About this program
BA Curating, Heritage and Human Rights
Can an exhibition spark social change? Who decides which stories our museums and galleries tell? How can we save heritage that is under threat from war or natural disasters? What are the ethical problems in preserving and exhibiting objects from other cultures? How do curators and heritage managers take these questions into account when they make displays and exhibitions? This degree will develop the skills you need to make exciting new connections between the forms of visual culture and heritage you study, human rights, and broader social and political forces.
BA Curating, Heritage and Human Rights will deepen your knowledge of curatorial practice, whilst studying human rights, developing your confidence to advocate for individual and community rights, social justice and social change. In addition, the degree will introduce you to the critical study of heritage, including ethical and legal debates, and questions around how heritage is preserved, communicated and displayed, including issues of spectatorship and community engagement.
Admission requirements
Clearing entry requirements
Specific entry requirements for this course in Clearing are not published here but for most of our degree courses you will need to hold a Level 3 qualification. If you are interested in applying and have already received your results, use our Clearing application form to apply for 2022 entry and find out if you are eligible. You will be asked to provide details of your qualifications and grades.
English language requirements
English language requirements for applicants whose first language is not English: IELTS 6.0 overall. Different requirements apply for second year entry, and specified component grades are also required for applicants who require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK.
For more information about admission requirements, please visit the university website.
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Program content
Year 1
- Foundations of Human Rights
- Writing and Researching Art History
- Art and Ideas: I
- Collect, Curate, Display: A Short History of the Museum
- Introduction to Heritage and Museum Studies
Year 2
- Art and Ideas II: More Art, More Ideas - Critique and Historiography in the History of Art
- Digital Heritage and Museums
- Human Rights & Social Justice: Structures, Theory and Practice
- Art in Latin America
- Beyond the BA: Skills for the Next Step
Final Year
- Selected Issues in Human Rights
- Art and Ideas III
- Heritage Project
Scholarships & funding
Several scholarship options are available, please visit the university website for more information.
Program delivery
BA Curating, Heritage and Human Rights: 3 years
BA Curating, Heritage and Human Rights (Including Year Abroad): 4 years
BA Curating, Heritage and Human Rights (Including Placement Year): 4 years
Tuition
- Home/UK fee: £9,250
- International fee: £17,700
Career paths
The visual arts and culture industries have become an increasingly significant part of the national and international economy, and our graduates can leave Essex with the skills to take advantage of this growing opportunity.
The sectors with jobs best suited for students with a BA in Curating, Heritage and Human Rights include museums, galleries, heritage institutions, and auction houses. Within these sectors, you can pursue a career in curation, cultural policy, heritage, museum education, programming, events and marketing. Our degree also equips you with foundational skills to run your own gallery, to work as a PR agent, or to work in the wider arts and cultural industries, in design, fashion, publishing or events management.
To help our students acquire the particular skills they need to gain employment in the heritage and museum sector, we offer numerous modules dedicated to the histories, theories and practices of heritage and museums.
About this institute
University of Essex
We are Essex: home to the ambitious and the inquisitive. We are proud to be top 39 in the Complete University Guide (2022), a past University of the Year (THE) and internationally recognised for Social Sciences. We're committed to two...
