Studentship Applications – Now Open
How to apply
The application process consists of 2 parts:
- A process to identify nominees – applications for nomination are open until 29 May 2026.
- A formal application process.
Successful applicants will start their studies in October 2026.
A step-by-step guide can be found here: New Museum School Course Prospectus
Webinar with Culture& and Museum Studies at the University of Leicester
For more information, join the Museum Studies at the University of Leicester Information session for potential applicants
20th May, 1-2pm (UK time) – sign up here.
An opportunity to find out more about the New Museum School Advanced Programme and how to apply. In this webinar you will:
- Meet the Culture& team and colleagues from Museum Studies at the University of Leicester
- Find out more about the Programme
- Ask questions
- Find out how to apply.
Please let us know how we can support you with any access requirements (for example, BSL interpretation, visual descriptions).
For enquiries please contact the Research Centre for Museums and Galleries (RCMG) team at rcmg@le.ac.uk
The New Museum School Advanced Programme is a partnership with the Museum Studies at the University of Leicester launched in 2021 with support from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
Culture&’s New Museum School Advanced Programme provides a pipeline of fresh, diverse talent to the arts and heritage sector. The Programme not only offers a gold-standard postgraduate offer but also brings with it the opportunity to harness the arts and heritage sector in driving a movement of inclusive transformation.
Over the past 12 years, New Museum School has provided accessible and flexible training to 164 young people from diverse backgrounds with around 74% finding full-time employment in the sector within six months of graduating. Whilst we are proud of this achievement, we realise that this is only the start of our commitment. Having supported these professionals to gain entry level access to employment we followed up with them to see how their careers were progressing. A survey conducted with them tells of their encounter with a ‘glass ceiling’ and the barriers that impede their career progression, experiences that reflect the findings of broader surveys into diversity in the museum workforce (Arts Council England 2019).
We are delighted to announce that the New Museum School Advanced Programme is returning for its 5th cohort thanks to continued support from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Art Fund, the Marstine Family Foundation and the University of Leicester. Through the New Museum School Advanced Programme, Culture& – in collaboration with the University of Leicester – is offering 10 fully funded studentships for Postgraduate Diploma and Masters programmes in Museum Studies and Socially Engaged Practice in Museums and Galleries to UK based individuals from backgrounds underrepresented in the museum and heritage sector. The Programme addresses Culture&’s core strategic objective to open up who makes and enjoys arts and heritage. The Programme supports diverse talent with leadership potential to benefit from a gold standard postgraduate offer; develop their careers within museums, galleries and heritage; and support the inclusive transformation of the sector. The course allows professionals to continue full-time employment while studying flexibly through distance learning. The course has a flexible and modular structure leading to post-graduate qualifications from PGDip to MA level.
Further details can be found here: New Museum School Course Prospectus
For more details about the postgraduate programmes at the University of Leicester, visit Museum Studies at Leicester | University of Leicester
