Museum Management

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Academic Year of Entry: 2023/24
Course overview
(Master of Business Administration:) Master of Business Administration
Museum Management
Withdrawn
University of Essex
University of Essex
Essex Business School
Colchester Campus
Masters
Part-time
Business and Management
MBA N2V324
10/05/2023

Details

Professional accreditation

None

Admission criteria

A 1st, 2:1 or 2:2 degree.You are also expected to have at least three years of relevant, professional work experience, post-graduation, at the time of application.

If you are a non-standard applicant (which is typically an applicant who possesses an undergraduate degree below a 2:2 standard, or an applicant who does not possess an undergraduate degree at all), we require at least five years of relevant professional work experience. You will also be required to write an essay (2,000 words) outlining a range of business-related situations which you have experienced and identifying what you have learnt from them.

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) code

IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum component score of 6.0

If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.

Additional Notes

The University uses academic selection criteria to determine an applicant’s ability to successfully complete a course at the University of Essex. Where appropriate, we may ask for specific information relating to previous modules studied or work experience.

Course qualifiers

A course qualifier is a bracketed addition to your course title to denote a specialisation or pathway that you have achieved via the completion of specific modules during your course. The specific module requirements for each qualifier title are noted below. Eligibility for any selected qualifier will be determined by the department and confirmed by the final year Board of Examiners. If the required modules are not successfully completed, your course title will remain as described above without any bracketed addition. Selection of a course qualifier is optional and student can register preferences or opt-out via Online Module Enrolment (eNROL).

None

Rules of assessment

Rules of assessment are the rules, principles and frameworks which the University uses to calculate your course progression and final results.

Additional notes

Please refer to the full time version of this course for information on Core and Compulsory modules.

External examiners

External Examiners provide an independent overview of our courses, offering their expertise and help towards our continual improvement of course content, teaching, learning, and assessment. External Examiners are normally academics from other higher education institutions, but may be from the industry, business or the profession as appropriate for the course. They comment on how well courses align with national standards, and on how well the teaching, learning and assessment methods allow students to develop and demonstrate the relevant knowledge and skills needed to achieve their awards. External Examiners who are responsible for awards are key members of Boards of Examiners. These boards make decisions about student progression within their course and about whether students can receive their final award.

Key

Core You must take this module.
You must pass this module. No failure can be permitted.
Core with Options You can choose which module to study.
You must pass this module. No failure can be permitted.
Compulsory You must take this module.
There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the degree if you fail.
Compulsory with Options You can choose which module to study.
There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the degree if you fail.
Optional You can choose which module to study.
There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the degree if you fail.

Exit awards

A module is given one of the following statuses: 'core' – meaning it must be taken and passed; 'compulsory' – meaning it must be taken; or 'optional' – meaning that students can choose the module from a designated list. The rules of assessment may allow for limited condonement of fails in 'compulsory' or 'optional' modules, but 'core' modules cannot be failed. The status of the module may be different in any exit awards which are available for the course. Exam Boards will consider students' eligibility for an exit award if they fail the main award or do not complete their studies.

Programme aims

The Essex MBA is a career-development programme for applicants with at least three years of experience post-graduation in management, the museum/gallery world, and/or the creative sector. The course’s overarching goal is to equip students with two complementary sets of skills. First, the degree will provide a general knowledge base for responding a broad array of strategic and tactical issues that applicants would likely confront across different kinds of business environments. Second, the degree equips students with the specialized knowledge to excel in the museum/gallery sector.

To help students develop the first set of skills, the course has the following aims:
- To provide students with the theories, concepts, tools and techniques to address the burning issues facing organisations in both the private, public and social sectors;
- To develop the ability to apply knowledge and an understanding of business and management to complex issues, both systematically and creatively, in order to improve business and management practice;
- To offer students an opportunity to acquire, knowledge, skills and comptencies specific to new business formation, and new product and service development
- To engage students, both individually and in groups, in a variety of learning and teaching experiences that will prepare them for the range of managerial asks and activities they will be expected to undertake upon graduation.
- To develop students' transferable skills including: numeracy, literacy, report writing, project work, personal and interpersonal skills, presentation skills, team-working, leadership and an appreciation of working in a multicultural environment.

To help students develop the second set of skills (again, a specialised knowledge for excelling in the museum/gallery sector), the course has the following aims:
- To expose students to major ideas and practices that have shaped the fields of exhibition design and museum studies;
- To equip students with the capacity to identify and critically analyse the hidden assumptions or biases that have often informed the study of art and its mode of display;
- To provide both a theoretical and tactical understanding of the different activities required to mount exhibitions and manage museum collections (e.g., marketing, conservation, securing loans, fundraising)
- To provide students the opportunity to participate in curating an exhibition, from initial conceptualisation to final realisation;
- To hone students’ ability to cogently and persuasively communicate ideas about art and its display in written and oral form

Learning outcomes and learning, teaching and assessment methods

On successful completion of the programme a graduate should demonstrate knowledge and skills as follows:

A: Knowledge and understanding

A1: Knowledge and understanding of core areas of business and management (e.g., Accounting, Marketing, Strategy), in both theory and practice

A2: Knowledge and understanding of key issues and problems that connect business, the cultural sector, and/or society more generally

A3: Knowledge and understanding of contemporary developments that have shaped the business environment and the museum/gallery sector, both nationally and internationally

A4: Knowledge and understanding of key research in the disciplines studied

A5: Knowledge and understanding of how to critically evaluate ideas, concepts and practices related to business and museum management

A6: Acquire a specialised, experience-based understanding of how to manage exhibitions and galleries

A7: Knowledge and understanding of the range of strategies available to organisations to ensure their viability and sustainability

A8: Knowledge and understanding of how organisations grow, innovate and acquire entrepreneurial skills

Learning methods

The course uses a variety of learning methods to fulfil the learning outcomes, including lectures and classes (A1 to A8), group work (A1 to A8), project work (A2, A3, A4, A7 and A8), case studies (A2, A3, A5, A7, A8), practitioner-led seminars (A2, A4, A6, A7), reflective study (A2, A4, A6), online and web-based learning (A1, A2, A3, A5, A7, A8).

Assessment methods

The course uses various assessment methods to enable students to demonstrate learning outcome achievements. These include final examinations, (A1, A2, A3, A5, A7, A8); in-class tests (A1 to A4, A7, A8); case studies (A2, A3, A4, A7, A8); essays and other substantial forms of written work (A2 to A8); oral presentations (A2, A3, A5, A7, A8); as well as independent or collaborative research projects (A2 to A4, A6 to A8).

B: Intellectual and cognitive skills

B1: Apply problem-solving skills that are informed by knowledge and understanding of complex issues concerning the disciplines under consideration

B2: An ability to use and critically engage with specialised terminology from the fields of business and museum management

B3: Gather and critically evaluate different types of information (e.g., quantitative, textual, visual)

B4: Demonstrate creativity when applying discipline-specific knowledge to the evaluation of information

B5: Critically analyse contemporary developments that have shaped the business environment and the museum/gallery sector

B6: Plan and carry out independent or collaborative research projects

B7: Demonstrate a reflective approach to management.

Learning methods

The course offers a range of learning methods to enable students to acquire, develop and practice intellectual and cognitive skills. Lectures can play a role in providing the basic building blocks but additional methods are needed to fully develop these skills. These methods include group work (B1 and B4); case studies (B3 and B5); research projects (B1 to B7); reflective learning in the form of journals or post-project analysis (B4, B6, B7); and online or web-based learning (B1 to B3).

Assessment methods

The range of assessment methods matches the variety of learning methods to ensure that students can demonstrate the appropriate achievement level in all the intellectual and cognitive skills. The types of assessment include final examinations (B1 to B4); in-class tests (B1 to B3); case studies (B1 to B5); essays and other substantial forms of written work (B1 to B6); oral presentations (B1 to B5); reflective diaries, journals or post-project analysis (B4, B6, B7); as well as independent or collaborate research projects (B1 to B7).

C: Practical skills

C1: The ability to prepare arguments for discussion.

C2: A range of presentation skills (including the use of technology - e.g. Powerpoint presentations etc.).

C3: Demonstrate report-writing skills.

C4: The ability to analyse and evaluate quantitative data.

C5: The ability to analyse and evaluate narrative data.

C6: Collect quantitative and qualitative data for decision-making.

Learning methods

The following methods are used to help students develop the practical skills outlined below: classes and seminars (C1, C2, C3), lectures (C3, C4, C5), case studies (C4, C5), group work C1, C3, C6), online and web-based self-study (C3, C4, C5).

Assessment methods

The course offers a wide range of assessment methods to permit students to demonstrate that they have achieved the necessary practical skills, including: coursework essays (C1, C4, C5, C6), in-class tests (C4 to C6), reports (C1, C3 to C6), oral presentations with audio-visual aids (C1, C2), research projects (C4 to C6), group projects (C1 to C5).

D: Key skills

D1: Communicate ideas and arguments in a coherent and effective manner.

D2: Use information technology, such as word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and the web in order to source, download and analyse data

D3: Manipulate numerical data and apply appropriate arithmetical, mathematical or statistical techniques.

D4: Problem-solving and analytical skills in the context of business and museum management

D5: Ability to work in a team and participating in group work in undertaking research and preparing informal presentations.

D6: Reflectively analyse own performance and feedback.

Learning methods

Skills D1 to D6 are acquired through the teaching and learning methods described above and in class discussions. Communication is developed not only through seminar discussion, but also through attending lectures. Students are encouraged to use the various online packages, library and internet resources, including those from the University’s Skill Centre. While specific guidance on D2 will be offered during the supervision of students’ final projects, students will be encouraged to share responsibility for strengthening their IT skills.

Assessment methods

Outcomes D1 to D6 are assessed through continuous coursework and unseen written examinations. Coursework includes essays written for specified modules, returned with a grade and written feedback for the student. Examinations largely consist of essay-based questions, for which revision classes are provided. Additional assessment methods include case studies, quantitative analysis, and research projects with both individual and team-based components.


Note

The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its programme specification is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to courses, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include a change of law or regulatory requirements, industrial action, lack of demand, departure of key personnel, change in government policy, or withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to courses may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications.

The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.

Contact

If you are thinking of studying at Essex and have questions about the course, please contact Undergraduate Admissions by emailing admit@essex.ac.uk, or Postgraduate Admissions by emailing pgadmit@essex.ac.uk.

If you're a current student and have questions about your course or specific modules, please contact your department.

If you think there might be an error on this page, please contact the Course Records Team by emailing crt@essex.ac.uk.