Curating the Art Museum

The programme draws on the Courtauld’s own unique resources – its faculty, conservation department, Gallery and collection - and on its close links with other institutions across London and more widely. The course focuses on the historical, theoretical and political context of the art museum and on contemporary issues relating to the museum and curatorial practice. It also considers the physical history of works of art, issues of handling and conservation and the care of collections, and varying means of communication, whether written or spoken, directed at a scholarly or a wider audience. Students undertake collaborative projects, both virtual and real, oriented towards the exhibition or display of visual art, and written assignments including a dissertation on a related subject; they visit museums and galleries here and abroad, and engage in the planning and delivery of public debates, involving museum professionals and experts, on key issues. A central element of this MA is a part-time internship, running over six months, in a prominent London museum or gallery, designed to maintain and further the crucial dialogue between the theoretical and the practical which underpins the entire course. Graduates of this unique Programme will be ideally placed to contribute to the future of the art museum profession.

Requirements

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Applicants should have an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree (a good 2.1 or a merit at MA level) with at least one specialist module in the history of art. We accept equivalent overseas qualifications (e.g. US applicants should have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above).

If you have earned another overseas qualification, please feel free to contact the Academic Registry for advice; however, please be aware that our staff are unable to confirm whether you will be invited to interview, as candidates are judged on the strength of their applications as a whole.

For applicants whose first language is not English, we require an IELTS bandwidth of 7.0 overall or recognised equivalent.