The MA Conservation of Fine Art programme (Easel Paintings) will provide you all the knowledge and skills necessary for a career as an art conservator.

This postgraduate programme aims to provide you with advanced knowledge and skills in both practice and research for the conservation of easel paintings. Northumbria Universitys Conservation of Fine Art MA is the only Master of Arts programme in the UK that offers the specialisms in both the conservation of Easel Painting or Works of Art on Paper.

Our Conservation of Fine Art Masters programme aims to develop your skills in critical awareness, research, ethics and philosophy, art history, conservation science and the care of collections, in addition to honing the meticulous practical skills necessary to become a conservator.

It is the combination of meticulous practical skill, a sound knowledge of science, and passion for the art and art history that makes this Masters programme of interest to those from both a science and arts background.

Integrating a mix of studio practice, science and art history, the programme covers a range of subjects.

The Conservation of Fine Art MA Easel Painings is a vocational programme and on graduation you will have all the highly specialised knowledge and skills to formally enter the conservation profession.

In order to broaden your cultural perspective and enhance your practical learning experience, you will also have the opportunity to carry out a placement in the Summer recess. Students carry out placements in institutions in the UK and globally a number of hosting institutions over the years have included the British Museum, the National Museum of Australia, Royal Ontario Museum Tate as well as a number of private conservation studios.

We welcome applications from students from a wide range of academic backgrounds. Students come from a range of backgrounds including Fine Art, Art History and the Sciences.

This programme has been developed to provide all the skills and knowledge required to begin a career in Fine Art Conservation. At Northumbria there are also many additional opportunities available to further enhance your career prospects.

Throughout the duration of the programme, you will develop employability skills, not only as a conservation practitioner in your chosen specialism, but through participation in seminars and class discussions where you will develop important ‘soft skills, that will enable you to take the first step in your career as a conservator. Northumbria University is committed to enhancing employability of its students by supporting students in their career journey while on the programme and beyond. In addition to completing a professional placement to further enhance your development, students have the opportunity to present their own research at the annual Gerry Hedley Student Symposium organised by the conservation departments at Northumbria University, the Courtauld Institute, London and the Hamilton Kerr Institute, University of Cambridge.

Staff have a strong professional network which, together with a worldwide cohort of alumni, assists in providing students and graduates with placement and job opportunities. Students are actively encouraged to organize and participate in placements during the summer recess between year one and year two in order to gain valuable experience that can be taken forward into the second year.

We actively encourage students to join professional conservation bodies, such as the Institute of Conservation (ICON), the International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic works (IIC) and the International Council of Museums Committee for Conservation (ICOM-CC), all of which have vibrant student and emerging conservator networks.