[NHCOLL-L:1848] The RCA/V&A Conservation Programme

[Tim White]

RCA/V&A Conservation Programme
Royal College of Art
London

MA Studentship for 2003/04

In addition to places already announced for academic year 2003/2004, 
RCA/V&A Conservation offers two MA places in

Natural History Conservation (2 years)

Context:
In collaboration with the Natural History Museum, London, RCA/V&A 
Conservation is able to offer for the first time two MA studentships in the 
conservation of natural history collections.

The Natural History Museum is the UK's national museum of natural history, 
and a centre of scientific excellence in taxonomy and biodiversity. The 
Natural History Museum holds the national collection of over 70 million 
natural history specimens. The collections are held across six departments: 
Botany, Entomology, Mineralogy, Palaeontology, Zoology and Library. Within 
each of these departments staff apply expertise in order to maintain and 
develop the collections and use them to promote the discovery, 
understanding, responsible use and enjoyment of the natural world.

The proposed two-year MA studentship will focus on the practical issues of 
collections care within natural history. Staff within each department will 
deliver practical experience of their field and students will develop wide 
ranging specialist knowledge and practical skills. Students will be based 
within the Palaeontology Conservation Unit, the only specialist 
conservation group within the Natural History Museum, and work on material 
from all collections departments as well as carrying out projects in each. 
This work will be further supported in relevant areas by a paper conservator.

The MA course will follow the award-winning format of other MA specialisms 
offered by the RCA/V&A Conservation Programme. These include furniture, 
stained glass, sculpture, paper, ethnographic objects, social history 
objects, and conservation science. The course provides a common taught 
programme of conservation topics for all students in their first year, 
including principles of conservation, materials science, preventive 
conservation, ethics and professional skills. These components are 
delivered by course staff and invited lecturers through seminars, tutorials 
and special events, and generally occupy two days of the week during term. 
For the remainder of the week the student works and learns in their host 
laboratory or studio. Academic assignments are designed to cover both 
theory and practice and are required throughout the two year course. Our 
students are encouraged to take advantage of events at the Royal College of 
Art and final year students display aspects of their work in the RCA's 
acclaimed annual Show.


Entry requirements
The combination of practice and academic study provides a challenging 
learning environment at postgraduate level. Students must be able to direct 
aspects of their learning and to develop critical awareness of their 
progress. A good knowledge of natural history, conservation, collections 
care, and scientific principles is essential, probably based on an 
undergraduate degree in conservation or natural sciences. A mature, 
flexible and creative approach to learning is essential and experience of 
work within museums is desirable.

For more information please contact Joanna Baden joanna.baden at rca.ac.uk
Deadline for Applications: 31 March 2003

RCA/V&A Conservation
The RCA/V&A Conservation Programme is a unique approach to postgraduate 
learning in conservation at MA, MPhil and PhD level. It is our philosophy 
that postgraduate educational experience combined with experience of the 
professional working environment of a museum brings added value to our 
students' development, generating effective conservation professionals. 
This is reflected in the award of the Queen's Anniversary Prize for 
excellence in education in 2000, and the shortlisting and award of the UK's 
Student Conservator of the Year to a succession of our students.

The Programme was established in 1989 as a partnership between the Royal 
College of Art and the Victoria & Albert Museum, in association with 
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine. The aim of the 
Programme was to offer training and research opportunities in areas not 
adequately covered by other training institutions, and particularly in the 
decorative and applied arts. This was a response to the needs of the 
profession and the market for specialist conservators in areas, which fall 
between or across traditional conservation disciplines. The V&A continues 
as a partner in the Programme, providing a supporting infrastructure for 
our operation, as well as studio places for some of our students. However, 
the Programme's MA course has developed over the years through fruitful and 
rewarding collaborations with other London museums and heritage 
institutions, including The British Museum, Tate, the Museum of London, and 
the Horniman Museum.

The Programme is delivered by the RCA/V&A Conservation Department of the 
Royal College of Art, a small team of staff from the RCA and the V&A. In 
addition to the MA course, research students study at MPhil and PhD level. 
The Programme has currently 25 students and since 1989 has had a total 
intake of 92. More than 90% of our students have completed their chosen 
course of study successfully and some 90% of those are employed as 
professional conservators. The Royal College of Art is the only wholly 
postgraduate college of art and design and was granted university status in 
1967 and is funded largely by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.



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