Museum Cultures,MA

Birkbeck, University of London

United Kingdom, London

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Birkbeck, University of London

United Kingdom , London

Key Facts

Program Level

Master by Course Work

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Campuses

Central London

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake DeadlinesOctober-2026

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 1 year(s)

Tuition Fee

GBP 22,980 / year

Next Intake October-2026

Museum Cultures,MA

About

Course Overview

Museums and galleries are contested zones. How history is presented and to whom, and what constitutes culture, have been discussed in the press, in academia and in museums themselves. This MA Museum Cultures introduces you to the long history of museums and to some of the pressing issues that face them today.

Why choose this course?

Museums have been of enormous importance in shaping empires and nations, towns and villages, and their collections are connected to wider histories of conflict and social change. To study museums is to study the development and fierce contestation of our collective cultural imagination and memory.
You will be taught by internationally acclaimed scholars and will have the opportunity to critically consider topics such as the place of museums in a postcolonial age, the impact and use of digital media, the role of community museums, class and the country house, and museum professionalism.
You will benefit from our close links, in teaching and research, with the numerous museums, galleries, archives and heritage organisations across London and beyond.
You will have the opportunity to take a ten-week supervised work placement in a museum, gallery or archive. Previous placements have been offered at Tate, the British Museum, the Science Museum, Whitechapel Gallery and the Horniman Museum to name a few. Past students have helped design and run school programmes, documented collections that were previously uncatalogued, conducted visitor research, and assisted curators in producing exhibitions.

What you will learn

You will master the wide range of methods and sources needed to understand how museums operate and how their role is shifting in the twenty-first century. This will give you advanced skills, much desired by employers, in analysis, argument and communication.

You will learn to understand and to question the role and impact of the museum, thus preparing you for a wide range of careers in the sector. You will be introduced to critical issues facing the museum today, and be able to follow your interests taking specialist option modules that will allow you to explore a subject in depth, such as decolonisation, the art of Renaissance Italy, modern photography, or curatorial practice in the twenty-first century. Subject-specific training in research skills is also provided.

How you will learn

MA Museum Cultures is available to study in the evening either full- or part-time, so you can fit your studies around other commitments. Classes may include short lectures, seminar and small-group discussions or tasks such as the analysis of texts and visual material. Option modules may also include organised visits to museums, archives and heritage sites.

We encourage vibrant debate, enlivened by the diverse perspectives and the experience of Birkbeck students, some of whom already work in the museum and gallery sector. In your final year, you will devise your own research project, supervised by one of our specialists.

Discover the career opportunities available by taking Museum Cultures (MA).

Requirements

Entry Requirements

A second-class honours degree (2:2) or above in a relevant subject or equivalent (for example, professional experience).

For students applying for the MA with a degree in a subject other than history of art, the one-year, part-time Graduate Certificate in Art History can be used as a conversion course. Students who successfully complete the Graduate Certificate with Merit will normally be guaranteed a place on this course.

Applications are reviewed on their individual merits and your professional qualifications and/or relevant work experience will be taken into consideration positively. We actively support and encourage applications from mature learners.

On your application form, please list all your relevant qualifications and experience, including those you expect to achieve.

Apply now to secure your place. The earlier you apply, the sooner your application can be considered and you can enrol. You do not need to have completed your current qualification to start your application.

English Program Requirements

If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests.

If you don't meet the minimum IELTS requirement, we offer pre-sessional English courses and foundation programmes to help you improve your English language skills and get your place at Birkbeck.

Visit the International section of our website to find out more about our English language entry requirements and relevant requirements by country.

Career

On successfully graduating from this MA Museum Cultures, you will have gained an array of important transferable skills, including:

a sophisticated use of written and spoken English
an advanced critical ability in understanding and applying complex theories
facility and precision in the use of analytical tools
strong skills and initiative in collecting and organising complex materials and writing up clear, well-presented assignments and fluent critical arguments.

Graduates can pursue career paths in: the museums and heritage sector; arts management, conservation and policy; education, marketing and publishing; and research and academia. Possible professions include:

higher education lecturer
museum/gallery curator
museum registrar or collections manager
arts administrator
researcher
advertising account executive.

Jobs gained by some of our BA and MA graduates include:

Head of Learning, Design Museum
Curator, Schools Programmes, Tate Modern
Curatorial Assistant, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Curatorial Officer, National Army Museum
Head of Campaign Management, Science Museum
Curator, Handel House Museum
Head Curator, National Maritime Museum
Director, Foundling Museum
Curator, British Art 1850-1915, Tate Britain
Courses and Events Programmer, National Gallery.

Read blogs by former students Danny Birchall, the Wellcome Collection's Digital Manager, and Carla Valentine, author and mortician.

We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.