In recent years museums and galleries across the world have been subject to enormous change. The School of Museum Studies at Leicester has been a global focus for these exciting developments since it first opened more than 40 years ago.

Leicester has been a centre for some of the most influential thinking in the museum field and staff continue to carry out research which engages with and informs leading-edge practice. The School’s Research Centre for Museums and Galleries (RCMG) has, over the past decade, developed a programme of innovative and rigorous research that has informed policy and practice and inspired innovation and experimentation internationally. Indeed, Leicester’s long standing reputation was confirmed in 2009 when the results of the Research Assessment Exercise were announced showing that we are home to the highest proportion of world-leading researchers in any subject area in any UK university.

Our innovation, however, is not confined to our research activities. We are committed to student-centred learning of the highest quality and to actively supporting learners from diverse cultural and academic backgrounds. Graduates from our Masters and PhD programmes work in museums and galleries, arts and heritage organisations, universities and research centres around the world, and draw on the experiences and skills gained through their studies to innovate through creative practice. Opportunities are available for study and research either in Leicester or by distance learning for those with work or personal commitments that demand greater flexibility. The School’s commitment to innovation and inclusivity continues to underpin all of our activities.