Master of Art Curatorship (Coursework and Minor Thesis)

The coursework masters provides specialist training and a professional qualification for graduates who are working, or seeking to work in the field, and may also be taken for general interest. This course does not necessarily lead to higher degree study, however high achieving students who complete the thesis option may qualify for entry to a masters by research or PhD.

Students who complete the masters will have a good understanding of:

• the role of the visual arts in Australia as reflected by professional networks, funding bodies, and government departments/agencies at national, state and local level;
• the changing role of art museums/galleries in society and the history of collecting;
• the current discourse associated with issues of access, education and funding within art museums and cultural institutions;
• the organisational structure of a collecting institution and the various responsibilities and tasks of its personnel;
• art conservation theory and practice and its role in storage, transportation, display and interpretation of art objects;
• the principles and procedures of cataloguing and presenting art objects in an art museum;
• Students will also have acquired advanced skills in researching and writing on art objects.

200 point program

• six compulsory subjects (75 points)
• elective subjects (125 points)

• six compulsory subjects (75 points)
• completion of thesis at level 500 (37.5 points)
• a maximum of 87.5 points of electives

Total 200 points - subjects are 12.5 points each, unless indicated otherwise.

100 point program

• six compulsory subjects (75 points)
• a maximum of 2 elective subjects (25 points)

Total 100 points - subjects are 12.5 points each, unless indicated otherwise.

200 point program

Compulsory subjects

Elective subjects

100 point program

Duration: 1 year full-time / up to 2 years part-time

Compulsory subjects

Elective subjects

1. The Selection Committee will evaluate the applicant's ability to pursue successfully the course using the following criteria -

• an undergraduate degree with at least H2B (70%) average, or equivalent.

For the 100 point program

• an Honours degree in a cognate discipline; or
• an undergraduate degree in a cognate discipline with at least H2B (70%) average,or equivalent, and two years documented relevant work and/or professional experience.

2. The Selection Committee may conduct interviews or tests and may call for referee reports and employer references to elucidate any of the matters referred to above.

Application process

For the purposes of considering requests for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this course are articulated in the Course Description, Course Objectives and Generic Skills of this entry.

The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

• be able to demonstrate an advanced development of research skills;
• be able to define areas of inquiry and create relevant methods of research in the preparation of essays;
• be able to conceptualise theoretical problems, form judgements and arguments and communicate critically, creatively and theoretically through essay writing, tutorial discussion and presentations;
• be able to demonstrate highly developed skills in presentations;
• be able to communicate knowledge intelligibly and economically through essay writing and seminar discussion;
• be able to participate productively in team work through involvement in syndicate groups and group discussions.