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History at UEA
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Find out moreMA The Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas
Key details
- Attendance
- Full Time
- Award
- Degree of Master of Arts
- Course Length
- 1 year
- Course Start Date
- September 2026
Other Start Dates
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UEA is ranked 3rd overall for research quality in History
Times Higher Education REF 2021 AnalysisCourse Overview
Are you fascinated by global histories of art? On this unique Master’s course, you’ll study the arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas, past and present. You’ll benefit from teaching that emphasises museum anthropology and material culture. At the same time, you’ll engage with the issues involved analysing and displaying of works of art, both in their original contexts and within museums and exhibitions.
The Sainsbury Research Unit is one of the leading centres in the world for the study of art and material culture from these three regions. Our research output includes publications, exhibitions, catalogues, conferences, symposia and lectures. For details of the research undertaken by individual members of faculty and research students, please visit our website.
This MA is cross-disciplinary which means you’ll engage with regional developments and shared themes across anthropology, art history, archaeology, and museology. Throughout the programme, you’ll encounter contemporary theories and current research methods.
You’ll have the opportunity to study the world-famous collection of art held in the Sainsbury Centre and access to the Robert Sainsbury Library, a dedicated library located in the building. The Unit also has its own teaching collection of over 200 items. Engagement with museums is an integral part of the course and there will be visits to museums and exhibitions in Edinburgh, London, Cambridge and Oxford.
Our graduates have gone on to do PhD research and to university appointments, careers in consultancy, publishing and museum work in the UK and abroad.
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Careers
Career Pathways
Examples of careers that you could enter include:
- Museum Curator or Assistant Curator
- Collections and Research Manager or Assistant
- Lecturer
- Education and Outreach Manager or Assistant
Discover more on our Careers webpages.
After the Course
You’ll graduate ready to take up posts in universities, museums, and the cultural and heritage sector worldwide. You could also go on to work in art publishing and journalism, the media and photographic research, auction houses and private galleries, or the travel industry.
Study and Modules
Structure
Your programme will consist of two main strands: the core course and region-focused modules.
Your core course runs across two semesters, leading up to a museology timed essay and your dissertation. This is complemented by your region-focused modules.
In your first-semester core course, you’ll examine key topics and contexts regarding theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of art and material culture. You’ll focus on assembling, organising, documenting, disseminating, and analysing collections.
Then, in the second semester of your core course, you’ll delve deeper into these theoretical and methodological approaches. You’ll place special emphasis on curating collections, conceptualising exhibitions, and conservation. You’ll also become fluent in key concepts of agency, sociality, materiality, heritage, style, and analogy.
During the two semesters, you’ll go on several stimulating study visits to museums in the United Kingdom and France. These visits are an intensive learning experience in which you’ll discuss and debate theoretical and practical aspects of museology in situ. You’ll also gain an in-depth knowledge of museum exhibitions and develop your critical reasoning.
During your second semester, you’ll dedicate your time exclusively to the readings and research that will lead to your dissertation. Your dissertation is your opportunity to delve deeper into the area or question which interests you most. You’ll complete a unique and substantial piece of research, supervised by two Sainsbury Research UnitSainsbury Research Unit (SRU) faculty members.
Compulsory Modules
Important Information
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. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with 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. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
Places on this course are restricted to a small number of students. As a result, you’ll benefit from an unusually high degree of regular individual supervision and tutorials.
Over two semesters, you’ll attend a series of weekly lecture discussions. You’ll cover Africa, Oceania, and the Americas in three distinct modules. This is where you’ll develop the background against which you’ll write your pieces of coursework.
In addition to the three regional units, you’ll also cover diverse topics broadly centered on material culture and museums. These will include display, the anthropology of art, style, value systems, looting and cultural property, the history of collections, authenticity, and the art market.
As well as having access to the Sainsbury Art Collection, you’ll travel to museums for guided study visits. When possible, these will also include temporary displays and auctions of ethnographic materials.
Assessment
You’ll be assessed across eight separate elements. These include three short written presentations on an object or set of related objects in the Sainsbury CentreSainsbury Centre, three longer written presentations on each of the three regions, a 72-hour timed essay on a general museology theme, and your dissertation.
Your dissertation will be a significant effort of independent, supervised, research. It'll represent the culmination of your programme of study
Entry Requirements
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
- Typical UK Entry Requirements
Degree classification
Bachelors degree - 2.1.
Degree Subject
Humanities or Social Sciences.
- Interviews
The strongest applicants will be invited to attend an interview, either online via Microsoft Teams or in person. Please note that meeting the minimum academic entry requirements does not guarantee that you will be selected for interview.
Interviews will take place throughout the academic year and are usually conducted by the Course Director and another SRU faculty member. They typically last around twenty minutes, and applicants should be prepared to discuss the strengths of their application and their suitability for the course.
Interview invitations will be sent by email, so please monitor all communications from UEA after submitting your application. Following the interview, applicants will receive a decision on their application.
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
- Typical International Entry Requirements
Degree classification
UK Bachelors degree - 2.1 or equivalent
Degree Subject
Humanities or Social Sciences.
- English Foreign Language
Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):
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IELTS: 6.0 overall with minimum 5.5 in each component.
Test dates should be within 2 years of the course start date.
We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies(opens in a new window) for a list of qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.
If you do not yet meet the English language requirements for this course, UEA International Study Centre offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the required English skills.
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- Interviews
The strongest applicants will be invited to attend an interview, either online via Microsoft Teams or in person. Please note that meeting the minimum academic entry requirements does not guarantee that you will be selected for interview.
Interviews will take place throughout the academic year and are usually conducted by the Course Director and another SRU faculty member. They typically last around twenty minutes, and applicants should be prepared to discuss the strengths of their application and their suitability for the course.
Interview invitations will be sent by email, so please monitor all communications from UEA after submitting your application. Following the interview, applicants will receive a decision on their application.
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
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Fees and Funding
Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2026/27 are:
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UK Students: £11,200
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International Students: £11,200
We estimate living expenses at £1,171 per month.
Further Information on tuition fees can be found here(opens in a new window).
Scholarships and Bursaries
The University of East Anglia offers a range of Scholarships(opens in a new window); please click the link for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.
Course Related Costs
Please see Additional Course Fees for details of course-related costs.
How to Apply
How to apply
Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.
To apply please use our online application form(opens in a new window).
The closing date for submitting applications is 20 March 2026.
Further information
If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying, please do contact us:
Sainsbury Research Unit
Email: sru.enquiries@uea.ac.uk(opens in a new window)
International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students(opens in a new window) section of our website.
Information for Offer Holders
Offers have to be accepted within 6 weeks of the offer email being sent. If your offer isn't accepted by this deadline, you will be moved onto the reserve list and your place will be offered to another eligible student.
You will then only be reconsidered for this intake if a new place becomes available.