Art History: Dress and Textile Histories (Taught)

This Masters provides you with the skills to research and interpret everyday clothing, fashion and textiles in historical contexts. The programme introduces you to theoretical and object-based approaches through a combination of taught and research-based components, showing you how historic dress and textiles can be studied both in their own right and as a means to understand the past. Close links with local and national archives, libraries and museums, including Glasgow Museums and the Victoria & Albert Museum, means the programme offers you a unique insight into the study, curation, interpretation and preservation of historic dress and textile collections.

WHY THIS PROGRAMME

• Alongside our own specialist in-house staff, you’ll also meet visiting experts in dress and textile history, art history, historical dress curation, and cultural heritage and design. Together, they’ll demonstrate how dress and textile histories can be studied and applied in professional contexts.

• Glasgow is the ideal city in which to study dress & textile history because of its vibrant local textile heritage and close links to national institutions. You will have the chance to engage with and learn from locally and nationally significant collections including the Scottish Business Archives at the University of Glasgow, Glasgow Museums and National Museums Scotland.

• The core and optional courses give you the opportunity to conduct archival and object-based study for a range of chronological periods, offering hands-on experience and practical research skills.

• The work placement option enables you to develop your professional expertise within the heritage sector.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

You will:

• Take three core courses

• Take three optional courses

• Research and write a dissertation

Semester 1: September to December

• CORE 1: Framing Dress and Textile Histories

• CORE 2: Research Methods and Skills

• One optional course

Semester 2: January to March

• CORE 3: Applying Dress and Textile Histories

• Two optional courses

Optional courses
Optional courses may include, but are not limited to:

• Shaping Modern Artefacts: Material Form and Function

• Understanding Textiles: Technology

• Victorian Visions: Dress and Textiles, c.1837-1901

• Material Cultures

• Ethics for Artefacts: Modern Materials

• Work Placement

• Level 5 course in History of Art

• Level 5 course from those available within the College of Arts & Humanities subject to the approval of the programme convenor

Please note that not all optional courses run every year.

Dissertation
Dissertation

Programme alteration or discontinuation

CAREER PROSPECTS

The University of Glasgow endeavours to run all programmes as advertised. In exceptional circumstances, however, the University may withdraw or alter a programme. For more information, please see: Student contract.

The attributes you gain from the programme will be attractive to employers from museums, the heritage sector, art dealers and auction houses.

Other potential career paths include theatre, film and television production as a costume researcher or designer.

The programme also offers an excellent foundation upon which to progress to PhD study and an academic career.

Listen to our Sound Tracks Podcast with alumni Kirsty Hassard: Knowing Your Value & Shining In the Competitive Museum Sector