Postgraduate Certificate in Curating and Collections Management

Program Overview

The Curating and Collections Management PG Cert at Birkbeck, University of London is a vocational qualification that equips students with practical skills and knowledge in museum work. The program focuses on contemporary challenges and opportunities in curating and collections management, with a focus on exhibitions, loans, cataloguing, and object storage. It is suitable for individuals with a first degree interested in a vocational qualification or museum and gallery professionals seeking professional development.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

• Goal: Equip students with practical skills and knowledge in museum work, exploring contemporary challenges and opportunities in curating and collections management.
• Focus:
• Understanding issues related to exhibitions, loans, cataloguing, and object storage.
• Gaining hands-on experience through museum visits, project work, and discussions with experts.
• Addressing key questions like "How do you pitch an exhibition proposal?"
• Target Audience:
• Individuals with a first degree interested in a vocational qualification.
• Museum and gallery professionals seeking professional development.

Outline:

• Structure:
• Two 30-credit core modules: Collections Management and Curating.
• Each module can be taken in any order.
• Each module meets for one week every other year.
• Module Descriptions:
• Collections Management:
• Covers the principles and practices of managing museum collections.
• Focuses on preventive conservation, risk assessment, and handling procedures.
• Explores issues like ethics, legislation, and access.
• Curating:
• Examines the role and responsibilities of curators.
• Explores different curatorial approaches, including exhibition development, interpretation, and research.
• Covers key topics like audience engagement, digital curation, and ethical considerations.
• Schedule:
• Two weeks of intensive study per year, usually in March.
• Full-time or part-time options available.
• On-campus format in central London.

Assessment:

• Project coursework only.
• No written examinations.
• Projects focus on applying learned concepts to real-world scenarios.

Teaching:

• Expertise:
• Drawing on faculty from Birkbeck History of Art, Visual Culture and Museum Studies.
• Featuring academics with experience in prominent museums, galleries, and institutions.
• Inviting guest speakers from the museum and art world.
• Approach:
• Balancing theoretical knowledge with practical application.
• Fostering active learning through group projects, discussions, and case studies.
• Utilizing London's vibrant museum landscape for visits and hands-on learning experiences.

Careers:

• Potential career paths:
• Museum and gallery work: curators, educators, archivists, administrators.
• Heritage and cultural sectors: historic sites, libraries, archives.
• Academia: research, teaching, and writing in art history, museum studies, and related fields.
• Opportunities:
• Recent graduates secured positions in institutions like the Jewish Museum, Geffrye Museum, English National Opera, and Bishopsgate Institute.
• Program provides preparation for diverse roles within the museum and cultural sectors.

Other:

• Highlights:
• Ranked among the top four universities in the UK for Art and Design research (REF 2021).
• Situated in Bloomsbury, offering access to world-class museums and galleries.
• Offers study trips to major European cities, allowing students to experience diverse museum practices.

Part-time home students: £1,800 per year Full-time home students: £3,600 per year Part-time international students: £3,305 per year Full-time international students: £6,610 per year