Museums, Galleries and Contemporary Culture with Professional Experience MA

Course summary

The Museums, Galleries and Contemporary Culture with Professional Experience MA is a unique course that offers you the opportunity to undertake an extended work placement and gain professional work experience. It is partnered with the one-year course, Museums, Galleries and Contemporary Culture MA. On the two-year course, you'll do the same taught modules as on the one-year course, but you'll have the added opportunity of doing a placement lasting from three to six months in your second year.

The Museums, Galleries and Contemporary Culture MA examines how cultural institutions are changing to meet the needs of the 21st century. The MA is for you if you're pursuing a career as a museum professional, curator, or arts organiser. It will equip you with a critical understanding of the key conceptual and practical skills in curatorship, museology and museum management necessary for you to succeed in your professional life.

The course looks at the changing role of cultural provision and how cultural institutions shape, house, fund and disseminate culture today within the broader theoretical context of museum and gallery issues. You'll examine key themes in the cultural sector, and how these are dealt with by leading and smaller institutions in the UK and internationally. In studying and experiencing their day-to-day work, such as how they’re developing innovative practices in relation to their collections, exhibitions and audiences, you’ll gain valuable insight into the sector.

This MA gives you the unique opportunity to immerse yourself in contemporary debates about working practices in cultural institutions by working closely with museum and gallery professionals. You’ll be able to learn with our London-based course partners, The Museum of London and The Photographers’ Gallery, and to meet a variety of other professionals from the sector. Gaining professional knowledge is an important part of the course and you'll be supported in gaining work placements and in working on professional projects.

The University of Westminster is a leading provider in this academic discipline and is ranked 2nd in the UK for Art and Design Research Quality in the Complete University Guide (Subject League Table 2023).

Top reasons to study with us

• Get practical experience – The course has a strong focus on professional experience and employability, and you'll have the opportunity to do practical projects for your assessments
• Gain expert knowledge – On your placement or internship and throughout the course, you'll work closely with museum and gallery professionals
• Study in London's museums and galleries – Classes take place off-site at museums and galleries in addition to at the University, giving you the opportunity to meet professionals in the places where they work

On graduating, you'll be prepared to enter or re-enter the job market at a senior level, and have the skills to work in a variety of positions in the cultural sector.

This course will prepare you for a variety of roles, including:

• Art gallery curator
• Arts and media strategist and adviser
• Collections manager
• Education and interpretation officer
• Funding officer
• Learning and education officer
• Museum curator
• Public events manager