Handbook home
Master of Art Curatorship (038AB)
Masters (Coursework)Year: 2018 Delivered: On Campus (Parkville)
About this course
- Overview
- Entry and participation requirements
- Attributes, outcomes and skills
- Course structure
- Majors, minors and specialisations
- Further study
Coordinator
Alison Inglis
Contact
Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Currently enrolled students:
- Contact Stop 1
- General information: https://ask.unimelb.edu.au
Future students:
- Further information: http://graduate.arts.unimelb.edu.au/
- Contact: 'make an enquiry' on http://graduate.arts.unimelb.edu.au/degrees/18-master-of-art-curatorship
Overview
Award title | Master of Art Curatorship |
---|---|
Year & campus | 2018 — Parkville |
CRICOS code | 027565G |
Fees information | Subject EFTSL, level, discipline and census date |
Study level & type | Graduate Coursework |
AQF level | 9 |
Credit points | 200 credit points |
Duration | 24 months full-time or 48 months part-time |
The Master of Art Curatorship provides specialist training and a professional qualification for graduates who are working, or seeking to work in the field, and may also be taken for general interest. This program does not necessarily lead to higher degree study, however high achieving students who complete the thesis option may qualify for entry to a masters by research or PhD.
Links to further information
Entry requirements
1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:
- an undergraduate degree, or equivalent, including at least 50 credit points at second year level or above in subjects requiring written and analytical assessment, with a weighted average mark of at least H2B (70%), or equivalent.
Meeting this requirement does not guarantee selection.
2. In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:
- prior academic performance; and
- relevance of previous studies.
3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.
4. Applicants are required to satisfy the university’s English language requirements for postgraduate courses. For those applicants seeking to meet these requirements by one of the standard tests approved by the Academic Board, performance band 6.5 is required.
Note:
Applicants with the following may be awarded up to 50 points of credit:
- an undergraduate degree in a cognate discipline, with a weighted average mark of at least H2B (70%); or equivalent;
Applicants with the following may be awarded up to 100 points of credit:
- an Honours degree in a cognate discipline with a weighted average mark of at least H2B (70%), or equivalent ; or
- an undergraduate degree in a cognate discipline with a weighted average mark of at least H2B (70%), or equivalent, and at least two years documented relevant work and/or professional experience.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.The University is dedicated to providingsupport to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website. http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/
Intended learning outcomes
Students who complete the Master of Art Curatorship should have a good understanding of:
- the role of the visual arts in Australia as reflected by professional networks, funding bodies, and government departments/agencies at national, state and local level;
- the changing role of art museums/galleries in society and the history of collecting;
- the current discourse associated with issues of access, education and funding within art museums and cultural institutions;
- the organisational structure of a collecting institution and the various responsibilities and tasks of its personnel;
- art conservation theory and practice and its role in storage, transportation, display and interpretation of art objects;
- the theory and practice of cataloguing and presenting art objects in an art museum; and
- advanced skills in researching and writing on art objects.
Generic skills
Students who successfully complete the Masters should be able to:
- demonstrate an advanced development of research skills;
- define areas of inquiry and create relevant methods of research in the preparation of essays;
- conceptualise theoretical problems, form judgements and arguments and communicate critically, creatively and theoretically through essay writing, tutorial discussion and presentations;
- demonstrate highly developed skills in presentations;
- communicate knowledge intelligibly and economically through essay writing and seminar discussion; and
- participate productively in team work through involvement in syndicate groups and group discussions.
Graduate attributes
Academically excellent
- The program will be taught by leading industry practitioners;
- It will introduce students to key concepts in art curatorship in the context of the most recent scholarship in the field; students will, above all, acquire the skills to research, conserve and display art.
- Students will gain a deep understanding of the changing contexts in which the profession operates, such as globalisation, new curatorial innovations, shifts in art and art museums, and the impact of new technologies on art museums, art galleries and professional practice.
Knowledgeable across the range of specialisations that now comprise art curatorship
- Art curatorship is by nature an interdisciplinary profession requiring deep knowledge across a variety of specialised fields such as collection management, writing on art, and exhibition management and the course is designed to reflect this. Through the diverse curriculum of the course students will have the opportunity to gain an understanding of major ideas and recent developments in fields such as collection registration, art theory, globalisation, art museum management, biennials, cultural policy, funding changes, and art world ecologies.
Leaders in their communities
- As art curatorship is by nature a public-facing profession concerned with questions of civic culture and public innovation and engagement, students will gain a theoretical and practical grounding in issues such as public engagement, cultural governance, the communication of complex and fraught social and cultural issues, and ethical leadership.
Attuned to cultural diversity:
- The course places a major emphasis on issues of cultural diversity in its content, with its emphasis on issues of global culture and cultural difference, and is at the same time expected to attract a diverse local and international cohort.
Active global citizens:
- Art curatorship is by nature a profession oriented around notions of active public engagement on the parts of its curators, their artists and the consumers of art, and this is demonstrated by the blurring of lines between the three through an ever-increasing emphasis on public interaction with art and artists that is mediated by curators; fostering a public, shared ownership of culture across all parts of the community.
See http://provost.unimelb.edu.au/teaching-learning for more information.
Course structure
200 point program
Duration: 2 years full-time / up to 4 years part-time
Coursework Only Option:
- four compulsory subjects (50 points)
- four foundation subjects (50 points) to completed in the first 100 points of the program
- core subjects (miminum 50 points, maximum 100 points)
- elective subjects (maximum 50 points)
or
Minor Thesis Option:
- four compulsory subjects (50 points)
- four foundation subjects (50 points) to be completed in the first 100 points of the program
- core subjects (50 points)
- minor thesis parts 1 and 2 (37.5 points)
- MULT50001 Research Principles and Practices (12.5 points)
Please note: the minor thesis requires enrolment over two consecutive semesters
150 point program
Duration: 1.5 years full-time / up to 3 years part-time
Coursework Only Option:
- four compulsory subjects (50 points)
- core subjects (minimum 50 points, maximum 100 points)
- elective subjects (maximum 50 points)
or
Minor Thesis Option:
- four compulsory subjects (50 points)
- minor thesis parts 1 and 2 (37.5 points)
- MULT50001 Research Principles and Practices (12.5 points)
- elective subjects (maximum 50 points)
Please note: the minor thesis requires enrolment over two consecutive semesters
100 point program
Duration: 1 year full-time / up to 2 years part-time
Coursework Only Option:
- four compulsory subjects (50 points)
- core subjects (minimum 25 points, maximum 50 points)
- elective subjects (maximum 25 points)
or
Minor Thesis Option:
- four compulsory subjects (50 points)
- minor thesis parts 1 and 2 (37.5 points)
- MULT50001 Research Principles and Practices (12.5 points)
Please note: the minor thesis requires enrolment over two consecutive semesters
Capstone Requirement:
All students are required to complete the Capstone Requirement for the program (at least 25 points). Students must complete one capstone option -
Capstone Stream 1: Co-requisites: MULT90018 Internship 1 (Placement Only) (12.5 points) and ACUR90002 Art Museums and Curatorship (12.5 points)
Purpose: An opportunity to acquire a theoretical grounding in art curatorship and management practice and apply this knowledge in a professional context in order to develop an integrated understanding of art curatorship theory and practice.
Capstone Stream 2: ACUR90009 Art Curatorship Thesis Part 1 and ACUR90010 Art Curatorship Thesis Part 2 (37.5 points total)
Purpose: An opportunity to integrate knowledge and research skills to address a specific art curatorship research question. Pathway to the PhD.
Capstone Stream 3: Co-requisites: MULT90018 Internship 1 (Placement Only) (12.5 points) and ACUR90006 Exhibition Management (12.5 points)
Purpose: An opportunity to acquire a theoretical grounding in arts management practice and apply this knowledge to solve problems that arise in a professional context in order to develop an integrated understanding of art curatorship theory and practice.
Capstone Stream 4: MULT90018 Internship 1 (Placement Only) (12.5 points) and AHIS90005 History and Philosophy of Museums (12.5 points)
Purpose: An opportunity to engage critically and theoretically with exhibition practices and strategies and apply this in a professional context in order to develop an integrated understanding of art curatorship theory and practice.
For policies that govern this degree, see Academic Services Policy in the University Melbourne Policy Framework. Students also should also refer to information in the Student Policy Directory.
Majors, minors & specialisations
Name | Credit Points |
---|---|
200 Point Master of Art Curatorship | |
150 Point Master of Art Curatorship | |
100 Point Master of Art Curatorship |
Further study
Students who complete the thesis option may be eligible to undertake a PhD or Masters by Research program.
Last updated: 29 March 2024