Art History and Museum Curating, M.A.

  • Application Deadline
  • 12 months
    Duration
  • English (schedule IELTS)
    Language

About

On this MA, you’ll 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.

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
  • the nature and politics of museum displays.

You visit a number of museums in Sussex and in London, allowing you to learn first-hand about institutional histories, collections, permanent galleries and temporary exhibitions.

Key facts

  • 100% of our research was rated world leading, internationally excellent or internationally recognised in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF).
  • You will be taught by academics who have long-standing relationships with museums across the UK and direct experience of curating exhibitions and permanent collections in the museums and galleries sector.
  • You will benefit from our long-standing partnerships with local and national museums and collections – including the V&A, the National Portrait Gallery, Historic Royal Palaces, the National Trust, Brighton Museum & Art Gallery and Charleston – providing access to expertise, art objects and research materials.

Careers

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
  • the cultural sector more broadly.

Programme Structure

Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

  • Art History Research Seminar
  • Museum Skills I: Objects
  • Museum Skills II: Contexts and Display
  • Placement (Art History & Museum Curating)
  • Art History Research Skills and Methods
  • Theories & Approaches to Art History

Alongside your core modules, you can choose options to broaden your horizons and tailor your course to your interests.

  • Art History’s Queer Stories
  • Body and Society: Representing Women
  • Photography and 20th Century Visual Culture
  • Renaissance Prints and the Workshop Tradition
  • Visual and Material Cultures

Detailed Programme Facts

  • Programme intensity

    You can choose to do this programme part-time or full-time.

    Full-time
    • Full-time duration 12 months
    Part-time
    • Average part-time duration 24 months
    • Intensity Flexible
  • Credits
    180 alternative credits
  • Languages
    • English
    Schedule IELTS Find English Courses
  • Delivery mode
    On Campus

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English Language Requirements

You only need to take one of these language tests:

  • Minimum required score:

    6.5

    The IELTS – or the International English Language Test System – tests your English-language abilities (writing, listening, speaking, and reading) on a scale of 1.00–9.00. The minimum IELTS score requirement refers to which Overall Band Score you received, which is your combined average score. Read more about IELTS.

    Schedule IELTS

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  • Minimum required score (Grade B2):

    176

    The CAE test – or the Cambridge Advanced English – is an exam for applicants who wish to get a Certificate in Advanced English. To receive the Advanced certificate, test-takers must score between 142 and 210 on the Cambridge English: Advanced test.

    Note: degree programmes and applications may require a more specific minimum score for admission.

  • Minimum required score:

    88

    The TOEFL – or Test Of English as a Foreign Language – offers an internet-based test (iBT). The final, overall iBT score ranges between 0 and 120, and includes a scaled average from the four components (reading, listening, speaking, and writing). Read more about TOEFL (iBT).

Academic Requirements

You need the following GPA score:

Required score: Upper Second Class

Applicants for graduate programs must have the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree with a minimum GPA equivalent to Upper Second Class on the UK Honour scale. Admitted applicants typically have an undergraduate GPA of or better on the UK Honour scale. No exam grade should be lower than 4.5 (European grade scale) or D (American grade scale).

Your GPA (Grade Point Average) is calculated using the grades that you received in each course, and is determined by the points assigned to each grade (e.g. for the US grading scale from A-F).

An upper second-class (2.1) undergraduate honours degree or above in art history or another relevant humanities or social science discipline.


Tuition Fee

  • International Applies to you

    21000 GBP/year
    Tuition Fee
    Based on the original amount of 21000 GBP per year and a duration of 12 months.

  • EU/EEA Applies to you

    10250 GBP/year
    Tuition Fee
    Based on the original amount of 10250 GBP per year and a duration of 12 months.
We've labeled the tuition fee that applies to you because we think you are from and prefer over other currencies.

Living costs for Brighton

  • 815 - 1390 GBP/month
    Living Costs

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

StudyPortals Tip: Students can search online for independent or external scholarships that can help fund their studies. Check the scholarships to see whether you are eligible to apply. Many scholarships are either merit-based or needs-based.

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