COURSE CURRICULUM

The program is divided into two primary components: region-focused modules and the Core Course. The Core Course spans the autumn and spring semesters, culminating in a museology timed essay and your final dissertation. This is supplemented by region-specific modules that provide in-depth study into different cultural art forms and their display in museums.In the autumn, your Core Course will introduce key topics related to theoretical and methodological approaches to art and material culture studies. You’ll focus on skills like assembling, organising, documenting, disseminating, and analysing collections. The spring semester builds on this foundation, delving deeper into curating collections, conceptualising exhibitions, and conservation. You will gain fluency in core concepts such as agency, sociality, materiality, heritage, style, and analogy, all of which will be critical for your practical and theoretical understanding of museology.Throughout the autumn and spring semesters, you will participate in study visits to museums in the UK and France. These visits are an essential part of your learning experience, providing the opportunity to engage directly with exhibitions and debate both theoretical and practical aspects of museology. These visits will enrich your understanding of museum practice and foster your critical thinking skills.From May to July, you’ll focus entirely on research and reading for your dissertation. This is your opportunity to explore a specific area of interest, culminating in a substantial and original piece of research, supervised by two members of the Sainsbury Research Unit (SRU) faculty.The compulsory modules include in-depth study of the arts of Oceania, the Americas, and Africa, providing both historical and contemporary perspectives. You’ll also complete an SRU museology timed essay and work on your dissertation. Each module focuses on the theoretical and methodological issues surrounding the display and interpretation of art in museums.