Curating Collections and Heritage MA

Top reasons to choose this course

• The course is developed in partnership with the Brighton & Hove Museums.
• Part-time study and flexible learning opportunities.
• Staff include academics who develop leading research as part of the Centre for Design History on the museums and heritage sector, and curating professionals including from Brighton & Hove Museums, the Design Archives and Royal Museums Greenwich.
• Opportunity to take a 120-hour placement as well as practical workshops with partner organisations.
• We believe a diverse workforce is important and have a dedicated studentship for students of colour.
• Choose business management modules and graduate with Curating Collections and Heritage with Management MA.
• Access to internationally important collections including the Brighton & Hove Museums’ collections of decorative art, world art and natural history and the University of Brighton’s Design Archives, Dress History Teaching Collection and St Peters House Library Special Collection.

• Off-site study visits, live briefs and hands-on sessions.
• Join a vibrant community, featuring visiting researchers and practitioners, reading groups, lectures and workshops.
• Guest speakers have included practitioners from the V&A, the British Museum, the Museum of Transology, Whitechapel Gallery and the Museums Association.
• Placement hosts have included: Brighton & Hove Museums, Novium Museum, Zenzie Tinker Textile Conservation Studio, Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft, Mass Observation Archive and the University of Brighton’s Design Archives.

Follow the course on Instagram.

Course structure

Your MA will be structured around three compulsory modules and a Research Project. 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.

Management modules are taught by the university’s School of Business and Law which specialises in management in the not-for-profit sector. Some of these modules require previous management experience and others are available for all students.

Modules

Core modules

• Museums and Collections in Context

  Museums and Collections in Context addresses key concepts in contemporary museum and collections practice. It examines museums and collections as institutions, looks at their role and impact on society, ethical responsibilities, policy context and how they are governed and operate. Through seminar discussions, study visits and portfolio development, you will become familiar with and reflect upon professional concerns in museums and other collections-based organisations.

• Heritage in a Global Context

  Through weekly seminars and site visits, this module will enable you to reflect on what constitutes ‘heritage’ by exploring how historical, aesthetic and cultural value is attributed to material forms of the past. Combining theoretical and political debate, you will analyse global case studies (for example, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial) and create local case studies (for example, Brighton Pier). This will involve site documentation, the identification of interpretive techniques and reflection upon meaning.

• Caring for Collections and their Users

  Caring for Collections and Their Users explores how museums and similar organisations manage and care for their collections and visitors. It covers key topics like collection development, care, management, research and ways to engage and educate audiences. Through seminar discussions, study visits, presentations and portfolio development, you will explore the professional concerns facing museums and other collection-based organisations.

• Research Project

  You will develop a substantial, original piece of writing based on your own intellectual and practical interests in curating theory, history or policy during this module. Supported by the guidance of a subject-specialist tutor alongside seminars, you will design, manage and conduct an independent research programme, building on primary research and in-depth secondary scholarship to write either a traditional dissertation or report related to a particular challenge in the collections and heritage sector.

Options*

• Globalisation and Global Politics

  This module provides an advanced introduction to the key theories, concepts and critical debates associated with contemporary globalisation and global politics. It draws on approaches developed within the academic fields of politics and global studies in areas such as the world economy and the changing global order; global governance and the United Nations system; global poverty and development; and the politics of sustainability.

• Exploring Objects

  This module will introduce you to a series of theories and approaches in design history and material culture such as historical materialism, feminist critiques, ideas of affect, concepts of the Anthropocene and decolonising practices. Drawing on the period from the late 18th century to the present time, you will examine and make sense of designed objects in terms of how they are produced, circulated, consumed and used in everyday life.

• Critical Perspectives on Exhibitions

  This module engages you with debates on museum organisation, management and heritage from the late-18th century to the present. You will develop critical, observational and analytical skills by exploring taxonomic classification, exhibition practices, community engagement, digital curating and identity. The assessment involves you exploring the design, curation and content of an existing exhibition within a museum, heritage site, other public space or as a digital entity.

• History of Fashion and Dress: New Directions

  This module will introduce you to a series of current issues and approaches in fashion and dress history. It addresses methodological, theoretical and historiographical challenges, such as the field’s traditional focus on the clothing of elite, urban, heterosexual, Euro-American white women. The module includes case studies ranging from 18th century to the present which consider the different ways this material is researched and interpreted.

• Leadership with Ethics

  In this module you will explore the role and impact of leadership in organisations, including the interrelationship with followership and role of leadership on ethics and organisational values. You will critically examine the impact and relevance of different theories and their application to live case study organisations.

• Global Supply Chain and Finance

  This module introduces concepts of global supply chain management and explains the challenges and opportunities of trading between countries. You will explore the use of digital and information technology for particular supply chain functions and coordination. You will gain the conceptual understanding, skills and analytical tools and techniques to support effective decision-making and control financial resources.

• Sustainable Strategic Management

  In this module you will learn to appreciate and address strategic business level problems in a sustainable global context. You will cover a range of conceptual and analytical models and techniques of strategy analysis and develop your understanding of organisations and their environments (micro and macro levels). You’ll analyse economic and business data and evaluate alternative perspectives for managerial decision-making.

• Managing Finance in Different Contexts

  This module is designed to enable students from a range of different contexts – including public services and not-for profit – to gain a systematic and critical understanding of the nature and impact of financial issues and to further your ability to understand and apply an academic approach to accounting and finance as a discipline to these issues. Financial issues are also considered from a performance management perspective.

• Protecting Human Rights and Building Peace

  This module offers a comprehensive overview of human rights and contemporary peacebuilding. You will gain an understanding of the United Nations Human Rights system, analysing the effectiveness of international efforts to protect, respect and fulfil human rights. You will also look at attempts to defend human rights in the context of contemporary conflict and insecurity, focusing on a range of peacebuilding initiatives.

• Mediating Objects

  This module looks at how everyday objects and people influence each other’s identities and are connected in important ways. You will analyse how they are represented in various texts and contexts such as photographs, works of fiction, correspondence and blogs, film and advertising. You’ll also examine how things are transformed through everyday actions and traditions, like giving gifts or remembering personal and shared experiences.

• Issues in Graphic Design: Modernity, Identity and Meaning

  During this module you will look at the changing character of graphic design and visual communication from the late 19th century until today. This will involve exploring ways in which graphic objects, signs and systems have contributed to individual, business and national identities; how graphic design has been taught and developed as a profession and how it has contributed to everyday life; and how writers and theorists have analysed societies based on multiple, reproduced images.

• Digital Curating

  This module will familiarise you with a range of digital technologies and practices that are relevant to heritage organisations and their audiences. The focus is on the conceptual and practical problems of deploying digital technologies in curatorial contexts rather than technical training.

• Collections Intensive

  This module offers you an intensive one-week programme of study visits and lectures that explore a particular collection, heritage setting, exhibition or presentation. The programme varies in its focus but will be themed to examine how subject-specialist knowledge and practical applications are drawn together in the work of museums, archives and other heritage organisations.

• Professional Placements in Collections and Heritage

  In this module you will gain experience of and insight into collections and heritage working practices to deepen your understanding of cultural institutions. The module is based around a placement in one of a range of museums, archives, heritage organisations or creative services. You will reflect upon your professional experiences in an online logbook and contextualise your practice with reference to sectoral policy and scholarly research in an oral presentation.

• Queer and Now

  Capitalising on Brighton’s location as the UK’s unofficial LGBTQ+ capital, this interdisciplinary module will explore traditions of LGBTQ+ community spaces and local and global writing in the context of the histories and politics of sexuality and queer identities and their contemporary manifestations. Using a wide range of case studies, you will examine current and potential forms of community and radical kinship, informed by key critical debates in queer theory.

• Marketing and Communication

  This module will develop your critical understanding of the key concepts, theories and tools of marketing, and give you the opportunity to apply this knowledge to specific contexts of private, public and/or not-for-profit organisations. It specifically addresses marketing strategy, branding and communication. You will carry out an in-depth investigation of a marketing situation or problem, drawing on relevant theories, models and frameworks to identify possible solutions and make recommendations.

• Entrepreneurship and New Venture Planning

  This module is an introduction to entrepreneurialism and examines the role and importance of innovation within small start-ups. It will provide you with the opportunity to operate within an entrepreneurial team to investigate and plan a new business venture. You will gather and critically evaluate industry and market information to inform and support decisions made in new business planning and will develop appropriate communication skills, including the ability to pitch a fully formed new business idea.

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

Resources and facilities

Mithras House has a series of lab rooms which can be used for teaching on your course or in your independent research work.

Design lab
Housing our extensive collection of historic dress and textiles, which are used in some teaching on our History of Art and Design courses, this has the space and equipment for you to work on textile projects. Displays created by students on these programmes are on view in the social spaces of the building.

Life lab
A skills-based lab for practice-based teaching, social work, psychotherapy and counselling, and employability. The Life lab is fitted with lounge furniture to provide a comfortable space for conducting qualitative research with larger groups. The lab can be used to conduct research activities with children of all ages and can be used for meetings and events. The room also contains a dedicated space to conduct assessed role play or interviews with children.

City lab
This is a qualitative research methods and creative methods resource for all students, staff and researchers, as well as research participants, including children, community groups and the general public. It can also be used for meetings and events. The City lab contains a kitchen, a teaching/meeting room with enhanced acoustic isolation and two meeting spaces that can be separated with a screen or combined to accommodate larger groups.

Community lab
A space designed for collaborative student learning, this is used by students and staff involved in the university’s Global Challenges programme – our collective mission to contribute towards solutions to tackle the pressing issues facing our world.

Stats lab
A specialist workspace with computing equipment for statistical analysis and projects involving video and audio editing software. The lab contains eight acoustically treated booths for both recording and transcribing interviews undertaken as part of dissertation research and for recording and editing podcasts.

Applied cognition lab
A dedicated research space for psychological research involving measures such as electrodermal activity (EDA) and electroencephalography (EEG). The space is designed to allow the participant and researcher to sit at separate desks whilst psychophysiological data is being collected. 

VR and eye tracking lab
The VR and Eye-Tracking Lab is used for psychological research using equipment, such as eye-trackers and virtual reality headsets. The space has adjustable lighting and a blackout blind for maintaining consistent lighting conditions during eye-tracking research, as well as sensors set up in the room to allow individuals to move freely around the room during virtual reality research.

You will also benefit from: 

• world-class Design Archives

• St Peters House Special Collection which contains rare, valuable and delicate books, illustrated books, artist books and handmade items

• Screen Archive South East – a moving image archive.

In addition, the university has close relationships with local festivals and organisations such as Cinecity, the Brighton Photo Biennial, the Brighton Festival, Brighton Festival Fringe, Brighton Digital Festival, Fabrica and Lighthouse. These connections provide a range of opportunities for students. 

Take a video tour of the labs with technicians Andrea and Grace 

Professional development 

The following modules are 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.

If you are interested in taking a freestanding module, contact Harriet at: h.atkinson2@brighton.ac.uk 

Meet the team

Dr Harriet Atkinson, course leader

Harriet is a historian of art and design, with a background in curating, heritage funding and cultural policy. As well as working at University of Brighton, London’s Royal College of Art and University of the Arts London, she has worked for a range of public bodies including Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Association of London Government and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Her research has focused on the role of exhibitions in propaganda, protest, diplomacy and national projection. Her award-winning documentary film Art on the Streets, about a wartime exhibition mounted on a bombsite, is screening daily at Tate Britain until July 2026.

See the trailer of Harriet’s film, narrated by children’s author Michael Rosen.

Read more about Harriet.

Other staff who teach on the course include:

• Dr Claire Wintle
• Dr Megha Rajguru
• Dr Veronica Isaac
• Dr Lara Perry
• Dr Charlotte Nicklas
• Professor Annabella Pollen
• Professor Darren Newbury
• Dr Helen Mears, Head of Research at Royal Museums Greenwich
• Dr Eliza Tan
• Jody East, Digital Manager at Brighton & Hove Museums.

Read a Q+A with Dr Eliza Tan about her career journey.

Student views

Lisa Hinkins, Graduate and Gallery Explainer and Visitor Service Officer at Brighton & Hove Museums

“This MA, co-designed and developed with museum staff, gave the course a unique academic and vocational learning programme that was very exciting to me. Further to this, I was able to take MBA optional modules. This allowed me to build on previous job experience and knowledge, enabling me to graduate with Management and to broaden my museum sector career opportunities.

“The excellent tutorial support and guidance gave me the confidence to push myself and that resulted in me being a speaker at the Gayness in Queer Times Conference (Brighton) and a co-curator of the LGBTQ community-led exhibition Queer the Pier at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery (BMAG).

“I have also guest lectured on the Brighton design history undergraduate programme, bringing both my postgraduate learning and exhibition-making experience to students. I have also taken a workforce development placement assisting the curator for the Goal Power! Women and Football exhibition at BMAG.”

Glenda Harris, graduate

“The variety of optional modules enabled me to tailor my studies to fit my interests. The tutor’s practical industry experience combined with regular guest lectures from museum professionals provided valuable insights, and the work placement module offered hands-on experience that helped boost my confidence.”

Chloe Van de Velde, graduate

“My experience of the Curating Collections and Heritage MA was very enjoyable. I loved that the course was not purely lecture based and there were many points where we could have lively discussions with people who currently curate or work in museums. I have gained valuable insight into the heritage field whilst studying in a vibrant and creative city.”

A.S. Kalume (aka BeKuto waSirya), graduate

“Working with Brighton & Hove Museums opened me up to the world of curators during my tenure as part of a community project, The fashion cities Africa exhibition; I was intrigued and accepted an opportunity to qualify for this MA course.

“My insight and perception has dramatically changed, gaining experience in research, project management, presentation and analysing data.

“I was headhunted for a curating post by a Chicago-based organisation even before I had graduated. My tribe in Kenya has appointed me as the chief negotiator in returning Vigango. The future looks Bright(on).”

Renee Keefe, graduate

“This course emphasises the importance of acknowledging our colonial past while also fostering strengths in engaging and collaborating with various cultures and communities in museums and galleries. Studying in this environment has opened up new research opportunities that resonate with me as an Indigenous person. It has also prepared me for future employment in curating and research that focuses on decolonising and postcolonial curatorial practices, enabling me to work collaboratively with diverse communities and other cultural collections.”

Course fees

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 Curating Collections and Heritage MA applicant from the African or Asian Diaspora or from a marginalised ethnicity. Find out how to apply...

The fees listed here are for the first year of full-time study if you start your course in the academic year 2025–26.

You will pay fees for each year of your course. Some fees may increase each year.

UK undergraduate and some postgraduate fees are regulated by the UK government and increases will not be more than the maximum amount allowed. Course fees that are not regulated may increase each year by up to 5% or RPI (whichever is higher).

If you are studying part-time your fee will usually be calculated based on the number of modules that you take.

Find out more

• Fees, bursaries, scholarships and government funding info for UK and international postgraduate students
• Student finance and budgeting while studying
• About the university’s fees by checking our student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

Campus where this course is taught

Accommodation

Local area

Maps

Support and wellbeing

Sport at Brighton