Contemporary Curating (Taught)

About this course
Explore the world of art and exhibition design with the MA Contemporary Curating degree. Become an expert by gaining the theoretical, research, and practical skills necessary to work as a curator globally. Develop critical thinking skills to collate and curate compelling art exhibitions based on research across diverse disciplines and discourses. You will delve into the current concerns and limitations of contemporary curation and culture, including the benefits and challenges of digital curation—the way artwork is stored, collected, and archived online.

We are ranked 8th in the UK for research quality (Complete University Guide 2026).

Your future career
You'll gain professional experience and subject-specific skills that will shape your career as a curator or art professional anywhere in the world. The course prepares you for professional contexts by examining the shape, interconnections, and networks of the wider curatorial sphere. Graduates are equipped to work in museums, galleries, cultural institutions, and as independent curators, applying their expertise to challenge audiences and manage complex art projects. As a graduate from a top 20 UK university for employability*, you'll be well-prepared for your next step.

Key features of this course
At Southampton you'll:
• Get hands-on professional experience managing projects in the Winchester Gallery, which is open to the public, giving you real-world practical and logistical understanding.
• Engage in practical workshops focused on object-handling and exhibition setup, including lighting and tools.
• Benefit from unique access to a vast network of practising artists, academics, and researchers from the thriving artist community at Winchester School of Art.
• Attend visits to local and London-based art exhibitions where you will question and debate different curatorial approaches.
• Learn from an experienced exhibition curator and Programme Lead (Sara Roberts) with a background in international exhibition tours and major institutions like the Imperial War Museum and The British Council.

Further information
This master's degree can be studied full-time (1 year) or part-time (2 years), offering flexibility to suit your needs. The course is situated in the picturesque city of Winchester. Your studies will culminate in a major Final Project or Dissertation, allowing you to demonstrate your theoretical and practical expertise. This final project requires you to develop a credible and convincing proposal for an independent curatorial project, which can be realised through either a detailed written document or an applied and contextualised practice.

*Complete University Guide Graduate Prospects Ranking 2026.

Compulsory modules include: Curator as Practitioner; Curatorial Challenges and Experiments; Curatorial Histories & Contexts; Objects and Methods; Professional and Academic Skills (Practice). Optional modules include: Experimental Publishing; Visual Culture; Exploring the Visual Language of Display.

For a full list of modules please visit: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/courses/contemporary-curating-masters-ma#modules

We'll assess your knowlege through combination of methods, including group-organised exhibitions, essays, presentations, seminar research projects and a final major project.