Museum and Heritage Postgraduate Studies

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Graduate Certificate in Museum and Heritage Studies (GCertMHS)

This certificate, consisting of two core courses, is the ideal introduction to the museum and heritage sector and a platform for further study.

In 2013 the GCertMHS requires the completion of:

Core courses:
MHST 511 Introducing Museums and Heritage
MHST 512 Practicum 1

Duration:
1 or 2 years part-time

Entry requirement:
An appropriate bachelor's degree.

Please enrol online on the Victoria website. Please refer to the Enrolment Procedures for information on the documentation that we require from applicants.

It is possible, with approval, to carry on from a GCertMHS to a GDipMHS and then on to the MMHS.

Graduate Diploma in Museum and Heritage Studies (GDipMHS)

This diploma, comprising an introductory course, a practicum, an elective course and a research essay or project, provides a flexible qualification for working professionals or graduate students seeking a career in the field.

In 2013 the GDipMHS requires the completion of:

Core courses:
MHST 511 Introducing Museums and Heritage
MHST 512 Practicum 1

and either:
MHST 518 Research Essay
or MHST 519 Project

plus: an approved elective

Duration:
1 year full-time or up to 4 years part-time

Entry requirement:
An appropriate bachelor's degree.

Please enrol online on the Victoria website. Please refer to the Enrolment Procedures for information on the documentation that we require from applicants.

It is possible, with approval, to carry on from a GDipMHS to the MMHS. However, please note that MHST 513 Research Methods is compulsory for the MMHS and should therefore be taken as one of the courses for the GDipMHS (i.e. as an approved elective) if you are considering applying to do a MMHS after you have completed the Diploma.

It is also possible to go from a GDipMHS to an MA (by thesis). However, if this is being considered it is recommended that students do MHST 513 Research Methods as part of their GDipMHS because it provides the necessary foundation in research methods and the opportunity to develop a proposal for the dissertation topic.

If students are considering the option of stepping off the MMHS after a year, they should take either MHST 518 or MHST 519 instead of another elective because this gives them the required courses to constitute a GDipMHS. Alternatively, a student who completes Part 1 of the MMHS only may, with approval, be awarded the GDipArts.

Master of Museum and Heritage Studies (MMHS)

This postgraduate degree requires four taught courses, two practicums and a dissertation based on original research. The unique combination of theoretical and applied study at an advanced level prepares graduates for a career in museums, art galleries, and a range of cultural and natural heritage organisations in New Zealand. Taking advantage of Wellington's rich cultural resources, classes incorporate numerous field trips and input from senior staff of local organisations.

Duration:
2 years full-time or up to 6 years part-time.

Entry requirement:

A Bachelor's degree

or qualification through extensive practical professional or scholarly experience of an appropriate kind
or completion of a GCertMHS
or completion of a GDipMHS

and acceptance as a candidate for the degree.

Please enrol online on the Victoria website. Please refer to the Enrolment Procedures for information on the documentation that we require from applicants.

Full-time or Part-time Study

For full-time students the Master of Museum and Heritage Studies is a two-year programme of study. It is suggested that study should be structured as follows:

Year One:

Three taught courses and a practicum:

MHST 511 Introducing Museums and Heritage
MHST 512 Practicum 1 (including one placement)
MHST 513 Research Methods
MHST 521 Special Topic
or MHST 522 Historic Heritage Conservation

Year Two:

One taught course, one advanced practicum, and a dissertation:

MHST 516 Making Meanings: Museums Heritage and Leisure experience
or MHST 519 Project
or MHST 521 Special Topic
or MHST 522 Historic Heritage Conservation
and
MHST 514 Practicum 2 (two placements)
MHST 593 Dissertation

(The courses listed above are all offered in 2013).

It will take part-time students three to four years to complete the degree. An appropriate four-year structure would be:

Year One: two taught courses
Year Two: one taught course, plus Practicum 1
Year Three: one taught course, an advanced practicum and begin the Dissertation
Year Four: complete the Dissertation.

Enrolment Procedures

Applications for 2013 are due Monday 10 December 2012. Please enrol online on the Victoria website.

When you enrol you will be required to attach the following information with your application:

Your CV showing experience relevant to this qualification.
A document containing the following information:
- What you hope to gain from undertaking this programme
- Why you think you should be accepted into this programme.
A sample of written prose of at least 3,000 words, such as an essay from an undergraduate course.

As part of the selection process, you will need to attend an information session on Wednesday 21 November. This session will include an informal interview. Please ring the programme for more details.

Candidates for the degree will be expected to choose a dissertation topic that has theoretical and/or professional relevance to museum and heritage studies in such fields as:

Art and visual culture
Museum history and theory
Culture and identity
History and heritage
Education and interpretation
Māori and Pacific heritage
Exhibitions and collections
Design and Display
Audience and visitor research
Historic sites and buildings

Assessment Procedures

Museum and Heritage Studies courses are all internally assessed. The assessment procedures vary from academic written work (reviews and essays), to oral presentations (seminars, proposals and pitches) and practical projects (exhibitions/surveys/reports and other professional workplace based projects).

MHST 511 has three essays and a research seminar and report
MHST 512 (pass/fail rather than graded) requires the successful completion of one seminar presentation, one assignment, and one 200-hour placement and written report
MHST 513 similarly involves three assignments, the final one being a detailed research proposal which is intended to provide students with the opportunity of developing ideas for the dissertation or research paper they will undertake in their second year
MHST 514 requires the successful completion of two 200-hour placements.
For both MHST 512 Practicum 1 and MHST 514 Practicum 2, assessment will also be based on an evaluation of the results of each placement measured against a series of personal and professional objectives developed by each student. Detailed performance indicators covering learning objectives such as these will be developed as part of a placement brief which represents a form of contract between the academic supervisor, the student and the placement supervisor in the host agency.

The assessment for the GCertMHS and the GDipMHS consists of the procedures already in place for the teaching of these courses within the MMHS. These are:

MHST 511
MHST 512
One approved elective course
MHST 518 requires the completion of a 10,000 word essay to be assessed by an examiner appointed by the Programme Director
MHST 519 requires a written proposal worth 20%, a presentation and pitch worth 20% the delivery of the final project worth 50%, and an evaluation worth 10%.

Graduate Profiles

View our Graduate Profiles to read what our graduates are doing in the Museum and Heritage Sector.

Brochures

Graduate Certificate in Museum and Heritage Studies
Graduate Diploma in Museum and Heritage Studies
Master of Museum and Heritage Studies

Further Information

Successful completion of the Master of Museum and Heritage Studies may provide a basis for subsequent study and research leading to the degree of PhD.

Programme Administrator
Office: Old Kirk, ground floor
Phone: 0-4-463 5800
Email: address

School of Art History, Classics and Religious Studies

Museum and Heritage Postgraduate Studies