Curating with Professional Placement at University of Essex at Colchester

The University of Essex MA Curating offers a practical and theoretical training in devising and curating exhibitions, as students work towards the preparation of an exhibition at Essex's on-site Art Exchange gallery.
Essex's course combines practice, theory and histories of curating in equal measure. Students will develop essential base skills for a successful exhibition – from object handling to managing exhibition budgets – through visiting lectures by active museum professionals; practical workshops using the on-site collection and galleries; and competitive placements at leading institutions. Previous students have worked at the V&A, Royal Academy of Arts, Hayward Gallery and Firstsite Gallery.

Students will build their own confident grasp of the history and theory of exhibition-making, studying with academics who besides being active curators are producing new key texts on the curatorial history and theory. Students study topics including: how an exhibition can be used as a means of social and political critique, the historical role that museums have played in society, participation and social engagement between spectators, artists and curators, and a choice of history of art options. 

Essex is ranked 6th among Art History departments in the UK for research excellence.

MA Curating with Professional Placement offers a unique opportunity for students to gain relevant work experience within an external business or organization, giving them a competitive edge in the job market and providing them with key contacts within the industry. The placement is undertaken between the taught part of the course and the individual project. Its aim is to allow students to acquire industry experience and, especially, develop an appreciation of how the skills acquired in the taught part of the course can be applied to real world work.

Students are responsible for securing their own work placement, but if they change their mind and decide not to do their placement, or if students are not able to secure a placement, they can start their dissertation earlier and complete their Masters in the first year.

The visual arts and culture industries have become an increasingly significant part of the national and international economy, and Essex's art history graduates leave Essex with the skills to take advantage of this growing opportunity.

Graduates from Essex's programmes are ideally prepared for roles in the media, in advertising, in museums and galleries, in education (in schools, universities, and cultural institutions), as conservators, as auctioneers, dealers and antiques specialists, in charities, in publishing, as specialist arts lawyers, as PR agents, in fashion, or to run their own galleries.

Recent graduates have gone on to work for a wide range of high-profile companies including: National Portrait Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum, Sotheby's New York, Momart Ltd, and John Lewis.