Graduate Certificate of Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies

Course summary for international students

Year	2026 course information
Award granted	Graduate Certificate of Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies
Campus	Online
Length	0.5 year full-time or 1 year part-time equivalent
Fee paying annual fee - commencing 2026	$19,400 AUD
CRICOS code	102880C Burwood (Melbourne)
Level	Postgraduate (Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma)
Deakin course code	A568
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition	The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 8

Course sub-headings

Course overview

Gain the fundamental skills and knowledge needed to kick-start your career working in the cultural heritage and museum sector. You’ll become familiar with current theory and practice and be ready for further study.

Do you have a passion for the past and conserving it for future generations?

Today’s cultural institutions like galleries, archives, museums and heritage sites are evolving. They’re designed to be much more accessible and interactive. As such, they’re attracting more diverse audiences every day.

The Graduate Certificate of Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies provides you with the range of hands-on skills and theoretical knowledge required to work in all kinds of cultural institutions.

Innovation and new technologies are pushing professionals to think creatively and to engage with audiences in new ways. That’s why this course encourages you to become an independent, innovative and creative thinker who can confidently undertake a range of tasks in a variety of roles.

Your studies at graduate certificate level are the perfect foundation to continue in the cultural heritage and museum studies suite of courses, qualifying you for the one-year Master of Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies.

For those who have just completed their undergraduate degree, already volunteer in museums and heritage sites or are ready for a new and exciting career they’ll love, this course is the ideal way to start professionalising.

The core units you will study, focusing on cultural heritage and museum fundamentals, include:

Cultural Heritage and Museum Practice
Museums, Heritage and Society

Plus, you will have a choice of two elective units, some of which include:

Heritage Practice: Fundamentals
World Heritage
Digital Interpretation
Managing Collections

Fees and charges

The 'Estimated tuition fee' is provided as a guide only based on a typical enrolment of students completing this course within the same year in which they started. The cost will vary depending on the units you choose, your study load, the length of your course and any approved Recognition of prior learning you have.

The 'Estimated tuition fee' is calculated by adding together four credit points of study. Four credit points is used as it represents a typical enrolment load for a Graduate Certificate.

Each unit you enrol in has a credit point value. You can find the credit point value of each unit under the Unit Description by searching for the unit in the handbook.

Learn more about tuition fees.

Career opportunities

The Graduate Certificate of Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies gives you the foundation of knowledge needed to enter the cultural heritage and museum sector ready to thrive.

As a graduate, you may find employment in museums, heritage institutions, government agencies, private corporations, community organisations and in private practice.

Typical job titles include:

curator
heritage officer
registrar
public programs officer
researcher
project officer.

Alternatively, completion of the course qualifies your entry into the one-year Master of Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies. This program gives you the freedom to focus your studies on a specific area of interest, driving your career in the direction you wish to go.

For more information go to DeakinTALENT.

Course learning outcomes

Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes	Course Learning Outcomes
Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities	Investigate and evaluate conceptual and practical approaches to the identification, collection, conservation, display, interpretation, management and use of cultural heritage.
Communication	Effectively communicate key theoretical and practical concerns in cultural heritage and museum studies using oral, written, digital formats to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
Digital literacy	Use a range of digital technologies and information sources relevant to the museum context to discover, select, analyse, employ, evaluate, and disseminate both technical and non-technical information.
Critical thinking	Critically analyse key concepts in the identification, collection, conservation, display, interpretation, management of cultural heritage and employ this knowledge in a professional or scholarly context.
Problem solving	Apply advanced theoretical knowledge and technical skills in the identification, collection, conservation, display, interpretation, management and use of cultural heritage and develop solutions to real-world problems or issues in professional contexts.
Self-management	Apply relevant professional standards with a high level of responsibility and accountability to colleagues and relevant stakeholders and a consistent commitment to continual professional development.
Teamwork	Work effectively and collaboratively, demonstrating advanced level of responsibility and accountability in diverse [museum and cultural heritage multidisciplinary] teams.
Global citizenship	Analyse and address issues in the field of cultural heritage and museum studies in the domestic, regional and global context as a critically reflexive reflective practitioner, taking into consideration cultural and socio-economic diversity, social and environmental responsibility and the application of the highest ethical standards.

Approved at Faculty Board 2020

Course rules

To complete the Graduate Certificate of Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies, you must pass 4 credit points. This includes:

DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in your first study period
2 credit points of core units
2 credit points of course elective units

Most units are equal to one credit point. As a full-time student you will study four credit points per trimester.

All students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements.

Course structure

Core units

Compulsory 0-credit point module

To be completed in the first trimester of study:

DAI001

Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin

Units

AIM719

Cultural Heritage and Museum Practice

AIM736

Museums, Heritage and Society

Electives

Plus two course electives from the list:

AIM705

Heritage Practice: Fundamentals

AIM708

World Heritage

AIM715

Digital Interpretation

AIM722

Managing Collections

Admission criteria

Selection is based on a holistic consideration of your academic merit, work experience, likelihood of success, availability of places, participation requirements, regulatory requirements, and individual circumstances. You will need to meet the minimum academic and English language proficiency requirements or higher to be considered for selection, but this does not guarantee admission.

A combination of qualifications and experience may be deemed equivalent to minimum academic requirements.

Academic requirements

To be considered for admission to this degree you will need to meet at least one of the following criteria:

completion of a bachelor degree or higher
at least two years' relevant work experience (or part-time equivalent).

Examples of relevant work experience include, but not limited to: heritage officer, heritage consultant, heritage site, museum or art gallery manager, director, interpretation officer, registrar, curator, public programs officer, education officer, researcher (relevant to the sector), project officer (relevant to the sector), archaeologist, architect, arts development officer, architectural historian, historian.

English language proficiency requirements

To meet the English language proficiency requirements of this course, you will need to demonstrate at least one of the following:

bachelor degree from a recognised English-speaking country
IELTS overall score of 6.5 (with no band score less than 6.0) or equivalent
other evidence of English language proficiency (learn more about other ways to satisfy the requirements)

Admissions information

Learn more about Deakin courses and how we compare to other universities when it comes to the quality of our teaching and learning.

Not sure if you can get into Deakin postgraduate study? Postgraduate study doesn’t have to be a balancing act; we provide flexible course entry and exit options based on your desired career outcomes and the time you are able to commit to your study.

Pathways

This course can be a pathway to:

Graduate Diploma of Business Administration (A668)

Credit for prior learning - general

If you have completed previous studies which you believe may reduce the number of units you have to complete at Deakin, indicate in the appropriate section on your application that you wish to be considered for credit transfer. You will need to provide a certified copy of your previous course details so your credit can be determined. If you are eligible, your offer letter will then contain information about your credit transfer. Your credit transfer is formally approved prior to your enrolment at Deakin during the Enrolment and Orientation Program. You must bring original documents relating to your previous study so that this approval can occur.

You can also refer to the recognition of prior learning (RPL) system which outlines the credit that may be granted towards a Deakin University degree.

Course duration

Course duration may be affected by delays in completing course requirements, such as failing of units or accessing or completing placements.

Work experience

Elective units may provide the opportunity for Work Integrated Learning experiences.

Participation requirements

Reasonable adjustments to participation and other course requirements will be made for students with a disability. More information available at Disability support services.

Mandatory student checks

Any unit which contains work integrated learning, a community placement or interaction with the community may require a police check, Working with Children Check or other check.