Placement in museum or similar institution

Module description 

The Work Placement module provides professional training in all aspects of museum practice and in a wide range of museum environments and, as such, work placements are a vital part of the Museum Studies programme. Students are required to undertake a minimum of twenty days of supervised work in a public museum or similar public organisation as a compulsory and assessed part of the degree. ARCL0150 Museum Studies Placement is co-ordinated by Theano Moussouri and Ian Carroll, together with Charlotte Frearson the Museum Studies Placements Module Facilitator.

The Institute of Archaeology draws on an extended network and has on-going relationships with a large number of institutions in the Greater London area and beyond.

Aims 

This course aims:

· To support students’ personal and professional development

· To facilitate a smooth transition from academia to the workplace & help students launch their careers

· To help students apply their degree to their job/placement project

· To help students become confident about their knowledge, skills and experience and how they can highlight them to prospective employers

· To help enhance their CV and job applications

 

Objectives 

On successful completion of this course you should be able to:

· Understand your strengths as well as areas that you need to develop further

· Present your strengths, knowledge, skills and experience in your CV and at job interviews

· Have some understanding of how complex systems like museums operate and where you fit in that structure

· Develop personal and professional skills and ethical attitudes relevant to working in a museum or other similar cultural organisations

· Locate, select and analyse information relevant to a practical task

· Construct arguments and communicate effectively both verbally and in writing

· Demonstrate a range of personal transferable skills, including in time and work management and in written communication

 

Learning Outcomes 

On successful completion of this course you should be able to demonstrate:

Knowledge and understanding: 

· Students will learn how to work as part of a team to achieve specific tasks

· Students will learn how to manage resources

· Students will understand how museum departments function and how they relates to other departments

· Student will understand how the wider social, political and economic context affects museum work

· Students will reflect on the knowledge and skills gained during their placement, how these build on other MAMS modules, and on how their placement experience impact their museum practice

Skills: 

· Students will apply existing IT skills to their job

· Students will develop new IT skills

· Students will develop presentation skills

· Students will develop reflective practice skills

· Students will develop interview and CV writing skills

· Students will apply their (written and oral) communication skills in their work environment

Attitudes and behaviours: 

· Students show commitment to the ethical standards of the organization and their profession

· Students will be polite and courteous to their colleagues and to visitors

· Students will be passionate about their work

· Students will show responsibility for their work-related tasks and their actions

· Students will aim to produce work of high standard