London, are 10 minutes walk.

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Accommodation

Brighton: City campus

Looking for clearing accommodation? Accommodation is available, we can help you find your home from home.

All eligible students applying for 2020 are guaranteed an offer of university-managed accommodation.

Halls of residence
We have halls of residence across Brighton in the city centre, Moulsecoomb, Varley Park and Falmer.

You'll be prioritised for accommodation in the halls that are linked to your teaching base, subject to availability.
City campus is linked to Phoenix halls.
- Phoenix halls are all self-catered. The halls are a short walk from City campus in the centre of Brighton. Public transport in the city is excellent, and there's a shuttle bus between our Brighton campuses during term time.

Unihomes and unilets
Unihomes and unilets are student houses that we let to our students on behalf of private landlords. This option can work particularly well when you're balancing learning with placements and other commitments. We have unihomes and unilet properties at locations across the city.

Starting in 2019 and looking for accommodation advice? Find out more about our accommodation options.

Private renting
There's plenty of support if you opt for private rented accommodation. This is an option which offers choice and flexibility – enabling you to choose where you live and who with. We manage our own studenthomes database of properties. This lists accommodation offered by landlords who have signed up to our code of standards. Every summer we provide online events and resources, as well as other advice services, for students looking for a place to live and people to share with.