Museology

Deadline for submitting applications: January 1 - April 30

Who the programme is intended for: The programme is intended for graduates of any Bachelor’s degree programme.

Subject matter of the entrance examination: oral examination. The examination consists of an oral disciplinary interview during which candidates are expected to demonstrate their familiarity with key issues in museology and museum studies. A mandatory component of the examination is the preparation and subsequent presentation of a master’s thesis project. The project description should primarily outline the fundamental objectives of the thesis, the methodology to be employed, and an excerpt of essential literature and/or sources. Furthermore, candidates are expected to critically assess the significance of their proposed research within the museological context and to provide an overview of existing scholarly approaches to the topic. The project must be uploaded to the electronic application (section “Documents”) no later than June 1. All submitted materials must clearly indicate the applicant’s full name and application number. In addition, candidates should articulate their motivation for enrolling in the Museology program and specify their expectations regarding the course of study. The interview will last approximately 20 minutes.

Waiver of the entrance examination: The entrance examination will be waived for applicants whose overall result in the Bachelor’s state examination in the Museology program at the Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, was assessed as “passed with excellent results,” or who (under the previous grading system) completed it with an excellent (A) or very good (B) grade. Applicants can ask for a waiver for the entrance examination via the e-application form, section "Application for waiver of the entrance examination".

Web Department of Archaeology and Museology.

General information on the course of the admission procedure to the follow-up Master’s degree programmes at FA MU can be found here. Documents for the current admission procedure are kept in Materials for Applicants.

BENEŠ, Josef. Základy muzeologie. Opava: Slezská univerzita, 1997. ISBN 80-901974-3-4.

STRÁNSKÝ, Zbyněk Zbyslav. Úvod do muzeologie. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2000. ISBN 80-210-1272-2.

JAGOŠOVÁ, Lucie, Vladimír JŮVA a Lenka MRÁZOVÁ. Muzejní pedagogika: metodologické a didaktické aspekty muzejní edukace. Brno: Paido, 2010. ISBN 978-80-7315-207-9.

LORD, Barry a Gail Dexter LORD (eds.). The manual of museum exhibitions. Walnut Creek: Altamira Press, 2001. ISBN 0-7591-0234-1.

Pass/fail line of the entrance examination: 60 points (out of 100).

• Master's thesis project: max. 52 points
• Orientation in the field of museum studies and museology: max. 33 points
• Statement of motivation explaining why the applicant wants to study the Museology programme and what he/she expects from the study: max. 15 points

The follow-up Master’s studies in museology are focused on acquisition of theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of museology. Unlike the complex orientation of the Bachelor’s study programme, Master’s studies are specialized in the teaching of two key museological sub disciplines: museological exhibition making (theory and practice of exhibition making, museum architecture, museum exhibition criticism, exhibition didactics) and museum pedagogy (theory and practice of museum pedagogy, museum psychology, inclusive museum pedagogy, presentation didactics). The common theoretical and methodological base of the Master’s study programme consists of a series of lectures on general museology (theoretical museology, special museology, museum management, scientific research and museology). The completion of studies provides a complex training for qualified work mainly in leading positions and positions of professional staff in museums and galleries and creates potential for further education in related scientific disciplines.

Upon successful completion of the programme, the graduate is able to:

• demonstrate the knowledge and skills in the fields of museum exhibition making and museum pedagogy;
• be versed in the theory, terminology and methodology of museology;
• know the key principles of museum management;
• apply the acquired theoretical knowledge of exhibition making and pedagogy in museum practice;
• independently plan and manage museum activities in the fields of museum exhibition making and museum pedagogy.

Students are mainly prepared for the work in memory institutions, which are engaged in protection and presentation of cultural heritage (e.g. museums, heritage institutes). The graduates can also work in departments occupied with protection of cultural heritage in state administration bodies and self-government authorities, various foundations, private museums, galleries, auction houses etc.

Museology studies also include practical training in museums and other cultural-educational institutions, which is supervised by professionals and enables to apply the knowledge acquired in lectures and seminars (e.g. preparation and realisation of a museum exhibition, educational programme and didactic tools, excursion). Individualised practical training (in the extent of maximum 100 hours) at the same time makes the students familiar with real operation of the institution and presents to them a complex spectrum of activities with special accent on the problems of exhibition making and education. Expected is a direct involvement of students in everyday museum practice with particular professional outputs, including the activities intended for the public.

Standard extent of a Master’s thesis is 100 000 characters inclusive of footnotes, front page, contents, list of sources and literature and a summary in English. The students can work with already published texts and data available for a secondary analysis. They should demonstrate their ability to critically approach professional texts, elaborate concepts and theories and find relevant answers to the given question. Expected is an adequate methodological approach to the selected problem, acquisition of new facts or elaboration of original projects and concepts. Preferred are topics from the area of museum exhibition making, museum pedagogy and theoretical museology.

Students who complete the follow-up Master’s study programme (when meeting the conditions of admission) can continue with doctoral studies in scientific disciplines employed in museum institutions (e.g. history, archaeology, ethnology).