Courses
Course Options
- Graduate Diploma in Museum and Gallery Studies
- MLitt in Museum and Gallery Studies
- MPhil in Museum and Gallery Studies
- MPhil in National Trust for Scotland Studies
Length of taught courses
The full-time Diploma course covers two semesters (September - May). For those progressing to an MLitt, the dissertation has to be completed within the academic year, ie.by the end of August.
The part-time Diploma course takes two years and teaching takes place at four residential schools of 5 days each (see News page for latest details). MLitt dissertations have to be submitted within five months of the end of the part-time Diploma course. Project work is undertaken at the student's place of work.
Graduate Diploma in Museum and Gallery Studies
Full time and part time
The Diploma course essentially provides curatorial training, but curators also need a proper understanding of the work of all their colleagues. Especially in small museums, the 'curator' may have to tackle a wide range of duties. Hence, subjects such as the principles of conservation, museum education, exhibition planning and design are also included. Management topics include forward planning, project management, marketing, visitor services and evaluation techniques. The aim is to ensure that students are equipped to undertake the wide-ranging duties of a curator, but also to recognise which tasks require the expertise of other specialists.
Taught courses are delivered through a mixture of lectures, seminars, practical sessions, and visits to museums and galleries. These are intended to familiarise students with museum systems and practices and to provide an understanding of issues relevant to museums today. A programme of project work complements the taught elements and enables students to develop relevant practical skills and to experience the dynamics of teamwork.
Course Outline
Theory and Practice of Museums, Art Galleries and Related Organisations
This part of the course is taught in two modules, Collections in Context (AH5504 full-time, AH5560 part-time) and Audiences and Management (AH5505 full-time, AH5561 part-time), delivered through lectures, seminars, and visits. Three written assignments are set in each module. The taught courses include lectures and seminars by staff and visiting speakers, both from within the University and from the museums profession. Together the modules form an essential part of a vocational training programme which combines knowledge and skills development to prepare students for work in the museums/galleries/heritage sector or for further research in this area.
Group visits to museums, galleries and heritage attractions are an essential element of the taught course, as are seminars and discussions about these visits and the issues they raise.
AH5504/AH5560 Collections in Context
Introduction to Museums and Collections
- History of museums and history of collecting
- Museum definitions, types and functions
- National Trust and other heritage bodies
- Museum support organisations
- Museum professions
- Current issues and museum ethics
- Museum Registration
- Collections Management:
- Collecting and disposal policies and practices
- Documentation
- Storage, packing and handling
- Conservation - preventive and remedial
- Security and insurance
- Disaster preparedness and planning
- Collections-based research
At the end of the course the students will:
- Understand the nature, development and purposes of museums, galleries and heritage bodies in Britain.
- Have some knowledge of the history of collecting.
- Have a basic knowledge of the main international museum organisations.
- Understand the main forms of museum organisation in Britain
- Be aware of the various professions involved in museum and gallery work
- Understand the role of museum support organisations.
- Understand how the Museum Registration scheme works
- Understand the principles and practice of collections management
- Understand how to study objects
- Be able to use a computerised database and understand its role in the documentation of collections
- Be aware of current issues and philosophical questions on museums and collections
AH5505/AH5561 Audiences and Management
Museum services and the public:
- Enquiries and information
- Research and access to collections
- Publications
- Museum marketing
- Education services
At the end of this course students will:
- Understand the nature of museum audiences and their needs
- Know about the range of services provided by museums and galleries
- Understand the importance of self-development and the role of professional membership organisations
- Understand the range of issues involved in museum management
- Be aware of current issues, ethics and philosophy
AH5506/AH5562: Project Work
The third module of the Museum and Gallery Studies course is Project Work, for which students produce a portfolio. Project work provides skills-based training and experience and is intended to complement the knowledge-based taught courses.
The project work is divided into two parts:
- Exhibition, interpretation, or display work, which usually involves participation in an exhibition organised by students in groups at the Gateway Gallery or in the St Andrews Museum, with support from staff. This group project work includes an element of peer assessment. Part-time students undertake an interpretation project at their place of work.
- Individual projects on the University collections, or on work in a museum, gallery or historic house near St Andrews, or another suitable organisation. Part-time students undertake a project at their place of work. Possibilities for projects include work on the storage of objects or archives, object-based research, educational or outreach work with a museum, recording the local area, preparation for a publication, and so on.
It is estimated that this project work will take altogether the equivalent of 8 weeks full-time activity including writing up. Assessment is by portfolio.
On completion of the project work students will have experience of:
- Planning and implementing real projects for the benefit of museum and gallery organisations
- Working as part of a team
- Taking individual responsibility for the production of a piece of practical work
- Linking current theory with practice, recognising professional standards and ethical issues
- Monitoring the work and delivering a project within an agreed timetable
- Identifying and developing required new skills
- Evaluating the impact of the project on completion
- Preparing and delivering a short talk about the individual project
- Preparing a reflective report with illustrations and appendices detailing the work involved and the specific, personal learning outcomes
Assessment
Assessment of students' work is carried out by teaching staff and by an external examiner who acts as moderator and is usually an experienced member of the museums profession. Each part of the course must be completed and is valued on the following basis:
Diploma |
||
| Taught Course | AH5504/AH5560 | 40 Credits |
| Taught Course | AH5505/AH5561 | 40 Credits |
| Project Work | AH5506/AH5562 | 40 Credits |
| Total |
120 Credits | |
Mlitt |
||
| Mlitt dissertation | AH5509 | 60 Credits |
| Total | 180 Credits |
Marking is done under a system of 20 points as follows
| 16.5 - 20 | Distinction level |
| 13.5 - 16.49 | 13.5 is the minimum average coursework grade required to progress to the MLitt dissertation and the minimum grade required to pass the dissertation |
| 7.0 - 13.49 | Pass level. To qualify for the Gradiuate Diploma, students must achieve a minimum mark of 7 for each module. |
| 0 - 6.99 | Fail |
Opportunities for further study
The School of Art History welcomes applications from students wishing to pursue research in areas relating to Museum and Gallery Studies. For examples of past MGS research projects see the MGS Research page.
MLitt
The Graduate Diploma can be converted to MLitt on production of an examined dissertation of not more than 15,000 words. No extra fee is required for this. The dissertation will normally be based on research relating to museum, art gallery or historic house collections or activities. Subjects have ranged from museological issues such as social inclusion, oral history as a research tool, and heritage policymaking; to art historical and architectural topics, including wood engraving in Scotland and the church designs of J.J. Stevenson
MPhil & PhD
The Graduate Diploma can be converted to MPhil on production of a thesis of not more than 40,000 words. This usually involves one further year of study (and commensurate fees) but students can enrol for the MPhil on a part-time basis.
Supervision can also be provided for students wishing to enrol for a PhD. This normally involves two or three more years of study and fees, and can be undertaken part-time.