www.manchester.ac.uk/museology Current postgraduate research students in the Centre for Museology are working on topics as diverse as:
• The display of Medieval Decorative Arts in 19th century museums and exhibitions
Our web profiles give our emails so that you can easily contact us if you wish. It is in the nature of research that it is exploratory and breaks new ground, and we can help you judge what areas you might most profitably explore. We look forward to hearing from you, and to welcoming you into Manchester’s postgraduate community.
• The materialisation of literary heritage and biography in the house museums of the Romantic poets.
Entry Requirements and Funding
• Exhibitions as a medium of communication
• Cultures of Collecting, Visual Spectacle and the Polities of Nature 1640-1780
Successful applicants to the AGMS MA will normally have a good honours degree (minimum 2:1) in an appropriate discipline. In addition, you must have some work experience (including voluntary work) in a museum, gallery or similar institution. If your first language is not English, you need a minimum score of 7.0 on the IELTS test or 600 on the TOEFL paper-based test (250 computer-based), or the Cambridge Advanced Certificate (grades A-C) or the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (grades AC). Further information about entry requirements can be obtained from our admissions office on 0161 306 1259
• The role of university earth science collections in the climate change agenda
Competition for places on the AGMS programme is high, and we encourage you to apply to as early as you can.
Find out more about our current students at: www.arts.manchester.ac.uk/museology/postgraduate study/research/phd/
Entrants to the PhD programme are normally required to have successfully completed, or to be completing an MA or MPhil, but in exceptional cases a good undergraduate degree alone may be sufficient.
• Displaying Dress: New Models for Historical Collections (AHRC Collaborative Doctorate with Manchester City Galleries) • The Western Front as a Ritual Landscape • Visitor Practices at Historic Sites of Conscience • The development of education policy and practice in contemporary Greek museums
The award of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) follows three years of successful supervised research undertaken in the School (the degree can also be achieved part-time over a longer period). The maximum length of the PhD thesis is 80,000 words. Students registering for a PhD normally have an MA or an MPhil already. The award of Master of Philosophy (MPhil) follows one year of successful supervised research (longer if done part-time), and the thesis is 40-60,000 words in length. If you are thinking of applying to do a research degree in the Centre for Museology, you should consult the individual web profiles of our members of staff and think about how their research interests coincide with yours.
Should you intend to apply for an AHRC award, you should consult the School of Arts, Histories and Culture’s website and contact us early in the academic year in which you intend to apply. Some students (mainly those in certain kinds of cultural history) may instead apply to the Economic and Social Research Council, and the School has several quota awards each year. Further information on School and University awards is available on our website. www.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduate/funding
Postgraduate Admissions School of Arts, Histories and Cultures Mansfield Cooper Building The University of Manchester Oxford Road Manchester M13 9PL tel +44 (0)161 306 1259 email SAHCpg@manchester.ac.uk website www.manchester.ac.uk/museology Royal Charter Number RC000797 J2247 11.08
www.manchester.ac.uk/museology
MA in Art Gallery and Museum Studies / PhD and MPhil in Museology
MA in Art Gallery & Museum Studies PhD and MPhil in Museology
We have strong working relationships with museums and galleries throughout Britain and abroad, and our teaching is delivered in partnership with The Manchester Museum and the Whitworth Art Gallery, both of which are part of The University of Manchester. Today the Centre for Museology is a focus for crossdisciplinary perspectives on museum theory, history and practice within the University. We have a vibrant teaching and research environment where the interests of academic staff, postgraduate students and professional practitioners converge. Museology students come from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds, including history, art history, archaeology, anthropology, classics and natural science. The Centre for Museology has links with subject areas within the School of Arts Histories and Cultures and across the University, and our programmes are broad and inclusive.
The wealth of museums and collections in Greater Manchester and the north of England make this an excellent place to study museums. Our students undertake projects and work placements at a great variety of institutions including: Manchester Art Gallery; Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston; Cornerhouse, Manchester; Henry Moore Institute, Leeds; Lancashire County Museum Service; the Liverpool Biennial; Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester; People's History Museum, Manchester; Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds; Salford Art Gallery; and Stockport Museum.
MA in Art Gallery and Museum Studies Art Gallery and Museum Studies (AGMS) has been taught at The University of Manchester for over thirty five years. It is one of the longest established MA programmes in museum studies in the country, and our alumni have reached senior positions in museums and galleries throughout the UK and overseas. Today, the AGMS programme is continually being reviewed and developed in response to new research, emerging critical approaches and shifts in museum practice. Manchester's traditional focus on the art gallery remains, but is now balanced by courses which address history, theory and practice in a range of institutions. Throughout the programme, students examine diverse issues related to museum theory and practice, visit numerous museums, galleries and cultural organisations, and have many opportunities to discuss ideas and issues with both professionals and academics in the field. The AGMS programme combines both guided and independent study, and includes seminars, guest lectures and site visits.
Programme of Study In semester 1, all AGMS MA students take two core courses: The Museum and its Contexts and Museums, Museology, Museographies (each 30 credits). These core courses are designed to introduce you to key issues and ideas in museum practice, and also to different approaches to the study and analysis of museums. In semester 2, you can choose two courses (each 30 credits) from a menu of options, including: • Art in the City: Collecting and Curating • Science, Nature, Museums • Museums and Archaeology • Museums of Conflict and Conscience • Museums, Anthropology and Material Culture • Objects and Exhibitions • Digital Heritage
• Museum Policy and Practice • Learning and Interpretation The semester 2 courses build on the knowledge and understanding you have gained in semester 1, and enable you to develop your expertise in a particular disciplinary area (eg museums of art or archaeology) or sphere of museum practice (eg collections management or interpretation). The MA concludes with a 12,000-15,000 word dissertation (60 credits) on a topic of your choice, which is approved and supervised by your dissertation supervisor. The AGMS curriculum is designed to allow each student to pursue their individual interests within a broad framework of museum practice, past and present. In addition, all postgraduate students in the School of Arts Histories and Cultures take part in the innovative SAGE (Skills Awareness for Graduate Education) programme which equips you with the skills to undertake effective research.
Work Placement One of the most popular aspects of the AGMS MA programme is the Work Placement which all students undertake in a museum or gallery of their choice. Each Work Placement involves a minimum of twenty days work on a specific project such as a temporary exhibition, collections management project or education programme. Many students find this such a positive experience that they carry on working in their museum when the Work Placement has finished, and each year a few students are offered jobs by their Work Placement hosts.
What are the career destinations of AGMS graduates? Of course, job destinations vary according to the interests, ambitions and skills of each individual, but the majority of our students are successful in obtaining professional posts in collections, exhibitions, education, interpretation or some aspect of museum/arts management soon after completing the MA. Visit our website to find out more about the experiences of past students who have studied in Manchester: www.arts.manchester.ac.uk/museology
Full-time or Part-time? The AGMS MA is available as a one year full-time or a two year part-time programme. We particularly welcome part-time students and there are many advantages in combining study with work practice, whether you already have a museum post or are just setting out on your career. Each year, a number of mid-career professionals take the MA programme on a part-time basis and find that the University provides a valuable space for reflection as well as for further learning.
Postgraduate Life in the Centre for Museology Both the Centre for Museology and the School of Arts Histories and Cultures host a varied programme of activities and events for postgraduate students, including occasional master classes and workshops as well as our regular calendar of:
How will the AGMS MA support my career goals?
• Museology Research Seminars
The AGMS MA is an important entry-level qualification for anyone seeking to pursue a career in museums or galleries. It is also a valuable resource for continuing professional development for mid-career professionals. In addition, the MA provides a thorough training in the skills needed to do further postgraduate research. These skills in research design and planning are transferable to jobs in the museum sector as well as being a vital first step to PhD research.
• Showcase Seminars at the Manchester Museum • Research Forum for PhD students Our MA teaching is informed by our research activity and AGMS students benefit from the exciting range of projects in which Museology staff are involved.
MPhil and PhD Degrees in Museology All Museology staff supervise research students and welcome enquiries from prospective students in their respective research areas: • Dr Sam Alberti is a historian of museums, with especial interests in natural history, anatomy and medical collections. He holds a joint appointment as Research Fellow at The Manchester Museum and is a specialist in the history and practice of university museums. • Dr Konstantinos Arvanitis works in the field of Digital Heritage that includes the theory and practice of digital media in museums, galleries and other heritage sites. He reserarches the use of in-gallery digital interactives, Web 2.0 applications and mobile media (such as mobile phones and hand-held computers) for purposes of curation, interpretation and learning. He also works in the areas of archaeological curatorship, museum archaeology, monuments in urban environments and outdoor museums. • Dr Helen Rees Leahy works primarily on collections of fine and decorative art, and writes on issues of art collecting, display and interpretation, gallery space and the art market. She also works on practices of visiting and the politics of cultural access, past and present. • Louise Tythacott specialises in the relationship between anthropology and museums. She has written on the relationship between non-western art and museums and her present research interests focus on the history of the perception and display of nonEuropean objects and the politics of representing other cultures in museums. For more information about the research interests of the staff in the Centre for Museology, go online to: www.arts.manchester.ac.uk/museology/academicstaf f/index.htm
MA in Art Gallery and Museum Studies / PhD and MPhil in Museology
The Centre for Museology was launched in 2002 and is based in the School of Arts, Histories and Cultures at The University of Manchester. The aims of the Centre are to develop teaching and research in museum theory and practice, and to promote academic and professional collaboration with the museum profession in the North West, throughout the UK and overseas.
www.manchester.ac.uk/museology
MA in Art Gallery & Museum Studies PhD and MPhil in Museology