Course information
UK fee £12,100
International fee £22,300
Taught by Museum Studies
Admissions queries
+44 (0)116 252 3963
museum.studies@le.ac.uk
Course description
Course description
This course is grounded in museum practice and informed at every level by leading museum studies research. You will benefit from the range of exciting and innovative research that takes place in the world-leading Museum Studies at Leicester each year.
We will introduce you to the tools you will need, your tutors and their latest research and a diverse series of learning events.
During this course, you will consider:
- What is a museum?
- What are its purposes?
- How do we encounter and think about objects?
- How and why do museums look after them?
These topics will lead to the subject of how museums communicate with their audiences; what an exhibition is and how museums tackle them. You will be given expert training in sector-relevant research and professional skills and will have the option of studying specialist subjects such as heritage, museum education, the digital world and museums and the natural environment. There will also be plenty of study visits, visiting speakers from the sector and an opportunity to put on your own exhibition.
Beyond the teaching sessions, you will be able to conduct your own research project. You might choose to write this up as a dissertation, but you could also consider writing a paper, a critique or a professional report, or perhaps even producing a film. We look forward to working with you on the possibilities.
Finally, in the 'Practice' module, you will work in a Museum, Gallery or Heritage Site on a project devised by the host institution. We continue to build contacts with a huge range of organisations across the UK and every year offer placements that excite and challenge our students. You might find yourself caring for a world-class collection, helping to design and install an exhibition, or developing a teaching app for school children. There is a wide choice to enable you to specialise if you wish, or to come away having experienced a range of different activities.
What's the difference?
If your dissertation concerns a science collection or museum, or if the nature of your investigation is 'scientific', you can receive a Master of Science (MSc) degree instead of a Master of Arts (MA) degree.
If you would like to obtain a Postgraduate Diploma you will complete all of the modules, but not the dissertation.
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
Starting in September 2025
- MA/MSc: £12,100
- PGDip: £9,680
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 scholarships and funding.
Did you know you can apply for a Government Postgraduate Loan? Find out if you're eligible.
International Students
Starting in September 2025
- MA/MSc: £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.
Find out more about scholarships and funding.
Careers and employability
Careers and employability
Your career development is fundamental to all aspects of our teaching and curriculum. Collaborative working with a wide range of museums, galleries and other cultural organisations is critical to the development and delivery of all of our courses.
You will benefit from a programme of study visits to museums and galleries around the UK (six to eight per year), which will help familiarise you with a variety of working environments and organisations within the museum and gallery sector. These study visits provide numerous opportunities to meet a wide range of museum and gallery professionals.
You will complete an eight-week, full-time work placement offered by one of the over 200 members of the LUMEN network of museums and galleries. Your selection of a work placement host is supported by a Work Placement Marketplace where representatives of a number of museums visit us to promote their museums.
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
- Developing Professional Practice
- Contemporary Museum Contexts
- Objects and Collections: Care, Management and Curation
- Designing for Creative Lives
- Engaging Audiences
- Specialisms
- Practice
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 or MSc, you will undertake a supervised Research Project into a topic of your choice and complete a dissertation, or comparable piece of work such as a paper, a critique or a professional report. If you would like to obtain a Postgraduate Diploma you will complete all of the modules, but not the research project.
If your research project concerns a science collection or museum, or if the nature of your investigation is 'scientific', you can receive a Master of Science (MSc) degree instead of a Master of Arts (MA) degree.
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?
All of our full-time courses include regular visits to museums and galleries, providing you with valuable opportunities to develop your skills in a practical setting.
An eight-week work placement lets you put into practice the skills you have developed on the course.
More than 30 museum professionals visit Leicester each year to give lectures and to provide valuable insight into contemporary museum and gallery work.
Our School of Museum Studies department, who developed this course in partnership with Futurelearn, is a world-leading hub for research, teaching, thinking, debate and practice.
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. Regular visits to museums around the country provide opportunities to explore contemporary practice.
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 term, you will undertake an eight-week museum or gallery placement.
If you wish to obtain an MA or MSc, you will undertake supervised research into a topic of your choice and complete an 8000-word dissertation or comparable piece of work such as a paper, a critique or a professional report.
All modules are assessed.
Key dates
September 2025 start
- Application deadline: 8 September 2025 (Please note if you require a visa to study you will be required to submit your course application by 25 July 2025)
- Deposit payment deadline: 8 August 2025
- CAS request deadline: 5 September 2025
- 70% tuition payment deadline: 5 September 2025
Apply now
| Course | Qualification | Duration | Start Dates | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Course Museum Studies | Qualification MA | Duration 1 year full-time | Start Dates September each year | Availability Apply Now |
| Course Museum Studies | Qualification MSc | Duration 1 year full-time | Start Dates September each year | Availability Apply Now |
| Course Museum 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.