History of Art with Curating
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
This MA History of Art with Curating is ideal if you wish to learn practical skills essential in the museum workplace, while studying the rich and dynamic discipline of the history of art.
Why choose this course?
- You will develop professional skills in curatorial practice, including how to design and pitch your own exhibition proposal and how to write text for diverse audiences, as well as having the opportunity to meet a range of curatorial experts to discuss their work.
- You will work closely with internationally recognised experts in the field, while also benefiting from our vibrant postgraduate research culture and diverse student body.
- You can tailor this course to your interests choosing from a wide range of option modules from the medieval to contemporary period. You can also explore different media, including painting, sculpture, print culture, architecture, digital art, photography and performance.
- Your studies will be enriched by site visits, guest speakers and screenings and, if you choose to study on campus or via flexible learning, you will have the opportunity to apply for a 10-week supervised work placement in a museum, gallery or archive.
What you will learn
This course trains you in key historical approaches and will give you a solid grasp of the principal issues and skills involved in curating practice and an insight into the different working practices of various museums and galleries.
You will master a wide range of methods and sources, including those related to archives, collections, historical and contemporary texts, and a broad spectrum of artistic media from cathedrals to digital installations. You will also learn how the role of the curator has expanded beyond its traditional focus on the care of objects to working directly with artists and audiences to help them tell their stories.
You will draw upon curatorial theory to design and pitch your own exhibition proposal, including optional training on digital design platforms such as ThingLink. This experience offers you the chance to develop advanced skills, much desired by many employers, in analysis, argument and communication.
How you will learn
Classes include lectures and seminars with an emphasis on vibrant debate, enlivened by the diverse perspectives and experience of Birkbeck students.
This course is available to study full- or part-time. Classes are normally held in the evenings, but the Curating module is taught intensively during the daytime over a one-week period during the spring term. If you study this module on campus you will meet experts in London museums and galleries as well as engaging in hands-on activities relating to exhibition development, object interpretation and public engagement. If you study it online you will meet leading professional curators from museums and galleries in the UK and abroad, and engage in live activities relating to exhibition development, object interpretation and public engagement.
You will also devise your own research project for the dissertation, supervised by one of our specialists.
This course is part of our Birkbeck Flexible Master’s UK, which gives you the choice of how you want to study - on campus, online or via flexible learning, which combines both.
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. Online and flexible options will not be available to you because they may affect the conditions of your visa.
Highlights
- Birkbeck was ranked as one of the top four universities in the UK for its Art and Design research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.
- We offer a number of bursaries for postgraduate students. Funds are also available to support research expenses for your coursework on this MA.
- You can 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 biennial Murray Lecture, the Murray Seminar on Medieval and Renaissance Art, the exhibitions and displays at Birkbeck's Peltz Gallery, and events at the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities.
- You will have access to an incredible range of resources, including the Birkbeck Library and our in-house resources centre, 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 encourage you to become involved in our lively research culture, through both the Centre for Museum Cultures and Murray Group, which organises events across the fields of art, photography and architecture.
- You will have the opportunity to apply for a work placement in one of London's world-renowned museums, galleries or archives and the option to join our study trips, offered each spring. Cities visited in the last few years include Florence, Paris, Venice, Vienna, Rome, Berlin and Moscow.
On successfully graduating with this MA History of Art with Curating, 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 postgraduate history of art courses have gone on to be employed at organisations including:
- 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.
Please note, 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. Online and flexible options will not be available to you because they may affect the conditions of your visa.
Qualification, course duration and attendance options
- MA
- full time12 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
- Online learningis available for this qualification
- part time24 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
- Online learningis available for this qualification
- MA
- full time12 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
- part time24 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
- MA
- full time12 months
- Online learningis available for this qualification
- part time24 months
- Online learningis available for this qualification
Course contact details
- Name
- Student Advice Service
- studentadvice@bbk.ac.uk
- Phone
- +44 (0)20 3907 0700