How to get into museum conservation

Preserving the past and educating and inspiring future generations is all in a day's work for heritage conservators. Learn more about museum conservation jobs and how to get into this competitive field

What is museum conservation?

Conservation is the scientific art of preserving, protecting and restoring historical artefacts, or objects of great cultural significance. Most large museums have their own conservation labs where exhibits are cared for, ensuring they can be enjoyed for generations to come.

It goes without saying that to work as a conservator you need a passion for preserving the past as you'll play a vital role in educating the public by using your training and knowledge to give valuable collections a new lease of life.

Are there different types of conservation work?

Museum conservators look after a range of collections including:

• works of art - paintings, sculptures, drawings etc
• historic objects - books, clothes, ceramics, documents, furniture, tools etc
• scientific specimens - animal and plant material, space matter etc.

There are two main types of museum conservation practices. These are:

• Remedial - involves cleaning and repairing objects to restore them to their original state. This type of conservation is also known as 'interventive' conservation.
• Preventative - focuses on controlling the physical environment in which objects are stored to prevent them from deteriorating. This involves climate control, pest management and monitoring sources of light, heat and pollution.

Why choose a career in conservation?

'The profession is the perfect mix of arts and science, you need an excellent understanding of both to do the job,' says Louisa Burden, head of conservation at the British Museum.

The variety of work and the intellectual stimulation it provides also make it an attractive prospect. One day you could be conducting in-depth research on an object and investigating the best conservation techniques to use in its restoration, the next you could be handling artefacts. 'You often get to see objects much more closely than anyone else when they come into the labs for treatment,' adds Louisa.

Careers in conservation are also incredibly rewarding. You'll experience a huge sense of personal and job satisfaction knowing that you have a direct impact on preserving cultural heritage for future generations.

'Museum conservation benefits everyone by supporting access to collections through helping ensure the objects are preserved effectively and appropriately,' explains Louisa. 'It's constantly evolving and a relatively new profession, so it's exciting to see newly tested treatments or materials come through, or alternative, more sustainable ways of approaching caring for collections.'

Despite the heritage sector being underfunded and cuts being made, museums rely heavily on the work of conservation professionals. They are a vital part of the industry - they alone have the knowledge and skills to research, handle, investigate, clean and care for artefacts. Without these skills, valuable cultural collections would be put at risk or lost entirely.

If your aspirations include wealth and power, museum conservation probably isn't the job for you, but if you're excited by the prospect of being the first person to touch a shoe last worn by a Roman soldier, or handling the wardrobe of past monarchs, then you should consider conservation as a career.

Do I need a degree to work in museum conservation?

'Formal training is generally required,' explains Louisa and the majority of conservators have a degree. This can be directly in conservation or in a related field such as:

• archaeology
• chemistry
• fine art
• history
• materials science
• museum studies.

'Although most conservation courses are at postgraduate level, a small number in the UK are undergraduate,' says Louisa and these include:

• Cardiff University - BSc Conservation of Objects in Museums and Archaeology
• Kingston University London - Historic Building Conservation FdSc
• University of Lincoln - BA Conservation and Cultural Heritage 

Can I study for a Masters degree?

If you studied an unrelated subject at undergraduate level you'll likely need a postgraduate qualification in a relevant field to work as a conservator.

However, if you gained a conservation or related Bachelors degree, Masters study isn't always necessary. However, it can open doors to more job opportunities, especially outside the UK where a Masters is often a prerequisite for employment.

While not essential, Masters study allows you to learn about specific areas of interest in more depth.

To get onto most conservation Masters you'll need a 2:1 as well as an A-level science qualification (preferably in chemistry).

Unlike undergraduate degrees, there are plenty of conservation Masters to choose from, a selection includes:

• Cardiff University - MSc Conservation Practice
• Durham University - MSc Conservation of Archaeological and Museum Objects
• Northumbria University Newcastle - MA Preventive Conservation
• University College London (UCL) - MSc Conservation for Archaeology and Museums
• University of Lincoln - MA Conservation of Cultural Heritage
• University of York - MSc International Conservation Studies

The two year, part-time, distance learning MA Preventive Conservation at Northumbria University Newcastle immerses you in the world of preventive conservation and collections care, allowing you to complete a work placement in your second year. As a minimum you'll need a 2:2 degree in a relevant subject for entry. Fees in 2025/26 cost £9,700.

The two-year MSc Conservation for Archaeology and Museums at UCL consists of one year's training within the Institute of Archaeology, followed by a ten month, assessed conservation work placement at a museum. Compulsory modules include Conservation processes, Conservation studies and Conservation: materials science. Tuition fees in 2025/26 are set at £16,000 for UK students.

Search for postgraduate courses in conservation and learn more about postgraduate funding.

Can I do a museum conservation apprenticeship?

Yes, so if you'd like to work in museum conservation but university life isn't for you, consider an apprenticeship. Being an apprentice means you develop your knowledge and skills in a particular area through learning on the job. This practical approach offers real career experience and a salary from day one.

Apprenticeship schemes in the culture and heritage sector are generally widespread and cover a range of jobs such as museums and galleries technician, archivist and records manager and curator but the most relevant to budding conservation professionals is the Level 7, four and half year Cultural Heritage Conservator Degree Apprenticeship.

On completion of the Masters-level programme you’ll hold an MA or MSc in Heritage conservation and will be qualified to work as a conservator/specialist conservator.

Find out more about degree apprenticeships and learn discover how to apply for an apprenticeship.

What about professional conservation qualifications?

Continuing professional development (CPD) will be essential to your career as a conservator. This involves gaining new knowledge and skills over the course of career and keeping up to date with emerging practices and techniques.

Joining a professional organisation, such as the Institute of Conservation (Icon), can help with career development as it provides opportunities for mentorship and networking and provides access to industry events, literature and courses.

Learn more about CPD opportunities for graduates.

Icon also provides professional recognition for those looking to become an Accredited Conservator-Restorer (ACR). This lets employers, clients and peers know that a conservator has demonstrated a high degree of competence, sound judgement and in-depth knowledge in their field.

What skills do I need to become a conservator?

To work in conservation you'll need an in-depth academic knowledge of the following subjects:

• anthropology
• archaeology
• art history
• arts
• crafts
• materials science.

To become a conservator, this knowledge needs to be combined with a variety of practical abilities.

Working with your hands will be a daily feature of the job so look to develop your craftsmanship skills through activities such as needlework, wood carving and metalwork.

You'll need scientific skills and the ability to complete data analysis.

Conservators also need good practical skills to handle and treat fragile and delicate objects, good colour matching skills to fill and colour losses and great innovation to discover new ways of mounting and displaying collections in exciting and creative ways.

Soft skills such as good communication, attention to detail, excellent hand-eye coordination, teamworking and leadership are essential. A positive attitude is also a plus. The best conservators are smart, dexterous problem solvers.

Do I need conservation work experience?

Securing a relevant museum internship, work experience or volunteering placement will benefit your conservation career. Not only do these experiences help further your skills, they also help when applying for jobs and postgraduate courses.

Application processes for postgraduate programmes are competitive and well-known museum and heritage jobs are hard to secure. Having already gained work experience with museums and heritage institutions can go a long way to impressing course leaders and employers.

Any experience in a heritage setting will be useful so don't limit yourself to museums in particular. For example you could volunteer at a stately home, art gallery or archive.

Specific conservation work experience opportunities include:

• English Heritage offer a small number of volunteer work placements throughout the year at a select number of sites. Conservation cleaning placements are available.
• Icon provides a structured internship programme offering emerging professionals the opportunity to develop their careers, engage with professional networks and learn practical knowledge from experienced conservation professionals.
• Royal Museums Greenwich provide conservation internships and placements for students. You'll get to experience a national museums distinct culture and will be guided throughout your internship by experts in the conservation department.
• The Fitzwilliam Museum occasionally offers paid conservation internships as well as voluntary opportunities.

Other types of experience can also provide valuable knowledge of the heritage sector and transferrable skills so don't rule out part-time jobs, volunteering opportunities and structured placements in areas such as visitor services (admissions, tour guides etc), retail (gift shops) and marketing.

• The Churches Conservation Trust run three-month volunteer programmes in their head office in London where you can help with developing projects, researching or planning events.
• The Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum run the Youth Collective, a group of people aged 18 to 24 who help shape V&A content and events while gaining an insight into creative careers.

Explore work experience and internships in general.

What museum conservation jobs can I do?

There are a number of career options for conservation graduates. While it's not an easy profession to get into, as jobs can be rare you could work in museums, private conservation, teaching or conservation science. You could also get involved in furniture conservation/restoration, bench conservation, working with objects or in preventive conservation/collection care work.

Visit museum websites and read conservation blogs to get an idea of the area of conservation you'd like to work in.

As well as working in national and regional museums, other typical employers include historic houses, galleries and conservation agencies. You can also move into academia and work in a university.

Graduates of the MA at Northumbria have gone on to work for the:

• National Trust,
• TATE
• Tyne & Wear Museums
• New Brunswick Museum
• Heritage Conservation Centre Singapore
• National Gallery Victoria Australia
• National Archives Norway.

Career development is somewhat limited but still possible with the right amount of knowledge and experience. As careers progress, conservators may take on broader management or project management roles or even set up their own private conservation practices.

Larger museums, such as the V&A, have conservation departments and some graduates climb the ladder to lead these groups, but competition for posts is tough.

'Progression often means a move to a new employer or location,' explains Louisa. 'Most progression also requires a move away from working with objects, so if working with collections is your passion you need to consider that there is limited career progression within the museum context that keeps you working directly with objects.

You may decide to go freelance or work for a conservation company having worked within a museum or move into academia. Conservators can also move up into museum or heritage organisation management.'

Find out more

• Explore the full range of museum jobs.
• Discover what to do with a degree in archaeology, history or history of art.