Course description

The MA/MSc Museum Studies combines rigorous academic research with the practical skills needed to succeed in today's museums, galleries and heritage organisations. Taught by internationally recognised academics at Leicester, one of the world's leading centres for Museum Studies, the programme blends theory and practice to prepare you for a wide range of careers across the sector.

Since 1966, we have helped shape museum practice and research worldwide. Our teaching is informed by internationally recognised research that tackles the major challenges facing museums, galleries and heritage organisations today. In REF2021, Leicester was ranked third in the UK for overall research quality in Museum Studies.

You will learn from academics whose research is influencing national and international debates, from widening access to museums and advancing inclusion to exploring how museums can support ageing populations. This research directly informs your learning, exposing you to the latest ideas, debates and professional practices while preparing you to address the challenges shaping the future of the sector.

Through this course, you will:

• Explore the foundations of Museum Studies

  Challenge your assumptions about what museums are and why they matter. Through critical discussion and skills workshops, you will build the research and professional skills needed for your studies and future career. You will also examine museums in their global cultural, social and historical contexts, exploring how policy, ethics, social justice and digital innovation are shaping the sector today.

• Work with objects and collections

  From their histories and cataloguing practices to questions of ownership, rights, and care, you will investigate how collections are created and managed. Alongside critical debates, you will gain hands-on experience in handling, documenting, packing, and caring for objects, while reflecting on the different categories of objects and materials, and the changing values and meanings attached to them.

• Engage audiences and communities

  Explore how museums can act as agents of social change, engaging with contemporary debates around activism, human rights and social justice. You will develop practical expertise in museum communication, exhibition-making and participatory practice, while studio workshops and collaboration with museum professionals give you the opportunity to design and install an exhibition.

• Have the freedom to specialise

  Tailor your degree to your interests and career ambitions while exploring some of the most exciting areas of contemporary museum practice. Whether you are interested in exhibition development, audience engagement, digital innovation, museum leadership, global perspectives or the role of museums in health and wellbeing, you will develop the expertise and practical skills needed for a wide range of careers across the museums and heritage sector.

• Gain professional experience

  Apply your learning in practice through an eight-week placement in a museum, gallery or heritage organisation. By experiencing day-to-day museum operations and working on a project developed with your host institution, you could find yourself caring for collections, creating learning programmes or exploring digital innovation. A dedicated Career Development Programme runs alongside your studies, helping you prepare for employment in the sector.

• Undertake independent research

  Complete a major research project on a topic of your choice, supported by expert supervision. Depending on your interests, this could take the form of a dissertation, professional report, critique or proposal. You can graduate with either a Master of Arts (MA) or Master of Science (MSc), or choose to complete the taught modules only and graduate with a Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip).

Venice Fellowships at Leicester

Each year students on the course have the chance to take part in the Venice Fellowships Programme, a unique opportunity to spend a month in Venice during one of the world’s most important art and architecture Biennales. If you are awarded a Venice Fellowship, you will receive funding to cover travel, accommodation and associated costs. You will also receive training and mentoring in order to make the most of this experience.

Entry requirements

Related courses

What our students say

Po Tin Wong, Museum Studies MA

Studying Museum Studies at the University of Leicester has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I come from Hong Kong and have always been passionate about museums and heritage. I chose Leicester because its Museum Studies course is internationally recognised for combining theory with practice and for offering opportunities to gain real-world experience in museums and heritage organisations.

As an international student, I felt supported and included from the very beginning. The University celebrates cultural diversity through events such as Chinese New Year, which helped me feel connected and welcomed. My classmates came from all over the world, many with previous experience in museums, and learning alongside them broadened my understanding of the global museum and heritage landscape.

The course itself is practical and engaging. I developed hands-on skills in researching and curating collections, designing exhibitions, and communicating with audiences. My favourite module was Engaging Audiences, where we worked collaboratively to curate a live exhibition project, gaining insight into the realities of museum work. Group projects also helped me improve my teamwork and communication skills, both of which are invaluable for an international career in the heritage sector.

A highlight of my time at Leicester was working on the 40th anniversary celebration for Glenside Hospital Museum, which included a visit from Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal. It was deeply rewarding to contribute to such an important event in mental health history and to see how museums can foster understanding and connection within communities.

To future students, I would say embrace every opportunity. The Museum Studies course at Leicester equips you with essential knowledge, practical experience, and a supportive network that will help you grow personally and professionally in the museum and heritage sectors.

Integrated AI

At Leicester, you will study with full access to Microsoft 365 Copilot through our collaboration with global tech leader, Microsoft. As one of the first Microsoft Frontier Universities in the UK, we are helping to shape how AI is used in higher education and the workplace. 

You will build practical, transferable skills that employers value. From analysing information and solving problems to communicating ideas and working collaboratively, you will learn to apply your knowledge in a digital world. 

When you graduate, you will leave with more than a degree. You will have the skills and confidence to work with the technologies shaping your future.