Cultural Heritage & Museum Studies

For 20 years, the MA Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies at Ulster University has been preparing new professionals to work in the heritage and museum sectors in Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, and GB.

In this engaging programme, we explore the practices, policy requirements, and current issues shaping the heritage and museum sectors. We address issues dominating the sector, such as decolonisation and repatriation. We consider the role of heritage in a post-conflict society. We explore audience engagement and skills needed for exhibition development and cultural management.

Through up-to-date course material, guest speakers from the sector, visits, and placement experience, you will develop the knowledge and skills required to work in the heritage, museum and arts fields.

You will meet our alumni, who share their experiences as visiting lecturers. Our alumni are now working in National Museums NI, local museums and heritage, and the National Trust. They have roles in learning and outreach, curatorship, conservation, and management.

Work placement / study abroad
We arrange a work placement for you in a museum, heritage or arts centre.

Over the years our students have volunteered at Northern Ireland War Memorial, National Trust in Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Museums Council, Ulster Museum, and local museums.

When volunteering in these institutions it is very likely you will meet one of our graduates now working there. There is opportunity to use your volunteering to inform your assignments or as a basis for dissertation research.

For further course details please see "Course Web Page".

Year one
• Exploring Heritage
• Cultures of Curatorship
• Exhibitions: Practice and Evaluation
• MA Research Project
• Research Methods in Heritage and Museum Studies
• Strategic Planning for Heritage and Museum Management

Standard entry conditions
To apply to our postgraduate taught programmes, you must meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements and any course-specific requirements.

Entry Requirements
We welcome people with an honours degree in an area relevant to museum and heritage practice, such as:
• Arts and Humanities e.g. Archaeology and Anthropology, History, Fine and Applied Arts;
• Environmental Sciences e.g. Geography (including human geography and historic geography);
• Social Sciences e.g. Sociology, Policy Studies;
• Business & Marketing e.g. Tourism Studies, Management Studies.

You will find that the diverse student group will greatly enhance your learning experience.

If you do not have an honours degree, but have relevant experience or learning, we will consider your application.

Your Application
Application is through the University's online application system (see "Application Weblink").

Start Date: September 2024

Career options
This course was established in the early 2000s, and we have graduates working in the heritage and museum sectors in Northern Ireland, Ireland, UK and further afield. The diversity of destinations of our graduates is a indication of the wide possibilities post graduation.

Our graduates are working at National Museums NI, Northern Ireland Museums Council, National Trust, Historic Royal Palaces, National Heritage Lottery Fund projects, National Gallery Ireland, National Museums Scotland, NI War Memorial.

The areas graduates have gone on to include:
• Museums, Archive and Galleriesin a curatorial role or working on exhibitions, documentation, education, and outreach.
• Specialist museum-related training e.g. in conservation of museum objects;
• Heritage sector such as working with built heritage, heritage landscapes and community projects; and,
• Doctoral Research: we have a thriving PhD research community, many of whom are graduates of the MA.