COURSE CURRICULUM

The Master of Curating and Cultural Leadership at UNSW Sydney is a 96 Units of Credit (UOC) postgraduate program designed to develop advanced skills in curating, cultural leadership, and creative industry practice. The program is structured into 66 UOC of core courses and 30 UOC of prescribed electives, with all subjects typically worth 6 UOC each. The core component builds foundational and advanced knowledge across key areas such as communication skills for creative disciplines, research methods in art and design, leadership in the cultural and creative industries, Australian arts ecology, art writing and publishing, cultural heritage ethics and law, and contemporary curatorial theory and practice. Students also complete courses in cultural management and policy, exhibiting cultures, and a capstone project, along with a specialist subject selected from areas such as global contemporary art, histories of contemporary art, or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. The prescribed electives allow students to tailor their studies through practical and theoretical subjects including work-integrated learning, research papers, exhibition design, creative experimentation, audience engagement, museum studies, conservation practices, and curatorial studio courses focused on collections, archives, and social or site-specific contexts. This flexible yet structured program prepares graduates for leadership roles in museums, galleries, festivals, cultural institutions, and policy environments, equipping them to shape and influence contemporary cultural practice locally and globally.