MA in Decorative Arts and Historic Interiors

1 Year On Campus Masters Program

University of Buckingham

Program Overview

The MA Decorative Arts and Historic Interiors at the University of Buckingham is perfect for anyone who loves the story behind beautiful objects, historic interiors, and European design traditions. Based in central London, the course lets you study these subjects directly inside the museums, collections, and architectural spaces where history actually lives — giving you an experience that’s far more immersive than a traditional classroom.

Curriculum Structure

Autumn & Winter Terms

You start by building a solid understanding of how European interiors and decorative arts evolved. Through Architecture, Power and Display: The Town and Country House in Europe, you explore how grand interiors were used to communicate identity and status. Alongside this, Society, Makers, Patrons helps you trace how luxury objects were produced, commissioned, and collected — from elite patrons to the skilled makers behind them.

Winter & Spring Terms

Your next modules guide you into the 19th-century world of exhibitions, revival styles, and global influence. In Revolution and Revival in the Age of Exhibitions, c.1830–1900, you dig into how world fairs shaped design and collecting. At the same time, Research in Practice in the Museums and Heritage Sectors gives you hands-on training in object-based research, cataloguing, and writing for curatorial purposes.

Summer Term

You finish the course with a dissertation tailored to your own interests in decorative arts, supported by specialists in the field. You’ll also complete an Objects Interpretation Project, where you create professional interpretive material for historic pieces, simulating real curatorial work.

Throughout the Course

You’re consistently supported by Practice of Research, which strengthens your academic writing, research skills, and curatorial thinking. Much of your teaching takes place in museums and galleries, giving every module a strong practical layer.

Focus Areas

“Historic interiors, European decorative arts, object interpretation, curatorial research, patronage and material culture.”

Learning Outcomes

“Ability to research, analyse, and interpret historic interiors and decorative objects, produce curatorial-style writing, and develop specialist knowledge suited to museums, auction houses, and heritage organisations.”

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

While the MA isn’t an accredited conservation qualification, it’s built around real curatorial and heritage-sector needs — offering direct exposure to museums like the Wallace Collection and V&A, and teaching delivered by experts active in the field.

Reputation & Employability

Much of your learning happens inside major museums and historic interiors, offering access that most universities simply can’t match.
The course includes a dedicated Paris Study Week, where you explore world-class collections with curators and archivists.
Graduates have progressed into roles across the heritage sector — including the National Trust, the Wallace Collection, auction houses, commercial art galleries, and further postgraduate research.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

This MA is all about learning by doing — you won’t just be reading about historic interiors and decorative arts, you’ll be experiencing them firsthand. Much of the teaching happens in museums and historic houses, where you can handle real objects and learn directly from curators. Study trips, both in the UK and abroad, let you explore significant collections and see history come alive, giving you a rich, practical understanding of your field.

Here’s how your hands-on learning is structured:

In-gallery teaching & object handling: Work directly with historic objects at places like the Wallace Collection, guided by experienced curators.
UK country house study visits: Explore sites such as Stowe, Blenheim, Waddesdon, and Boughton, learning on location with heritage professionals.
Paris study week: Gain insight into major French collections from the 18th and 19th centuries, experiencing the context behind your studies.
Professional Practice Project: Plan exhibitions or produce restoration proposals, giving you real-world curatorial and research experience.
Objects Interpretation Project: Create interpretive materials, like catalogue entries or digital content, often in collaboration with collections such as Waddesdon Manor.
Research tutorials & small-group teaching: Receive tailored guidance on research and writing skills in close-knit tutorial groups.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of this MA go on to rewarding careers in museums, heritage organisations, auction houses, and academic or curatorial roles. Many become curators, historic interiors consultants, decorative arts researchers, or heritage educators, using both their hands‑on experience and scholarly insights. As the course is rooted in real collections and built heritage, you’ll leave with a deeply informed practical and academic profile that’s highly attractive to institutions caring for historic objects and spaces.

Here’s how Buckingham supports your future — and what kinds of opportunities lie ahead:

University Services to Help You Launch Your Career:
- The Careers Team at Buckingham provides tailored advice for postgraduate students, including help with CVs, interviews, and finding heritage‑sector internships or roles.
- You’ll be connected with heritage and museum professionals through study visits, guest lectures, and your in-gallery access, helping you build a network in a niche field.
Industry and Heritage Partnerships:
- Teaching is delivered in partnership with major institutions such as the Wallace Collection, giving you direct hands-on experience with high-value decorative objects.
- The programme’s Paris Study Week and country‑house visits involve collaboration with curators and heritage professionals, helping you build strong institutional links early on.
Long-Term Professional Value:
- The MA’s rigorous object-based research training means you develop core skills in cataloguing, interpretation, and curatorial practice — essential for long-term careers in heritage.
- Your final Objects Interpretation Project and dissertation allow you to produce work that proves your ability to contribute meaningfully to collections, exhibitions, or historic-property management.
Graduation Outcomes:
- Alumni work in esteemed places like the Wallace Collection, the National Trust, and well-known auction houses.
- Graduates also pursue roles in interior conservation, heritage policy, academic research, and independent curatorial consultancy.

Further Academic Progression:
After your MA, you could choose to move into a PhD or MPhil in Art History, Decorative Arts, or Heritage Studies, deepening your research into interiors, conservation, or the history of collecting. Alternatively, you might pursue further study via professional heritage qualifications or postgraduate certificates in curatorial practice or conservation management, giving you more advanced expertise for senior roles in museums or heritage organisations.