Choosing an MA Course (Part Three)


So this is the last part of the three part series of, ‘How to find a Masters Course.’ Are you sad? I am, I had a whale of a time! (Okay not an actual whale, but you get my drift).

In this final part I shall give examples of three different courses in three different locations within England that offer Museum Studies (including heritage studies) & Conservation Studies MA courses. Are you ready? On the edge of your seat? Let’s go!

Okay first off, these courses are based in England, but I find that for variety the best courses are in England. But what follows is some info on courses in the rest of the UK:

Scotland:

Scotland offers three specific Museum Studies courses. I am aware of other similar courses available but for the purpose of this post here are the three:

University of Glasgow, MSc Museum Studies.

University of St. Andrews, MLitt/MPhill Museum & Gallery Studies.

University of AberdeenMLitt Museum Studies.

 Wales:

I’m not to sure of specific courses that are available in Wales, best bet is to google them!

Northern Ireland:

University of Ulster, Cultural Heritage & Museum Studies.

Okay so now onto our regularly scheduled program.

Leeds, University of Leeds, MA Art Gallery & Museum Studies.

The University of Leeds is in the Russell Group of UK universities (the top 25 UK universities). The teaching standard at the University is constantly rated in the Top 10 within the UK and students constantly vote the University of Leeds for an excellent student experience. (The University of Leeds main building below)

I have secured a place on this course for Sept. 2013,(now deferring until 2014), and I attended the interview in January 2013 and was very impressed with the campus and the staff. The course content is also excellent, with a large emphasis on practical experience!

There is also an element of heritage studies included within the course as some modules on the course are taught in conjunction to Harewood House & Chatsworth House. This should appeal to people who maybe wish to pursue a heritage based career rather than a museums based career.

Another element that attracted me to this course is that of 2012 graduates 1/3 of the graduates were in full or part time jobs by Jan. 2013. That’s impressive! Don’t you think?

Overall, I think that the University of Leeds would be one of the best options for gaining practical experience as well as being lectured by industry professionals and obtaining an excellent well-rounded experience as a student.

 

Kingston-Upon-Thames, London, Museum & Gallery Studies, The University of Kingston London.

The University of Kingston, is in a lovely suburb of south-west London, near to Wimbledon. I was offered a place on this course, but I have deferred to Leeds, but I was very much impressed with the course and the tutor who interviewed me.

Isn’t Kingston pretty?Yes? No!? Anyway, the facilities were excellent as the library had just been recently re-furbished. The tutor explained to me that a lot of the modules are conducted with the national museums in central London,(i.e. The Science Museum, Imperial War Museum), and that professionals from these museums teach students at the museums themselves.

The course structure is based around theory and practical experience. The history of galleries & museums is taught alongside practical modules (mentioned above). There is a strong emphasis on local heritage on the course, which would appeal to anyone wishing to work within their local community after graduating. Overall, I was highly impressed with the course and I would have chosen to study here if was not for the high living costs associated with living in London!

Chichester, West Dean College, MA Conservation Studies.

This is West Dean College, which is renowned for its conservation courses, in particular its specialised courses in textile, books, ceramics etc. For the purposes of this post, I shall be concentrating on the MA Conservation Studies course.

The courses offered at West Dean would be ideal for someone continuing professional development whilst already working as a conservator or a student who wishes to work in conservation. The MA Conservation course gives a good foundation for further specialised study at a later date or further stage in someone’s career.

Unfortunately, I can’t write a lot about the course as I have never applied to any courses there nor do I know anyone who has studied with the college.

I do hope that this information has been useful and it will help you in choosing an MA fit for your career path. I’d love to hear what you think so comment below or tweet me!

Share:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.