Conservation of Fine Art (Easel Paintings) MA

Entry Requirements 2025/26

Standard Entry

Applicants should normally have:

A minimum of a 2:1 honours degree in a related subject such Fine Art, Art History, Conservation, or Applied Sciences, including Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Forensic Science, Polymer Science or Chemical Engineering. although applicants from other related fields will also be considered.

Applicants with science backgrounds must have interest in learning about practical art, and arts graduates should have minimum grade 7 or higher in GCSE Chemistry or 65% or above in the Chemistry for Conservators’ Certificate from the International Academic Projects correspondence course.

Applicants are required to have sound colour vision, manual dexterity, logical thought and the ability to apply theoretical knowledge to changing practical situations. Applicants should also appreciate the integrity of works of art and have a sensitivity of approach, along with a calm temperament and infinite patience.

International qualifications:

If you have studied a non UK qualification, you can see how your qualifications compare to the standard entry criteria, by selecting the country that you received the qualification in, from our country pages. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/yourcountry

English language requirements:

International applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent*).

*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/englishqualifications

This programme has been developed to provide all the skills and knowledge required to begin a career in Fine Art Conservation. At Northumbria there are also many additional opportunities available to further enhance your career prospects. 

Throughout the duration of the programme, you will develop employability skills, not only as a conservation practitioner in your chosen specialism, but through participation in seminars and class discussions where you will develop important ‘soft skills’, that will enable you to take the first step in your career as a conservator. Northumbria University is committed to enhancing employability of its students by supporting students in their career journey while on the programme and beyond. In addition to completing a professional placement to further enhance your development, students have the opportunity to present their own research at the annual Gerry Hedley Student Symposium organised by the conservation departments at Northumbria University, the Courtauld Institute, London and the Hamilton Kerr Institute, University of Cambridge. 

Staff have a strong professional network which, together with a worldwide cohort of alumni, assists in providing students and graduates with placement and job opportunities. Students are actively encouraged to organize and participate in placements during the summer recess between year one and year two in order to gain valuable experience that can be taken forward into the second year.

We actively encourage students to join professional conservation bodies, such as the Institute of Conservation (ICON), the International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic works (IIC) and the International Council of Museums Committee for Conservation (ICOM-CC), all of which have vibrant student and emerging conservator networks. Students are also encouraged to attend and speak at professional conferences, particularly those that are student-led. This helps you to network with professionals and peers working within the profession.

You will also benefit from our formal partnerships with the Northumbria University collections and archives and with several local and national museums (for example: Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums, the Bowes Museum, the National Museum of Scotland, V&A, and Tate). We also have a long-standing relationship with the National Trust in the UK, who have provided students with opportunities for study and project work in the past.

On completion of the programme, students typically find employment in galleries, libraries, archives, museums and other heritage institutions, or continue their research to PhD level. 

Northumbria University Conservation of Fine Art alumni influence conservation and heritage policy throughout the world. Some notable alumni include; Virginia Lladó-Buisán, Head of Conservation & Heritage Science, Bodleian Libraries; Britta New, Senior Painting Restorer, National Gallery, London; Anne Slettemoen, Head of Conservation at the National Museum of Sweden; Alan Derbyshire, former Head of Paper, Book and Paintings at the V&A; Dr Bronwyn Ormsby, Principle Conservation Scientist Tate, and Nick Dorman,  Chief Conservator Seattle Art Museum.