Arts Management and Heritage Studies MA

Course overview

In the Arts Management and Heritage Studies MA you'll develop your understanding of the changing political, policy and practice contexts within which the arts and heritage sectors operate today, building a strong foundation to become a leader in the field.

You'll explore the nature of heritage and how meanings of objects, artworks and buildings change in different contexts. You'll examine the challenges faced by arts managers and cultural leaders, and the changes that have led some museums to move towards the role of the ‘manager’ rather than the ‘curator’.

A wide range of optional modules allow you to tailor your Masters to your interests or career plans – including the opportunity to undertake a work placement or consultancy project role in either arts management or heritage. Previous students have undertaken placements focused on collections, digitisation work, digital interpretation and community engagement.

If you’re considering a career in this sector, or if you are currently working as a professional, this Masters course will develop your knowledge, understanding and practical experience, to prepare for your next step.

Supported by our Centre for Critical Studies in Museums, Galleries and Heritage, you'll benefit from our partnerships with major arts and cultural organisations to find out what it means to work in this challenging sector.

Applying

Entry requirements

A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons) in subjects such as (but not limited to) Art History, Fine Art, Cultural Studies, Cultural Policy, History, Geography and English. Other subjects will be considered where an application demonstrates sufficient sector experience / knowledge. Professional experience will also be considered.

Experience of volunteering or working in a relevant field, such as museums, galleries, contemporary art, cultural policy, and/or heritage organisations, is required. We do not require a specific length of time to have been spent in work experience, though you must be able to critically reflect on your experience in your personal statement.

International

Our admissions team are experienced in considering a wide range of international qualifications. If you wish to discuss whether your qualifications will meet the necessary entry criteria, contact the School’s admissions team.

You can also check the accepted qualifications for your country or region.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English

International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Arts and Humanities (6 weeks) and Language for Social Science and Arts: Arts and Humanities (10 weeks).

We also offer online pre-sessionals alongside our on-campus pre-sessionals. Find out more about our six week online pre-sessional and our 10 week online pre-sessional.

You can also study pre-sessionals for longer periods – read about our postgraduate pre-sessional English courses.

Career opportunities

This postgraduate degree is designed to equip you to fill a gap in the current market and become a cultural leader of the future. We encourage you to build up a portfolio of project work to help with future job applications, and you have opportunities to gain practical work experience.

As well as the in-depth subject knowledge you will gain, you will improve your skills in research, analysis, communication and critical and cultural awareness. You will also benefit from the contacts gained through working with partner organisations and the Centre for Critical Studies in Museums, Galleries and Heritage.

Graduates from our School now work as heads of collections, curators and educators in organisations such as museums, the National Trust and charitable trusts. They have also found success in arts marketing and public relations.

Others have also continued with their research at PhD level, many of whom work in academia in the UK as well as the US, Hong Kong and Korea.

I am so grateful for my time at Leeds. Professors, activities and opportunities at the university encouraged me to explore my career outside my boundaries and trust my instincts and skills.