The course works in partnership with a range of arts organisations from across the city to bridge the gap between theory and practice and offer you unparalleled exposure to the practicalities of cultural management. Through our required modules (particularly the module ‘Cultural Management: the Experience’) and some of our optional modules, you will engage with experienced cultural professionals and managers working in leading London-based arts organisations during talks, study visits (where possible and subject to government guidelines) and project-group activities. Please note that if study visits are not possible due to Covid-19 there will be alternative activities, for instance, online tours, behind-the-scenes webinars, etc.
Whilst the MA does not include an internship, we usually have a dedicate member of the academic staff (although this is not guaranteed due to Covid-19) who assists students interested in acquiring practical experience through sharing information about competitive internship opportunities offered by our cultural partners or other organisations across London. In parallel to the programme, previous students from within the Department have succeeded in independently securing internships at a wide variety of arts and cultural institutions, including the National Theatre, Barbican Centre, British Council, British Film Institute, Hayward Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Screen Digest, The British Museum, CIDA (Cultural Industries Development Agency), MTV, Donmar Warehouse, Google and the V&A Museum, which gives you an idea of the exciting opportunities on offer.
As part of the Research Approaches and Dissertation module, students have the opportunity to apply for a selective-entry Collaborative Dissertation with a Cultural Partner pathway, organised with external arts, media and heritage organisations. The collaborative dissertation project enables students to work with a cultural partner on a live research brief that informs their final MA dissertations. Previous dissertation partners include Battersea Arts Centre, Black Live Theatre, Arts Council England, Dash Arts, King’s Cultural Institute, Live Cinema, Glyndebourne, Mahogany Opera Group, Lambeth Archives, OnRoad Media, Royal Society, Arts Cabinet, Iconem, and Greater London Authority.
Teaching
This is a one-year full-time course (two years part-time) that comprises of modules totalling 180 credits. Your compulsory modules provide a foundation for the master’s and the diverse optional modules on offer will appeal to a wide range of subjects as well as giving you the opportunity to discover new areas of study. Alongside taught lectures, seminars and workshops in semesters one and two you will be expected to undertake additional hours of self-study each week. In semester three, you will be expected to devote approximately 600 hours of independent study to your MA dissertation project, for which we will provide supervision guidance.
Typically one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
