Postgraduate Taught Degrees

MA Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies (Part time)

Attendance:: Part Time
Award:: Degree of Master of Arts
School of Study:: Art History and World Art Studies

Overview
Why Choose Us
Course Profile
Requirements
Fees and Funding
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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. Daniel Rycroft

Why choose us Our teaching received a 96% satisfaction rate in both the 2012 National Student Survey and the 2013 Guardian University Guide league table.

Our students are able to study a wider range of artistic cultures, periods and forms than in any other art history department in the UK. The School is particularly renowned for its broad approach to art, encompassing ancient, medieval, Renaissance, baroque, modern and contemporary European art, American art, African art, Asian art and Pacific art. Staff, students and researchers in the School are interested in the history of art, as well as archaeology, anthropology, cultural heritage, and museum studies. We engage with all forms of visual and material creativity from oil painting, sculpture and drawing through to architecture, photography, video and installation art. We teach small groups of students in a friendly, supportive and open environment, supported by great facilities. This is why the Guardian University Guide consistently ranks us among the top departments in the UK for student satisfaction with teaching and feedback, for staff-student ratio and for the quality of student resources.

The School has a long-standing international reputation for excellence; ranked 1st in the UK for world-leading research in the latest Research Assessment Exercise, we are one of the most important and highly-rated History of Art departments in the UK. Our graduates go on to high profile posts in such prestigious institutions as the British Museum, V&A, Tate and Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, as well as leading History of Art departments, publishers and the commercial art world.

The School of Art History and World Art Studies is based in Norman Foster’s world-famous Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, an icon of modern design, which contains an astounding art collection with major internationally-renowned works by artists such as Francis Bacon, Edgar Degas, Jacob Epstein, Henry Moore and Pablo Picasso. Students work in close proximity to this collection, “perhaps the greatest resource of its type on any British campus” according to the Times Good University Guide.

95% of our History of Art graduates (and 88% of the School’s BA graduates overall) go on to work and/or postgraduate study within 6 months of graduating. We are therefore the highest-rated department in England (and joint first in the UK) for History of Art graduate prospects
100% of our History of Art graduates (and 97% of the School’s BA graduates overall) said they thought staff had made the subject interesting. This figure was matched by just one other History of Art department in England
Almost 90% of the School’s BA graduates said that they had received the advice and support they needed to do well in their studies, a figure exceeded by just two other History of Art departments in the UK. This is probably because – as the survey reveals – our students get more lectures, seminars, tutorials and general contact time with academic staff than students at many other leading History of Art departments in the UK
96% of our History of Art graduates said they had been provided with the IT resources they needed for their studies, a figure matched by just one other History of Art department in the UK
Finally, 94% of the School’s BA graduates overall said they were highly satisfied with the quality of their degree course, continuing our tradition of providing a first-class university education in History of Art as well as Archaeology, Anthropology, and Museum and Gallery Studies.

Year 1
Year 2

Compulsory Study (40 credits)

Students must study the following modules for 40 credits:

Name	Code	Credits
MUSEUMS AND HERITAGE: INTERPRETATION, ACCESS, ENGAGEMENT	ART-MC24	20
Museums and cultural heritage institutions share a common set of practices in relation to their public presentation. This module focuses on the role of interpretation in cultural institutions, and vice versa. We will consider how museums and heritage sites engage with their audiences, and who these audiences are. Access, understood in its broadest sense, involves all facets of work in the cultural sector, but presents unique issues as well, which we examine in relation to vocational skills as well as topical research and debates
MUSEUMS AND HERITAGE: MANAGEMENT, GOVERNANCE, STRATEGIES	ART-MC23	20
Museums and cultural heritage institutions share a common framework of management and organisational structures. This module explores institutional issues such as governance, legal responsibilities, policy frameworks, project management and funding, and ethics. Teaching includes a number of guest speakers drawn from the professional sector, plus site visits or excursions. The module places the development of job-specific skills in the context of current academic research and the political and economic climate.

Option A Study (20 credits)

Students will select 20 credits from the following modules:

Name	Code	Credits
CULTURAL HERITAGE PLACEMENT	ART-MC22	40
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). Assessment consists of a substantial management plan (or project report, subject in consultation with the Course Director), which gives students the experience of analyzing their host institution and producing a professional-standard report. Students will be required to complete their placement successfully to gain credit for this module.

This is the second year of your course

Compulsory Study (60 credits)

Students must study the following modules for 60 credits:

Name	Code	Credits
CULTURAL HERITAGE AND MUSEUM STUDIES: DISSERTATION	ART-MC3X	60
A dissertation on a topic relevant to the practice and theory of your degree programme. 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.

Option A Study (20 credits)

Students will select 20 credits from the following modules:

Name	Code	Credits
USES OF CULTURAL HERITAGE	ART-MC12	20
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. However, in the current heritage revival other interests can be discerned. In this seminar we will examine how heritage is used in an attempt to use 'culture as cure'. Heritage can thus contribute to overcome the legacies of slavery, colonialism and armed conflict, thus restoring dignity and providing recognition to those formerly oppressed. Moreover, heritage can provide migrants with 'roots' and create a sense of place in a globalising world. This seminar therefore examines a phenomenona that can be called, for want of a better term, 'heritage healing'.
USES OF CULTURAL HERITAGE IN JAPAN	ART-MC20	20
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 can we discern other engagements with cultural heritage that may be understood as part of a politics of self-realisation.

Option B Study (20 credits)

Students will select 20 credits from the following modules:

Name	Code	Credits
INTRODUCTION TO CULTURAL HERITAGE	ART-MC13	20
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.
INTRODUCTION TO CULTURAL HERITAGE IN JAPAN	ART-MC19	20
This module defines the concept, scope and history of 'cultural heritage' in Japan. 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 cultural, political and legal 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. The module is designed to provide analytical refefence and departure points for the other Cultural Heritage modules.

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.

Entry Requirements

Degree Subject:: Humanities and Social Sciences
Degree Classification:: UK BA (Hons) 2.1 or equivalent

Students for whom English is a Foreign language

We welcome applications from students whose first language is not English. To ensure such students benefit from postgraduate study, we require evidence of proficiency in English. Our usual entry requirements are as follows:

IELTS: 6.5 (minimum 6.0 in all components)
TOEFL: Internet-based score of 92 (minimum 19 listening, 21 speaking, 19 writing and 20 in reading)
PTE (Pearson): 62 (minimum 55 in all components)

Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.

Other tests such as TOEIC and the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English are also accepted by the university. Please check with the Admissions Office for further details including the scores or grades required.

INTO UEA and INTO UEA London run pre-sessional courses which can be taken prior to the start of your course. For further information and to see if you qualify please contact intopre-sessional@uea.ac.uk (INTO UEA Norwich) or pseuealondon@into.uk.com (INTO UEA London).

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.

Alternative Qualifications

If you have alternative qualifications that have not been mentioned above then please contact the university directly for further information.

Assessment

All applications for postgraduate study are processed through the 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.

Fees and Funding

Tuition fees

Tuition fees for Postgraduate students for the academic year 2013/14 are £5,000 for Home/EU students and £12,500 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

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 application form.

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.