Bachelor of Cultural Heritage Conservation
The Donald Horne Institute, Faculty of Design and Creative Practice
This course is about the conservation, care and stewardship of cultural heritage material held in museums, collections and heritage places.
Course: Bachelor of Cultural Heritage Conservation (954AA)
Award: Bachelor of Cultural Heritage Conservation
Course Level: 10
Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Design
University Admissions Centre (UAC) Course Code: 363063
CRICOS Code: 062889G
Offered Locations and Delivery Modes:
-
UC Bruce Campus
- Full Time, Face-to-Face - Convener: AProf James Warden (Ph: +61 2 6201 2079)
- Part Time, Face-to-Face - Convener: AProf James Warden (Ph: +61 2 6201 2079)
Introduction
The course is about the conservation, care and stewardship of cultural heritage material held in museums, collections and heritage places. Its purpose is to educate and train professional conservators in the required fields of science, arts and management.
Cultural Heritage Conservation is a global profession in high demand. It requires the knowledge and skills of a detective, an object doctor, a chemist and a historian. It deals with paper, books, paintings, machines, film, photographs and forgeries. It deals with cars and dresses, lutes and lyre-birds, aeroplanes and boomerangs, from the most revered collections in the world's great museums to small, personal and obscure family heirlooms.
The course has three strands - conservation, interpretation and management. These are based in several disciplines from science, the humanities, social sciences, ethics and law.
The unique structure of the course requires special training for extended periods in Australias national cultural institutions, under the guidance of master conservators.
Graduates will be qualified to work as a conservator in any museum in the world.
Students who complete this course will:
develop scholarly analytical knowledge of the disciplines required for professional practice as a conservator of cultural heritage material;
develop practical skills to a high standard that are essential for the practice of cultural heritage conservation;
gain professional experience and recognition during the course through applied work and practice and with membership of professional and specialist museum and heritage associations, domestically and internationally;
develop a set of generic professional skills required for career practice in the sector including fieldwork, institutions, agencies and commercial enterprises.
Course Requirements
72 credit points comprising:
(a) Required 60 credit points as follows:
Major in Cultural Heritage Practice 18 credit points
Major in Conservation Practice 24 credit points
Minor in Applied Conservation 12 credit points
Plus two additional Practicum units (6 credit points) from the full list, as follows:
7953 Practicum 2: Paper and Photographs
7954 Practicum 3: Organic Objects
7955 Practicum 4: Textiles
7956 Practicum 5: Indigenous Collections
7957 Practicum 6: Paintings
7958 Practicum 7: Film and Sound Heritage
7959 Practicum 8: Inorganic Objects
7960 Practicum 9: Machines and Technology
7961 Practicum 10: Digital Heritage
(b) Restricted choice 3 credit points. Select one of the following units:
6528 Issues in Cultural Heritage Management
6944 Contemporary Issues in Design
6942 Exhibition Design
7201 Design History
6983 Landscape History
(c) Open electives 9 credit points as follows:
At the preference of the student.
Course Duration
6 semesters full-time or equivalent part-time. Maximum 20 semesters.Typical Course Structure
Sample Course Structure
Includes two majors and one minor:
Major: Conservation Practice 24 credit points
Major: Cultural Heritage Practice 18 credit points
Minor: Applied Conservation 12 credit points
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 |
| YEAR 1 | |
| 1516 Chemistry 1a | 1517 Chemistry 1b |
| 6526 Heritage Preservation | 7785 Indigenous Societies and Heritage |
| 7755 Cultural Heritage in Australia | 7952 Practicum 1: The Museum |
| Elective | Elective |
| YEAR 2 | |
| 7963 Ethics and Professional Practice | 7964 History of Science and Technology |
| 6523 Cultural Heritage Management | 7877 Museums and Collections |
| Practicum | Practicum |
| Elective | Practicum |
| YEAR 3 | |
| 7965 Collections Management | 6527 Building Conservation |
| 6524 Archaeology of Australia | 7962 Cultural Heritage Research Project |
| 6525 Heritage Interpretation | Practicum |
| Practicum | Practicum |
