Museum Studies at Leicester
About Museum Studies
Established in 1966, Museum Studies at Leicester is the only autonomous department in the UK dedicated to the study of museums and galleries. It is the oldest and largest academic unit of its kind in the world.
Museum Studies at Leicester is a place where researchers, practitioners and postgraduate students from around the world come together to think creatively and critically about museums, galleries and heritage; to explore and investigate, to experiment and create, to question and debate.
By working collaboratively with partners within and beyond the cultural sector, blending expertise and diverse perspectives, we aim to generate new insights that not only shape the way we look at, understand and experience cultural institutions but also influence the ways museums, galleries and heritage sites shape their priorities, values and practices.
We are enormously proud of, and committed to fostering, a culture of inclusivity and collegiality, intellectual generosity, openness and good humour, which is built upon values that characterise and imbue all of our work.
We have made a significant and sustained contribution to the international cultural sector and the field of museum studies through:
Training creative and critical professionals who have transformed organisations and professional practice throughout the world - see Postgraduate Study for more.- Producing original, rigorous and internationally influential research - see Research for more.
- Working collaboratively on a range of pioneering initiatives - see Research Centre for Museums and Galleries (RCMG) for more.
- Continuing to change to reflect the needs of museums, heritage and the art museums and gallery sector.
- To mark our 50th year, we introduced exciting new developments to our Masters programmes and established a new collaborative centre for research into the institutions of art, CRÍA.
School changes
The University is progressing a proposal to integrate the School of Archaeology and Ancient History and the School of Museum Studies to form a new School for 2025/26.
Mergers of this kind are not uncommon, there have already been several in the College in the last few years and others across the University. The University also recently formed a fourth College comprising of the School of Business, Economics, Management, Accounting and Finance, and Marketing and Strategy.
This reorganisation has prompted some rethinking on how best to manage the departments that will remain within the College of Social Science, Arts and Humanities. It is not yet decided what the proposed new School will be called and this will be part of the consultation and discussion process.
Bringing disciplines together in this way creates several exciting opportunities for interdisciplinary research environments and engagement with new and existing partnerships. If this planned merger is approved by Senate the change would come into effect in August 2025. We do not anticipate any staff or programme changes this year. All our courses will remain running, and current and new students will continue on their postgraduate programmes as planned. There will be no changes to the programme and we will continue to work with our museum placement providers to support our students’ learning and skills.
In addition to this administrative change in the way that Museum Studies is run, the University is also looking at making some changes to the estate and will be closing 19 University Road before the start of the new academic year. The School will be relocated, with staff offices in the School of Archaeology and Ancient History building and teaching across the main campus. This will allow us to strengthen our existing work with colleagues in Archives and Special Collections and the Attenborough Arts Centre and continue to provide our excellent student experience.
Finally, from 28 October the current Head of the School of Museum Studies, Professor Tilly Blyth, will be taking up a new role as Director of the Weald and Downland Living Museum in the South Downs National Park. In the short term an interim Head of School for Museum Studies will be appointed.
We know that this is a lot of changes, so if you do have any questions, please do send them to the Professor Tilly Blyth as Head of School on mpb26@leicester.ac.uk.