Programme Description

MSc Programme in Conservation Management of Cultural Heritage

Addressing emerging conservation challenges in the Arab region and integrated approaches to heritage management, ICCROM through its regional office in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, in partnership with the University of Sharjah, is offering an inter-disciplinary MSc programme in “Conservation Management of Cultural Heritage”. The programme, which started in the academic year of 2019-2020, targets heritage professionals from a diversity of backgrounds in the Arab region, and consists of two tracks:

  • Management of Museums (Movable heritage)
  • Management of Cultural Heritage Sites (Immovable heritage)

The programme is unique thanks to its interdisciplinary approach, regional focus, and flexible module system. The programme is designed to accommodate various disciplines in conservation and management and covers a wide range of topics, such as the conservation of built heritage and museum collections, heritage presentation and interpretation, disaster risk management of cultural heritage and World Heritage management. To address the needs of the region, the programme is primarily delivered in Arabic.

Programme Structure

The MSc programme uses a block-teaching model. This modular structure supports working professionals interested in furthering their education. Students take the courses of the first year (24 credit hours) and complete a dissertation (9 credit hours) in the second year in their chosen track, in agreement with the teaching faculty.

Courses in the first year consist of 5 core courses and 3 courses per track. The second year is completely dedicated to the MSc dissertation.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:

  1. Explain and apply the theories and methodologies of conservation and management of local and international cultural heritage and their development.
  2. Analyse international conventions and national legislations related to the conservation and management of cultural heritage and develop such laws in accordance with the conditions of cultural heritage.
  3. Integrate various disciplines to contribute to the comprehensive understanding of cultural heritage, its conservation and management.
  4. Produce the terms of reference and documents for projects aimed at the conservation and management of cultural heritage.
  5. Evaluate and implement comprehensive management plans for cultural heritage.
  6. Use modern scientific techniques in understanding, interpreting and presenting cultural heritage.
  7. Work with teams to implement cultural heritage management plans.
  8. Analyse the concepts and mechanisms of management policies and projects related to the preservation of cultural heritage based on scientific methodologies.
  9. Work in various contexts in the field of cultural heritage.
  10. Communicate with local communities and specialists in the field of cultural heritage.
  11. Apply best practices, standards and ethics in the management of cultural heritage sites and museum collections.
  12. Conduct applied research in the field of cultural heritage to benefit real-world situations.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply, candidates must be Arabic-speaking professionals with:

  • A Bachelor degree or equivalent from an accredited university with a minimum GPA of 2.5 out of 4 or its equivalent.
  • A Bachelor degree in a relevant discipline such as archaeology, architecture, urban planning/urban studies, heritage conservation, heritage management, museology/museum studies, art history, or history of architecture. Graduates of other disciplines may be accepted at the discretion of the programme’s steering committee and may be asked to fulfil further requirements.
  • English language competency (Academic IELTS: 4.0, TOEFL IBT: 32)
  • Experience in related fields of cultural heritage management is an asset.

Duration of Programme

The duration of the programme is two years (33 credit hours); upon the successful completion of the programme, students receive a Master’s degree (MSc in Conservation Management of Cultural Heritage). 

ICCROM Scholarships

With the gracious support of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Al Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah and other donors, ICCROM-Sharjah offers a limited number of scholarships subject to rigorous evaluation criteria. The scholarships cover tuition fees, accommodation, round-trip to UAE and a living expenses allowance. Students seeking a scholarship must include that in the letter of interest to be submitted with the application, explaining why they seek financial support and how they will contribute to the field upon completion of the degree programme. Priority will be given to candidates officially nominated by governmental institutions in their countries and who fulfil the rest of the eligibility criteria.  An official nomination letter should be submitted with the rest of the application documents.

For more information about ICCROM scholarships, please contact Ms. Lama Said (lama.said@iccrom.org)

University of Sharjah Scholarships

The University of Sharjah is offering the following scholarships on a competitive basis:

  • Teaching Assistant (TA) Scholarship: where the student is required to work a number of hours as a TA every week at UoS and the scholarship will cover tuition fees and a monthly allowance of 2500 AED.
  • Research Assistant (RA) Scholarship: where the student is required to work a number of hours as an RA every week at UoS and the scholarship will cover tuition fees and a monthly allowance of 4000 AED.

For more information about the scholarships available through the University of Sharjah, please contact Mr. Esam Salam (esam@sharjah.ac.ae)

How to Apply?

UAE
Applications from inside the UAE should be submitted to the University of Sharjah through the following link:
https://ssb-prod.ec.sharjah.ac.ae:9100/dleprod_arSA/bwskalog.P_DispLoginNon

For more information on applications through the University of Sharjah, please visit the link below:
https://www.sharjah.ac.ae/en/Research/gs/Pages/gsa.aspx#

Outside the UAE

Applications from outside the UAE should be submitted to ICCROM-Sharjah through the following link:
https://forms.gle/srgQkwXf6XnSfgqt5

Required Documents

Please Consult the Arabic version for the required documents.

For more information

Please contact Dr. Monther Jamhawi (mjamhawi@sharjah.ac.ae) and Ms. Lama Said (lama.said@iccrom.org)
More information is available in the MSc programme booklet.

Deadline for applications