History of Art with Collections Management
Entry requirements
A second-class honours degree (2:2 or above).
For students with a degree in a subject other than history of art, the Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma in Art History can be used as a conversion course. Students who successfully complete the Certificate or Diploma 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.
Months of entry
October
Course content
Our MA History of Art with Collections Management will absorb you in the rich and dynamic discipline of the history of art as well as preparing you for the museum workplace with an intensive collections management module that will equip you with essential skills and experience.
Why choose this course?
- You will study with internationally recognised experts. Our teaching staff are defining the field, conducting groundbreaking research in periods from medieval to contemporary.
- You will meet experts in London museums and galleries to discuss their work, as well as engaging in hands-on activities relating to documentation, object handling and care.
- As well as regular gallery and museum visits, talks by visiting speakers and screenings, you will have the opportunity to gain further experience by applying for a 10-week supervised work placement in a museum, gallery or archive.
What you will learn
This course will train you in key art historical approaches so you can focus on areas and periods of particular interest. You will gain a solid grasp of the key issues and fundamental, professional skills involved in collections management and an insight into different working practices.
You will develop a concrete understanding of the core processes by which museums and galleries ascribe value and meaning to artworks and objects, such as documentation standards and object entry and exit procedures, and the ideas, values and ethics which underpin these.
You will master a wide range of methods and sources, including archives, collections, historical and contemporary texts, and a broad spectrum of artistic media from cathedrals to digital installations. You will also develop an understanding of the role of the collections manager who, increasingly, cares for diverse collections including intangible ‘objects’ such as digital artwork and song. You will draw upon museum theory and sector guidelines to document a bequest to museum accreditation standards and critically reflect on this process. This will give you advanced skills, much desired by many employers, in analysis, argument and communication.
How you will learn
This course is available to study full- or part-time and you can study it online, as well as on campus. Regular classes are held in the evenings. These include lectures and seminars with an emphasis on vibrant debate enlivened by the diverse perspectives and experiences of our students, some of whom already have strong professional links with the cultural and heritage sectors.
The Collections Management module is taught intensively in the daytime over a one-week period during the spring term. For those studying on campus, it includes organised visits to museums, galleries, archives, collection stores and heritage sites in London.
You will be able to follow your interests choosing from a wide range of option modules and exploring a range of media: painting, sculpture, print culture, architecture, digital art, photography and performance.
You will also devise your own research project for your dissertation, supervised by one of our specialists.
If you require a Student visa to study in the UK, you will only be able to apply for the on-campus study option for this course. The online option will not be available to you because it may affect the conditions of your visa.
Highlights
- You will have the opportunity to apply for a work placement in one of London's world-renowned museums, galleries or archives. Previous work placements have been offered at the V&A, Tate, British Museum, National Portrait Gallery, John Soane’s Museum, Whitechapel Gallery, Westminster Abbey, London Transport Museum and Horniman Museum. Past students have documented collections that were previously uncatalogued, helped design and run school programmes, conducted visitor research and assisted curators in producing exhibitions.
- We also offer an exciting study trip abroad every spring. Cities visited in the last few years include Florence, Paris, Venice, Vienna, Rome, Berlin and Moscow.
- Birkbeck is one of the leading universities for the study of the history of art as a culturally and historically engaged discipline and was ranked as one of the top four universities in the UK for its Art and Design research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.
- You can become involved in our lively research culture and attend a wide range of events, including the Postgraduate Research Seminar, which brings art historians from all over the UK and beyond to speak at Birkbeck, the exhibitions and displays at Birkbeck's Peltz Gallery, and events at the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities, Centre for Museum Cultures and Murray Group.
- You will have access to an incredible range of resources and renowned art collections, monuments and study facilities in London, including Birkbeck’s own Jo Spence Memorial Library and Archive. You can also benefit from the resources of the Birkbeck Library, Senate House Library, the British Library, specialist libraries at the University of London, Courtauld Institute of Art, Royal Institute of British Architects and V&A, as well as the visual resources of the British Museum, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain, Tate Modern, V&A, Barbican Gallery, Institute of Contemporary Arts, Hayward Gallery and Royal Academy, and many commercial galleries and salesrooms.
- We offer a number of bursaries for postgraduate students. Funds are also available to support MA coursework research expenses.
On successfully graduating with this MA History of Art with Collections Management you will have gained an array of important transferable skills, including:
- highly developed visual skills
- an advanced critical ability in understanding and applying complex theories
- facility and precision in the use of a range of analytical tools
- the ability to research and write professional documents designed for a specific audience
- 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:
- museum/gallery curator
- museum registrar or collections manager
- arts administrator
- auctioneer
- researcher
- lecturer in higher education
- advertising account executive.
Graduates from our history of art postgraduate courses have gone on to be employed at the following organisations:
- Head of Learning, V&A
- Director of Photoworks
- Senior Documentation Officer in Collections Management, V&A
- Director of Learning and Research, Design Museum
- Director’s Researcher, Victoria and Albert Museum
- Curator, Schools Programmes, Tate Modern
- Curatorial Assistant, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
- Curatorial Officer, National Army Museum
- Subject Leader, AS and A2 Critical and Contextual Studies (History of Art), City and Islington College
- Curator, Queens Gallery, Buckingham Palace
- Head of Campaign Management, Science Museum
- Curator, Thai Art Exhibition
- 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
- Exhibitions Co-ordinator, Royal Institute of British Architects
- Education Officer, Jewish Museum
- Collections Researcher, Contemporary Art Society.
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.
Information for international students
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.
Qualification, course duration and attendance options
- MA
- full time12 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
- part time24 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
Course contact details
- Name
- Student Advice Service
- studentadvice@bbk.ac.uk
- Phone
- +44 (0)20 3907 0700