MA Curating

University of Essex

Our MA Curating teaches you the practice, theory and history of curating in equal measure. As you work towards your final project – a co-curated exhibition at the University’s on-site gallery Art Exchange – you will learn practical skills through a range of activities, from workshops that use the University’s art collections to lectures by high-profile museum professionals. You will also have the opportunity to undertake competitive placements at leading museums and galleries, which, in previous years, have included the V&A, Royal Academy of Arts, Somerset House, and Firstsite. To supplement such practical knowledge, you will take modules about the history and theory of exhibition-making. Taught by academics who work as active curators and produce ground-breaking texts on curatorial history and theory, these modules will expose you to an array of topics, such as: The historical role that museums have played in society Curating’s longstanding function as a form of political critique The ways that exhibitions have served as platforms for social engagement by spectators, artists and curators One of the most distinctive features of our MA Curating course is our emphasis on interdisciplinarity, which cuts through everything you will do. The final exhibition that you co-curate, for instance, will involve students not just from MA Curating but also from art history and heritage studies courses. This reflects our belief that students from a mix of disciplines help to foster a more rigorous and creative dialogue about art’s social and political implications. Additionally, you will have the option to supplement your modules with numerous classes in art history, history, heritage and philosophy. We offer such optionality to deepen your familiarity with the diverse methodologies that you may adopt when curating or writing about art and other forms of visual culture.

School of Philosophy and Art History