Art Gallery and Museum Studies MA
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Progression and assessment
Most teaching takes place in small seminar groups, involving, as appropriate, directed-reading, fieldwork in museums and galleries, staff and student presentations, discussion and group-work. Students undertake also a group exhibition project (as part of the `Museum Objects and Exhibitions course'). See past exhibition projects
Assessment
`The Museum and its Contexts' (Semester 1 core course): The course is assessed by a 6,000 word essay.
`Museums Objects and Exhibitions' (Semester 1 core course): The course is assessed by a 2,000 word essay (40% of the course mark) and a 4,000 word Fieldwork Portfolio (60% of the course mark). The Portfolio is a critical `reading' of an object, a collection, a display or an exhibition you have visited.
Option Courses (Semester 2): Option courses are assessed by a 5,000 word essay (80% of the course mark) and Group Project Portfolio (20% of the course mark).
Dissertation (Semester 2 and Summer): You can either undertake a standard dissertation or a practice-based dissertation:
- Standard: 12-15,000 words.
- Practice-based A: Exhibition. An exhibition, show or plan thereof. Outcome - exhibition and/or plan plus 8-10,000 words reflection.
- Practice-based B: Policy. Student to develop a piece of museum policy. Outcome - policy or report plus max 8-10,000 words reflection.
- Practice-based C: Digital/Online (building on skills developed in Digital Curating). Outcome - digital media application plus max 8-10,000 words reflection.
Resources, Facilities and training
The programme is shaped by the rich and diverse ecology of museums in the city and the North West, which makes Manchester such an attractive place for museum studies. We work in partnership with museums and galleries in Greater Manchester and beyond. In particular, we work closely with the pre-eminent museums of the University of Manchester: the Manchester Museum and the Whitworth Art Gallery. AGMS teachings is also supported by the rich resources of the John Rylands University Library.
AGMS students take advantage of a varied programme of activities and events at the Centre for Museology and School of Arts, Histories and Cultures, including:
- Museology research seminars
- `Showcase' seminars at the Manchester Museum
- Institute for Cultural Practices events
- Research forum for PhD students