Empirical Studies In Museum Education – Post-Graduate a.a. 2023/2024

The  Post-Graduate degree content will provide the necessary qualification for acquiring the profile of museum educator. With regard to already active staff, the  Post-Graduate degree will provide opportunities for professional retraining in the field of educational services in heritage use contexts.

The  Post-Graduate content and objectives respond to the following professional profiles defined by the Charter of Museum Professions (ICOM, 2019).

The teaching activities are all held in e-learning and adopts a modular structure that facilitates the recognition of specific learning strategies and content retention. Continuous self-assessment mechanisms are integrated to reinforce learning throughout the program.

The program is designed to enable trainees to develop personal advancement capabilities and effectively navigate academic and professional contexts, thereby contributing to technological and cultural progress in society, particularly within the domain of cultural heritage enhancement.

Theoretical Teaching Units

In its e-learning part, the Master’s curriculum encompasses a series of theoretical units, drawn from prominent Italian and international literature. These units aim to achieve several objectives, including the analysis of communication and cultural mediation within the museum, the interpretation of museums as tools for lifelong education, the mastery of relevant terminology, and the exploration of the relationship between key marketing functions as an organizational context within museums’ educational functions.

Study and Research Seminars

Lectures with national and international experts meet the following objectives:

– identify the characteristics of the target audience;

– interpret the museum as a tool for lifelong education;

– master an appropriate set of terminology;

– define the main functions of marketing as the organizational context of the museum’s educational function;

– devise, evaluate and implement structured teaching and educational proposals consistent with the various types of museums;

 – conduct empirical educational research at the museum.

Audiovisual Didactic Units

This component of the program focuses on recognizing and analysing communication strategies applicable during museum educational activities.

Documentary Didactic Units and Monthly Research

The curriculum includes the presentation of practical examples illustrating the use of tools, data analysis, and the development of questionnaires. These activities equip students with the skills needed to create evaluation tools for application within the museum environment.

Frontal teaching will be delivered in e-learning (synchronous and asynchronous) and in streaming mode.

Lectures, workshops, laboratories and distance learning activities feature national and international experts from: Loughborough University, Simon Fraser University, University of Bamberg, Institut Catholique de France, National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.), John Hopkins University, University College London, University of Roma Tre, University of Rome Tor Vergata.

The Master’s program spans a duration of 1 years.

The educational activity provides 60 university credits, equal to 1,500 hours of total commitment for the student of which 708 hours are e-learning. The remaining hours are aimed at individual study and preparation for the final exam. Training, further education and internship activities carried out after the degree giving access to the Master’s program and for which there is a certificate (including courses activated within the framework of study courses) may be recognized by the Board of Teachers, as long as they are consistent with the characteristics of the Master’s program itself. These activities may be assigned credits useful for the fulfillment of the Master’s degree, with a corresponding reduction in the training load due, up to a maximum of 20.

At the conclusion of the Master’s course, students are required to write a final thesis based on guidance provided by the Course Council, drawing from their study and research activities undertaken during the year. The final thesis shall be discussed in presence before a committee composed of the Master’s Director and national and/or international experts in the field.

The Master’s Course is open to individuals who hold one of the following degrees: all Master’s degrees awarded under Ministerial Decree No. 270 of October 22, 2004; all Specialist degrees awarded under Ministerial Decree No. 509 of November 3, 1999; all degrees awarded under the system prior to Ministerial Decree No. 509 of November 3, 1999 (old system). Non-EU students resident in Italy with a valid residence permit for work or study purposes are eligible for enrolment. For non-EU students residing abroad, admission is regulated by current regulations, and the qualification obtained abroad must be accompanied by a CIMEA certificate. Eligible qualifications must be possessed at the time of enrolment, prior to the commencement of training activities. Auditors are allowed to attend the Master’s program.

Minimum number of participants: 10

Maximum number of participants: 100       

In case the number of candidates exceeds the established maximum, and provided that minimum requirements are met, candidates will be assessed based on the following evaluation criteria:

• Master’s degree final grade (with reference to the minimum entry requirement degree): max 12 points (=110 cum laude) (110=11points; 109=10.9 etc.);
• Additional qualifications (second degree, Master’s degree, PhD, Higher Education Courses, etc.): 1 point for each qualification for a maximum of 4 points;
• Proven experience in national and international museum contexts: max. 6 points;
• English language certifications recognized by the MUR: B2=0.5 points; C1= 1 point; C2=1.5 points;
• Other language certifications recognized by the MUR: B2=0.5 points; C1= 1 point; C2=1.5 points;
• Other language certifications recognized by the MUR: max 1 point;
• Publications (journals with ISSN or monographs/book chapters with ISBN).

Those who do not meet the qualification requirements for the Master’s degree may be admitted as auditors, with a maximum of 20% of participants. Auditors are individuals who, despite not possessing the degree required for admission, have solid professional experience in the areas covered by the Master’s program.                     

The enrolment fee is set at €5,000 divided into two instalments.

The enrolment fee as auditors is € 500.00.