Art Gallery and Museum Studies MA

at University of Leeds

In Critical Issues, you are supported to locate interpretive, conservation, curatorial or marketing practices in the context of current academic and professional debates. Through a number of tailored strands – covering contemporary art, heritage, participation and the digital – you will develop your own mini-research project which prepares you for your MA dissertation.
 

Through our Advanced Research Skills modules, you are equipped to undertake assessments and ultimately develop your own research project. The modules build to a symposium in semester two where you can present initial research findings towards a dissertation on a research topic of interest.
 

The optional module Placements in Context: Policy, Organisations and Practice supports you to undertake placement activities with our many art gallery and museum partners. Previous students have worked with Harewood House, the Henry Moore Institute, The Hepworth Wakefield and the Royal Armouries, as well as many other organisations in Leeds and beyond.
 

If you choose to study part-time, you will take fewer modules each year. It is expected that you will be timetabled for around between three to five contact hours per week. See the link below to view module arrangements. The part-time option may be of special interest to those who are working in related fields as part of their career development.

Modules

Year 1

Compulsory modules

• Advanced Research Skills 1    
• Advanced Research Skills 2   
• Interpretations    
• Critical Issues   
• History and the Museum: Representation, Narrative and Memory    30 credits
• Dissertation    

A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons) in a relevant subject. Previous academic work should indicate an ability to develop critical thinking around the sector.
 

Professional experience will also be considered.
 

Experience of volunteering or working in a relevant field, such as museums, galleries, auction houses and/or heritage organisations, is required. We do not require a specific length of time to have spent in work experience though you must be able to critically reflect on your experience in your personal statement and at interview.
 

Please contact the School if you would like to check your experience against our entry requirements.
 

International
 

Our admissions team are experienced in considering a wide range of international qualifications. If you wish to discuss whether your qualifications will meet the necessary entry criteria, contact the School’s admissions team.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component.
 

Documents and information you need

• Your degree certificate and transcripts, or a partial transcript if you’re still studying.

• A recent CV.

• Evidence of your English language qualifications if English is not your first subject.

• A personal statement. Please directly respond to the four questions listed below. To help structure your personal statement, copy and paste the four questions and answer each one in turn.

  • Please explain your reasons for applying to this particular MA course in Art Gallery and Museum Studies.

  • How has your academic experience to date prepared you to embark on postgraduate level study in art gallery & museum studies?

  • Reflect on any practical or conceptual connections you have already made to the museum, gallery and heritage sector, both through your studies and wider experience.

  • What are your specific career aspirations for the future, on completing postgraduate studies – is there an aspect of the museum/gallery/heritage sector that particularly motivates and attracts you?

Fees

• UK: £10,250 (total)
• International: £21,250 (total)

Through a combination of theory and practice, this postgraduate course produces graduates who are able to develop professional careers in the museums and heritage sector whilst retaining a critical and reflexive eye on their own practice and that of the institutions in which they work.
 

It will equip you with a good understanding of the issues and approaches to art gallery and museum studies, as well as practical work experience – a combination which is very valuable to employers. You will also develop advanced skills in communication, research and analysis as well as cultural awareness.
 

Our graduates work as heads of collection, curators and education staff in local authority museums, for national heritage organisations like the National Trust, charitable trusts and in arts marketing and public relations.
 

A significant number choose to return to the School to complete a research degree and have secured scholarships to pursue their research topics, including Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) scholarships. Former research students are now forging academic careers in the UK, Canada and the USA.