Program Overview

Master in History of Art and Museum Studies

Programme Overview

The Master in History of Art and Museum Studies offers a diverse approach to the study of History of Art and Archaeology alongside the functions of museums’ management. Students analyse the role of art and heritage in our modern societies through deep analysis of museums’ general organisation, cultural or scientific enhancement methodologies, administration and preservation processes alongside the role of technologies and media.

Programme Structure

• Year 1 – Semester 1
  • Art History and Archaeology I
    • Oriental Archaeology
    • Antique Art (Greek or Roman)
    • Modern Art (XVth-XVIIIth c.)
    • History of Techniques
  • Heritage, Museums and Collections
    • History of Heritage
    • History and Contemporary Issues of Collections
    • Museums History and Contemporary Issues
    • Archaeological Sites and Museums
  • Art History and Archaeology II
    • Islamic Art
    • Medieval Art
    • Asian Art
    • Iconography
  • Language
    • French or English for Art Historians
• Year 1 – Semester 2
  • Art History and Archaeology III
    • Egyptology or Extra European: Prehispanic Art/African Art
    • Western Contemporary Art
    • Contemporary Art in the Arab World
    • Aesthetics and Historiography
  • Museums Administration and Management
    • Economical and Political Issues
    • Scientific and Cultural Programme of the Museum
    • Museum Acquisition, Policy and Strategy
    • International Law Applied to Museums and Artworks
  • Museums Missions and Issues
    • Conservation in Museum
    • The Basics of Museography
    • Documentation
    • Audiences and Museum
    • Tools of Cultural Mediation and Education
  • Language
    • French or English for Art Historians
• Year 2 – Semester 3
  • Museum’s Collection Management
    • The Basics of Collection Management and Registration
    • Registration (including registration applied to contemporary art)
    • Preventive Conservation and Restoration
    • Documentation and New Technologies
  • Exhibitions
    • Temporary Exhibitions
    • Scenography and Exhibition Design
    • Exhibition Production
    • Contemporary Issues
  • Museum Programming, Communication and Diffusion
    • Temporary Programming in Museums
    • Graphic Design and Publications (from labels to print catalogues and web design)
    • Communication and Museum (actors and networks)
    • Digital Tools and Digital Humanities
  • Language
    • French or English for Art Historians
• Year 2 – Semester 4
  • Application Seminar and Dissertation
    • Application Seminar (Internship in Paris) and Dissertation (discussion in Abu Dhabi)

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor in a relevant field with a CGPA of 3 out of 4 or equivalent.
• Candidates with a GPA between 2.5 and 2.99 (or equivalent scores as per the equivalency table) may be conditionally admitted under probation during the first semester.
• IELTS certificate with minimum overall band of 6.0 with a validity of 2 years or TOEFL certificate with minimum score of 79 (or equivalent) with a validity of 2 years.
• Native English speaker who completed 3 full years in an English-medium institution within a maximum period of 3 years or equivalent.

Tuition Fees and Scholarships

• Programme tuition fees (over 2 years): AED 189,400 (approximately US$ 51,612).
• 25% academic excellence scholarship for new joiners with a Bachelor CGPA average of 3.6/4.0 and above, or equivalent.
• 20% Alumni preferential rate for Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi alumni.
• 25% preferential rate upon enrolment on a second master’s degree.
• 5%-15% corporate rate for companies and organizations.
• 10% Family discount for students with a first-degree relative currently enrolled in an undergraduate or a postgraduate programme.