Curating & Cultural Leadership - 9318
Program Summary
Faculty: Faculty of Art & Design
Contact: www.artdesign.unsw.edu.au
Campus: Paddington
Career: Postgraduate
Typical Duration: 1-2 Years 
Typical UOC Per Semester: 24
Min UOC Per Semester: 6
Max UOC Per Semester: 24
Min UOC For Award: 96
Award(s):
Master of Curating and Cultural Leadership
View program information for previous years
Program Description
The Master of Curating and Cultural Leadership [MCCL] is designed for graduates and professionals who aim to play a leading role in shaping the creative and cultural landscape of the future.
We see contemporary curating as a dynamic profession, which plays a key role in setting cultural agendas and discovering new ground. We foster a vision of leadership that is deeply diverse and non-hierarchical.
The MCCL builds connections between curating, audience engagement, policy, management, critical writing, promotion, production and the many new roles emerging in contemporary digital culture.
It also builds on over 20 years of experience at UNSW Art & Design in postgraduate education for arts and cultural professionals, many of whom are now prominent leaders in the Australian and international cultural field.
Based on extensive industry engagement and consultation, we deliver our curriculum in close collaboration with UNSW Galleries and with a broad range of Australian and International industry partners. Our graduates develop strong individual practices, underpinned by robust and flexible skills in a highly networked and professionally engaged environment.
We see contemporary curating as a dynamic profession, which plays a key role in setting cultural agendas and discovering new ground. We foster a vision of leadership that is deeply diverse and non-hierarchical.
The MCCL builds connections between curating, audience engagement, policy, management, critical writing, promotion, production and the many new roles emerging in contemporary digital culture.
It also builds on over 20 years of experience at UNSW Art & Design in postgraduate education for arts and cultural professionals, many of whom are now prominent leaders in the Australian and international cultural field.
Based on extensive industry engagement and consultation, we deliver our curriculum in close collaboration with UNSW Galleries and with a broad range of Australian and International industry partners. Our graduates develop strong individual practices, underpinned by robust and flexible skills in a highly networked and professionally engaged environment.
Program Objectives and Graduate Attributes
The Master of Curating and Cultural Leadership provides pathways for both those with backgrounds in museums, galleries, arts organisations, art history and art practice and those who wish to enter curating or cultural leadership from other professional backgrounds. Graduates of the Master of Curating and Cultural Leadership are prepared to be independent professionals, able to undertake leadership, research and innovation across a wide range of curating, exhibition, arts policy and management contexts.
Program Learning Outcomes
At the conclusion of this program, students should be able to:
- undertake creative and ethical leadership roles in the evolving cultural landscapes of Australia and overseas
- apply leadership in the context of major transformative forces, such as new technologies, the dynamic field of Asia-Pacific art and design, and the diverse and distinctive creativity of Australia
- demonstrate advanced knowledge of the histories and theories informing contemporary issues in curatorship or cultural leadership
- use diverse research methods, and higher order critical thinking in curatorial or cultural leadership contexts
- engage with the cultural and creative industries to develop a strong and resilient professional practice underpinned by a robust and flexible skill set
Program Structure
The Master of Curating and Cultural Leadership offers a customisable structure with flexible entry points, and full time and part time options. A core curriculum of skills and knowledge guides progression through the degree.
All students undertake a capstone project that enables them to employ and extend the skills and knowledge they have gained during the program. Students can either undertake an internship in a national or international institution, or develop and deliver an independent or collaborative cultural initiative.
This core sequence is complemented by a variety of specialised core options (see Core Options). Students with an interest in and demonstrated capacity for high-level research can complete, as a Core Option, a supervised major research paper, allowing them to deeply investigate a issue or topic.
Students can also graduate with a Graduate Certificate (24UOC) or Graduate Diploma (48UOC) if they wish to exit prior to completion of the Masters, as long as they have met the requirements of those degrees
Master of Curating and Cultural Leadership is a 96 UOC [2 year FT] program with options for students to complete either a 72uoc [1.5 years FT] program, or a 48uoc [1 year FT] program with advanced standing, depending on background of the entering student.
Core
All students undertake a capstone project that enables them to employ and extend the skills and knowledge they have gained during the program. Students can either undertake an internship in a national or international institution, or develop and deliver an independent or collaborative cultural initiative.
This core sequence is complemented by a variety of specialised core options (see Core Options). Students with an interest in and demonstrated capacity for high-level research can complete, as a Core Option, a supervised major research paper, allowing them to deeply investigate a issue or topic.
Students can also graduate with a Graduate Certificate (24UOC) or Graduate Diploma (48UOC) if they wish to exit prior to completion of the Masters, as long as they have met the requirements of those degrees
Master of Curating and Cultural Leadership is a 96 UOC [2 year FT] program with options for students to complete either a 72uoc [1.5 years FT] program, or a 48uoc [1 year FT] program with advanced standing, depending on background of the entering student.
Core
- ADAD9113 Communication Skills (6 UOC)
- ADAD9114 Research Foundations Art & Des (6 UOC)
- ADAD9312 Leadership (6 UOC)
- SAHT9110 Australian Arts Ecology (6 UOC)
- SAHT9112 Art Writing and Publishing (6 UOC)
- SAHT9113 Cultural Heritage Ethics & Law (6 UOC)
- SAHT9117 Contemporary Curating (6 UOC)
- SAHT9118 Capstone Project (6 UOC)
- SAHT9124 Cultural Management and Policy (6 UOC)
- SAHT9310 Exhibiting Cultures (6 UOC)
- one of the following:
Core Options
- Five courses from those offered (30 UOC)
Master of Curating and Cultural Leadership taken as a 72 UOC program [normally over 1.5 years full time or 3 years part time] begins at the intermediate level, with a core focus on developing research skills and building a sophisticated knowledge of the forces shaping the Australian and international cultural landscape.
Core
Core
- ADAD9114 Research Foundations Art & Des (6 UOC)
- ADAD9312 Leadership (6 UOC)
- SAHT9110 Australian Arts Ecology (6 UOC)
- SAHT9112 Art Writing and Publishing (6 UOC)
- SAHT9113 Cultural Heritage Ethics & Law (6 UOC)
- SAHT9117 Contemporary Curating (6 UOC)
- SAHT9118 Capstone Project (6 UOC)
- SAHT9124 Cultural Management and Policy (6 UOC)
Core Options
- Four courses from those offered (24 UOC)
Master of Curating and Cultural Leadership taken as a 48 UOC program [normally over 1.0 years full time or 2 years part time] begins at the advanced level, with a core focus on high-level writing and research skills, ethics and legal considerations and advanced theory in curating and cultural leadership.
Core
Core
- ADAD9312 Leadership (6 UOC)
- SAHT9112 Art Writing and Publishing (6 UOC)
- SAHT9113 Cultural Heritage Ethics & Law (6 UOC)
- SAHT9117 Contemporary Curating (6 UOC)
- SAHT9118 Capstone Project (6 UOC)
Core Options
- Three courses from those offered (18 UOC)
Sample Program
| UNSW Program 9318 - Curating & Cultural Leadership |
UOC | |
|
Session 1
(Entry to 96 UOC program)
|
Contemporary Art Hisotry course* (6)
|
24 |
| SAHT9310 Exhibiting Cultures (6) |
||
| ADAD9113 Communication Skills (6) | ||
| Core Option(6) | ||
|
Session 2
(Entry to 72 UOC program)
|
SAHT9110 Australian Arts Ecology (6) | 24 |
| ADAD9114 Research Foundations in Art & Design (6) | ||
| SAHT9124 Cultural Management and Policy (6) | ||
| Core Option (6) |
||
|
Session 3
(Entry to 48 UOC Program)
|
SAHT9113 Cultural Heritage, Ethics & the Law (6) | 24 |
| SAHT9117 Contemporary Curating (6) |
||
| SAHT9112 Art Writing & Publishing (6) | ||
| Core Option (6) | ||
| Session 4 |
ADAD9312 Leadership in the Cultural and Creative Industries(6) | 24 |
| SAHT9118 Capstone Project (6) | ||
| Core Option (6) | ||
| Core Option (6) | ||
| TOTAL: 96 UOC | ||
*Choose from SAHT9138 Art in the 21st Century, SAHT9204 Contemporary Creative Practices: Methods, SAHT9212 Right Here Now: Issues in Aboriginal Art
Academic Rules
The Master of Curating and Cultural Leadership requires completion of 96 UOC (normally 2 years full-time or 4 years part-time) including:
- 66 units of credit in Core courses
- 30 units of credit in approved Core Option courses
Prior qualifications or prior learning allow completion of either 72uoc or 48uoc in total. For 72uoc, this is made up of 48uoc in Core courses and 24uoc in Core Option courses. For 48uoc, this is made up of 30uoc in Core courses, and 18uoc in approved Core Option courses.
Fees
For information regarding fees for UNSW programs, please refer to the following website: UNSW Fee Website.
Core Options
The program offers a dynamic range of industry-engaged core options that integrate theory and practice. Current core options include:
- ACCT5906 Financial Literacy Business (6 UOC)
- ADAD9311 Designing Exhibitions (6 UOC)
- SAHT6700 World Biennales: Field Trip (6 UOC)
- SAHT9116 Research Paper (6 UOC)
- SAHT9122 Audience Engagement (6 UOC)
- SAHT9131 Visual and Museum Cultures of (6 UOC)
- SAHT9201 Conservation and Registration (6 UOC)
- SAHT9212 Aboriginal Art Issues (6 UOC)
- SAHT9311 Curatorial: Social Space (6 UOC)
Career Opportunities
Our graduates play leadership roles across the cultural landscape, working in diverse positions across independent, institutional, private and public contexts. Our alumni include:
- Art Dealers, Advisors and Agents
- Art Educators
- Academics and Researchers
- Directors of Cultural Organisations
- Festival Directors and Producers
- Gallerists
- Magazine Editors
- Marketeers
- Policy Makers
- Senior Curators
Entry Requirements
Depending on the level and nature of prior qualifications, admission to the Master of Curating and Cultural Leadership makes provision for three entry points with different amounts of advanced standing.
- a Bachelor's degree (Level 7) with a weighted average mark (WAM) of at least 65 or equivalent. The Bachelor's degree can be in any field. This provides admission into the foundational disciplinary course component of the program - requiring completion of 96 UOC (2.0 years).
- a Bachelor’s degree (Level 7) in a related field with a weighted average mark (WAM) of at least 65 or equivalent. This provides direct admission into the disciplinary course component of the Master of Curating and Cultural Leadership - requiring completion of 72 UOC (1.5 years).
- an Honours Degree (Level 8) in a related field. This provides direct admission to the advanced disciplinary component - requiring completion of 48 UOC (1 year).
Related fields include Art History, Art Theory, Art Curating, Art Education, Museum and/or Heritage Studies, Cultural Heritage Materials Conservation, Design Education, Humanities, including English Literature, Cinema Studies.
Applicants without a Bachelors degree may be admitted to the Graduate Certificate on a case-by-case basis by the Program Director, on the basis of professional experience. The student may articulate up to the Graduate Diploma and Masters if they hold a credit average in their courses taken under the Graduate Certificate.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
Consideration of RPL, including industry experience, will be relevant for consideration of RPL, including industry experience, will be relevant for the granting of an exemption from SAHT9115 Internship, where the student has significant professional experience, at least the equivalent in time and responsibility to that required in SAHT9115.
Verified industry experience will include a written statement of service from an employer, client or commissioning agent verifying the position, role, responsibilities, duration and/or project outcomes of employment, service contract or other professional arts engagement.
Applicants without a Bachelors degree may be admitted to the Graduate Certificate on a case-by-case basis by the Program Director, on the basis of professional experience. The student may articulate up to the Graduate Diploma and Masters if they hold a credit average in their courses taken under the Graduate Certificate.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
Consideration of RPL, including industry experience, will be relevant for consideration of RPL, including industry experience, will be relevant for the granting of an exemption from SAHT9115 Internship, where the student has significant professional experience, at least the equivalent in time and responsibility to that required in SAHT9115.
Verified industry experience will include a written statement of service from an employer, client or commissioning agent verifying the position, role, responsibilities, duration and/or project outcomes of employment, service contract or other professional arts engagement.
Articulation
Students who have completed the requirements for the Graduate Certificate or Diploma in Curating and Cultural Leadership with a credit average are eligible for admission to the Master of Curating and Cultural Leadership with full credit for courses already completed.
Students who wish to exit the Masters program early may nominate to transfer to and graduate from the Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma provided the requirements for the program have been met.
Students who wish to exit the Masters program early may nominate to transfer to and graduate from the Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma provided the requirements for the program have been met.
Pathways
Alumni are working in prominent curatorial, arts administration and policy positions in government, public and commercial galleries, the not-for-profit gallery and museum sector, and consultancies. Students may also consider applying for Masters by Research or PhD programs, which will require completion of SAHT9116 Research Paper.
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