Conservation Studies, specialising in Clocks

Study at a specialist college with the assurance of a university qualification. Develop your passions and reach your potential in a small, welcoming environment within a community of like-minded people.

Why choose West Dean?
An international reputation for excellence in conservation and arts education
94% of students studying at the College* felt the programme had enhanced their skills and abilities (*2019 student survey)
A rich arts environment and a focus on craft skills with vocational application
Be inspired by the unique historic character and beautiful South Downs setting
Located close to Chichester and the South Coast, with easy access to London

The Course

The Graduate Diploma offers you the opportunity to develop the skills and competences to work towards becoming a professional horologist or horological conservator, or to undertake further professional development in horology. You will learn professional standards of conservation practice as you develop practical, theoretical and professional conservation skills. The course provides a context for the analysis, assessment and treatment of historic objects.

You can expect

To develop excellent practical skills establishing and developing hand and machine tool skills
To learn the principles and techniques of historical horological manufacture and repair
To work on historic objects

Learning environment

Low student : tutor ratio
Workshop access 8.30am-9pm, 7 days a week
Interdisciplinary environment
Teaches students to understand and apply Icon's Professional Standards in Conservation
Visits from specialists from the heritage and private sectors
Visits to museums and active links with heritage bodies

Exceptional facilities

You will work in our specialist clocks workshop equipped with a professional standard range of hand and machine tools for the production and treatment of clocks. Facilities include:

Individual work benches for each student
Access to the full range of metalworking and woodworking facilities in the adjacent departments
Digital photography facilities for the production of photographic records and documentation
Area for cleaning and testing completed work
IT suite with specialist databases
On-site Art and Conservation Library with thousands of specialist books and journals

Teaching

On the Graduate Diploma you typically have around 24 contact hours per week.

Independent learning

When not attending lectures, seminars and workshop or other timetabled sessions you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study for approximately 13-14 hours per week. Typically, this will involve:

Reading journal articles and books
Working on individual and group projects
Undertaking research in the library
Preparing coursework assignments and presentations

Overall workload

Graduate Diploma: 60% of your time is spent in scheduled teaching and learning activity
Scheduled teaching and learning: 720 hours
Independent learning: 480 hours

Unit G1A Introducing Professional Practice, Unit G1B Introducing Conservation Science, Unit G1C Contextual and Professional Studies 1, Unit G2A Developing Professional Practice, Unit G2B Conservation Science: Development and Applications, Unit G2C Contextual and Professional Studies 2, Unit G3A Research Through Practice. Modules correct at October 2019, they may be subject to change.