Museum and Artefact Studies

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 course 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 degree by choosing either the Museum Communication module (Route 1) or the Dissertation module (Route 2).

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 course 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.

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.

For your final module, you may choose ONE of the following:

Museum Communication (Route 1)

In this module, you put the concept of communication in relation to museum collections into practice by working as team to create a public exhibition with linked education activities, usually with an online component, involving collections and/or sites, working to professional standards and in collaboration with museum, archive and heritage staff. You will gain an understanding of contemporary principles and good practice relating to museum and heritage communication and develop curatorial, interpretative and museum education and project management skills. This module extends throughout all three terms of the academic year and is open to Museums Studies students only.

OR

Dissertation in Museum & Artefact Studies (Route 2)

In this module, you research and write a dissertation which enables you to develop and demonstrate knowledge in your chosen aspect of museum and artefact studies. You are encouraged to gain a detailed familiarity with relevant published literature, to consult with a range of academic and professional specialists, and to gather a body of data, evaluate it and draw appropriate conclusions, supported by your supervisor. This module is open to Museums Studies students only.