Program Overview

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Museum Studies Placement (ARCL0150)

Key Information

The Museum Studies Placement module is part of the Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences, taught by the Institute of Archaeology. It carries a credit value of 15.

• Faculty: Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences
• Teaching department: Institute of Archaeology
• Credit value: 15
• Restrictions: Only available to those enrolled for the MA in Museum Studies

Alternative Credit Options

There are no alternative credit options available for this module.

Description

The Museum Studies Placement is a vital part of the Museum Studies programme, requiring students to undertake a minimum of twenty days of supervised placement project with a museum or related organisation. This is a compulsory and assessed part of the degree. Recent placements have included a wide range of museums and professional organisations.

Aims

• To support students' personal and professional development
• To facilitate a smooth transition from academia to the workplace and help students launch their careers
• To help students apply their degree to their job/placement project
• To help students become confident about their knowledge, skills, and experience and how they can highlight them to prospective employers
• To help enhance their CV and job applications

Objectives

On successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

• Understand their strengths as well as areas that they need to develop further
• Present their strengths, knowledge, skills, and experience in their CV and at job interviews
• Have some understanding of how complex systems like museums operate and where they fit in that structure
• Develop personal and professional skills and ethical attitudes relevant to working in a museum or other similar cultural organisations
• Locate, select, and analyse information relevant to a practical task
• Construct arguments and communicate effectively both verbally and in writing
• Demonstrate a range of personal transferable skills, including time and work management and written communication

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course, students should be able to demonstrate:

Knowledge and Understanding

• Students will learn how to work as part of a team to achieve specific tasks
• Students will learn how to manage resources
• Students will understand how museum departments function and how they relate to other departments
• Students will understand how the wider social, political, and economic context affects museum work
• Students will reflect on the knowledge and skills gained during their placement, how these build on other MAMS modules, and on how their placement experience impacts their museum practice
• Students will apply existing IT skills to their job
• Students will develop new IT skills
• Students will develop presentation skills
• Students will develop reflective practice skills
• Students will develop interview and CV writing skills
• Students will apply their (written and oral) communication skills in their work environment

Attitudes and Behaviours

• Students show commitment to the ethical standards of the organization and their profession
• Students will be polite and courteous to their colleagues and to visitors
• Students will be passionate about their work
• Students will show responsibility for their work-related tasks and their actions
• Students will aim to produce work of high standard

Module Deliveries for 2026/27 Academic Year

Intended Teaching Term

Terms 3 and Summer period, Postgraduate (FHEQ Level 7)

Teaching and Assessment

• Mode of study: In person
• Methods of assessment: 100% Coursework (2 assessments)
• Mark scheme: Numeric Marks

Other Information

• Number of students on module in previous year: 54
• Module leader: Mr Ian Carroll