COURSE CURRICULUM

This programme is structured around a set of core modules that collectively build a strong foundation in museum and heritage studies while also developing practical, creative, and professional skills relevant to the contemporary cultural sector. It begins with an introduction to critical issues in museum and heritage development, where students explore museums and heritage as both academic disciplines and creative practices, gaining an understanding of key theories, historical and contemporary roles of institutions, and critical analytical approaches. The global heritage management module expands this perspective internationally by examining how tangible, natural, and intangible heritage is documented, classified, and safeguarded, while also introducing frameworks such as UNESCO designations and encouraging critical awareness of non-Western and alternative heritage perspectives. Creative museum practice focuses on museums as innovative and dynamic spaces, highlighting the role of digital tools, emotional engagement, and audience experience in shaping modern cultural institutions and improving access and participation. Engaging local and global communities investigates how museums interact with diverse audiences through inclusion, activism, migration, memory, and co-production models, with an emphasis on social sustainability and participatory approaches. Sustainable heritage, well-being and place explores the relationship between heritage, environmental responsibility, and human well-being, encouraging students to consider regenerative practices, climate action, and the broader social value of heritage work. The entrepreneurial museum module develops understanding of museums as financially sustainable organisations, combining theory with a live client brief from the National Trust to explore income generation, marketing, and strategic development in cultural institutions. Transforming your career supports professional development through reflection, mentoring, and a 70-hour placement, helping students build transferable skills and plan careers both within and beyond the heritage sector. The programme concludes with a substantial research project, allowing students to produce a dissertation, creative work, or client-based response, integrating academic knowledge and professional practice into an independent piece of work aligned with their career goals and interests.