Graduate Diploma of Museum Studies

Course summary for international students

Year	2026 course information
Award granted	Graduate Diploma of Museum Studies
Campus	Offered at Burwood (Melbourne), Online
Length	1 year full-time or part-time equivalent
Fee paying annual fee - commencing 2026	$38,800 for 1 yr full-time AUD
CRICOS code	012804J Burwood (Melbourne)
Level	Postgraduate (Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma)
Deakin course code	A668
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

Earn a professional qualification that allows you to work in the diverse museum sector. When you enrol in the Graduate Diploma of Museum Studies at Deakin, you will learn how to identify, conserve and interpret objects and collections in museums and galleries and the role of museums within society.

Do you want to play a role in how society interacts with contemporary museums?

Today’s museums are evolving. They’re designed to be more accessible and increasingly interactive. As such, they’re attracting more diverse audiences every day. The Graduate Diploma of Museum Studies is designed to provide you with the range of hands-on skills and theoretical knowledge required to work in all kinds of museums.

Some of the areas you will study include interpretation, collections and curatorship, cataloguing and documentation, and the ethical and legal implications of moving, acquiring or disposing of an object or collection.

You’ll also look at the role and function of exhibitions, including budgets, planning, policy and audience involvement. Be ready to take the lead in your career and run exhibitions that engage the community and are meticulously organised behind the scenes.

The core units you will study are built around the categories above and they include:

Cultural Heritage and Museum Practice
Managing Collections
Developing Exhibitions
Museums, Heritage and Society

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

World Heritage
Intangible Cultural Heritage
Digital Interpretation
Applied Heritage Project
Internship
Digital Curation

As part of your studies, you can undertake work-integrated learning through your choice of electives. The Applied Heritage Project unit is developed in consultation with industry partners and gives you an opportunity to work in a team on a specific heritage project.

If you want to develop workplace skills, gain industry knowledge and extend your professional networks you can choose to complete an internship unit where you will undertake a professional work placement within a host organisation in Australia or overseas.

Online studies

Deakin offers many courses which can be studied by distance education overseas.

However, international students living in Australia on a student visa, in each compulsory trimester (that is, Trimesters 1 and 2), must enrol in at least one unit that is offered as a Campus located unit and can, in addition enrol in units offered online. International students may undertake a maximum of up to one third (or equivalent) of their study as online study. Please note enrolment in one face to face unit in compulsory study periods is only allowed if the student is completing their final unit of study and will not exceed maximum one third (or equivalent) online requirement.

Fees and charges

The tuition fees you pay are determined by the course you are enrolled in. The 'Estimated tuition fee' is provided as a guide only and represents the typical tuition fees for students completing this course within the same year 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. One year full-time study load is typically represented by eight credit points of study. Each unit you enrol in has a credit point value.

The 'Estimated tuition fee' is calculated by adding together eight credit points of a typical combination of units for your course.

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 fees and available payment options.

Career opportunities

The Graduate Diploma of Museum Studies will give you the foundation of knowledge needed to enter the 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
collections manager
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	Understand, investigate and evaluate conceptual and practical approaches to the identification, conservation, interpretation, management and use of museum objects.
Communication	Effectively communicate key theoretical and practical concerns in 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, conservation, interpretation, management and employ this knowledge in the museum context using objects and collections to show how these can be utilized in a variety of different situations.
Problem solving	Apply advanced theoretical and knowledge and technical skills in the identification, conservation, interpretation, management and use of objects and collections in the museum context and develop solutions to real-world and ill-defined problems or issues in professional contexts.
Self-management	Demonstrate a high level of professionalism, consistently applying professional museum 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 different roles in the museum context
Global citizenship	Analyse and address museum-related issues 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 2015

Course rules

To complete the Graduate Diploma of Museum Studies, you must pass 8 credit points. The number of credit points required may vary, depending on your entry point or how much credit you receive as recognition of prior learning (RPL) based on your professional experience and previous qualifications.

An 8-credit point Graduate Diploma of Museum Studies includes:

DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in their first study period
4 credit points of core units
4 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 and usually undertake two trimesters per year.

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

AIM722

Managing Collections

AIM727

Developing Exhibitions

AIM736

Museums, Heritage and Society

Electives

Plus, 4 units from:

AIM708

World Heritage

AIM709

Intangible Cultural Heritage

AIM715

Digital Interpretation

AIM733

Applied Heritage Project

APE700

Internship A

MIS798

Project Management

MMM796

Managing Arts in Community Settings

Students may also complete 1 elective from any equivalent postgraduate course at Deakin University with the agreement of the course director.

ALC703 Digital Curation in the Age of AI [No longer available for enrolment]

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:

Master of Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies (A768)

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.

Alternative exits

Graduate Certificate of Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies (A568)

Course duration

You may be able to study available units in the optional third trimester to fast-track your degree, however your course duration may be extended if there are delays in meeting course requirements, such as completing a placement.

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.