Part 7 (1/2)

Throughout my career, although I have carried out similar museum or gallery education roles, my job t.i.tle has varied. Originally I was Education Officer or Education Co-ordinator, working with a wide range of visitors. When my job has focused on a specific audience group, this has featured in my t.i.tle, for example a.s.sistant Curator: Schools Programmes (Tate Modern), or Young People's Programmes Manager (National Portrait Gallery). Interestingly at Tate Modern the word 'curator' was included with the aim of creating equal status between exhibitions and education staff. I have also seen the names of education departments change over the years, and I have worked in both 'Interpretation and Education' and 'Learning and Access' teams. Recently both Tate Modern and the National Portrait Gallery have renamed their education departments 'Learning'. Alternative department names include 'Learning and Partic.i.p.ation' (Southbank Centre) and 'Interaction' (Artangel).

In line with this, the narrow definition of an education role in museums and galleries the path that I have so far followed has developed to include posts that involve working outside the inst.i.tution, such as outreach work or within the realm of Public Art, often blurring the line between education and curators.h.i.+p. One such example is the Community Projects Curator role at Art on the Underground. Since 2000 this organisation has been working with artists, sometimes in partners.h.i.+p with a museum or gallery, to create and present new artworks to enhance the journeys for people using the London Underground system. So while inst.i.tutions still aim to attract audiences through their doors, art is also being taken out into the 'real world' and being placed in an everyday context.

The future In the 10 or so years I have worked in museums and galleries, the emphasis has s.h.i.+fted from 'education' to 'learning'. There has also been a move from the mission of locating 'education at the core of the museum' to learning becoming available museum or gallery-wide. I believe there will always be a place for education or learning departments but that the responsibility for learning needs to become spread throughout each museum or gallery.

In a world full of developing technologies, learning also needs to go beyond the walls of the inst.i.tution. Virtual or e-learning has started to become a big growth area within the museum and gallery sector.

Tate has even defined Tate Online as their fifth gallery. We have come a long way since public museums were first set up in the mid-19th century. Who knows where we will be in another 150 years?

Recommended reading Taylor, Barbara (ed.), Inspiring Learning in Galleries. Inspiring Learning in Galleries. London: Engage, 2006. London: Engage, 2006.

Hooper-Greenhill, Eileen (ed.), The Educational Role of the Museum: Second Edition Leicester Readers in Museum Studies. The Educational Role of the Museum: Second Edition Leicester Readers in Museum Studies. London and New York: Routledge, 1999. London and New York: Routledge, 1999.

Hooper-Greenhill, Eileen et al, Inspiration, Ident.i.ty, Learning: The Value of Museums. Inspiration, Ident.i.ty, Learning: The Value of Museums. London: Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2004. London: Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2004.

Moffat, Hazel and Vicky Woollard (eds.), Museum and Gallery Education: A Manual of Good Practice Professional Museum and Heritage Series. Museum and Gallery Education: A Manual of Good Practice Professional Museum and Heritage Series. Lanham: AltaMira Press, 2000. Lanham: AltaMira Press, 2000.

Case Study Interview with Pooja Raj Kalyan, member of the Young People's Programme Youth Forum at the National Gallery 'My family have never been interested in art, but I got very involved in the subject at school. I enjoyed some really good teaching there and would hang out in the art department a lot. I was part of the 'gifted and talented' scheme within our school and one of my teachers suggested I apply for the Young Graduates in Museums and Galleries (YGMG) scheme, which offered a two-week 'backstage' tour of a range of galleries and museums, giving the chance to see inside them and how they work, followed by a two-week placement at a venue of your choice. The scheme was very compet.i.tive, but I was accepted and then chose to work in the National Portrait Gallery, which is how I met Rachel Moss, the Young People's Programmes Manager. I became part of her Youth Forum, a group of people aged between 14 and 21 who encourage visitors of the same age to come in and enjoy what is free for all to share. We have a meeting once a month and, although we do not have a budget of our own, we have access to funds to support the ideas we come up with if they are approved by the gallery staff we work with.

'Some of the events we put on have been such fun to work on and I have really enjoyed taking part. Anyone who is in the gallery at the time can join in, and we try to encourage as many young people as we can to come in specially. One event I particularly remember was when 15 portraits were selected and young people were offered the opportunity to choose one and be dressed and made up to match. It was fascinating and really made people look at the details of the costume and how the individual is presented on the canvas.

'After a few months I had the opportunity to apply to be a ”visitor services a.s.sistant”. The gallery takes on about 12 at a time, every now and again, and the number of people applying is huge most of them already have BAs in Art History or a similar expertise. I am proud to say I was the youngest person ever appointed to this role I was still at school at the time and am continuing now that I'm in my first year at the London College of Fas.h.i.+on, studying broadcast journalism. The commitment is 12 hours a week, which combines well with my studies and it is a paid role. I wear a uniform of a red s.h.i.+rt and am a.s.signed to various galleries in turn to answer questions from the public and help them locate things they want to find (sometimes a specific portrait, sometimes the bathroom). I really enjoy the work and love answering their questions. You get moved quite regularly and so don't get bored with any single room. Until I worked here, my inclination would always be for modern art, so I have been surprised at how much I love the older pictures my favourite is the portrait of Barbara Palmer (nee Villiers), d.u.c.h.ess of Cleveland (and mistress of Charles II) with her son, Charles Fitzroy, presented as Madonna and Child by Sir Peter Lely.

'I love talking about the gallery and encouraging others to come. My family was not that interested in art but have become much more so, although my brother says I talk about it too much at home. I have also made many new friends, those for whom an interest in art is much more an accepted part of life (such as my new friends at university) and this has made me see that I am not so unusual. I think my self-confidence has grown substantially through the project. There are few people from other ethnic backgrounds working in museums and galleries, and I am proud to be one of them.

'In the future I may decide to work in this world, but I also want to work for a big brand, such as Tate or perhaps Chanel. The gallery feels different now, and sometimes it is hard to look at the images on the wall when I am busy planning events or thinking about how to write a leaflet to encourage others to come in through my work on the Youth Forum. That's why it's so lovely to be in the gallery answering questions and just looking yourself when things are really quiet. My favourite time of all is Friday evenings when music is being played and you can wander around looking and listening at the same time.'

Part 3:

Preparing to find a job

Chapter 11

The advantages of a Master's degree when seeking a career in museums and galleries

By Ann V. Gunn, Lecturer in Museum and Gallery Studies at the University of St Andrews

In 1987, when the Museums and Galleries Commission published a report on Museum Professional Training and Career Structure, Museum Professional Training and Career Structure, between 30 and 50 postgraduate students a year completed a Master's degree in Museum Studies at the universities of Leicester and Manchester. between 30 and 50 postgraduate students a year completed a Master's degree in Museum Studies at the universities of Leicester and Manchester.1 Two decades later, figures gathered by the Museums a.s.sociation (MA) showed that there were 529 students enrolled on 13 courses recognised by the MA. Two decades later, figures gathered by the Museums a.s.sociation (MA) showed that there were 529 students enrolled on 13 courses recognised by the MA.2 This 10-fold increase reflects a number of factors, including the growing professionalisation of museum work, the greater number of museums and galleries and the wider availability of postgraduate courses. And it does not include the many other courses in, for instance, heritage management, tourism, art and curators.h.i.+p, or arts management, which have also developed in recent years. This 10-fold increase reflects a number of factors, including the growing professionalisation of museum work, the greater number of museums and galleries and the wider availability of postgraduate courses. And it does not include the many other courses in, for instance, heritage management, tourism, art and curators.h.i.+p, or arts management, which have also developed in recent years.

While this increase in student numbers inevitably leads to greater compet.i.tion for the available jobs, it also demonstrates that there is a wide demand for postgraduate training.

What do you get from a Master's programme that you can't get from other museum training?

First of all, you will get what you get out of any postgraduate work a chance to extend your learning beyond the undergraduate level, the opportunity to begin to specialise, to work in depth on a topic or field of study, to advance your knowledge and to develop your expertise. A Master's degree can be a step on the way to further academic work and a doctorate.

A Master's degree can sometimes provide a vocational component to your training, complementing or enhancing academic knowledge gained in a first degree and introducing you to a particular area of professional practice. It is often also an essential professional qualification. For mature or mid-career students, a Master's degree might provide an academic break, and chance to rethink and change direction. It can be an opportunity to re-skill or enhance existing skills for example people in business management might study for an MBA in order to broaden their knowledge, put their day-to-day work into a theoretical framework and increase their promotion prospects.

Whatever your academic area, a Master's programme will provide you with intellectual training. You will have to develop research skills to explore your subject; read, a.s.similate and apply the theoretical background; acquire a body of knowledge; collect and a.n.a.lyse data; solve problems; evaluate and think critically, a.n.a.lytically, and reflec-tively; organise your thoughts, communicate them effectively and write articulately. You will have to manage your time and your research project and learn to work independently.

A Master's degree in Museum and Gallery Studies will be both theoretical and practical, academic and vocational. Museums require people with practical abilities as well as intellectual skills, so almost all courses have a very strong vocational flavour, and include practical and applied elements and work placements based in museums and galleries. a.s.signments for a.s.sessment of the taught course will rarely be confined to academic essays, but will involve evaluation exercises, report writing and other formats. Teaching may involve group work, seminars, handling sessions and demonstrations, visits to museums and exhibitions, talks from visiting professionals, student presentations, discussions and debates, as well as formal lectures.

Project work and placements An important element of most museum and gallery studies courses is practical project work. This will teach project management skills, such as how to define aims and objectives, identify the skills and resources required, manage time effectively and how to work with others. Projects may be undertaken by an individual or as part of a group so students will need to be both motivated self-starters and also good team players. Students may then be required to write project reports not only describing what they did, but also reflecting on what they learned.

A very valuable part of many museum studies courses is a placement in a museum. This gives students the opportunity to work alongside and learn from professionals in a wide variety of museum work, to see how theory underpins best practice and to get hands-on experience. Placements can also help students decide if museum work in general, and one branch of it in particular, is really what they want to do.

Diploma In the UK, many students take a diploma after finis.h.i.+ng the taught element of a postgraduate course, rather than continuing on to research and write a dissertation. This has been regarded as a perfectly acceptable qualification, especially for those who are going into areas of museum work which do not require research skills. However, the intellectual training required for research is also needed for museum staff undertaking market research, visitor studies or exhibition evaluation so progression to the Master's degree is now more common.

Dissertation For most Master's degrees, a dissertation is written after the taught element of the course. This gives students the opportunity to carry out some original research, developing research questions and thinking about research methodology as well as undertaking some in-depth reading and developing critical and a.n.a.lytical thinking skills. The topic could be chosen strategically to enhance employability or it could be an opportunity to expand an area of academic interest or extend specialist interests. For anyone wis.h.i.+ng to become a subject specialist curator, the dissertation could be tailored to an aspect of that subject or could be based on a particular collection. Because museums and their collections are so varied there is a rich and virtually endless vein of material to be mined for object-based research projects. Students looking to have careers in other areas of museum work can find plenty of scope for original research topics in museum ethics, collections management, audience development, visitor studies, exhibition evaluation, learning theory, interpretation, and so on.

Curriculum Each museum and gallery studies course is different with its own unique emphasis, but on the whole they follow similar broad outlines. Most incorporate the main features of the International Council of Museum's (ICOM) International Committee for Training of Personnel (ICTOP) syllabus (1981) and Curricula Guidelines for Professional Development Curricula Guidelines for Professional Development (2008). (2008).3 These guidelines identify five areas where particular 'competencies' are needed: general skills such as problem-solving or good communication skills; museology understanding museums and their purposes; the management skills needed to run museums efficiently; public programming; and collections and information management. These guidelines identify five areas where particular 'competencies' are needed: general skills such as problem-solving or good communication skills; museology understanding museums and their purposes; the management skills needed to run museums efficiently; public programming; and collections and information management.

ICTOP recommends that museum training programmes should consider the reasons for, and functions of museums; how collections develop and how they are used, researched and cared for; what kind of services and programmes are provided for the public; how to provide the greatest possible access to museum collections while also preserving them; and what skills are needed to run all of a museum's different activities. Therefore most courses will cover the theoretical framework and the social and political context within which museums operate, the history and development of museums and galleries; the different definitions, types and purposes of museums; collections, their development and management; interpretation; audiences and their varied needs and a wide range of management topics from financial planning to personnel.

The American a.s.sociation of Museums (AAM) Committee on Museum Professional Training (COMPT) has issued standards and best practice guidelines. While these look at a whole range of training programmes, you can use them to a.s.sess the content and delivery of degree courses you may be applying for.4 The guidelines cover four areas: programme goals; content; instructors and instructional approaches and responsibilities. COMPT has also carried out research to find out what the museum community felt was required from the training provided by museum studies courses for entry-level positions. Based on feedback from museum professionals, the study came up with a list of topics for a core curriculum which include: museum departments and professions; museum ethics; laws and regulations; museums as educational inst.i.tutions; collections care and conservation; museum history; museum finance; governance and organisation and museums and technology. The guidelines cover four areas: programme goals; content; instructors and instructional approaches and responsibilities. COMPT has also carried out research to find out what the museum community felt was required from the training provided by museum studies courses for entry-level positions. Based on feedback from museum professionals, the study came up with a list of topics for a core curriculum which include: museum departments and professions; museum ethics; laws and regulations; museums as educational inst.i.tutions; collections care and conservation; museum history; museum finance; governance and organisation and museums and technology.5 How do you find out about courses?

In the UK, museum and gallery studies courses advertise in the MA's Museums Year Book Museums Year Book, in the monthly Museums Journal Museums Journal and on the MA website. There are currently over thirty courses offering postgraduate courses in museums, galleries, conservation or heritage studies. A number of courses were until recently known as 'recognised courses'. These courses met certain standards set by the now-defunct Cultural Heritage National Training Organisation (CHNTO) and these validated courses were recognised by the MA as approved training for Route C for the a.s.sociates.h.i.+p of the Museums a.s.sociation (AMA). They are listed on the MA website in the Professional Development section. and on the MA website. There are currently over thirty courses offering postgraduate courses in museums, galleries, conservation or heritage studies. A number of courses were until recently known as 'recognised courses'. These courses met certain standards set by the now-defunct Cultural Heritage National Training Organisation (CHNTO) and these validated courses were recognised by the MA as approved training for Route C for the a.s.sociates.h.i.+p of the Museums a.s.sociation (AMA). They are listed on the MA website in the Professional Development section.6 CHNTO ceased to exist in 2002 so the MA was unable to add to this list any of the courses set up since that date. The Sector Skills Council now responsible for museums and galleries (Creative and Cultural Skills) has discontinued the process of course validation. At the time of writing the MA has just re-launched the AMA and no formal qualifications are now required to register for this. CHNTO ceased to exist in 2002 so the MA was unable to add to this list any of the courses set up since that date. The Sector Skills Council now responsible for museums and galleries (Creative and Cultural Skills) has discontinued the process of course validation. At the time of writing the MA has just re-launched the AMA and no formal qualifications are now required to register for this.

Among the Master's degrees offered by the recognised courses are: Heritage Management; Museums and Collections Management; Museology; Museum Studies; Gallery Studies; Museum Management, Geology, Museums and Earth Heritage; Heritage Education and Interpretation; Museum and Gallery Studies and National Trust for Scotland Studies. The degree t.i.tles reflect the different emphasis of each course for instance Heritage Management or Collections Management. The larger departments offer a choice of modules for those who wish to specialise in, for example, art galleries rather than museums. In addition some courses favour a particular subject specialism. For instance, the Birmingham University course at Ironbridge would suit someone with an interest in industrial heritage whereas the University College London course is more suited to those with experience in archaeology. On the other hand, although the University of St Andrews course is based in the School of Art History, students are welcomed from all academic backgrounds and interests. Prospective students for any of these, or the many more recently established courses, should do thorough homework to make sure the chosen programme meets their needs and interests.

It is also very easy now to find courses on the Internet. A number of websites have worldwide listings of courses, including The Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies (SCEMS) Training Program Web Sites Directory and the Global Museum site.7 The latter lists 23 courses in the UK including courses specialising in, for instance, Maritime Heritage, Conservation, and Critical Museology. In the US nearly 50 courses are listed and in Canada, eight inst.i.tutions offer courses including the well-established programmes at the Universities of Victoria and Toronto. Nine courses are listed in Australia and New Zealand, and 32 in Europe. The latter lists 23 courses in the UK including courses specialising in, for instance, Maritime Heritage, Conservation, and Critical Museology. In the US nearly 50 courses are listed and in Canada, eight inst.i.tutions offer courses including the well-established programmes at the Universities of Victoria and Toronto. Nine courses are listed in Australia and New Zealand, and 32 in Europe.

Museum studies courses in the US are also listed on the website of the a.s.sociation of College and University Museums and Art Galleries (Ac.u.mG).8 This compilation also includes undergraduate courses and single modules. The 2009 Ac.u.mG conference addressed the topic of museum studies and the round-table discussions can be found on their website. This compilation also includes undergraduate courses and single modules. The 2009 Ac.u.mG conference addressed the topic of museum studies and the round-table discussions can be found on their website.9 One partic.i.p.ant recorded 33 undergraduate programmes and 56 graduate programmes. One partic.i.p.ant recorded 33 undergraduate programmes and 56 graduate programmes.

Many course providers also run part-time and distance learning versions, which would suit students who are already working and do not want to take a year out. Some of these allow part-time students to study a module with the full-time students; some require attendance at a number of separately run residential schools, or a single summer school. Students considering this type of course must ensure they have access to a computer and the Internet.

How do you get on a course?

Most courses are heavily oversubscribed for a limited number of places. A good undergraduate degree is a pre-requisite for any Master's programme. While it seems that the majority of applicants have studied a humanities subject, the subject of your undergraduate degree is rarely a deciding factor for acceptance on a course.10 Museums and galleries are multi- and inter-disciplinary inst.i.tutions which need people interested in the arts, sciences, IT, management, marketing, material culture, education, publis.h.i.+ng, tourism, events management, business, public relations and so on. Museums and galleries are multi- and inter-disciplinary inst.i.tutions which need people interested in the arts, sciences, IT, management, marketing, material culture, education, publis.h.i.+ng, tourism, events management, business, public relations and so on.

To give yourself a compet.i.tive edge it is essential to demonstrate your enthusiasm, interest and commitment. Many applicants have undertaken voluntary work in a museum during summer vacations for example, and this also gives you the opportunity to decide if this really is what you want to do. It is also important to target the course most likely to meet your interests, so you must do your homework about the different courses; look at the website, visit, and talk to others who have done the course. The Museum Discussion List, Museum-L, frequently features requests for recommendations for museum studies courses from prospective students, particularly in the US, and the archive of discussion threads might also contain some useful information.11 In the UK the Museums a.s.sociation has been at the forefront of efforts to bring greater diversity into the museum and gallery workforce through their Diversify Diversify scheme. This has brought museums and course providers together and through the provision of bursaries, has allowed students from minority ethnic backgrounds to gain experience and a post graduate qualification. The latest round of grants in 2009 was targeted at a wider field of under-represented groups, including those from low-income backgrounds, and deaf and disabled people. Information about the scheme can be found on the Museums a.s.sociation website. scheme. This has brought museums and course providers together and through the provision of bursaries, has allowed students from minority ethnic backgrounds to gain experience and a post graduate qualification. The latest round of grants in 2009 was targeted at a wider field of under-represented groups, including those from low-income backgrounds, and deaf and disabled people. Information about the scheme can be found on the Museums a.s.sociation website.

Interviews Many museum studies courses interview applicants and this is also a good opportunity for you to decide if this is the course and the university for you. As well as seeing the facilities available you might have the chance to meet the staff and talk to current students about the course. Use an interview to ask questions about opportunities to further your particular interests, and also to find out about student destinations and the employment records of graduates from the course.

Career prospects It is important to be realistic about career prospects in the museum sector. It is a highly compet.i.tive market and not everyone will succeed in getting their ideal job. There is also considerable debate about whether a postgraduate museum studies course is essential for museum work, with conflicting messages coming from employers. On the one hand, job criteria often specify a postgraduate qualification, while on the other, applicants are often told they are over-qualified and have not acquired the desired practical or managerial skills on their course. There are other ways to begin a career in museums, such as trainees.h.i.+ps, apprentices.h.i.+ps, or coming in from another sector such as education or marketing. Therefore it is important for you to decide that the Master's degree is the route for you.

In addition to the benefits outlined above, until recently a postgraduate museum studies qualification, along with two-year continuous professional development (CPD) was one route for eligibility for the Museums a.s.sociation AMA. The MA expected the qualification to demonstrate a broad understanding of museum work and museum principles. Whether or not a postgraduate qualification remains as one possible criterion for the AMA, knowledge of the sector beyond your own workplace is likely to be required. The broad view and theoretical underpinning delivered by a postgraduate course is very useful as you begin a career in the museum sector, and is not something you can acquire from work experience. The research, organisational and communication skills acquired from writing a dissertation, the ability to absorb and evaluate information and to think critically and reflectively will never be wasted as they are skills which are transferable to most areas of museum work.