Course information
UK fee £11,800
International fee £22,300
Taught by Museum Studies
Admissions queries
+44 (0)116 252 3963
museum.studies@le.ac.uk
Course description
Course description
Supported by a large team of art museum and gallery specialists our Art Museum and Gallery Studies programme takes museum studies in a new direction. It focuses entirely on art institutions from beginning to end. In doing so, it recognises that art museums and galleries are a distinctive kind of institution and that they are best understood in relation to other kinds of art institution (biennials, art fairs, kunsthalles and so on), rather than in relation to other kinds of heritage attraction. In this programme we pay equal attention to collection-focused art museums and to contemporary art institutions. Our aim is to prepare you for work in a wide range of careers in the art sector and to understand that art sector as it is now.
Museum Studies at the University of Leicester has been the world leader in its field since its birth in 1966. It is one of few autonomous museum studies departments in the world. It was the first to develop an Art Museum and Gallery Studies programme. It is also home to CRÍA, an innovative new organisation that researches the institutions of art.
This programme is shaped as a journey from student to art professional. You will begin by locating and deconstructing the art performances of both the great art museums and contemporary art institutions of various kinds. You will then explore how you can become an expert in the field and the role of the art curator. You will study how to manage and care for art objects and collections, and how to shape art experiences for the public so as to foster social change and life enrichment.
The programme concludes with an exhibition project that will involve you in working with artists and curating artworks, a series of study visits, a research project of your own design, and an eight-week work placement at a museum or gallery.
We also offer a broad-based MA/MSc in Museum Studies both on campus and by flexible or distance learning.
What's the difference?
If you wish to obtain an MA you will undertake supervised a research project into a topic of your choice. If you wish to obtain a Postgraduate Diploma you do not complete this research project.
Field trip
Included in the course fee are regular field trips to art museums and galleries around the country. Leicester is excellently placed to visit institutions in London and in the Midlands, the South West and North of England.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
In recognition of the diverse employment needs of the culture sector, our admissions process recognises and credits a range of prior qualifications and experiences.
- Either a first class or second class degree, which can be in any subject area.
- Or be able to demonstrate equivalent skills and aptitudes through the possession of a professional or vocational qualification and/or the accrual of relevant work experiences. Relevant experience can come from a wide spectrum of work or voluntary environments but clear evidence of this experience must be provided.
You should be able to demonstrate a commitment to, or strong interest in, museums, galleries, or other kinds of heritage or cultural organisation.
If you do not have a degree, you will be asked complete an assessment, such as an essay, to demonstrate your readiness for postgraduate study. Clear guidance will be provided on assessment criteria. You may also be required to attend an interview.
English Language Requirements
IELTS 6.5 or equivalent. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. If you do not yet meet our requirements, our English Language Teaching Unit (ELTU) offers a range of courses to help you to improve your English to the necessary standard.
International Qualifications
Find your country in this list to check equivalent qualifications, scholarships and additional requirements.
Countries listFees and funding
Fees and funding
UK Students
This is the total course fee.
Starting in September 2024
- MA: £11,800
- PGDip: £9,440
If you are resident outside the UK and the Republic of Ireland, you will need to pay a deposit of £3,000 to secure your place. This will be subtracted from your total tuition fee.
Find out more about fees and funding.
Did you know you can apply for a Government Postgraduate Loan? Find out if you’re eligible.
International Students
This is the total course fee.
Starting in September 2024
- MA: £22,300
- PGDip: £17,840
You will need to pay a deposit of £3,000 to secure your place. This will be subtracted from your total tuition fee.
From 2022 onwards, EU nationals will pay the International fee. If you are an EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU settlement scheme, you may qualify for the UK fee (subject to criteria).
Find out more about fees and funding.
Careers and employability
Careers and employability
Museum Studies at Leicester is committed to producing creative professionals. We will equip you with the core skills and knowledge necessary for a career in museums and art galleries. You will be encouraged to engage critically and creatively with the concepts and issues that underpin museum and gallery work. The course will broaden your philosophical approach to learning and equip you with the practical methods and skills you will need for a successful career in museums, galleries and related art institutions.
The MA in Art Museum and Gallery Studies provides you with the flexibility to follow your own area of specialism. Career development has shaped the course curriculum and collaborative working with a wide range of museums, galleries and other cultural organisations is critical to its development and delivery.
The course will give you the entry qualification for a career in museum and galleries. If you are already working in the sector it will provide you with the opportunity to develop new knowledge and skills to advance your career. Graduates of this course work in museums, galleries and related institutions around the world. Many have gone on to complete PhDs and are now university researchers and teachers. We also run our own jobs listing. It is one of the most popular in the sector.
Our Career Development Service is here to support you, with advice on interviews, CVs, work experience, volunteering and more. From Freshers’ Week to Graduation and beyond, they are here to help you reach your professional goals.
Related courses
Related courses
Work placement
Work placement
All students on our campus-based masters programmes undertake an 8 week, full-time, work placement between July and September. This placement is a highlight of the year and it provides valuable sector experience and network building opportunities. It also enables you to apply the skills and knowledge that you have been developing throughout the course and it facilitates a smooth transition from postgraduate student life into work in the cultural sector.
Course structure
Core modules
Core modules
- Locating Art
- Making Art History
- Curating Now
- Managing Art Collections
- Designing for Creative Lives
- Entering the Field
- Practice (double module)
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Research
Research
If you wish to obtain an MA qualification you will undertake supervised research into a topic of your choice and complete a Research Project. Those that wish to obtain a Postgraduate Diploma do not complete the dissertation.
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Why Leicester?
An eight-week work placement lets you put into practice the skills you have developed on the course.
Museum Studies at Leicester is a world-leading hub for research, teaching, thinking, debate, and practice.
You will gain practical experience of art curating through working with artists and historic collections.
You will undertake a study of the art ecology of a UK city.
Teaching and learning
You will alternate intensive periods of work in lectures, seminars, workshops and practical sessions with time set aside for the completion of assignments, reading and exploring your own specialisms. You will also work with museum professionals and artists. Regular visits to museums and art galleries around the country provide opportunities to explore contemporary practice with working professionals. You will also participate in an International Field School.
Guest lecturers offer additional perspectives, and are a source of inspiration and ideas and will give you the opportunity to further strengthen your links with the profession. During the summer, you will undertake an eight-week museum or gallery placement. We have an extensive network of more than 200 museum and gallery collaborators who offer placement projects. Our annual Work Placement Marketplace offers students a chance to discuss projects with professionals.
Museum Studies at the University of Leicester has the largest and most diverse team of museum researchers and teachers in the world. Their books are used to teach museum studies courses around the world. At the University of Leicester, these world-leading specialists will teach you. The main contributors to this MA are Professors Simon Knell, Suzanne MacLeod, Ross Parry and Richard Sandell; and Doctors Stacy Boldrick, Rosemary Shirley, Alice Tilche, and Isobel Whitelegg.
Key dates
September 2024 start
- Application deadline: 9 September 2024 (Please note if you require a visa to study you will be required to submit your course application by 26 July 2024)
- Deposit payment deadline: 9 August 2024
- CAS request deadline: 6 September 2024
- 70% tuition payment deadline: 6 September 2024
Apply now
| Course | Qualification | Duration | Start Dates | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Course Art Museum and Gallery Studies | Qualification MA | Duration 1 year full-time | Start Dates September each year | Availability Apply Now |
| Course Art Museum and Gallery Studies | Qualification PGDip | Duration 9 months full-time | Start Dates September each year | Availability Apply Now |
I’ve benefited greatly from the extensive range of module topics. They’ve filled my knowledge gaps and have enabled me to have a deeper and better understanding, not only of art museums and galleries, but of the whole art ecosystem.