International Museum Studies

2 year Master Program, art/science at University of Gothenburg

The Master's Programme in International Museum Studies (IMS) is an international programme in collaboration with the Museum of World Culture, Gothenburg.

Credits:
Degree: MA/M.S.c
Dissertation: Visualizing in Museums
Work placement: Natural History Museum
Report: Design revision for Natural History Museum worked with a IMS peer with a PhD in Marine Biology, Christina Bernardez at staff was interviewed to detect possibilities and to prepared for change.
Student Exhibition at Museum of World Culture, Gothenburg, Sweden: Out of the Box, Building Bridges. Design proposal by Anna Viola Hallberg, Maria Choia & Roni Rabner. Design concept: Anna Viola Hallberg
Report in Material Culture and Collecting: Wallhanging/Bonad from West Sweden later integrated as one of 6 objects in the exhibition.


Description from the IMS institution:
The aspect of Internationalism is central to this programme, and arises from three main strands.

The students come from all over the world and we aim to recruit as diverse a student body as we can. In general, 50% of students have previously studied in Sweden. Current students come from Africa, North and South America, Asia, Europe and Scandinavia. Their backgrounds are equally diverse, including architects, designers, conservators, biologists, educationalists, archaeologists and political scientists.

The tutors are recruited from Sweden and abroad. Due to financial restraint, only a few tutors come from outside Europe. Many tutors have strong international research backgrounds or have lived and worked in other parts of the world. Introduction

The first year of the course is the taught programme in English. There are four separate modules. Usually a module will include a week or two of self-directed study or group work. These will be clearly shown in the schedule.

In the Swedish system, teaching is based on a mix of lectures, seminars, self-directed research and reading, group work and practical application. Museology is an interdisciplinary subject and therefore you will be introduced to ideas and theories as well as practical application in museums, galleries and heritage organisations from a variety of perspectives. For example, an educationalist working with children will have different ideas and priorities to a conservator who is concerned with the security of the object.

Courses (This list displays courses and lecturers in the current program. Since it is under review there might though be changes in both content and personnel for up coming program start, in autumn 2010.) 1. Museums and Society (15 credits)
The course is divided into two parts:
Part 1: Museums and society 1 (6 higher education credits) The course aims to introduce the students to museum studies as an academic discipline and their bearing on the actual practice. It also forecasts the key themes of the programme. It presents and explains the theoretical framework and the relation between museological theory and museum practice. It also introduces research methods to assist in the production of academic writing in English. This facilitates a deeper understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of contemporary museology. Students undertake a minor field study in local museums which develops their skills in gathering, synthesizing, evaluating and analysing information from various sources. This improves skills and knowledge of group work in an intercultural setting.
Part 2: Museums and society 2 (9 higher education credits) Museums and society 2 aims to explore diverse approaches to the question of museums past present and future roles in society. In particular it seeks to give the students understanding of museum history and traditions, sector organisation (locally, nationally and globally) and current issues. Legislation and ethics is also considered as they affect the way museums make decisions and explain the obligations they have (for example, in not collecting stolen goods). The role of museums and museum exhibitions in constructing (and de-constructing) conceptual categories; such as heritage, nation, race, primitive/civilized, nature/culture and male/female is discussed. The students perform critical analysis of museum exhibitions, discussing their implicit and explicit messages.

2. Museums and Communication (15 credits)

The module aims to discuss theories around communication within the contexts of cultural diversity, ethnicity, inclusion, access and technology. Audience development, social inclusion and access perspectives are examined and the broad issue of museum education and interpretation, including principles of education, learning styles, the making of meaning, multiple intelligences, museums and school curricula, programme development, policy formulation and delivery. International perspectives are also included in this module with a case study approach to a specific region / area.

3. Material Culture and Collecting (15 credits)
The module aims to examine the nature and meaning(s) of objects and collections. It gives the students basic insight into current discourses of how collections and objects must be cared for, documented and handled. It also considers questions around preservation, power and ethics: what to collect and preserve, for whom, and for what purpose.

4. Managing Museums & Exhibitions (15 credits)
The module aims to examine the politics and practices of museum exhibitions and the design process, including project management and group development and dynamics. The module aims to give the students understanding of the museum as a societal organisation and a professional working place and considers key management issues such as strategic planning, policy and budgeting. Students complete the module by producing an exhibition.


(Note: Playing the video it is helpful to do frequent stops as it plays way to fast)

Exhibition design proposal for an exhibition on the open platform at the shared space by University of Gothenburg and World Culture Museum. Student exhibition with 6 objects that were researched and worked with in conservation for 10 weeks prior to the exhibition. (May, 2007) The exhibition was titled Out of the Box - Building Bridges and was a joint project with 6 objects from 6 museums and with out any heritage linkage in between them. (Design budget very limited)