Course overview
- Description
This specialist degree provides a high status and professional qualification suitable for graduates wishing to enter the museum profession in Australia or overseas as curators, exhibition organisers or researchers. The degree is run in collaboration with UWA Museums and various external Western Australian public galleries providing students with direct experience in curatorial research and exhibition presentation.
- Course title
- Master of Curatorial Studies in Fine Arts (research)
- Award abbreviation
- MCur
- Course code
- 25770
- Course type
- Master's degree by research (thesis only)
- Status
- Current / 2025
- Administered by
- Graduate Research School
- CRICOS code
- 077500K
Course details
- Intake periods
- Throughout the year
- Attendance type
- Full- or part-time (Student visa holders should read Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 for more information.)
- Credit points required
- 96
A standard full-time load is 24 points per semester. - Standard course duration
- 2 years
- Time limit
- 4 years
- Delivery mode
- Internal
- Locations offered
- UWA (Perth)
- Domestic fee type
- RTP
- Available to international students
- Yes. For information on international student fees see 'Student Procedures: Fees'. (Enquiries: https://www.uwa.edu.au/askuwa)
- Fees
- Visit the fees calculator.
Enquiries and course advice
- Course advice
- Graduate Research School
- 6488 2807
- [email protected]
Prospective students should see the Future Students website for details on admission requirements, intake periods, fees, availability to international students, careers information etc.
No study plans found for this course. See study plans for more information.
Specialisations
Course structure
Extracted from Master of Curatorial Studies in Fine Arts (research) rules
3. A student must—
(a) present for examination one of the following:
(i) VISA8602 Exhibition Proposal comprising a fully researched proposal for a major exhibition, of at least 5000 words, the content and title of which are proposed by the student and determined by the Board; and VISA8601 Exhibition Catalogue comprising a fully publishable professional catalogue including an essay on all works proposed for exhibition equivalent to at least another 25,000 words; or
(ii) VISA8603 MCur Dissertation comprising a dissertation of at least 30,000 words on an aspect of museology relevant to curatorial practice, the title and subject matter of which must be proposed by the student and have the approval of the Board of the Graduate Research School; or
(iii) VISA8604 Catalogue comprising a detailed publishable catalogue raisonné of up to 30,000 words of the works of an uncatalogued artist;
and
(b)(i) complete VISA8605 MCur Placement comprising a placement in a public gallery or comparable institution involving at least one day a week for 36 weeks during the course; and
(ii) prepare a detailed comparative report of up to 5000 words in relation to the placement described in (i);
and
(c) complete VISA8606 Advanced Curatorial Studies comprising such advanced study in relation to curatorial studies as may be required by the Board.
4.(1) A full-time student must submit to the Board for approval within four months of the date of first enrolment in the program, or the equivalent as determined by the Board if the enrolment is part-time or a mixture of full- and part-time, the details of the following components of the course:
(a)(i) VISA8602 Exhibition Proposal; and
(ii) VISA8601 Exhibition Catalogue;
or
(b) VISA8603 MCur Dissertation;
or
(c) VISA8604 Catalogue Raisonné.
(2) The approval of the Board is required for any significant changes to the details submitted under (1).
See also the rules for the course and the Student Rules.
Rules
Definitions
In these Rules, unless the context suggests otherwise—
the Board is the Board of the Graduate Research School and includes any position to which the Board has delegated authority for a particular function;
work means scholarly writing or, in the case of the creative arts and building sciences, may mean music composition or music recitals or exhibitions or recordings or scholarly documentation of exhibitions or recordings.
Applicability of the Master's Degrees by Research Rules for courses administered by the Board of the Graduate Research School and the University's Student Rules, policies and procedures
1.(1) The Master's Degrees by Research Rules for courses administered by the Board of the Graduate Research School, excluding Rules 29, 30, 66, 67 and 68, apply to the Master of Curatorial Studies in Fine Arts except as set out in the rules which follow.
(2) The Student Rules, policies and procedures apply except as otherwise indicated in the rules for this course.
Academic Conduct and Research Integrity unit
1.A(1) A student who enrols in this course for the first time irrespective of whether they have previously been enrolled in another course of the University, must undertake the Academic Conduct and Research Integrity unit (the ACRI module) and complete within the first six months from the date of commencement in the course.
(2) A student who has not achieved a result of Ungraded Pass (UP) for the ACRI module when their progress status is assessed will not have made satisfactory progress even if they have met the other requirements for satisfactory progress in the rules for this course.
(3) A student who does not make satisfactory progress in terms of (2) is assigned the progress status of 'On Probation'.
Admission
2. To be considered for admission to this course an applicant must—
(a) have completed the requirements of a bachelor's degree of this University requiring at least four years of full-time study, or the part-time equivalent, in a subject area considered by the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Visual Arts to be relevant to curatorial studies, or the equivalent of this qualification as recognised by the Board;
and
(b) be able to satisfy the Board that they have the general ability to complete the course and the special ability to prepare and present a thesis.
Course requirements
(a) present for examination one of the following:
(i) VISA8602 Exhibition Proposal comprising a fully researched proposal for a major exhibition, of at least 5000 words, the content and title of which are proposed by the student and determined by the Board; and VISA8601 Exhibition Catalogue comprising a fully publishable professional catalogue including an essay on all works proposed for exhibition equivalent to at least another 25,000 words; or
(ii) VISA8603 MCur Dissertation comprising a dissertation of at least 30,000 words on an aspect of museology relevant to curatorial practice, the title and subject matter of which must be proposed by the student and have the approval of the Board of the Graduate Research School; or
(iii) VISA8604 Catalogue comprising a detailed publishable catalogue raisonné of up to 30,000 words of the works of an uncatalogued artist;
and
(b)(i) complete VISA8605 MCur Placement comprising a placement in a public gallery or comparable institution involving at least one day a week for 36 weeks during the course; and
(ii) prepare a detailed comparative report of up to 5000 words in relation to the placement described in (i);
and
(c) complete VISA8606 Advanced Curatorial Studies comprising such advanced study in relation to curatorial studies as may be required by the Board.
4.(1) A full-time student must submit to the Board for approval within four months of the date of first enrolment in the program, or the equivalent as determined by the Board if the enrolment is part-time or a mixture of full- and part-time, the details of the following components of the course:
(a)(i) VISA8602 Exhibition Proposal; and
(ii) VISA8601 Exhibition Catalogue;
or
(b) VISA8603 MCur Dissertation;
or
(c) VISA8604 Catalogue Raisonné.
(2) The approval of the Board is required for any significant changes to the details submitted under (1).