Overview
This course combines the theory and practice of managing cultural heritage (including archaeological sites, urban and other historic landscapes, great country houses etc). The MA is tailored to respond to the local and international need for qualified, responsible and adaptable cultural heritage professionals with highly developed conceptual and analytical skills. But the MA may also be taken as preparation for more advanced research into the global and local problems and issues surrounding the management of the cultural heritage.
The MA is available both full-time and part-time. It is structured so as to explore the essentially interdisciplinary nature of cultural heritage and its management. The taught components of the course include aspects of archaeology, architecture, art history, conservation, cultural resource management, heritage management, museum studies and other related fields such as development studies and environmental studies.
Under the supervision of the course director, teaching is undertaken by a unique constellation of highly qualified and experienced researchers, lecturers and active heritage professionals. Some of these work in the School and the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures (SISJAC), others are attached to the Sainsbury Research Unit for the Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas (SRU). Specially invited professionals from regional, national and international heritage organisations also contribute.
Course structure
The taught part of the course is divided into two compulsory modules, including an introduction to cultural heritage and a module on the uses of cultural heritage. For those students with a special interest in Japanese heritage, equivalent modules will be available taught by a Japanese specialist. The more practical elements of heritage management are taught in modules on the practice of museums and cultural heritage. The modules include field trips.
Students also gain heritage management experience by undertaking a two- to three-week work placement with an appropriate heritage organisation (arranged and funded by the student) and writing an 8,000-word management plan. The plan focuses on one heritage location, monument or group of objects, chosen by the student from those under the care of the placement host organisation and in consultation with that organisation and the course organisers. Finally, students prepare an independently researched dissertation of 12,000 words, which allows students to work intensively on a topic of their choice.
Course Organiser
Dr Christina Riggs
Programme Specification
Course Brochure
Why Choose Us?
The School of World Art Studies and Museology includes more diverse peoples, cultures and contexts than conventional art history programmes. The founding principle of the School of World Art Studies is that different forms of art produced around the world merit equal attention, and it remains one of the few institutions in Britain that teaches art history from this broad perspective. We have many unique features that complement and enhance the degree programmes that we offer.
The School offers taught postgraduate degrees and a graduate diploma, which are taught by faculty with wide-ranging research interests and professional experience. Low staff-to-student ratios ensure a high level of individual contact and small-group instruction.
The School offers postgraduate taught courses in History of Art, Museum Studies, Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies, and Cultural Heritage and International Development. Both Cultural Heritage degrees have a Japanese strand for those with a special interest in Japan, taught by experts from the
Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures (SISJAC). The Cultural Heritage degree can be combined with International Development through a
joint programme with the
School of International Development.
In addition, the
Sainsbury Research Unit offers an MA in the Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas, while an MA in Creative Entrepreneurship is a joint venture with the School of Music and the School of Literature and Creative Writing.
Career Prospects
Postgraduate qualifications can lead to, or enhance, a career in the museum and heritage sector, visual arts and arts management. The taught masters courses also prepare students for higher degrees by research.
Masters degrees equip students with detailed subject knowledge as well as thorough grounding in theory and methodology. Students can tailor degrees to their particular interests through choice of essay topics and the MA dissertation. Interaction with the Sainsbury collection and other UEA, local and regional resources is a vital component of every course, and students develop a range of transferable skills.
Take a look at the web pages below to see what we offer and what our students have to say about their time in the School of World Art Studies and Museology:
Why Study in the School?
What We Teach
What Our Students Say
Entry Requirements
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Humanities or Social Sciences
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UK BA (Hons) 2:1 or equivalent
Students for whom English is a foreign language
If English is not your first language you must have a recognised English Language qualification:
Minimum IELTS 6.5 with a minimum 6 in each section.
Other qualifications such as TOEFL and CAE are also recognised by the University. Please contact the Admissions Team for further information.
Interviews
Interviews are required for students applying to the MA in Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies . If you are living overseas, this may be undertaken by telephone at a mutually convenient time.
Intakes
The School's annual intake is in September of each year.
Alternative Qualifications
If you have alternative qualifications that have not been mentioned above then please contact university directly for further information.
Assessment
All applications for postgraduate study are processed through the Faculty Admissions Office and then forwarded to the relevant School of Study for consideration. If you are currently completing your first degree or have not yet taken a required English language test, any offer of a place will be conditional upon you achieving this before you arrive.
Disclaimer
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules and regular (five-yearly) review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff or sabbatical leave. Where this is the case, the University will endeavour to inform students.
Year 1
Compulsory Study (140 credits)
Students will select 140 credits from the following module(s).
| Code |
Credits |
Period |
This consists of a dissertation of no more than 8,000 words on a topic relevant to the management or the theory of cultural heritage and/or museums. Students choose their own topics, subject to the approval of the Course Director. The dissertation is to be researched and written independently by each student, though with the support of an appointed supervisor.
more...
|
ART-MC1X |
40 |
Semester 2 |
This module provides students with practical heritage management experience, consisting of a two to three week work placement with an appropriate heritage organisation (organised and funded by the student) and a 8,000 word management plan. The plan will focus on one heritage location, monument or group of objects chosen by the student from those under the care of the placement host organisation and in consultation with that organisation and the Course Directors. Students will be required to complete their placement successfully to gain credit for this module.
more...
|
ART-MC06 |
40 |
Semester 2 |
Museums and cultural heritage institutions share a common frame work of management and organisational structures and a common set of practices in relation to curatorship, presentation and preservation whether of objects, buildings or other kinds of historical sites. Some of this is a matter of legal requirements (which clearly may vary from country to country) and some is more directly about acquiring a particular set of skills required in a working situation. Whether someone is interested in the administrative, curatorial or research aspects of work in such an organisation, a thorough understanding of what is involved in each of these activities is an important asset. These various strands are drawn together in a programme which runs over two semesters. This includes presentations by professionals in the field, practical exercises and visits. Seminars may also be organised to respond to topical issues which may arise. Those who develop particular interests may follow these up through targeted readings outside of the seminar sessions on an individual basis.
A large series of themes are explored. These include institutional issues such as those of governance, the legal responsibilities of public bodies, the policy framework, insurance and security, and the funding context. The public presentation of museums and heritage organisations are considered with sessions on introducing exhibition and gallery design and lighting, the role and contribution of temporary exhibitions, writing and editing text, education, outreach and marketing. More specific skills include object handling and basic conversation, cataloguing and documentation, communication, organising meetings and planning or running projects.
more...
|
ART-MC15 |
40 |
Semester 1 |
Museums and cultural heritage institutions share a common frame work of management and organisational structures and a common set of practices in relation to curatorship, presentation and preservation whether of objects, buildings or other kinds of historical sites. Some of this is a matter of legal requirements (which clearly may vary from country to country) and some is more directly about acquiring a particular set of skills required in a working situation. Whether someone is interested in the administrative, curatorial or research aspects of work in such an organisation, a thorough understanding of what is involved in each of these activities is an important asset. These various strands are drawn together in a programme which runs over two semesters. This includes presentations by professionals in the field, practical exercises and visits. Seminars may also be organised to respond to topical issues which may arise. Those who develop particular interests may follow these up through targeted readings outside of the seminar sessions on an individual basis.
A large series of themes are explored. These include institutional issues such as those of governance, the legal responsibilities of public bodies, the policy framework, insurance and security, and the funding context. The public presentation of museums and heritage organisations are considered with sessions on introducing exhibition and gallery design and lighting, the role and contribution of temporary exhibitions, writing and editing text, education, outreach and marketing. More specific skills include object handling and basic conversation, cataloguing and documentation, communication, organising meetings and planning or running projects.
more...
|
ART-MC16 |
20 |
Semester 2 |
Option A Study (20 credits)
Students will select 20 credits from the following module(s).
| Code |
Credits |
Period |
This module defines the concept, scope and history of 'cultural heritage'. It identifies trends in cultural heritage studies, and addresses the key ideas of heritage interpretation as well as the cultural aspects of globalisation. It encourages critical engagement with the ideas of community, national and world heritage by drawing attention to the tensions between the cultual political, legal and touristic aspects of heritage.
Throughout, the module will refer closely to the interface between heritage and development studies and incorporate a range of pertinent academic disciplines and methods, which define the activities of the School of World Art Studies, and more generally, 'cultural heritage studies'. The unit is designed to provide analytical reference and departure points from the other Cultural Heritage modules and core development perspectives.
This module has two major aims. The first is to provide the conceptual and research skills necessary for advanced academic study in the Humanities. The second is to develop the academic creativity, mental agility, questioning attitude and methodological rigour necessary for pursuing a career in academia or in the arts and heritage sectors. This entails considering the political, social, and ethical issues, problems and responsibilities involved in cultural interpretation.
more...
|
ART-MC13 |
20 |
Semester 1 |
This module comprises two strands. First, it discusses the concept, scope and history of what is generally defined as 'cultural heritage' and addresses recent trends in cultural heritage studies. In this process, particular emphasis is placed on the ideas of local, national and world heritage, as well as the relations and tensions between the social, political, economic and legal aspects of heritage. Second, these theoretical perspectives will be critically evaluated through the examination of various types of cultural heritage in Japan, which include artistic, archaeological, architectural and folk heritage, as well as traditional performance, landscape and pop cultures. Incorporating a range of pertinent academic disciplines and methods, this module is designed to provide departure points for the other Cultural Heritage modules.
more...
|
ART-MC19 |
20 |
Semester 1 |
Option B Study (20 credits)
Students will select 20 credits from the following module(s).
| Code |
Credits |
Period |
While we are currently experiencing a 'heritage fever', resulting in frantic attempts to identify, classify, preserve, and interpret our cultural heritage, the question as to why we are so obsessed with heritage requires examination. While the preservation of cultural heritage perhaps seems primarily of an aesthetic nature, critical studies have revealed heritage conservation to be part of the making of nations and empires, hence intrinsic to processes of nationalism and colonialism. This module deconstructs some of these roles and functions of cultural heritage
Yet, in the current heritage revival we can discern other engagements with cultural heritage that may be understood as part of a politics of self-realisation. Heritage can thus contribute to overcome the legacies of slavery, colonialism and civic conflict, thus restoring dignity and providing recognition. Moreover, heritage can provide migrants with 'roots' and create a sense of place in a globalising world. This seminar examines how heritage is used in an attempt to use 'cultural as cure' and therefore looks at what can be called, for want of a better term, 'heritage healing.
more...
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ART-MC12 |
20 |
Semester 2 |
This module focuses on the question of how and why people need, create and use cultural heritage. Various factors will be examined including social, political and economic ones, with reference to examples of cultural heritage in Japan. Two characteristics of cultural heritage are stressed in particular: heritage unites and divides people. Stressing the close link between cultural heritage, memory and identity, the module aims to reveal how cultural heritage has been and is used for the making of community, nation and empire, both in global and Japanese contexts.
more...
|
ART-MC20 |
20 |
Semester 2 |
Fees And Funding
Tuition fees
Tuition fees for Postgraduate students for the academic year 2012/13 are £5,000 for Home/EU students and £11,900 for International Students.
If you choose to study part-time, the fee per annum will be half the annual fee for that year, or a pro-rata fee for the module credit you are taking (only available for Home/EU students).
We estimate living expenses at £600-650 per month.
Scholarships and Awards:
There are a variety of scholarships, studentships and other awards available to those applying for places on our taught postgraduate degrees.
Click on the link below to see what is currently available.
Funding for Masters Degrees and Diplomas
How To Apply
Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.
You can
apply online, or by downloading the
hard copy application form, or by using the application form in the University’s Postgraduate Prospectus.
Further Information
To request further information & to be kept up to date with news & events please use our
online enquiry form.
If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying please do contact us:
Postgraduate Admissions Office
Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515
Email:
admissions@uea.ac.uk
International candidates are also encouraged to access the
International Students section of our website.
