MA
MA Museum and Artefact Studies
A unique course with high-quality teaching that will give you the skills and experience to progress into a career in museums, the cultural heritage sector or in the academic world.
How to apply Apply via UCAS
Course details
Start date
Degree Type
MA
Program Code
V6K607
Course length
1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
Typical offer
Tuition Fees
- Home (Full-time): £12,800 per year
- Overseas (Full-time): £29,000 per year
Overview
Durham’s MA in Museum and Artefact Studies is a unique course offering a choice of professional and academic-focused routes tailored to equip you with the skills and expertise to develop a successful career in museums, the cultural heritage sector or in the academic world. The course is based in the Department of Archaeology which means we think a lot about the past, the stories that can be told through objects, old and new, and how these can be sustained and enhanced for the future. As a Department, we are very aware of our place as a learning community and for the need to create a sustainable future in which there is also space to care for the knowledge of tangible and intangible legacies for future generations, addressing complex and difficult histories as well as celebrating achievements. You will have the opportunity to develop a critical understanding of current principles and contemporary debates relating to museums, heritage and artefact studies. The professional skills you will develop are central to the care, management and exhibition of collections in museums and analytical skills, relevant to the study of materials and artefacts from different periods and cultures. Throughout, the programme aims to enable you to improve your ability to take a personal responsibility for your own learning, for working in teams and for your professional conduct.
Course details
Start date
Degree Type
MA
Program Code
V6K607
Course length
1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
Typical offer
Tuition Fees
- Home (Full-time): £12,800 per year
- Overseas (Full-time): £29,000 per year
What you'll study
Led by academics and museum practitioners, this MA gives you the foundation for developing your career in a variety of contexts and roles. Four core modules introduce you to issues in museums and heritage, care for collections, object-centred artefact studies and museum principles and practice. Teaching and learning approaches include debates, workshops and experiential hands-on learning. You can choose to undertake a professional placement in a museum or heritage organisation or select a module offered in the Department of Archaeology, including ones focused on World or Chinese heritage.* You will complete your programme by choosing either the Museum Communication module (Route 1) or the Dissertation module (Route 2). In the Museum Communication module students work with University museum colleagues to design and implement an exhibition, usually with educational and digital elements. The Dissertation module gives students aiming to pursue further academic studies the opportunity to undertake intensive independent research. All students take these FOUR core modules which ensure everyone has the opportunity to develop informed understanding and skills based around critical issues and current practices in museums: *Note: modules available may vary annually.
Core modules
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Artefact Studies
enables you to gain an understanding of the theory and practice of ‘thinking with things’ in museum collections. Specifically, you will learn about the physical properties and production of the materials and artefacts you are likely to encounter in a museum career. You will have the opportunity to develop skills in handling, recording, analysing and interpreting objects from a variety of contexts. This is a two-term module.
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Care of Collections (Museums)
introduces you to the concept of preventive conservation and the theoretical and practical aspects of caring for collections. You will be able to develop a detailed understanding of the environmental factors that cause deterioration in museum objects and the ways in which these can be documented and mitigated, including environmental monitoring and control, integrated pest management and condition surveying. This is a one-term module taken jointly with MSc Conservation of Archaeological & Museum Objectsstudents.
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Debating Heritage and Museums
presents you with a challenging intellectual framework that underpins the programme and the sectors. It explores the scope and aims of museum studies, within the broader inter-disciplinary context of the international heritage sector, examining theories, concepts and practice such as authenticity, preservation, colonization and decolonization, sustainability and memorialization amongst others. It also aims to provide an underpinning introduction to research, critical reading, writing and presentation skills, both for this MA and for your future professional or academic life. Taken with the MA International Cultural Heritage Management students, this module gives you the chance to debate sector-wide concepts, issues and challenges.
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Museum Principles and Practice
enables you to gain a sound understanding of key contemporary principles and practices relating to professional museum work − especially in the fields of collections management and museum management. Focused around the SPECTRUM standards, developed by the Collections Trust in the UK and used world-wide, it encourages you to develop a critical perspective and to evaluate effectiveness in museum collection practice. This is a two-term module dedicated to MA Museum & Artefact Studies students only.
Optional modules
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Another Level 4 module
offered by the Department of Archaeology such as Research Topics in Archaeology. These may include Chinese Heritage: Shaping the relationship between the Past and the Present and A Global Pattern: From China to the World in the Middle Ages. Some students have chosen to take archaeology modules which are relevant to their backgrounds and future plans. Please note that modules offered in the Department of Archaeology may vary annually.
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The Professional Placement
module gives you the opportunity to develop professional skills in a museum or heritage organisation if you do not already have such experience as part of your portfolio. Opportunities for placement possibilities will be discussed early in Term 1. Placements normally last for 20 days in the spring vacation or in the early summer once all teaching has been completed. A day-long seminar in Term 3 allows you to exchange plans and projects and debate issues with fellow with fellow students also undertaking placements.
Learning
Your course learning is delivered through a highly structured mix of taught lectures and tutorials given alongside practical classes and visits. Lectures, seminars and workshops identify key issues in museum thinking and practice with plenty of opportunities for discussion and debate as well as hands-on experience of relevant practical skills with professional colleagues and academics. Depending on your choice of modules, you will typically attend around 6–10 hours of classes per week in Terms 1 and 2. Visits may last a day or half day. Those taking the Professional Placement module will be expected to follow the working patterns of their host organisation. In Term 3 students taking the Museum Communication module will typically be deeply involved in implementing their exhibition proposals for a summer exhibition opening following earlier intensive development. Those taking the Dissertation module should expect to be working on the dissertation in Terms 2 and 3 and over the summer until it is submitted in the autumn.Assessment
The assessment regime for this course reflects the structured choice of learning directions that you can take, these include a combination of essays, reports, surveys, portfolios, group projects and exams. With supervision, you will carry out a detailed study of a particular area of interest that creates a significant piece of independent research as a 10,000-word dissertation or a 5,000-word research paper based upon the accurate use of research data and methods.Entry requirements
Fees & Funding
Choose which fees you want to see:
Home / Island students
£12,800 per year
International / EU Students
£29,000 per year
Home / Island students
Part Time - £7,100 per year
International / EU Students
Part Time - £16,000 per year
The tuition fees shown are for one complete academic year of study, are set according to the academic year of entry, and remain the same throughout the duration of the programme for that cohort (unless otherwise stated).
Find out moreThis course offers a holistic overview of museums which helped me stand out to future employers as I have a well-rounded knowledge of museum practice and procedures. One unique feature of this course is its emphasis on artefacts. I found this extremely useful as I gained an understanding into preventive conservation and collections management which is highly valued in any museum position.
Department Information
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The Department of Archaeology is home to one of the largest postgraduate communities in Europe who benefit from world class academic teaching and leading-edge facilities to be able to pursue their passion for studying the past, interpreting the present and understanding the future. The wide-ranging courses are research-led and delivered by staff who are recognised experts in specialisms that span world, European and British archaeology from the last ice age to the post-medieval period. Our taught courses provide the ideal grounding for further academic research at a higher level but also offer essential preparation for entering a professional career. They include MA Museum and Artefact Studies, MA International Cultural Heritage Management, and MA Conservation of Archaeological and Museum Objects, all of which have strong vocational themes. The MSc Bioarchaeology and MA Archaeology offer ideal preparation for research careers and specialisation and our unique MSc Human Bioarchaeology and Palaeopathology and MSc Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology are ideal for postgraduates nurturing both academic and professional aspirations. We welcome applications from researchers seeking MRes and PhD qualifications tailored to specific interests, and we offer strong developmental support. With our expertise in a wide range of archaeological disciplines and significant research activity across the globe, our aim is to create a top-class learning environment that is vibrant and supportive and enables you to make a difference in your chosen field. For more information see our department pages.
Read moreFacilities
The Department of Archaeology has a reputation for excellence and connections across the world. We are home to state-of-the-art laboratories, specialist technology and some of the best library resources in the UK. We have project rooms with interactive technology, teaching laboratories, a computer suite, a photographic studio and scientific research laboratories in DNA, conservation, isotopes, environmental archaeology, luminescence dating, palaeopathology and bone chemistry, many of which are used as learning resources for out postgraduate community. Taught courses and researchers alike benefit from our status as co-owners of a UNESCO World Heritage site and the extensive range of library, museum and artefact collection resources on offer at Durham. The Department of Archaeology can be found in the Dawson Building, which is ideally situated at the heart of the Durham city campus, next to the Bill Bryson Library and the Palatine Centre.
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