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Start Dates
Degree type

MA

Course length

1 year full-time, 2 years part-time

Location

Durham City

Programme code

V6K607

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Course details

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.

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.

Course structure

Year 1 modules

Core modules:

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.

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.

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.

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.

Optional modules:

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.

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

Applicants should hold, or expect to be awarded, a 2:1 Honours degree or an international equivalent, such as a GPA of 3.3 or above.

The ability to demonstrate established interest or previous experience in museums, such as a placement, internship or a voluntary role, would be an advantage.

IELTS 7.0 or above with no component below 6.5; TOEFL IBT (Internet Based Test) 102 or above (with no component below 25).

Application deadlines

There is no specific deadline for applications although applications for any given academic year must be received before the start of that academic year (i.e. applications for the 2025-26 academic year must be received before October 2025).

Tuition fee deposit

All self-financing overseas students are required to pay a £1000 tuition fee deposit if an offer from the Department of Archaeology is accepted. The tuition fee deposit is paid before the University issues a Confirmation of Acceptance to Study (CAS) number, which is required in order to apply for a visa. £500 deposit is also payable by Home applicants if an offer of a place from the Department of Archaeology is accepted.

Alternative qualifications

International students who do not meet direct entry requirements for this degree might have the option to complete an International Foundation Year.

Home students who do not meet our direct entry requirements, may be eligible for our Foundation Programme which offers multidisciplinary programmes to prepare you for a range of specified degree programmes.  

English language requirements

Country specific information

Fees and funding

Full Time Fees

Tuition fees
Home students £12,800 per year
EU students £29,000 per year
Island students £12,800 per year
International students £29,000 per year

Part Time Fees

Tuition fees
Home students £7,100 per year
EU students £16,000 per year
Island students £7,100 per year
International students £16,000 per year

The tuition fees shown are for one complete academic year of study and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase and are expected to rise throughout the programme of study. The fee listed above is for the first year of the course only.
 
More information is available here: Tuition fees - how much are they - Durham University
 

Please also check costs for colleges and accommodation.

Scholarships and Bursaries

We are committed to supporting the best students irrespective of financial circumstances and are delighted to offer a range of funding opportunities. 

Find out more about Scholarships and Bursaries

Career opportunities

Archaeology

In a Department that spans both research activity and practical archaeological skills, you are well-placed to continue your studies or fulfil your career aspirations in professional employment.

We have developed the structure and contents of courses in such a way as to support your desire to pursue a PhD or undertake further academic work in whatever form.

For a rewarding and stimulating professional career, our teaching strategy develops your skills in teamwork, practical and intellectual problem-solving and analysis of evidence, which are highly sought after by employers.

We offer courses that prepare you for a career in professional archaeology, or in the increasingly significant conservation, heritage, or museums sectors.

You will also be well-placed for roles in tourism, environmental agencies as well as local and national government, teaching and law.

Department information

Archaeology

Archaeology at Durham brings together cutting-edge theory and dynamic practice to produce world-class archaeological research. By combining the latest academic thinking with some of the best laboratory and fieldwork resources around, we offer the opportunity to study this fascinating subject at the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage site.

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.

Facilities

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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Find out more:

Apply for a postgraduate course (including PGCE International) via our online portal.  

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