Graduate Diploma of Museum Studies
2027 Deakin University Handbook
| Year | 2027 course information |
|---|---|
| Award granted | Graduate Diploma of Museum Studies |
| Deakin course code | A668 |
| Course credit points | 8 |
| Course version | 1 |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts and Education |
| Course information | For students who commenced from 2021 onwards |
| Campus | Offered at Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
| Duration | 1 year full-time or part-time equivalent |
| Course map - enrolment planning tool | The course map for students commencing from Trimester 1 2027 will be available soon Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central. |
| CRICOS code | 012804J Burwood (Melbourne) |
| 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
- Career opportunities
- Participation requirements
- Mandatory student checks
- Pathways
- Alternative exits
- Course learning outcomes
- Course rules
- Course structure
- Work experience
- Other learning experiences
- Research and research-related study
- Fees and charges
Course overview
Deakin’s Graduate Diploma of Museum Studies prepares you with the professional skills to work across today’s diverse museum sector. You will learn how to identify, conserve and interpret objects and collections in museums and galleries, while exploring the evolving role of museums in society.
As museums become more accessible, interactive and audience-focused, you will develop the practical skills and knowledge to contribute to contemporary practice. Study areas include interpretation, collections and curatorship, cataloguing and documentation, exhibition planning, and the ethical and legal issues involved in managing objects and collections.
You can choose electives such as an Applied Heritage Project, developed with industry partners, or an internship to gain practical experience, build workplace skills and professional networks.
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.
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.
Pathways
This course can be a pathway to:
Master of Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies (A768)
Alternative exits
| Graduate Certificate of Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies (A568) |
Course learning outcomes
| Course Learning Outcomes |
|---|
| Understand, investigate and evaluate conceptual and practical approaches to the identification, conservation, interpretation, management and use of museum objects. |
| Effectively communicate key theoretical and practical concerns in museum studies using oral, written, digital formats to specialist and non-specialist audiences. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Work effectively and collaboratively, demonstrating advanced level of responsibility and accountability in different roles in the museum context |
| 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
Note – From 2026, Deakin commenced introducing Graduate Attributes (GAs), which define the distinctive characteristics of a Deakin graduate. You may notice some courses still refer to Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) during this transition period.
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 your first study period
- 4 credit points of core units
- 4 credit points of course electives.
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.
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]
Work experience
Elective units may provide the opportunity for Work Integrated Learning experiences.
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.
Other learning experiences
There are options for WIL and study tours across many of the SHSS courses.
Research and research-related study
Independent research components are embedded across a number of units.
Fees and charges
Tuition fees will vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study, your study load and/or unit discipline.
Your tuition fees will increase annually at the start of each calendar year. All fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD) and do not include additional costs such as textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment, mandatory checks, travel, consumables and other costs.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current students website.
Further information
Contact Student Central for assistance in course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements. Student Central can also provide information for a wide range of services at Deakin. To help you understand the University vocabulary, please refer to our Enrolment codes and terminology page.