MA Contemporary Curating at University of Southampton

Our MA Contemporary Curating course equips you with the knowledge and practical skills that you need to work as a curator in different contexts. Curating is a critical, social and artistic exercise, going beyond exhibition-making to encompass other ways of working alongside cultural projects and public programmes. This contemporary curating master's will give you the guidance and encouragement to create your own curatorial profile, by developing your interests and connecting them with existing debates and practices.

Faculty: Arts and Humanities  |  Department: Art, design and fashion  |  Duration: 1 year full-time  |  Study mode: full-time  |  Intake: September 2027  |  Location: Southampton, England, United Kingdom

What you will study

MA Contemporary Curating programme is studied over one year, full-time, and comprises a mix of core, compulsory and optional modules. For the full-time programme, taught modules in Semester 1, Curatorial Histories & Contexts, provides the conceptual underpinnings, critical research perspectives and empirical examples to inform your developing position as a curator. You'll also study Objects and Methods, which emphasises the social significance of objects, and includes practical sessions on handling and display.

Career pathways

Graduates commonly work in sectors including events venues, local council libraries, universities, education providers, museums, galleries, media groups, local and national government. Careers directly related to the course include visual arts cataloguer, exhibition executive, commercial art gallery manager, museum curator, gallery curator, artistic director, art consultant, arts administrator.

Official programme page