MA Museum Cultures with Collections Management at Birkbeck, University of London

Our MA Museum Cultures with Collections Management combines study of the history and cultural significance of museums with opportunities for you to gain professional museum experience. You will explore the processes that lie at the heart of collections management by which museums ascribe value and meaning to objects, and the ideas, values and ethics which underpin these.

Faculty: School of Historical Studies  |  Duration: One year full-time, on campus; Two years part-time, on campus  |  Study mode: full-time, part-time  |  Intake: October 2027  |  Location: London, England, United Kingdom

What you will study

You will master the wide range of methods and sources, including archives, collections, historical and contemporary texts, needed to understand how museums operate and how their role - and the role of the collections manager - is shifting in the twenty-first century. You will also draw upon museum theory and sector guidelines to document a bequest to museum accreditation standard and critically reflect on this process. Compulsory modules include If you have any queries, you can contact our admissions tutor,, Dorigen Caldwell, ..

Career pathways

Jobs gained by some of our BA and MA graduates include: Collections Officer, City of London, Head of Learning, Design Museum, Curator, Schools Programmes, Tate Modern, Curatorial Assistant, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Curatorial Officer, National Army Museum, Documentation Officer, V&A, Project Curator, British Museum, Collections Systems Lead, Victoria & Albert Museum, Head of Campaign Management, Science Museum, Curator, Handel House MuseumHead Curator, National Maritime Museum.

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