Course information

Course highlights

• The degree provides broad training, covering all types of museums, galleries and heritage facilities, and includes the principles of conservation, museum education, exhibition planning and design, and management. Structured visits to museums, art galleries, historic houses, ships and other heritage sites are an essential part of the programme.
  
• Most of the teaching takes place at the Museum of the University of St Andrews (MUSA) which includes four display galleries and a ‘learning loft’ for education.
• Students undertake practical project work with a wide variety of host organisations, from Aberdeen to Edinburgh. This includes the University's Museum Collections which include over 100,000 artefacts and specimens in a wide range of subject areas, from art to zoology.
  
• Full-time students have the opportunity to curate professional exhibitions in the University's galleries and the Fife Cultural Trust's St Andrews Museum, which enables you to develop relevant practical skills.

Teaching format

The MLitt in Museum and Gallery Studies is aimed at students wanting to start a career in museum or gallery work, or for those looking for a mid-career change. The part-time course is designed for museum and gallery employees or volunteers who wish to study while continuing with their work.

All Museum and Gallery Studies students take three compulsory modules over two semesters (or four semesters for part-time studies). The taught courses are delivered through a mixture of lectures, seminars, practical sessions and visits to museums and galleries.

Class sizes typically range from 18 to 24 students, and exhibition teams range from 6 to 9 students. Students complete three assignments per module in a variety of formats including an essay, a documentation and database project, an object study, an exhibition or website review, a lesson plan and a management report. 

The final three months of the course will be focused on writing the final assessment piece, a 15,000-word dissertation.

Museums Galleries Scotland and its member museums provide visiting lecturers and host class visits and individual student placements.

The Museum and Gallery Studies teaching staff are experienced museum curators who continue to be involved directly in museum work.

Further particulars regarding curriculum development.

Part-time studies

The part-time course runs every two years. The taught element is delivered at four week-long residential schools in January and June of each year. There is an opportunity for you to use your practical experience towards the coursework and write up your professional activities for assessment. The Graduate Diploma can be converted to an MLitt on production of a dissertation of 15,000 words, submitted five months after the formal end of the taught course.

Modules

The modules in this programme have varying methods of delivery and assessment. For more details of each module, including weekly contact hours, teaching methods and assessment, please see the latest module catalogue.

Compulsory modules

• Theory and Practice of Museums, Art Galleries and Related Organisations, Part 1: Collections in Context: covers topics such as the developments and purposes of museums, museum ethics, the history of collecting and collections management policies and procedures. 
• Theory and Practice of Museums, Art Galleries and Related Organisations, Part 2: Audiences and Management: continuing from Theory and Practice in Semester 1, this module covers museum audiences and their needs, museum services and programmes, and museum and gallery management.
• Project Work (whole year): involves hands-on learning and develops practical, specialist and transferable skills to prepare students for work in the museums/galleries/heritage sector. It normally includes a team exhibition project and an individual museum work project.

The modules listed ran in the academic year 2015-2016 and are indicative of this course. There is no guarantee that these modules will run for 2016 entry.

Take a look at the most up-to-date modules in the module catalogue.

Dissertation

Student dissertations will be supervised by members of the teaching staff who will advise on the choice of subject and provide guidance throughout the research process. The completed dissertation of not more than 15,000 words must be submitted by a date specified in August.

If students choose not to complete the dissertation requirement for the MLitt, there is an exit award available that allows suitably qualified candidates to receive a Postgraduate Diploma. By choosing an exit award, you will finish your degree at the end of the second semester of study and receive a PGDip instead of a MLitt.

Conferences and events

The School of Art History supports a large, active and diverse postgraduate community. Postgraduate students publish the North Street Review: Arts and Visual Culture journal, an annual journal containing articles on a wide range of topics by students at St Andrews and other universities. The School also organises postgraduate research seminars and occasional symposia. Each year they invite a number of artists and scholars to give lectures.

Museums, Galleries and Collections Institute (MGCI) was established in 2005 and is a leading centre for consultancy, training and research in the heritage sector. It hosts an annual public lecture, usually given by an eminent museum director.

Learn more about what it's like to be a Museum and Gallery Studies student by visiting our student exhibitions, project work and our Facebook page.

Admission to the University of St Andrews is governed by our Admissions policy.

Curriculum development

As a research intensive institution, the University ensures that its teaching references the research interests of its staff, which may change from time to time. As a result, programmes are regularly reviewed with the aim of enhancing students' learning experience. Our approach to course revision is described online. (PDF, 72 KB).

Tuition fees

The University will clarify compulsory fees and charges it requires any student to pay at the time of offer. The offer will also clarify conditions for any variation of fees. The University’s approach to fee setting is described online. (PDF, 84 KB).