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Ulster University - Belfast

Cultural Heritage & Museum Studies

This well-established Masters programme focuses on the concerns dominating the heritage and museum professions and has been designed to meet the demand for highly skilled professionals with the necessary research and analytical skills.

Key areas of investigation include policy concerns relating to heritage, museum and cultural sectors in the UK, Ireland and internationally; analysis of the social, economic and cultural contexts of museums and heritage; management issues relating to museums and heritage sites; and impact of digital technologies on the heritage experience.

We will assist you in establishing voluntary work placements, helping you gain valuable experience. In recent years we have helped secure placements with National Trust, local museums, arts centres and archives.

Our course is often popular internationally, with students coming from Ireland, GB, USA, Canada and France, bringing a range of insights that add to the diversity of the experience.

We also have a thriving graduate network working in learning and outreach in museums, exhibition design, archives, heritage development, the cultural sector and PhD research.

Entry requirements

Entry Requirements

You should preferably hold a good honours degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant discipline. Typically applicants have a degree either in archaeology, history, geography, art or art history, social sciences or education.

Exceptionally, candidates who do not satisfy these requrements may, by virtue of relevant experience or learning, be admitted.

The deadline for submission of applications is 15th May. We will consider late applications but these may experience delays in processing.

English Language Requirements

English language requirements for international applicants
The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.

Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.

Exemptions and transferability

Those applicants seeking entry with advanced standing, (eg. transfer from another institution) will be considered on an individual basis.

Duration

Attendance

This course is taught on the Belfast campus. The part time programme is a 3 year course. Students take 60 credits per year. The first two years of the programme is the taught course. Full-time students attend lectures and seminars two days a week (typically Tuesday and Thursday) and Part-time students one day a week (typically a Thursday in the first year and a Tuesday in the second year).

Careers or further progression

Career options

This programme was introduced in 2001 and since that time our graduates have pursued careers in museums, exhibition design, archives, the cultural sector and further education. Alumni from the programme now form a vibrant community and are having a positive impact on the sector. Past students are invited back to share their experiences with.

The areas graduates have gone on to include:

Museums, Archive and Galleries, entry level posts such as collections management and curatorship, learning and public engagement;

Specialist museum-related training e.g. in conservation of museum objects

museum based internships

The heritage sector (such as National Trust) and the arts

PhD research

Graduates also pursue other interests such as travelling.

For information on postgraduate research opportunities see: www.arts.ulster.ac.uk/rgs