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The MA Art Market, Provenance and the History of Collecting offers an exciting and unique opportunity to study European and global art markets and cultures of collecting from a wide range of disciplinary approaches. Both academic and vocational, the MA strongly focuses on research skills, on Provenance Research, and on the first-hand study of objects and collections within museums. The MA is taught in central London by specialists from The University of ³Ô¹ÏÍø and from outside experts. At the heart of a cosmopolitan city, whose institutions have been shaped by centuries of collecting and dealership, students will have access to globally renowned museums, galleries, auction houses, archives, and libraries. A Country House Study Week and Study Week to Vienna or Florence make this programme unique and allow for a comparative approach and a truly international experience.

To provide students with a range of skills and knowledge which will help them to pursue careers in such fields as museum curatorship, antique dealing and auctioneering, historic house management, teaching and research, interior design.

To provide students with a broad historical and art-historical understanding of the development of the Global Art Market, the History of Collecting and Provenance Research.

To provide students with a contextual understanding of the ways in which the history of collecting is related to the history of ideas and the development of knowledge.

To provide students with a contextual understanding of the ways in which the theory and practice of collecting and dealing shaped new direction in art, architecture and taste.

To provide students with practical, transferable skills in Provenance Research and broad knowledge of the current debates and methodologies in the discipline.

To develop students’ general awareness of the interrelationship between history of art and history of culture.

To develop students’ general awareness of the interrelationship between history of collecting and the history of science and technology.

To encourage an understanding of the consumption, production and marketing of artworks and luxury goods as well as of patronage and collecting and of the relationships between production, display and classification.

To improve and develop students’ visual and critical skills and understanding of issues of display, classification, interpretation and communication in the museum world, which would be relevant for careers in museums, galleries, auction houses and the heritage sector.

To give students practical experience of researching a topic related to collections of objects through projects based within a museum or historic house context. The projects will call upon a range of historical, curatorial, organisational and presentational skills and aim to instil a basic understanding of the practical principles involved in project research, researching and interpreting collections, organising an exhibition within a museum, which would be of particular relevance to those seeking careers in the museums or commercial fields.

To train students to work independently to tight deadlines.

To develop students’ ability to argue and improve their oral presentational skills through the presentation of seminar papers and presentation of the projects.

To train students in academic analysis, argument and research methodologies and improve their writing skills through assignments such as essays, online blogs, catalogue entries, project reports and the dissertation.

To provide students with the necessary skills of independent appraisal of primary sources and secondary literature to carry out independent original research and present that research in an academically correct manner, thus equipping students to carry out further research.

Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided. More detailed information on the learning outcomes, content and teaching, learning and assessment methods of each course unit/module can be found in the departmental or programme handbook. The accuracy of the information contained in this document is reviewed annually by the University of ³Ô¹ÏÍø and may be checked by the Quality Assurance Agency.