This course introduces students to a wide range of cultural and collecting institutions and to the historical, political, institutional and cultural frameworks for contemporary museum practice in Australia and internationally. It also gives students the opportunity to gain a variety of hands-on experiences and skills required for working in the cultural and collecting sector. The first half of the course focuses on the social role of the museum. We investigate the idea of the museum as contested ground and examine the complex and shifting relationships between museums and the diverse communities they serve. The second half of the course is focused on interpretation and communication in the museum context. We explore how objects and collections acquire meaning and how those meanings are conveyed to museum visitors, ask why some objects become iconic, and debate the elements of a successful exhibition. In investigating various approaches to these questions, the course links key concepts in museum studies to specific case studies.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:- Demonstrate ongoing engagement with the contemporary
cultural and collecting sector in Canberra, throughout Australia and overseas
through critical appraisal of actual and virtual sites, exhibitions, collecting
policies and audience engagement.
- Synthesise key concepts from Museum Studies, and
demonstrate effective communication and independent conceptual thinking
relevant to museum-focused research.
- Explain the varying purposes and structures of different
kinds of museums, understand their approaches toward representation, and
evaluate their changing relationships with the audiences and communities they
serve.
- Assess and report on the significance of heritage objects, collections or sites, and demonstrate critical conceptual and practical understanding in developing appropriate approaches to presentation and interpretation.
Indicative Assessment
Review of exhibition 1000-1500 words (15%) (LO1,2)
Comparison of national/state museums 2000 words (20%) (LO 1,3)
Significance assessment 1000-1500 words (15%) (LO4)
Major essay 3000 words (50%) (LO1,2,3)
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
Two hours of lectures and one hour of tutorial per week for 13 weeks. Students are expected to undertake a further 7 hours of independent study per week (total 130 hours over the Semester)
Requisite and Incompatibility
Preliminary Reading
Elaine Heumann Gurian (2006) Civilizing the Museum: the collected writings of Elaine Heumann Gurian. London: Routledge.
Bettina Messias Carbonell (ed) (2004) Museum Studies: An Anthology of Contexts. Malden MA: Blackwell Publishing.
Specialisations
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $3054 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $4368 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4012 | 15 Feb 2016 | 26 Feb 2016 | 31 Mar 2016 | 27 May 2016 | In Person | N/A |