Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies
Overview
Develop your knowledge and skills in museum history, theory and practice, and build your career in the museum and heritage industry.
The half year full-time (or part-time equivalent) Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies encompasses museum history, theory and practice. An interdisciplinary approach is used to deliver core courses, with a broad choice of interdepartmental and cross-faculty electives. You'll develop a critical awareness of the social, cultural and political issues facing those working in the sector, while getting the hands-on training necessary for professional practice.
Engaging with the University’s world-class museums and collections, together with leading professionals in the field, will provide you with a uniquely stimulating environment for museological research and training. The involvement of campus-based museums and collections – including UQ Art Museum, UQ Anthropology Museum and the R. D. Milns Antiquities Museum – is integral to the program and will enhance your knowledge of contemporary day-to-day work practices.
You'll also be able to gain professional experience and contacts in the workplace through our short-term internships or placements, where you undertake specific projects which contribute to your overall assessment. In recent years, these have been at institutions such as Queensland Art Gallery/GOMA, Queensland Museum, Ipswich Art Gallery, UQ Art Museum and the State Library of Queensland, as well as leading museums in London, New York and Tokyo.
Program highlights
- Benefit from engaging with the University’s world-class museums and collections, together with leading professionals in the field.
- Choose from a range of study areas, including museum context, cultural heritage law, museums and community engagement, digital heritage and more.
- Gain professional experience and contacts in the workplace – in Australia and overseas.
- Deepen your understanding of the social, cultural and political issues facing the museum and gallery sector, and gain the skills to further your career.
How you'll learn
Your learning experiences are designed to best suit the learning outcomes of the courses you choose.
- Work placements
- Overseas study
- Research experience
- Fieldwork
- Seminars
What you'll study
At UQ, degrees are called 'programs' and subjects are called 'courses'. Here's a sample of the courses you could study in this program:
- Museums: Theory and Practice
- Digital Heritage: Theory and Practice
- Collections
- Exhibitions
Career possibilities
Postgraduate study can take you anywhere. Here are some of the careers you could be on your way to:
- Education and programs officer
- Arts curator
- Museum curator
- Gallery curator
- Library, museum and gallery coordinator
- Public programs manager
- Museum media manager
- Museum operations manager
- Gallery administrator
- Arts and cultural officer
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Study tips
Extracurricular activities at university led to my arts career
Stories
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Extracurricular activities at university led to my arts career
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
To be eligible for entry, you'll need:
- a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in any discipline; or
- to have completed post-secondary studies and have 2 years full-time equivalent relevant work experience with documented evidence (such as references). Applications on the basis of post-secondary study and/or work experience will be individually assessed.
You must have a grade point average (GPA) of at least 4.0 on a 7-point scale in your previous qualification.
- a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in any discipline; or
- to have completed post-secondary studies and have 2 years full-time equivalent relevant work experience with documented evidence (such as references). Applications on the basis of post-secondary study and/or work experience will be individually assessed.
You must have a grade point average (GPA) of at least 4.0 on a 7-point scale in your previous qualification.
Relevant work experience
Relevant work experience includes work:
- in roles such as curatorial, research, collections, education, public programs, management, documentation, and exhibitions in museums; galleries; archives or collecting institutions; historic sites or heritage places.
Related programs
Depending on your previous qualifications and current goals, you might want to consider
one of these related programs:
English language requirements
IELTS overall 6.5; reading 6; writing 6; speaking 6; listening 6. For other English Language Proficiency Tests and Scores approved for UQ
TOEFL iBT (including Paper Edition) - Overall 87, listening 19, reading 19, writing 21 and speaking 19.
PTE Academic - Overall Score of 64 and 60 in all sub bands.
BE - A minimum overall grade of 4 plus a minimum grade of C in all macro skills.
CES - Overall 176 and 169 in all sub bands.
OET is not accepted.
There are other ways to meet the English language requirements. For some programs, additional conditions apply.
Student visas
International students who are accepted into full-time study in the Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies are eligible to apply for an Australian student visa (subclass 500).
There are a number of requirements you must satisfy before a visa is granted, including the genuine temporary entrant (GTE) requirement.
Fees and Scholarships
Indicative annual fee
Approximate yearly cost of tuition (8 units). Your fees will vary according to your selected courses and study load. Fees are reviewed each year and may increase.
$12,375
2023
Fee information for 2024 is not yet available. Fee information displayed is for 2023.
$12,375
2024
Approximate yearly cost of tuition (8 units). Your fees will vary according to your selected courses and study load. Fees are reviewed each year and may increase.
Fee information for this program is not yet available.
Fee information for 2024 is not yet available. Fee information displayed is for 2023.
Fee information for this program is not yet available.
Government assistance
Financial aid
As an international student, you might be eligible for financial aid – either from your home country, or from the Australian Government.
FEE-HELP
Domestic students who are accepted into the Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies pay tuition fees.
FEE-HELP is an Australian Government loan scheme to assist eligible students with the cost of their tuition fees.
Centrelink support
The Australian Government offers a number of income-support payments to eligible Australian university students.
Scholarships
You may be eligible for more than 100 scholarships, including:
How to apply
Applying online
All international applications should be submitted to UQ. If you prefer, you can use an approved UQ agent in your country.
The program code for the Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies is 5341.
Find out more about applying for postgraduate coursework study
Applying online
All domestic applications should be submitted to UQ.
The program code for the Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies is 5341.
Find out more about applying for postgraduate coursework study
Important dates
The closing date for this program is:
To learn more about UQ dates, including semester start dates, view the Academic Calendar.
Important dates
The closing date for this program is:
- To commence study in Semester 1 - January 31 of the year of commencement.
- To commence study in Semester 2 - June 30 of the year of commencement.
To learn more about UQ dates, including semester start dates, view the Academic Calendar.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants
For support with applying - or if you have any questions about Uni - get in touch with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit.
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