History of Art with Collections Management
Entry requirements
A second-class honours degree (2:2 or above).
For students with a degree in a subject other than history of art, the Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma in Art History can be used as a conversion course. Students who successfully complete the Certificate or Diploma with Merit will normally be guaranteed a place on this course.
Applications are reviewed on their individual merits and your professional qualifications and/or relevant work experience will be taken into consideration positively. We actively support and encourage applications from mature learners.
Months of entry
October
Course content
You will gain a solid grasp of the key issues and fundamental skills involved in collections management and an insight into the different working practices of various museums and galleries. During an intensive week studying current issues and practices in collections management you will benefit from meeting curators and collections managers in London's museum and galleries sector, and engage in hands-on activities including documentation, cataloguing and issuing loan requests.
You will also have the opportunity to undertake a 10-week supervised work placement in one of London's thriving museums, galleries or archives. Previous work placements have been offered at the Tate, British Museum, Whitechapel Gallery and Horniman Museum. Past students have documented collections that were previously uncatalogued, helped design and run schools programmes, conducted visitor research and assisted curators in producing exhibitions.
As well as regular gallery and museum visits, we also offer an exciting study trip abroad every spring.
Please note: the option to study this course online is not available for 2024-25 entry. The 'Apply Now' link below will be removed soon for the online option. We apologise for any confusion.
Highlights
- Birkbeck was ranked as one of the top four universities in the UK for its Art and Design research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.
- We offer a number of bursaries for postgraduate students. Funds are also available to support research expenses for your coursework on this MA.
- Birkbeck has an international reputation for its innovative approaches to the history of art, visual culture and museum studies, and attracts a rich programme of visiting scholars and practitioners. We are home to the History and Theory of Photography Research Centre, the Architecture, Space and Society Centre, the Centre for Museum Cultures and the Vasari Research Centre. You will also have access to the Centre for Film and Visual Media. We have state-of-the art cinema and exhibition spaces, all housed in a historic building that was a former home to key members of the Bloomsbury Group, including the author Virginia Woolf and the artist Vanessa Bell. Birkbeck Library has an extensive collection of books and journals in museum studies and history of art.
- Close to our location in Bloomsbury in central London, you can explore some of the world's best architecture, galleries and museums, collections and art spaces, such as the British Library, British Museum, Sir John Soane's Museum, Foundling Museum, Wellcome Gallery, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain, Tate Modern and V&A.
- We host a range of events including information evenings for prospective students; the annual Murray Lecture where speakers have included Gabriele Finaldi, Director of the National Gallery, and Neil MacGregor, former Director of the British Museum; and exhibitions and displays at Birkbeck's Peltz Gallery, and events at the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities. Find out more about our staff and student activities on the Birkbeck History of Art blog.
- You will have the opportunity to apply for a work placement in one of London's thriving museums, galleries or archives, and the option to join our study trips, offered each spring. Cities visited in the last few years include Florence, Paris, Venice, Vienna, Rome, Berlin and Moscow.
Graduates can pursue career paths in the creative arts, media and education. Possible professions include:
- museum/gallery curator
- arts administrator
- advertising account executive
- community arts worker
- multimedia specialist
- higher education lecturer.
Read how undertaking our MA History of Art helped one student secure her dream job at Tate Britain.
We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.
Information for international students
If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests.
If you don't meet the minimum IELTS requirement, we offer pre-sessional English courses and foundation programmes to help you improve your English language skills and get your place at Birkbeck.
Qualification, course duration and attendance options
- MA
- full time12 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
- part time24 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
Course contact details
- Name
- Student Advice Service
- studentadvice@bbk.ac.uk
- Phone
- +44 (0)20 3907 0700