Conservation of Objects in Museums and Archaeology (BSc)

The School of History, Archaeology and Religion enables you to develop in a high-quality learning environment, supported by a student-orientated approach to the acquisition of knowledge and skills.

Teaching methods include lectures, seminars, practical, field trips, and one-to-one tutorials. You will also undertake independent study and research, with guidance from tutors.

Lectures provide an overview of the key concepts and frameworks for a topic, equipping you to carry out independent research for generating treatment regimes in laboratory sessions where you conserve objects, as well as for contributing to seminars using your own ideas. Laboratory practice is taught using object-based learning techniques and one to one support in designated practical sessions, as all objects you work on are unique. Larger group teaching is in place for instructional classes on equipment use and data interpretation, as well as for lectures.

How will I be supported?

A personal tutor will guide you for the duration of your studies. The tutors are available to discuss progress and provide advice and guidance on your academic studies. The School office, located on the 4th Floor of the John Percival Building, is also open every day and can provide advice on how to access university services.

All modules within the course make use of Cardiff University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Learning Central, on which you will find course materials, links to related materials and information relating to assessment tasks including, for example, assessment criteria, links to past papers, and guidelines for submitting assessments.

Additional module-specific support is provided by seminar tutors, lecturers and/or module convenors. Students receive close support from conservation staff due to the large amount of contact time they spend with them in laboratory and skill set classes. Consequently, you will get to know your conservation lecturers and tutors very well.

How will I be assessed?

Modules are assessed by various methods, including practical work, written reports, critical reviews, class tests, oral presentations, coursework, essays and examinations.

These assessments provide a means of developing your capacities to gather, organise, evaluate and deploy relevant information and ideas from a variety of sources in reasoned arguments. They also develop essential skill sets that are valued by employers and are essential for this vocational degree. 

Progression is built into assessment. Its format and difficulty is matched to the progressive development of skills and knowledge, gained as you deal with more complex conservation problems and build research skills through the degree. Coursework and modular data is provided electronically and assessments are submitted electronically.

What skills will I practise and develop?

Knowledge & Understanding:

On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to demonstrate:

• Understanding of the key ideas, theories and principles used in conservation and the wider contexts of conservation.
• How to integrate themes, theories and findings from cognate disciplines into conservation planning, practice and research.
• Understanding of research methods and scientific thought processes used within conservation and the ethical, cultural, philosophical and management issues that inform their application in practice.
• Understanding of the structure, properties and decay of metallic, inorganic and organic materials and how this knowledge informs conservation practice.

Intellectual Skills:

On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to demonstrate:

• The ability to critically evaluate existing knowledge, scholarship, standards and guidelines and research in conservation and use this knowledge to reach a balanced judgement about the merits and limitations of conservation procedures.
• Knowledge and skills to understand, explain and modify conservation processes.
• The ability to develop evidence based argument to identify and evaluate conservation options, consider a range of methods and approaches and to rationalise decision making processes.

Professional Practical Skills:

On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to demonstrate:

• The ability to develop, execute, report and record evidence based strategies for preventive and interventive conservation of historic and archaeological objects.
• The professional and personal skills, knowledge and experience needed to implement conservation measures ensuring high standards are maintained in professional conservation contexts.
• The ability to critically evaluate, synthesise and interpret primary and secondary data generated using different methods, using specialist equipment and software where necessary.
• The ability to work both individually collaboratively and on theoretically informed and empirically-grounded conservation projects that draw on appropriate and relevant research evidence.

Transferable/Key Skills:

On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to demonstrate:

• Capacity for problem-solving, evidence based decision making and originality in thinking by using knowledge and skills to tackle familiar and unfamiliar problems.
• Academic and personal skills such as critical thinking, writing, oral presentations, problem solving, group work, time-management, self-sufficiency, care of the cultural heritage and the use of information technology.
• The ability to negotiate courses for action and communicate complex information in a variety of formats including reports, oral presentations, conversation, posters and dissertations.
• The ability to investigate and transfer theory into practice using a range of motor skills, equipment and instrumentation.