MLitt Museum And Heritage Studies

• A 2.1 Honours undergraduate degree. If you studied your first degree outside the UK, see the international entry requirements.
• Museum work or voluntary experience is welcome, as are transferable skills gained in other roles

The MLitt in Museum and Heritage Studies welcomes applications from students from all disciplines relevant to museum work, such as:

• History
• Archaeology
• Anthropology
• Languages
• Media and Mommunications
• Physical and Natural Sciences

The qualifications listed are indicative minimum requirements for entry. Some academic Schools will ask applicants to achieve significantly higher marks than the minimum. Obtaining the listed entry requirements will not guarantee you a place, as the University considers all aspects of every application including, where applicable, the writing sample, personal statement, and supporting documents.

Application requirements

• CV 
• personal statement (500 words) 
• sample of your own, single-authored academic written work (2,000 words) 
• two original signed academic references 
• academic transcripts and degree certificates

For fees and funding options, please visit website to find out more

Recent Museum and Heritage Studies graduates have gone on to work for a range of institutions, including: 

• Chicago Institute of Art 
• Victoria and Albert Museum 
• National Trust for Scotland 
• Scottish Fisheries Museum

The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students as well as a programme of events to assist students in building their employability skills.

Compulsory

• The Museum: Global Perspectives and Debates: provides you with a thorough grounding in museum studies through investigation into global literature and case studies. The themes examined will include, among others, an introduction to theories in museology, museum activism, museums and climate action, decolonisation, and the post-digital museum.  
• Museum Practice:  equips you with foundational skills required in a broad range of roles within the cultural sector. Taught by highly experienced practitioners from the University of St Andrews Museums Team, the Museum and Heritage Studies teaching team, and staff from across the University, it will introduce the basic tenets of collections management, display and interpretation, education, outreach and access and digital skills, and how these and other elements fit together to create a cohesive and engaging museum programme.  

Optional

Optional modules allow you to broaden your learning in key topics relevant to the MLitt.

The available optional modules will be confirmed before the MLitt start date.

Optional modules are subject to change each year and require a minimum number of participants to be offered; some may only allow limited numbers of students (see the University’s position on curriculum development). 

Dissertation

Student dissertations will be supervised by members of the teaching staff who will advise on the choice of subject and provide guidance throughout the research process. The completed dissertation of not more than 15,000 words must be submitted by a date specified in August. 

Alternatively, students may choose to complete a summer Work-based Placement or to participate in the Group Public Engagement Project modules. 

If students choose not to complete the dissertation, Work-based Placement or Public Engagement Project summer requirement for the MLitt, there is an exit award available that allows suitably qualified candidates to receive a Postgraduate Diploma. By choosing an exit award, you will finish your degree at the end of the second semester of study and receive a PGDip instead of an MLitt.