Master of Art Curatorship
Course code: 038AB
2 years full time / 4 years part time
1 or 1.5 years full time (or part time equivalent) with relevant prior qualifications
March, July
Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs) available
Access Melbourne is available
March, July
AUD $48,992 (2026 indicative first year fee)
IELTS 6.5: with no band less than 6.0
Course structure
Overview
200 point program (2 years full-time or part-time equivalent)
This is our most popular program for those who have completed undergraduate study. No experience is necessary.
- Foundation Elective Subjects (50 points)
- Compulsory subjects (50 points)
- Capstone subjects (25 points or 50 points for the minor thesis option)
- Elective subjects (75 points or 50 points for the minor thesis option)
150 point program (1.5 years full-time or part-time equivalent)
This program is for those who have completed undergraduate study in a cognate discipline.
- Compulsory subjects (50 points)
- Capstone subjects (25 points or 50 points for the minor thesis option)
- Elective Subjects (75 points or 50 points for the minor thesis option)
100 point program (1 year full-time or part-time equivalent)
This program is for honours graduates or those who have completed at least two years professional work experience in a closely related field, in addition to relevant background study.
- Compulsory subjects (50 points)
- Capstone subjects (25 points or 50 points for the minor thesis option)
- Elective subjects (25 points, or 0 points for the minor thesis option)
Please note: Students can choose between a coursework only option or a minor thesis option.
Capstone requirement
All students are required to complete one of the 4 available Capstone streams for the program (at least 25 points). For a full list of subjects, Capstones and detailed information, please view the Handbook entry for the course.
Explore this course
Explore the subjects you could choose as part of this degree.
200 point program
2 years full time / 4 years part time. All students must complete one capstone option.
Students must complete four foundation subjects in the first 50 points of the program.
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Australian Art · 12.5 pts |
This subject pivots on a series of provocations regarding art, identity and geography. It poses the question, one proposed to artist Bessie Davidson in the late nineteenth century: does art have a nationality? It interrogates settler/invader/colonial art and its persistence in the face of 65,000 years of continuous culture. Largely chronological in approach, and encompassing all Australian art traditions including First Nations art, this subject examines where Australian art happens, and introduces us to those who made it, and who continue to make it today. It examines historic and recent art histories including those written by Bernard Smith, Joan Kerr, Ian McLean and Rex Butler that argue for, and against, national art histories. In so-called Australia, can there even be a national art history, and if so, who gets to call it? |
| European Renaissance Art · 12.5 pts |
The subject explores the art and culture of Renaissance Europe between 1300 and 1600, with a particular focus on Italy, France, and Spain. This is one of the most pivotal periods in the history of art, when many of our contemporary ideas about art and artists were coming into being. Topics to be covered include the life and practice of individual artists, including such figures as Leonardo, Titian, and Holbein; the rise of art theory; collecting and the birth of the museum; and the role of power and desire in the making and reception of art. Readings include both Renaissance texts and contemporary art history and theory. Tutorials will examine issues related to a given week’s lecture, or focus on related and object-based teaching in University and Melbourne collections. |
| Nineteenth-Century European Art · 12.5 pts |
What does nineteenth-century European art tell us about the society that made it and our world today? Radical social and cultural changes marked this period. Political upheavals, rapid industrialisation and urbanisation, a second scientific revolution, and the aggressive expansion of European imperial powers in Africa, Asia, the Americas and the Caribbean reshaped society’s attitudes towards class, race, gender, nature, bodies, senses and emotions. These shifts have left a lasting impact that still reverberates today. Artists responded to these changes in multiple ways, defying the traditional approaches of the academy and creating new modes of representing the world. From Romanticism and Orientalism to Impressionism and the avantgardes of the late nineteenth century, artists’ shifting representations of social relations, the landscape, the human body, and sexual and gender identity fundamentally altered both the function of visual art and the role of the artist. In this subject, students will explore how painting and sculpture of nineteenth-century Europe were instrumental in creating new identities and modes of being in and imaging the world amid the conditions of modernity and the emergence of industrial capitalism. Engaging with recent scholarship and artworks from the University of Melbourne and the National Gallery of Victoria, students will be encouraged to question and critique the ways in which art has the capacity to embody, reflect, and challenge the ideologies of its time. |
| Art Markets and Methods · 12.5 pts |
This subject deals with the study of art markets through the examination of the materials, methods and production processes of art from the Renaissance to Contemporary art. The subject will consider the interrelationships between the creation of a work of art (methods), its economic value and its art market networks in which it passes. It will consider the primary and secondary markets for art, its cultural value (the value ascribed to the artist and work of art by collectors, curators and art museums over time) and its symbolic value (its overall importance, meaning and significance as a work of art). Topics in the subject are varied but will focus on certain key areas: development and reception of a work of art: cultural and artistic practices and making a work of art, the examinations of specific materials and techniques (the role of materials, mediums and the framing of a work of art), the determination of authenticity and value, and the mapping of the art markets within a global and culturally diverse framework. |
| Twentieth-Century Art: The Avant-Gardes · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines avant-garde art of the 20th century. A variety of artistic theories, movements and artists will be considered, mainly from Europe and North America but also encompassing parts of East Asia and South America. The social, historical and theoretical context in which diverse avantgarde movements were formed will be studied using historical sources, including avant-garde manifestos, and contemporary theory. Students will become familiar with issues such as the nexus of art and politics, utopian models of art, the relationship between pre-WW1 historic avant-gardes and post-WW2 neo-avant-gardes, as well as the shifting ways in which theories of gender, race and sexuality informed artists' work. The subject features object-based learning and assessment using works from the University of Melbourne’s Special Collections. |
| Arts of East Asia · 12.5 pts |
This subject will introduce students to the mediums, genres, and vocabulary of pre-modern Chinese, Japanese, and Korean visual culture. Weekly lectures and tutorials will focus on either a specific medium (ink painting, calligraphy, ceramics, timber frame architecture, urban landscape, gardens) or a theme (tombs, Buddhism, Confucianism, genre painting, narrative painting) and through case studies, the political, social, and cultural factors that inform and shape works of art will be considered. The objects and sites under consideration will sometimes raise historical questions about the impact of one tradition upon the others, allowing us to see East Asia as a culturally connected macroregion; in other cases, the lectures will bring together works that require us to think critically about how we analyse and interpret the history of artistic production. Ultimately, this subject will provide students a foundation and framework to consider the history of East Asian art, as well as the tools by which to consider the dimensions and character of the common narratives applied to this history. |
| Modern and Contemporary Chinese Art · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines art and visual culture in China from the early 19th to the end of the 20th century. Students are introduced to key art works by major figures and important social, cultural and political, factors that have shaped the making of art from the decline and fall of the Manchu-Qing dynasty (-1911) to the resurgent spirit of the People’s Republic of China (1949-). The changing contexts of production, circulation and reception including scholarly communion and exchange, public display and exhibition, and dissemination through mass media and the global marketplace are examined in relation to brush-and-ink painting, oil painting, printmaking, photography and globalised contemporary practice. A range of theoretical writings and methodological approaches show how modern and contemporary Chinese art reflects radical transformations, deep continuities and makes a fascinating contribution to world art. |
| Studying Contemporary Art Abroad · 25 pts |
This subject is taught on location in two major art centres in Southeast Asia (Indonesia and Singapore) using social, political, economic, geographical and cultural effects of the respective arts centres as case studies of culture in action. Students will be introduced to the key institutional components of the art centres studied: this may include, as appropriate, urban and rural fabrics, museums, cultural sites, galleries, alternative spaces, biennales/triennials, archive centre, art magazines and studies, depending on the art centre. Students will study the history, context, display and consumption of art, allowing consideration of recent developments in museology, curatorship, arts policy and cultural tourism. The subject develops a broad understanding of the historical and aesthetic characteristics of artworks produced during selected artistic periods. The subject draws attention to the varying contexts informing works of art, including the relationship between art and its methods of production and preservation, its encouragement with society and installation in museum and biennale settings, and other settings as appropriate. Students should develop a range of approaches to understanding art, from issues of censorship and art, to gender and sexual identity in art, art and politics, space and meaning. The subject provides students with a fundamental grounding in art history and art curatorship, and in the broader critical and analytical skills necessary for the study of art in later years. Students wishing to enroll in this subject must consult the notes below. |
| Art and Power in the Eighteenth Century · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines the visual culture of Europe, Asia and the Americas in the long eighteenth century (1660–1815), from the reign of Louis XIV of France to the end of the Napoleonic wars. We will consider several significant centres of power in France, England, China, Anatolia, Mexico and the Holy Roman Empire to study how powerful political, religious, social and cultural factors shaped changes in the production, patronage and reception of images, objects and buildings. Through close study of artworks in local and international collections – including furniture, ceramics, glass, metalwork, textiles, prints and paintings – we will explore how artworks were deployed in the construction of social identity and the projection of power in the courts and cities of the eighteenth-century world. |
| Contemporary Aboriginal Art · 12.5 pts |
Starting with the acrylics of the Western Desert (Papunya) and ending with the most recent developments in new media, the field of contemporary Aboriginal art will be surveyed. Issues such as copyright and appropriation, the art market, women’s art practice, curating and collection policy are debated in this subject and key works in painting, sculpture, printmaking, and photography are studied and discussed. By the end of semester students should have a familiarity with the main issues concerning the interpretation of Aboriginal art in Australia and have a broad knowledge of the pictorial practices of prominent contemporary Aboriginal artists. Guest lectures by artists, academics and industry professionals, as well as visits to art galleries and museums, are a feature of this subject. |
| Contemporary Art · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines international contemporary artistic practice. Through case studies of specific artworks students will be introduced to the theories that informed, shaped or were employed by critics and curators in recent decades. A broad variety of media will be considered, including painting, sculpture, installation, performance, photography, video and multimedia technologies. Students may explore issues such as: the relationship of regional and global cultures, the diversity of identities within contemporary culture, the growing awareness of the art of minority groups, the impact of new technologies, media forms and ideologies on culture, and the impact of globalisation on networks of exhibitions, artists and curators. Artists’ responses to social debate on issues such as race relations, immigration, the environment, censorship, republicanism, and gay and lesbian politics will be considered. In addition, changes in the infrastructure and institutions of the culture industry - galleries, museums, publishing and media - may be examined. |
| Renaissance Art in Global Context · 12.5 pts |
This class focuses on artistic encounters between European cultures and other world cultures between about 1300 and 1650. The goal is to place the art and culture of Europe into an expanded geopolitical sphere, and to explore particularly important and representative moments within the larger exchange of people, objects, ideas, and materials in the early-modern period. Readings will be drawn from both period sources and contemporary art history; and tutorials will focus whenever possible on objects in University and Melbourne collections. |
Students must complete these subjects.
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Issues in Art Conservation · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines the history and theory of the conservation of art objects and collections, with particular reference to Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. Students will gain a theoretical grounding in issues relating to conservation and an understanding of professional networks and policy developments in art conservation in Australia and internationally. Issues considered will include: the preventative care of art objects, the history of conservation, ethical and theoretical issues raised by cleaning, restoration, and authentication, conservation approaches to disaster preparation and management, conservation issues in the display of works of art, and legal issues in conservation. |
| Art Museums and Curatorship · 12.5 pts |
This subject provides an introduction to current trends in international museology focusing on issues relating to museum management, public access, the role of education and the range of funding sources. The subject also provides an overview of recent cultural policy and investigates the role of professional networks and government organisations in the museum sector. Issues relevant to art museum management and curatorship in Australia - ranging from corporate sponsorship to community consultation - will be critically examined. |
| Exhibition Management · 12.5 pts |
This subject provides an opportunity to understand the complexities of exhibitions management. Students will be introduced to the concepts and procedures required to develop, manage and deliver an exhibition or other arts-based project such as a performance, festival, etc. |
| History and Philosophy of Museums · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines the growth of the museum from its origins in the wunderkammer and antiquarian collections of the 16th century to the dynamic and constantly shifting field of possibilities available to museums today. The subject charts the progression of the museum from the private collections of the Renaissance and Baroque to the vast public institutional spaces of the late 18th and 19th centuries, and beyond. Students will also address the various functions of the museum in Western culture from its inception to the present day. Special attention will be given to the ways in which the changing objectives of the museum (e.g. entertainment, propaganda, education) are reflected in the architecture, design and the display techniques developed in different countries at different times. Students should develop an understanding of the relationship between museums and concepts of national and cultural identity, focusing on their development within Australia and internationally. |
Students taking this capstone stream must complete both minor thesis subjects and ARTS90032: Research Principles and Practices. Note: the minor thesis requires enrolment over two consectutive semesters.
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Art Curatorship Thesis Part 1 · 18.75 pts |
Students enrolled in this subject will undertake a piece of research in arts management approved by the course coordinator. The research will incorporate both theoretical inquiry and primary research. On completion of the subject, students will submit a minor thesis on their chosen research topic. Enrolment in the thesis is across two consecutive semesters and students must enrol in the subject in each semester to ensure they are meeting the full 37.5 point requirement for the year-long subject. Students need to submit a research proposal at least 2 weeks prior to the semester of enrolment in the thesis. The subject coordinator can turn down the proposal (and thereby entry into the Minor Thesis) if the subject of the proposed Minor Thesis does not sufficiently align with the focus of the Master of Art Curatorship. |
| Art Curatorship Thesis Part 2 · 18.75 pts |
Refer to ACUR90009 Arts Curatorship Thesis Part 1 for details |
| Research Principles & Practices Graduate · 12.5 pts |
This subject introduces students to research skills for students planning, researching and writing a thesis in the School of Culture and Communication. Research Principles and Practices Graduate explores traditional and contemporary research practices and the differing methodological approaches guiding research practices in the School of Culture and Communication. It explores key research principles and practices including: defining an academic field, establishing a research question, identifying key words and key texts, developing a literature review, preparing and presenting a research proposal. Research Principles and Practices Graduate provides students with specific research methodologies and academic practices that will facilitate their research projects. It will also provide information about copyright, ethics and the conduct of ethical research. |
-
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Art Curatorship Core and Project · 25 pts |
This subject consists of two components: 1) Art Curatorship Core and 2) a Practice-based Project. For the Art Curatorship Core component, students will take a series of seminars that examine current trends in the art curatorship and exhibition-making industries. As part of the classroom component, students will also conduct original research on an approved topic selected in consultation with the supervisor. The research project will be in the field of art curation and will draw on theoretical study as a research framework. For the practice-based component, teams of students will conceive and deliver a real-world exhibition project that applies knowledge learned within their program. This exhibition project will be developed and delivered under the supervision of the subject coordinators supported by Project Labs held every fortnight and include curation or arts management activities. |
-
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Art Curatorship Core and Placement · 25 pts |
This subject consists of two components: 1) Art Curatorship Core and 2) Placement. For the Art Curatorship Core classroom component, students will participate in a series of seminars that examine current trends in the professional field of art curatorship. As part of the classroom component, students will also conduct self-directed research on an approved topic selected in consultation with the subject coordinator. The research essay will be in the field of art curatorship and exhibition making. For the placement component, students will be assisted to find a placement in a professional working environment where they will gain direct exposure to professional practice in gallery and museum contexts. They will work under the guidance of a senior staff member, with additional support from the subject coordinator. Students will be required to complete 150 hours of on-site work experience to fulfil this component of the subject. |
75 points to 50 points, depending on the capstone option selected.
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Interpreting Exhibitions · 12.5 pts |
This subject will examine the various strategies employed by museums and galleries to frame the objects and ideas in their care and in order to communicate to the public about them. It will consider how these display strategies have changed over time, but its principal focus will nonetheless be on current exhibition and display settings, from contemporary art spaces to science and natural history museums. What is the best way - if any - to frame a particular exhibition? What sorts of communications messages should curators and exhibition designers seek to convey to museum and gallery visitors? How effectively do galleries and museums communicate their ideas? What role does the public have in engaging with the objects and ideas in museum and gallery display settings? These and other questions will be asked in order to critically interrogate the idea of the exhibition as a meeting point between the institution and the public and as a site of a charged dialogue of meaning between all the players in the exhibition circuit: from the institution, to the objects and/or ideas in the institution, and on to the public who comes to engage with them. On completion of the subject students should be able to apply a range of critical theoretical, art historical and museological approaches to the study of exhibitions and displays in historical and contemporary settings. |
| Collection Management · 12.5 pts |
This subject will introduce students to the theory and practice of collection management as applied to collections of visual cultural material, with emphasis on works of art. This can range from wider debates regarding significance, ‘canons’ of art history and the impact of new technologies to specific skills associated with accessioning and de-accessioning, cataloguing systems, and collection policies. The subject will be taught in collaboration with the staff of the University of Melbourne’s Ian Potter Museum of Art. |
| Curating Art in Practice · 12.5 pts |
This subject will introduce students to the professional practices of curating art through engagement with University collections and exhibition spaces. The subject will introduce students to a range of practical professional skills required to curate art in a wide variety of contexts. Students will gain familiarity with recent theories of art curatorship, and explore how these can be put into practice in an art exhibition. Students will also acquire skills in responding critically to collections, devising practical displays and installing art, as well as conceptualising and producing innovative exhibition tools, such as catalogues, labels and public programs, that serve to connect audiences with art in meaningful ways. |
| The Print Room · 12.5 pts |
This subject provides an introduction to Japanese art and cultural history through a survey of the Japanese woodblock print from its emergence in the mid-seventeenth century to the mid-twentieth century. Visits to University’s Baillieu Library, the Ian Potter Museum, and the NGV and first-hand viewing will form a key part of the subject. Technical developments, major genres, and master designers are explored within the context of Japanese and East Asian pictorial traditions, the publishing industry, and urban culture. Topics for consideration include aesthetic discourse, consumerism, materiality of prints, censorship, erotica, the construction of class and social identities in relation to printed media. |
| Biennales, Triennales and Documentas · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines the exhibition of contemporary art in international survey exhibitions since the 1960s, delineating the methods that curators and directors have tested in response to the needs of art museums, bureaucracies, artists and publics across a range of geographic settings. The subject will examine a sequence of exhibitions from Australia and overseas, including early, national pavilion-based Venice Biennales, the director-driven 1970s Documentas, the 1980s global circuit of Biennales (including Sydney's), the newer Asian biennales (including Brisbane's Asia-Pacific triennials), the commercial art fairs (Frieze and the New York Armory Show). The subject considers these exhibitions' impact on contemporary art, as well as the roles of sponsorship, philanthropy and exhibition directors. |
| Understanding Contemporary Art Writing · 12.5 pts |
This subject will introduce students to the theory and practice of writing on contemporary art and the moving image. The distinct professional genres in which art writing is practised will be analysed as will the recent history of art theory. The subject will survey innovations and developments that have taken place in recent criticism, curatorship and critical writing, as well as discuss the theories, trends and shifts in current and future writing on art and the moving image. The goal of the subject is to develop the overlapping skills of active, critical reading combined with student understanding of critical theory and art. |
| Museology in Florence · 12.5 pts |
This subject is taught on location in the major European art centre Florence, Italy, using the social, economic, geographical and cultural effects of the art centre as a case study of historical and contemporary culture. It will investigate Florence's most important museums and private collections, in order to understand their place in the origin and development of the museum as an institutional type from the Renaissance to today Students will study the display and consumption of art, allowing consideration of recent developments in museology, arts policy, commodity theory and cultural tourism. A quota of 20 students applies to this subject. Please see 'Eligibility and Requirements' for further information on how to apply for this subject. |
| Cultural Policy · 12.5 pts |
This subject introduces students to theoretical perspectives on arts and cultural policy and explains how various historical, political, and cultural contexts shape cultural policies in different nation states. The subject provides a broad overview of multiple aspects of cultural policies including regulating public arts, preserving national cultural heritage, contributing to sustainable economic, environmental, and urban development, as well as protecting cultural diversity on local and global levels. The subject explains how different political and cultural actors are involved in complex processes of creating, communicating, restructuring, or resisting cultural policies and how they affect local economies, reframe social and cultural composition of communities, as well as contribute to place branding. |
| Managing Creative Content · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines the practical legal aspects and issues associated with the management of intellectual property in the area of creative production in Australia. The focus is on contracts and intellectual property in the rapidly changing technological environment of the arts. The context includes film and multimedia production and distribution, fashion and design, the commissioning and production of public art, the creation and presentation of performing arts; the management of museum and gallery collections and the administration of artistic and literary estates. |
| Arts Operations · 12.5 pts |
This subject introduces students to the fundamentals of commercial operations in an arts and cultural context, including financial management, budgeting, contracts, grants, and resource management. This subject includes an examination of the principles of financial reporting for arts organisations; the preparation and evaluation of financial budgets, particularly for grants; and a survey of critical operational logistics related to contracts, staffing, and resource management. |
| Marketing the Arts · 12.5 pts |
This subject investigates the diversity of marketing forms, practices and strategies used across the breadth of arts organisations. Students will explore a range of influential marketing concepts, investigating the evolution from traditional forms of engagement to contemporary innovations in this area. Seminars will explore the interrelationship between communication theory and practice, identifying pivotal issues and influential concepts in arts marketing. Topics include strategic marketing planning, branding, pricing and communications. Students will engage in an advanced study of scholarly approaches and contemporary debates in the field as well as applying marketing tools and techniques. |
| The Economics of Culture · 12.5 pts |
This wholly online subject examines the arts and culture as part of an economic system. Students are introduced to diverse approaches to the economic characterisation of arts and cultural production including culture as a public good, the creative industries paradigms and the role of taxation policies and private support for cultural activity. Different sectors of the arts and cultural industry will be analysed from highly commercialised free-market operations to fully government-funded structures. |
| Cultural Festivals and Special Events · 12.5 pts |
Cultural festivals, carnivals and special events are a prominent feature of arts and cultural activities at the local, national and international level. Through a series of international and local case studies, this subject will examine the economic and artistic origins of and rationales for these events in the context of a range of theoretical framings. Students will be asked to consider a variety of professional and critical approaches to evaluating these events, including programming and content analysis, audiences, creative labour, place-making strategies and the role of artistic directors. The influence of ritual, invented traditions and the carnivalesque in contemporary festival practices, along with the historical and political underpinning of festivals, will also be explored in order to appreciate the diverse range of interests that are served by such events and the social and political contexts within which they take place. |
| Global Perspectives on Arts Management · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines social, political, economic, and cultural backgrounds shaping arts and cultural management around the world. The subject combines a study of history, theory, and practice to consider the development of cultural industries and the growing demands of working collaboratively internationally and across cultures. The approach to the material is through lectures, readings, class discussions, and case studies relating to cultural industries and organisations from around the globe, which may include festivals, museums, art galleries, and film. Students completing this subject will gain a better understanding of the diverse global, regional, and national contexts for the dynamic arts and cultural sector as well as a cross-cultural and international outlook. |
| Academic English for Graduate Studies · 12.5 pts |
This subject focuses on the advanced language required for successful graduate study in English. In this subject students will develop critical approaches to researching, reading and writing. They will also develop the ability to plan and present confidently on a research topic and to write a literature review fluently and accurately. Particular attention is paid to grammatical and stylistic aspects of written and spoken academic discourse. Students write and present on a research topic that is relevant to their field of study. |
| Social Enterprise Incubator · 12.5 pts |
This experiential learning subject introduces students to the fundamentals of social entrepreneurship, while equipping students with a practical understanding of social enterprise as a model to tackle social and/or environmental problems through trade. Working in small teams, students are introduced to a range of design thinking and social innovation frameworks. They draw on these frameworks to iteratively conceptualise, ‘pitch’, refine and develop a social enterprise ‘business model’ that appropriately responds to the needs of communities and society. To nurture and support development of ideas, the subject draws on real-world case studies as well as industry guests from the social enterprise ecosystem including social entrepreneurs, people with ‘lived-experience’, social finance and impact investment intermediaries, incubators and accelerators and leading scholars and thinkers in the field. Upon completing this subject, students will develop a critical understanding of the theoretical foundations of social entrepreneurship and how to develop a ‘business model’ for financially sustainable social impact. By doing so, the subject also offers a unique opportunity for students to apply conceptual knowledge and project management and business skills to real-world social and/or environmental challenges. |
| Writing and Editing for Digital Media · 12.5 pts |
This subject introduces students to the principles and practices of writing and editing for digital media. It provides students with an understanding of and practical skills in writing for different online contexts and genres, including websites, online essays, multimedia stories, social media content, and search engine optimisation. Students will apply these skills using their existing disciplinary expertise to develop and creative contribute to platforms focused on their professional industries. |
| Visual Culture Industries · 12.5 pts |
This subject will introduce students to a range of organisations whose functions encompass the promotion, collection and presentation of contemporary visual culture. This is an industry-focussed subject where representatives of local and national arts organisations offer students direct insight into their role and strategic direction. Representatives will include directors and executives from various industry bodies including government agencies, state institutions, regional organisations, contemporary spaces, commercial entities and professional associations (such as Australia Council, Arts Victoria, the National Gallery of Victoria, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, the Museum of Victoria, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, the Melbourne International Film Festival, Village Roadshow, Sotheby’s Australia, Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces and Cinema Nova, among others). Students will study the history and development of these industry bodies as well as their social and cultural impact. They will explore such areas as governance, funding, sponsorship, philanthropy, policy formation, administration, collecting, curating, programming and audience research. Emphasis will be on the aims and goals of these bodies, the extent to which they fulfil community needs and the degree to which they promote the arts. External constraints such as censorship, government policy and community response will also be considered. |
150 point program
1.5 years full time / up to 3 years part time. All students must complete one capstone option.
Students must complete these subjects.
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Issues in Art Conservation · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines the history and theory of the conservation of art objects and collections, with particular reference to Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. Students will gain a theoretical grounding in issues relating to conservation and an understanding of professional networks and policy developments in art conservation in Australia and internationally. Issues considered will include: the preventative care of art objects, the history of conservation, ethical and theoretical issues raised by cleaning, restoration, and authentication, conservation approaches to disaster preparation and management, conservation issues in the display of works of art, and legal issues in conservation. |
| Art Museums and Curatorship · 12.5 pts |
This subject provides an introduction to current trends in international museology focusing on issues relating to museum management, public access, the role of education and the range of funding sources. The subject also provides an overview of recent cultural policy and investigates the role of professional networks and government organisations in the museum sector. Issues relevant to art museum management and curatorship in Australia - ranging from corporate sponsorship to community consultation - will be critically examined. |
| Exhibition Management · 12.5 pts |
This subject provides an opportunity to understand the complexities of exhibitions management. Students will be introduced to the concepts and procedures required to develop, manage and deliver an exhibition or other arts-based project such as a performance, festival, etc. |
| History and Philosophy of Museums · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines the growth of the museum from its origins in the wunderkammer and antiquarian collections of the 16th century to the dynamic and constantly shifting field of possibilities available to museums today. The subject charts the progression of the museum from the private collections of the Renaissance and Baroque to the vast public institutional spaces of the late 18th and 19th centuries, and beyond. Students will also address the various functions of the museum in Western culture from its inception to the present day. Special attention will be given to the ways in which the changing objectives of the museum (e.g. entertainment, propaganda, education) are reflected in the architecture, design and the display techniques developed in different countries at different times. Students should develop an understanding of the relationship between museums and concepts of national and cultural identity, focusing on their development within Australia and internationally. |
Students taking this capstone stream must complete both minor thesis subjects and ARTS90032: Research Principles and Practices. Note: the minor thesis requires enrolment over two consectutive semesters.
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Art Curatorship Thesis Part 1 · 18.75 pts |
Students enrolled in this subject will undertake a piece of research in arts management approved by the course coordinator. The research will incorporate both theoretical inquiry and primary research. On completion of the subject, students will submit a minor thesis on their chosen research topic. Enrolment in the thesis is across two consecutive semesters and students must enrol in the subject in each semester to ensure they are meeting the full 37.5 point requirement for the year-long subject. Students need to submit a research proposal at least 2 weeks prior to the semester of enrolment in the thesis. The subject coordinator can turn down the proposal (and thereby entry into the Minor Thesis) if the subject of the proposed Minor Thesis does not sufficiently align with the focus of the Master of Art Curatorship. |
| Art Curatorship Thesis Part 2 · 18.75 pts |
Refer to ACUR90009 Arts Curatorship Thesis Part 1 for details |
| Research Principles & Practices Graduate · 12.5 pts |
This subject introduces students to research skills for students planning, researching and writing a thesis in the School of Culture and Communication. Research Principles and Practices Graduate explores traditional and contemporary research practices and the differing methodological approaches guiding research practices in the School of Culture and Communication. It explores key research principles and practices including: defining an academic field, establishing a research question, identifying key words and key texts, developing a literature review, preparing and presenting a research proposal. Research Principles and Practices Graduate provides students with specific research methodologies and academic practices that will facilitate their research projects. It will also provide information about copyright, ethics and the conduct of ethical research. |
-
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Art Curatorship Core and Project · 25 pts |
This subject consists of two components: 1) Art Curatorship Core and 2) a Practice-based Project. For the Art Curatorship Core component, students will take a series of seminars that examine current trends in the art curatorship and exhibition-making industries. As part of the classroom component, students will also conduct original research on an approved topic selected in consultation with the supervisor. The research project will be in the field of art curation and will draw on theoretical study as a research framework. For the practice-based component, teams of students will conceive and deliver a real-world exhibition project that applies knowledge learned within their program. This exhibition project will be developed and delivered under the supervision of the subject coordinators supported by Project Labs held every fortnight and include curation or arts management activities. |
-
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Art Curatorship Core and Placement · 25 pts |
This subject consists of two components: 1) Art Curatorship Core and 2) Placement. For the Art Curatorship Core classroom component, students will participate in a series of seminars that examine current trends in the professional field of art curatorship. As part of the classroom component, students will also conduct self-directed research on an approved topic selected in consultation with the subject coordinator. The research essay will be in the field of art curatorship and exhibition making. For the placement component, students will be assisted to find a placement in a professional working environment where they will gain direct exposure to professional practice in gallery and museum contexts. They will work under the guidance of a senior staff member, with additional support from the subject coordinator. Students will be required to complete 150 hours of on-site work experience to fulfil this component of the subject. |
50 points to 75 points, depending on the capstone option selected.
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Interpreting Exhibitions · 12.5 pts |
This subject will examine the various strategies employed by museums and galleries to frame the objects and ideas in their care and in order to communicate to the public about them. It will consider how these display strategies have changed over time, but its principal focus will nonetheless be on current exhibition and display settings, from contemporary art spaces to science and natural history museums. What is the best way - if any - to frame a particular exhibition? What sorts of communications messages should curators and exhibition designers seek to convey to museum and gallery visitors? How effectively do galleries and museums communicate their ideas? What role does the public have in engaging with the objects and ideas in museum and gallery display settings? These and other questions will be asked in order to critically interrogate the idea of the exhibition as a meeting point between the institution and the public and as a site of a charged dialogue of meaning between all the players in the exhibition circuit: from the institution, to the objects and/or ideas in the institution, and on to the public who comes to engage with them. On completion of the subject students should be able to apply a range of critical theoretical, art historical and museological approaches to the study of exhibitions and displays in historical and contemporary settings. |
| Collection Management · 12.5 pts |
This subject will introduce students to the theory and practice of collection management as applied to collections of visual cultural material, with emphasis on works of art. This can range from wider debates regarding significance, ‘canons’ of art history and the impact of new technologies to specific skills associated with accessioning and de-accessioning, cataloguing systems, and collection policies. The subject will be taught in collaboration with the staff of the University of Melbourne’s Ian Potter Museum of Art. |
| Curating Art in Practice · 12.5 pts |
This subject will introduce students to the professional practices of curating art through engagement with University collections and exhibition spaces. The subject will introduce students to a range of practical professional skills required to curate art in a wide variety of contexts. Students will gain familiarity with recent theories of art curatorship, and explore how these can be put into practice in an art exhibition. Students will also acquire skills in responding critically to collections, devising practical displays and installing art, as well as conceptualising and producing innovative exhibition tools, such as catalogues, labels and public programs, that serve to connect audiences with art in meaningful ways. |
| The Print Room · 12.5 pts |
This subject provides an introduction to Japanese art and cultural history through a survey of the Japanese woodblock print from its emergence in the mid-seventeenth century to the mid-twentieth century. Visits to University’s Baillieu Library, the Ian Potter Museum, and the NGV and first-hand viewing will form a key part of the subject. Technical developments, major genres, and master designers are explored within the context of Japanese and East Asian pictorial traditions, the publishing industry, and urban culture. Topics for consideration include aesthetic discourse, consumerism, materiality of prints, censorship, erotica, the construction of class and social identities in relation to printed media. |
| Biennales, Triennales and Documentas · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines the exhibition of contemporary art in international survey exhibitions since the 1960s, delineating the methods that curators and directors have tested in response to the needs of art museums, bureaucracies, artists and publics across a range of geographic settings. The subject will examine a sequence of exhibitions from Australia and overseas, including early, national pavilion-based Venice Biennales, the director-driven 1970s Documentas, the 1980s global circuit of Biennales (including Sydney's), the newer Asian biennales (including Brisbane's Asia-Pacific triennials), the commercial art fairs (Frieze and the New York Armory Show). The subject considers these exhibitions' impact on contemporary art, as well as the roles of sponsorship, philanthropy and exhibition directors. |
| Understanding Contemporary Art Writing · 12.5 pts |
This subject will introduce students to the theory and practice of writing on contemporary art and the moving image. The distinct professional genres in which art writing is practised will be analysed as will the recent history of art theory. The subject will survey innovations and developments that have taken place in recent criticism, curatorship and critical writing, as well as discuss the theories, trends and shifts in current and future writing on art and the moving image. The goal of the subject is to develop the overlapping skills of active, critical reading combined with student understanding of critical theory and art. |
| Museology in Florence · 12.5 pts |
This subject is taught on location in the major European art centre Florence, Italy, using the social, economic, geographical and cultural effects of the art centre as a case study of historical and contemporary culture. It will investigate Florence's most important museums and private collections, in order to understand their place in the origin and development of the museum as an institutional type from the Renaissance to today Students will study the display and consumption of art, allowing consideration of recent developments in museology, arts policy, commodity theory and cultural tourism. A quota of 20 students applies to this subject. Please see 'Eligibility and Requirements' for further information on how to apply for this subject. |
| Cultural Policy · 12.5 pts |
This subject introduces students to theoretical perspectives on arts and cultural policy and explains how various historical, political, and cultural contexts shape cultural policies in different nation states. The subject provides a broad overview of multiple aspects of cultural policies including regulating public arts, preserving national cultural heritage, contributing to sustainable economic, environmental, and urban development, as well as protecting cultural diversity on local and global levels. The subject explains how different political and cultural actors are involved in complex processes of creating, communicating, restructuring, or resisting cultural policies and how they affect local economies, reframe social and cultural composition of communities, as well as contribute to place branding. |
| Managing Creative Content · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines the practical legal aspects and issues associated with the management of intellectual property in the area of creative production in Australia. The focus is on contracts and intellectual property in the rapidly changing technological environment of the arts. The context includes film and multimedia production and distribution, fashion and design, the commissioning and production of public art, the creation and presentation of performing arts; the management of museum and gallery collections and the administration of artistic and literary estates. |
| Arts Operations · 12.5 pts |
This subject introduces students to the fundamentals of commercial operations in an arts and cultural context, including financial management, budgeting, contracts, grants, and resource management. This subject includes an examination of the principles of financial reporting for arts organisations; the preparation and evaluation of financial budgets, particularly for grants; and a survey of critical operational logistics related to contracts, staffing, and resource management. |
| Marketing the Arts · 12.5 pts |
This subject investigates the diversity of marketing forms, practices and strategies used across the breadth of arts organisations. Students will explore a range of influential marketing concepts, investigating the evolution from traditional forms of engagement to contemporary innovations in this area. Seminars will explore the interrelationship between communication theory and practice, identifying pivotal issues and influential concepts in arts marketing. Topics include strategic marketing planning, branding, pricing and communications. Students will engage in an advanced study of scholarly approaches and contemporary debates in the field as well as applying marketing tools and techniques. |
| The Economics of Culture · 12.5 pts |
This wholly online subject examines the arts and culture as part of an economic system. Students are introduced to diverse approaches to the economic characterisation of arts and cultural production including culture as a public good, the creative industries paradigms and the role of taxation policies and private support for cultural activity. Different sectors of the arts and cultural industry will be analysed from highly commercialised free-market operations to fully government-funded structures. |
| Cultural Festivals and Special Events · 12.5 pts |
Cultural festivals, carnivals and special events are a prominent feature of arts and cultural activities at the local, national and international level. Through a series of international and local case studies, this subject will examine the economic and artistic origins of and rationales for these events in the context of a range of theoretical framings. Students will be asked to consider a variety of professional and critical approaches to evaluating these events, including programming and content analysis, audiences, creative labour, place-making strategies and the role of artistic directors. The influence of ritual, invented traditions and the carnivalesque in contemporary festival practices, along with the historical and political underpinning of festivals, will also be explored in order to appreciate the diverse range of interests that are served by such events and the social and political contexts within which they take place. |
| Global Perspectives on Arts Management · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines social, political, economic, and cultural backgrounds shaping arts and cultural management around the world. The subject combines a study of history, theory, and practice to consider the development of cultural industries and the growing demands of working collaboratively internationally and across cultures. The approach to the material is through lectures, readings, class discussions, and case studies relating to cultural industries and organisations from around the globe, which may include festivals, museums, art galleries, and film. Students completing this subject will gain a better understanding of the diverse global, regional, and national contexts for the dynamic arts and cultural sector as well as a cross-cultural and international outlook. |
| Academic English for Graduate Studies · 12.5 pts |
This subject focuses on the advanced language required for successful graduate study in English. In this subject students will develop critical approaches to researching, reading and writing. They will also develop the ability to plan and present confidently on a research topic and to write a literature review fluently and accurately. Particular attention is paid to grammatical and stylistic aspects of written and spoken academic discourse. Students write and present on a research topic that is relevant to their field of study. |
| Social Enterprise Incubator · 12.5 pts |
This experiential learning subject introduces students to the fundamentals of social entrepreneurship, while equipping students with a practical understanding of social enterprise as a model to tackle social and/or environmental problems through trade. Working in small teams, students are introduced to a range of design thinking and social innovation frameworks. They draw on these frameworks to iteratively conceptualise, ‘pitch’, refine and develop a social enterprise ‘business model’ that appropriately responds to the needs of communities and society. To nurture and support development of ideas, the subject draws on real-world case studies as well as industry guests from the social enterprise ecosystem including social entrepreneurs, people with ‘lived-experience’, social finance and impact investment intermediaries, incubators and accelerators and leading scholars and thinkers in the field. Upon completing this subject, students will develop a critical understanding of the theoretical foundations of social entrepreneurship and how to develop a ‘business model’ for financially sustainable social impact. By doing so, the subject also offers a unique opportunity for students to apply conceptual knowledge and project management and business skills to real-world social and/or environmental challenges. |
| Writing and Editing for Digital Media · 12.5 pts |
This subject introduces students to the principles and practices of writing and editing for digital media. It provides students with an understanding of and practical skills in writing for different online contexts and genres, including websites, online essays, multimedia stories, social media content, and search engine optimisation. Students will apply these skills using their existing disciplinary expertise to develop and creative contribute to platforms focused on their professional industries. |
| Visual Culture Industries · 12.5 pts |
This subject will introduce students to a range of organisations whose functions encompass the promotion, collection and presentation of contemporary visual culture. This is an industry-focussed subject where representatives of local and national arts organisations offer students direct insight into their role and strategic direction. Representatives will include directors and executives from various industry bodies including government agencies, state institutions, regional organisations, contemporary spaces, commercial entities and professional associations (such as Australia Council, Arts Victoria, the National Gallery of Victoria, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, the Museum of Victoria, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, the Melbourne International Film Festival, Village Roadshow, Sotheby’s Australia, Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces and Cinema Nova, among others). Students will study the history and development of these industry bodies as well as their social and cultural impact. They will explore such areas as governance, funding, sponsorship, philanthropy, policy formation, administration, collecting, curating, programming and audience research. Emphasis will be on the aims and goals of these bodies, the extent to which they fulfil community needs and the degree to which they promote the arts. External constraints such as censorship, government policy and community response will also be considered. |
100 point program
1 year full time / up to 2 years part time. All students must complete one capstone option.
Students must complete these subjects.
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Issues in Art Conservation · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines the history and theory of the conservation of art objects and collections, with particular reference to Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. Students will gain a theoretical grounding in issues relating to conservation and an understanding of professional networks and policy developments in art conservation in Australia and internationally. Issues considered will include: the preventative care of art objects, the history of conservation, ethical and theoretical issues raised by cleaning, restoration, and authentication, conservation approaches to disaster preparation and management, conservation issues in the display of works of art, and legal issues in conservation. |
| Art Museums and Curatorship · 12.5 pts |
This subject provides an introduction to current trends in international museology focusing on issues relating to museum management, public access, the role of education and the range of funding sources. The subject also provides an overview of recent cultural policy and investigates the role of professional networks and government organisations in the museum sector. Issues relevant to art museum management and curatorship in Australia - ranging from corporate sponsorship to community consultation - will be critically examined. |
| Exhibition Management · 12.5 pts |
This subject provides an opportunity to understand the complexities of exhibitions management. Students will be introduced to the concepts and procedures required to develop, manage and deliver an exhibition or other arts-based project such as a performance, festival, etc. |
| History and Philosophy of Museums · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines the growth of the museum from its origins in the wunderkammer and antiquarian collections of the 16th century to the dynamic and constantly shifting field of possibilities available to museums today. The subject charts the progression of the museum from the private collections of the Renaissance and Baroque to the vast public institutional spaces of the late 18th and 19th centuries, and beyond. Students will also address the various functions of the museum in Western culture from its inception to the present day. Special attention will be given to the ways in which the changing objectives of the museum (e.g. entertainment, propaganda, education) are reflected in the architecture, design and the display techniques developed in different countries at different times. Students should develop an understanding of the relationship between museums and concepts of national and cultural identity, focusing on their development within Australia and internationally. |
-
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Art Curatorship Thesis Part 1 · 18.75 pts |
Students enrolled in this subject will undertake a piece of research in arts management approved by the course coordinator. The research will incorporate both theoretical inquiry and primary research. On completion of the subject, students will submit a minor thesis on their chosen research topic. Enrolment in the thesis is across two consecutive semesters and students must enrol in the subject in each semester to ensure they are meeting the full 37.5 point requirement for the year-long subject. Students need to submit a research proposal at least 2 weeks prior to the semester of enrolment in the thesis. The subject coordinator can turn down the proposal (and thereby entry into the Minor Thesis) if the subject of the proposed Minor Thesis does not sufficiently align with the focus of the Master of Art Curatorship. |
| Art Curatorship Thesis Part 2 · 18.75 pts |
Refer to ACUR90009 Arts Curatorship Thesis Part 1 for details |
| Research Principles & Practices Graduate · 12.5 pts |
This subject introduces students to research skills for students planning, researching and writing a thesis in the School of Culture and Communication. Research Principles and Practices Graduate explores traditional and contemporary research practices and the differing methodological approaches guiding research practices in the School of Culture and Communication. It explores key research principles and practices including: defining an academic field, establishing a research question, identifying key words and key texts, developing a literature review, preparing and presenting a research proposal. Research Principles and Practices Graduate provides students with specific research methodologies and academic practices that will facilitate their research projects. It will also provide information about copyright, ethics and the conduct of ethical research. |
-
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Art Curatorship Core and Project · 25 pts |
This subject consists of two components: 1) Art Curatorship Core and 2) a Practice-based Project. For the Art Curatorship Core component, students will take a series of seminars that examine current trends in the art curatorship and exhibition-making industries. As part of the classroom component, students will also conduct original research on an approved topic selected in consultation with the supervisor. The research project will be in the field of art curation and will draw on theoretical study as a research framework. For the practice-based component, teams of students will conceive and deliver a real-world exhibition project that applies knowledge learned within their program. This exhibition project will be developed and delivered under the supervision of the subject coordinators supported by Project Labs held every fortnight and include curation or arts management activities. |
-
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Art Curatorship Core and Placement · 25 pts |
This subject consists of two components: 1) Art Curatorship Core and 2) Placement. For the Art Curatorship Core classroom component, students will participate in a series of seminars that examine current trends in the professional field of art curatorship. As part of the classroom component, students will also conduct self-directed research on an approved topic selected in consultation with the subject coordinator. The research essay will be in the field of art curatorship and exhibition making. For the placement component, students will be assisted to find a placement in a professional working environment where they will gain direct exposure to professional practice in gallery and museum contexts. They will work under the guidance of a senior staff member, with additional support from the subject coordinator. Students will be required to complete 150 hours of on-site work experience to fulfil this component of the subject. |
0 points to 25 points, depending on the capstone option selected
| Accordion | |
|---|---|
| Interpreting Exhibitions · 12.5 pts |
This subject will examine the various strategies employed by museums and galleries to frame the objects and ideas in their care and in order to communicate to the public about them. It will consider how these display strategies have changed over time, but its principal focus will nonetheless be on current exhibition and display settings, from contemporary art spaces to science and natural history museums. What is the best way - if any - to frame a particular exhibition? What sorts of communications messages should curators and exhibition designers seek to convey to museum and gallery visitors? How effectively do galleries and museums communicate their ideas? What role does the public have in engaging with the objects and ideas in museum and gallery display settings? These and other questions will be asked in order to critically interrogate the idea of the exhibition as a meeting point between the institution and the public and as a site of a charged dialogue of meaning between all the players in the exhibition circuit: from the institution, to the objects and/or ideas in the institution, and on to the public who comes to engage with them. On completion of the subject students should be able to apply a range of critical theoretical, art historical and museological approaches to the study of exhibitions and displays in historical and contemporary settings. |
| Collection Management · 12.5 pts |
This subject will introduce students to the theory and practice of collection management as applied to collections of visual cultural material, with emphasis on works of art. This can range from wider debates regarding significance, ‘canons’ of art history and the impact of new technologies to specific skills associated with accessioning and de-accessioning, cataloguing systems, and collection policies. The subject will be taught in collaboration with the staff of the University of Melbourne’s Ian Potter Museum of Art. |
| Curating Art in Practice · 12.5 pts |
This subject will introduce students to the professional practices of curating art through engagement with University collections and exhibition spaces. The subject will introduce students to a range of practical professional skills required to curate art in a wide variety of contexts. Students will gain familiarity with recent theories of art curatorship, and explore how these can be put into practice in an art exhibition. Students will also acquire skills in responding critically to collections, devising practical displays and installing art, as well as conceptualising and producing innovative exhibition tools, such as catalogues, labels and public programs, that serve to connect audiences with art in meaningful ways. |
| The Print Room · 12.5 pts |
This subject provides an introduction to Japanese art and cultural history through a survey of the Japanese woodblock print from its emergence in the mid-seventeenth century to the mid-twentieth century. Visits to University’s Baillieu Library, the Ian Potter Museum, and the NGV and first-hand viewing will form a key part of the subject. Technical developments, major genres, and master designers are explored within the context of Japanese and East Asian pictorial traditions, the publishing industry, and urban culture. Topics for consideration include aesthetic discourse, consumerism, materiality of prints, censorship, erotica, the construction of class and social identities in relation to printed media. |
| Biennales, Triennales and Documentas · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines the exhibition of contemporary art in international survey exhibitions since the 1960s, delineating the methods that curators and directors have tested in response to the needs of art museums, bureaucracies, artists and publics across a range of geographic settings. The subject will examine a sequence of exhibitions from Australia and overseas, including early, national pavilion-based Venice Biennales, the director-driven 1970s Documentas, the 1980s global circuit of Biennales (including Sydney's), the newer Asian biennales (including Brisbane's Asia-Pacific triennials), the commercial art fairs (Frieze and the New York Armory Show). The subject considers these exhibitions' impact on contemporary art, as well as the roles of sponsorship, philanthropy and exhibition directors. |
| Understanding Contemporary Art Writing · 12.5 pts |
This subject will introduce students to the theory and practice of writing on contemporary art and the moving image. The distinct professional genres in which art writing is practised will be analysed as will the recent history of art theory. The subject will survey innovations and developments that have taken place in recent criticism, curatorship and critical writing, as well as discuss the theories, trends and shifts in current and future writing on art and the moving image. The goal of the subject is to develop the overlapping skills of active, critical reading combined with student understanding of critical theory and art. |
| Museology in Florence · 12.5 pts |
This subject is taught on location in the major European art centre Florence, Italy, using the social, economic, geographical and cultural effects of the art centre as a case study of historical and contemporary culture. It will investigate Florence's most important museums and private collections, in order to understand their place in the origin and development of the museum as an institutional type from the Renaissance to today Students will study the display and consumption of art, allowing consideration of recent developments in museology, arts policy, commodity theory and cultural tourism. A quota of 20 students applies to this subject. Please see 'Eligibility and Requirements' for further information on how to apply for this subject. |
| Cultural Policy · 12.5 pts |
This subject introduces students to theoretical perspectives on arts and cultural policy and explains how various historical, political, and cultural contexts shape cultural policies in different nation states. The subject provides a broad overview of multiple aspects of cultural policies including regulating public arts, preserving national cultural heritage, contributing to sustainable economic, environmental, and urban development, as well as protecting cultural diversity on local and global levels. The subject explains how different political and cultural actors are involved in complex processes of creating, communicating, restructuring, or resisting cultural policies and how they affect local economies, reframe social and cultural composition of communities, as well as contribute to place branding. |
| Managing Creative Content · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines the practical legal aspects and issues associated with the management of intellectual property in the area of creative production in Australia. The focus is on contracts and intellectual property in the rapidly changing technological environment of the arts. The context includes film and multimedia production and distribution, fashion and design, the commissioning and production of public art, the creation and presentation of performing arts; the management of museum and gallery collections and the administration of artistic and literary estates. |
| Arts Operations · 12.5 pts |
This subject introduces students to the fundamentals of commercial operations in an arts and cultural context, including financial management, budgeting, contracts, grants, and resource management. This subject includes an examination of the principles of financial reporting for arts organisations; the preparation and evaluation of financial budgets, particularly for grants; and a survey of critical operational logistics related to contracts, staffing, and resource management. |
| Marketing the Arts · 12.5 pts |
This subject investigates the diversity of marketing forms, practices and strategies used across the breadth of arts organisations. Students will explore a range of influential marketing concepts, investigating the evolution from traditional forms of engagement to contemporary innovations in this area. Seminars will explore the interrelationship between communication theory and practice, identifying pivotal issues and influential concepts in arts marketing. Topics include strategic marketing planning, branding, pricing and communications. Students will engage in an advanced study of scholarly approaches and contemporary debates in the field as well as applying marketing tools and techniques. |
| The Economics of Culture · 12.5 pts |
This wholly online subject examines the arts and culture as part of an economic system. Students are introduced to diverse approaches to the economic characterisation of arts and cultural production including culture as a public good, the creative industries paradigms and the role of taxation policies and private support for cultural activity. Different sectors of the arts and cultural industry will be analysed from highly commercialised free-market operations to fully government-funded structures. |
| Cultural Festivals and Special Events · 12.5 pts |
Cultural festivals, carnivals and special events are a prominent feature of arts and cultural activities at the local, national and international level. Through a series of international and local case studies, this subject will examine the economic and artistic origins of and rationales for these events in the context of a range of theoretical framings. Students will be asked to consider a variety of professional and critical approaches to evaluating these events, including programming and content analysis, audiences, creative labour, place-making strategies and the role of artistic directors. The influence of ritual, invented traditions and the carnivalesque in contemporary festival practices, along with the historical and political underpinning of festivals, will also be explored in order to appreciate the diverse range of interests that are served by such events and the social and political contexts within which they take place. |
| Global Perspectives on Arts Management · 12.5 pts |
This subject examines social, political, economic, and cultural backgrounds shaping arts and cultural management around the world. The subject combines a study of history, theory, and practice to consider the development of cultural industries and the growing demands of working collaboratively internationally and across cultures. The approach to the material is through lectures, readings, class discussions, and case studies relating to cultural industries and organisations from around the globe, which may include festivals, museums, art galleries, and film. Students completing this subject will gain a better understanding of the diverse global, regional, and national contexts for the dynamic arts and cultural sector as well as a cross-cultural and international outlook. |
| Academic English for Graduate Studies · 12.5 pts |
This subject focuses on the advanced language required for successful graduate study in English. In this subject students will develop critical approaches to researching, reading and writing. They will also develop the ability to plan and present confidently on a research topic and to write a literature review fluently and accurately. Particular attention is paid to grammatical and stylistic aspects of written and spoken academic discourse. Students write and present on a research topic that is relevant to their field of study. |
| Social Enterprise Incubator · 12.5 pts |
This experiential learning subject introduces students to the fundamentals of social entrepreneurship, while equipping students with a practical understanding of social enterprise as a model to tackle social and/or environmental problems through trade. Working in small teams, students are introduced to a range of design thinking and social innovation frameworks. They draw on these frameworks to iteratively conceptualise, ‘pitch’, refine and develop a social enterprise ‘business model’ that appropriately responds to the needs of communities and society. To nurture and support development of ideas, the subject draws on real-world case studies as well as industry guests from the social enterprise ecosystem including social entrepreneurs, people with ‘lived-experience’, social finance and impact investment intermediaries, incubators and accelerators and leading scholars and thinkers in the field. Upon completing this subject, students will develop a critical understanding of the theoretical foundations of social entrepreneurship and how to develop a ‘business model’ for financially sustainable social impact. By doing so, the subject also offers a unique opportunity for students to apply conceptual knowledge and project management and business skills to real-world social and/or environmental challenges. |
| Writing and Editing for Digital Media · 12.5 pts |
This subject introduces students to the principles and practices of writing and editing for digital media. It provides students with an understanding of and practical skills in writing for different online contexts and genres, including websites, online essays, multimedia stories, social media content, and search engine optimisation. Students will apply these skills using their existing disciplinary expertise to develop and creative contribute to platforms focused on their professional industries. |
| Visual Culture Industries · 12.5 pts |
This subject will introduce students to a range of organisations whose functions encompass the promotion, collection and presentation of contemporary visual culture. This is an industry-focussed subject where representatives of local and national arts organisations offer students direct insight into their role and strategic direction. Representatives will include directors and executives from various industry bodies including government agencies, state institutions, regional organisations, contemporary spaces, commercial entities and professional associations (such as Australia Council, Arts Victoria, the National Gallery of Victoria, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, the Museum of Victoria, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, the Melbourne International Film Festival, Village Roadshow, Sotheby’s Australia, Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces and Cinema Nova, among others). Students will study the history and development of these industry bodies as well as their social and cultural impact. They will explore such areas as governance, funding, sponsorship, philanthropy, policy formation, administration, collecting, curating, programming and audience research. Emphasis will be on the aims and goals of these bodies, the extent to which they fulfil community needs and the degree to which they promote the arts. External constraints such as censorship, government policy and community response will also be considered. |