Conservation Studies
MA Conservation Studies
Applications open
Duration: 1 calendar year (46 weeks) full time
School: Conservation
Location: West Dean
Scholarships and bursaries: See available funding
The MA Conservation Studies equips you with the high level specialist skills sought by the conservation sector. For students of English, History, Archaeology and varied Humanities disciplines Conservation offers an exciting career.
This rigorous and highly respected programme draws on an extensive sector network, nationally and internationally, including industry bodies such as Icon. The Masters in Conservation Studies is the global industry standard for conservation, and our alumni work in many of the most prestigious museums, archives, libraries and private practices across the world.
The course focuses on research through practice. You will draw on theoretical, scientific, and analytical study of artefacts and materials, and analyse the context and practice of conservation. MA Conservation Studies students deliver a major final research project.
Elements of interdisciplinary work are involved, but you will choose from one of the specialisms below:
- Books and Library Materials
- Ceramics and Related Materials
- Furniture and Related Objects
- Horology, Clocks and Related Objects
- Metalwork
All disciplines are accessible from both humanities and science study backgrounds.
Kirsten Ramsay of the BBC's The Repair Shop studied Conservation of Ceramics between 1989-1991 and shares her experience and memories of studying at West Dean.
Learning environment
- High tutor: student ratio
- Workshop access
- An interdisciplinary environment
- Visiting lecturers from public and private institutions
- Six week work placement
You can expect
- To develop excellent practical skills in conservation and repair
- To develop research skills
- To incorporate scientific analysis into conservation projects
- To build contacts and gain transferable skills
The content of this programme has been developed in line with the Institute of Conservation's Professional Standards in Conservation and the UK Quality Code for Higher Education.
Gallery
Take a tour of the Analytical Lab
Take a tour of the Analytical Lab
Work placements and Careers
Work placements
The College’s extensive links with museums, conservators and professional bodies in the heritage sector in the UK, EU and internationally, opens up an impressive range of opportunities for the six week work placements that MA Conservation Studies students typically undertake.
Recent placement host institutions include:
- National Museum of Scotland
- Brighton Royal Pavillion
- Cambridge University Library,
- Amsterdam City Archives,
- The Art Institute of Chicago
- Bodleian Library, British Museum
- Heritage Blacksmith Partnership
- Imperial War Museum
- Lambeth Palace Library
- Library of Congress
- Maritime Museum Rotterdam
- National Museum of American History
- Oxford Conservation Consortium
- Royal Collection Trust
- Royal Museums Greenwich
- Smithsonian National Museum of American History
- Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A)
- Yale University Library.
Find out where our current MA Conservation Studies undertook their placements in a new blog post.
Careers
From the MA, alumni work with public and private collections and include professional conservators in high profile museums and libraries nationally and internationally. Some pursue a career path into collections care, or work as independent conservators, advisors or tutors. Alumni have gone on to work at:
- British Museum
- Royal Collections
- National Maritime Museum
- Royal Swedish Palaces
- Windsor Castle
- Gold Museum (Bogota Colombia)
- Columbia University Library (Columbia, USA).
Image: Tabea Rude Aluma, Photo Credit Michael Goldrei. Tabea is the Dynamic Objects Conservator at the Wien Museum, (Vienna Clock Museum, Austria) and looks after a collection of around 4,000 clocks.
School of Conservation
Our School of Conservation offers a dynamic, internationally connected and respected learning environment where students benefit from the unique opportunity to study in a working historic house. Students enjoy access to well-equipped professional workshops, studios, and a state-of-the-art analytical laboratory.
Fees and funding
Course fees are the same for UK and international students
- £4,920 per term (£19,680 per academic year)
Lunch, accommodation and other living expenses are additional. Find out more
A £250 course fee and £200 accommodation deposit (if residential) is required to secure your place. Details will be provided to you in your offer. Fees are billed termly in advance. Please see the Terms and Conditions for further information.
Postgraduate loans
If you are a UK student and plan to take a postgraduate Master's course you may be able to get a postgraduate loan of up to £12,167 to help with course fees and living costs. See www.gov.uk/funding-for-postgraduate-study
Student scholarships and bursaries
Scholarships and bursaries are available from £500 to £10,000.
Entry requirements
Progression from the Graduate Diploma in Conservation Studies to Masters requires successful completion of the graduate programme with a good pass.
Applicants with conservation experience and scientific knowledge equivalent to the Graduate Diploma in Conservation Studies may enter directly on to the Masters programme, in which case an upper 2nd class or above UK Honours degree in an appropriate subject or a non-UK equivalent is required. Alternatively, accreditation of prior experiential learning (APEL) will be considered for those who have been out of formal education for some years and are over 21, who do not meet the general (minimum) entrance requirements, but who can demonstrate practical skills or evidence of practical interests and research and writing abilities commensurate with BA level.
International students will require English language CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) Level B2 or IELTS 6.5 or above.
How to apply
Applications for this course can be made by submitting a completed application form and emailing it to: [email protected].
Any questions?
Email [email protected]; call us on: (01243) 818 300 and select option 1, or read more about our Admissions processes.
Commendations
Commendations from the University of Sussex include:
"This re-validation further builds on the success of the courses, which have been refined over a number of years to produce excellent results."
"The professional networking opportunities provided through external collaborations and the opportunities for students to disseminate their work to an external audience."
FAQs
Do I get to study several specialisms in Conservation Studies programmes?
Students on the MA Conservation Studies choose one of the following pathways to specialise in when they apply:
- Books and Library Materials
- Ceramics and Related Materials
- Clocks and Related Objects
- Furniture and Related Objects
- Metalwork
I have a degree but no experience in Conservation. Can I still apply for the MA in Conservation Studies?
To be eligible to study on the Masters programme, you need to have a good honours degree PLUS experience in the relevant conservation specialism. Using Metals as an example, we would expect MA applicants to be familiar with Metals and have worked in that specialised area for a few years. You would be expected to demonstrate familiarity and experience with Metals in your application and supporting portfolio. If you don’t have this experience, we would recommend you apply for the Graduate Diploma.
What would you expect to see in a Conservation Studies portfolio?
A portfolio should demonstrate your interest and experience in conservation and your chosen specialism. It can comprise sketches, photos, video evidence of you working in a conservation environment with your hands using materials such as Books, Metals, Furniture (relevant to your chosen specialism).
What is involved in the practical test?
You are asked to complete a task using workshop tools so we can see that you have the right level of mental agility and manual dexterity to undertake the practical elements of the course. Assessments take place onsite at the College workshops or remotely when it is not possible to come into the College.
School of Conservation news
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My short course experience: drawing inspiration from trauma
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By Julia Engelhorn
I love taking courses to broaden my skills, especially since I moved to England. F...
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21st March 2024
Damian Barr: Musings from a Writing Residency at West Dean
By Damian Barr
I have been here for three weeks but also a lifetime.
My writing residency has stretched from the last of Winter into the first of Spring, words rising with the sap through March. I have been here long enough to watch the apple trees in the orchard bud grey and then burst into green – today I paused, on my way to lunch, to greet the first bright leaf but...
Musical Instruments
18th March 2024
Musical Instruments study trip to Paris
Just before Easter break, second year students on the FdA Musical Instruments programmes went on a study trip to Paris.
During their trip, they visited Musée de la musique and spent time in the museum's laboratory with Collection Curator Jean-Philippe Échard.
With one of the largest collections of musical instruments in the world, the Musée de l...
Gardening Design
1st March 2024
Graduate wins competition to re-design historic Chapel Court garden at Hampton Court Palace
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The brief
Graduates were asked to consider the following:
Plants have to be able to deal with the harsh conditions inside t...
Fine Art
12th January 2024
Revisiting historic unrealised stained glass window designs
At the end of last term, Fine Art students visited the West Dean Archive to see some of the unrealised stained-glass window designs commissioned by College Founder Edward James in the aftermath of the fire that destroyed St Andrew’s church on 26 November 1934. After the blaze, all that remained of the 300-year-old church were the four walls, the tower and one of the existing windo...
12th December 2023
2023 in review
2023 has been a year of continued successes and new directions for KLC School of Design.
We celebrated the graduation of another group of successful students; from Diploma and FdA to BA Degree, we are incredibly proud to have played a part in preparing a new generation of interior and garden design students entering the industry.
Once again, the industry has been incre...
Tutors
Lorna Calcutt MA ACR
Programme Coordinator and Subject Leader for Ceramics (and Related Materials)
Lorna has been a tutor then Subject Leader at West Dean College of Arts and Conservation for 16 years and prior to that was employed as a conservator in national institutions and in the private sector.
Malcolm Archer FBHI
Subject Leader, Clocks (and Related Objects)
Malcolm's extensive experience in private practice, as well as the heritage sector/museums, lies behind his in-depth understanding of the profession. He brings a comprehensive knowledge of traditional craft skills, theory and contextual history. He also has an interest in new and innovative ways of applying conservation to mechanical objects.
Karen Vidler FIIC
Subject Leader Books and Library Materials
Karen Vidler FIIC is a book and paper conservator and bookbinder with over 25 years’ experience working as a conservator and bookbinder in the United Kingdom and Australia. She has worked at The National Archives, V&A Museum and the Leather Conservation Centre.
Maudie Casserly MA
Subject Tutor, Books and Library materials
Maudie is a book and paper conservator and bookbinder. Having worked a various institutions and companies over the years, including the Victoria & Albert Museum and The National Archives, Maudie now works for herself, taking on commissions from museums, libraries, collections and private individuals. In additional to practical conservation and binding, Maudie also teaches a range of online classes in bookbinding to students all over the world.
David Dorning MA ACR FIIC
Subject Tutor, Conservation Science
David is a book and paper conservation specialist who has tutored more than a generation of book conservators since he began as a tutor in book conservation at West Dean College in 1988. He has taught science for conservators in the UK, USA and Europe, established the analytical laboratory at West Dean College in 2007 and has been the college's science tutor for 25 years.
Tim Hughes
Subject Tutor, Clocks (and Related Objects)
Tim Hughes MBHI, clock maker, trained at West Dean College and works as a clockmaker and scientific instrument restorer, and as external consultant at Bellmans Auctioneers. He has received several awards, including the Trustees' Prize while at West Dean College and a QEST Scholarship.
Jasmina Vučković MA ACR
Subject Tutor, Ceramics (and Related Materials)
Jasmina Vuckovic is Subject Tutor at West Dean College of Arts and Conservation. She has been a visiting lecturer at West Dean College of Arts and Conservation prior to becoming a subject tutor in 2018. Jasmina is a member of ICOM and accredited member of Icon.
Anna Guy
Conservation Science Laboratory Tutor
Anna studied organic chemistry in Italy and her interest in academic research brought her to the UK. Her passion for research and art brought her to West Dean College, a very special and unique place where applied science meets cultural heritage.
Dale Sardeson
Subject Tutor, Clocks (and Related Objects)
Dale Sardeson is a subject Tutor, Clocks (and Related Objects), professional clockmaker and conservator based in West Sussex.
Shayne Rivers MA FIIC
Research Skills and Cross-curriculum Practice
Shayne Rivers is an acknowledged world expert in the conservation of furniture and Asian lacquer. She has lectured on conservation in the USA, Australia, Japan, Europe and the UK, and has been involved in the education of the next generation of conservators throughout her professional career.
Kate Jennings
Subject Leader, Conservation Studies specialising in Metalwork
Kate's background includes practicing as a solicitor before making a career change to train as a blacksmith and specialist Metals Conservator. She earned an MA in Conservation Studies from West Dean, following which she founded a small business specializing in the conservation of forged and architectural metalwork.
Jonathan Farley MA ACR
Subject Tutor, Books and Library Materials
Jonathan is a Library and Archives Conservator with over 40 years experience. Jonathan has worked for various institutions such as the National Archive, Hampshire Record Office and The University of Hull. Jonathan is an accredited member of ICON (the Institute for Conservation).
Phil Lyons BA BAFRA
Subject Tutor
Phil is a BAFRA accredited conservator/restorer based in Buckinghamshire. He has twenty years experience in private practice running a small business providing a professional conservation/restoration service.
Leszek Knyrek
Subject Tutor Books and Library Materials
Leszek gained his Diploma in Bookbinding in 1997 and has been a Master bookbinder for the last 25 years. More recently he became a qualified book conservator. He has been in private practice in London and Poland as both a bookbinder and more recently book conservator.
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