MA in Heritage and Museum Studies

Background of the Program

Expanding education in both quality and quantity is among the goals of the Ethiopian educational policy. This can be exemplified in opening of new universities and graduate programmes. Accordingly, universities are developing their capacity in both training and researching in parallel with the increasing number of students enrolled each year. In this regard Bahir Dar University is a typical example.

 Located in Bahir Dar town, Bahir Dar University was founded in May, 2000 with the merger of two former higher institutions: Bahir Dar Polytechnic Institute and Bahir Dar Teachers College.  In 2008, with the expansion of both undergraduate and graduate programmes, former Faculty of Education has now splinted into four new faculties. Faculty of Social Sciences is one of the newly opened faculties. 

Department of History and Heritage Management is within the Faculty of Social Sciences. The department came into existence in 1998 as one of the academic units of the then Bahir Dar Teachers College. Following the inauguration of the Bahir Dar University in May, 2000, all diploma regular programmes were upgraded to a degree level. Since then, the Department has been training degree students majoring in history and Heritage Management.

 Before the introduction of the practicum courses, the Department had a tradition of arranging field trips in order to give students a chance to have first hand information about places of historical interest and to make the teaching-learning of history more meaningful, enjoyable and lively. The Department has now restarted that tradition so as to integrate theory with practice.

Programme Rationale

As part of its transformation plan, the country is in an earnest need to boost the economy through sustainable utilization of its rich cultural and historical heritages. In parallel with economic development of the country, there is also a need to preserve, conserve and protect our both historical and natural heritage attractions. Currently, there is acute shortage of man power in woreda, zonal, regional and nation level of the country in heritage and museum studies. In addition, there both internal and external constant pressures to open new training programmes and upgrade existing ones in order to accommodate the ever increasing number of students joining higher education institutions. Like other institutions, Bahir Dar University, so as to accomplish the missions and visions, is expanding its degree prorammmes by opening new fields of study. In this regard, there is a high growing demand from social science graduates for the opening of a graduate programme in Heritage and Museum studies.

The department believes that the opening of Heritage and Museum studies is timely and crucial as it explores a number of heritage landscapes to uncover the meanings of what is a living heritage and museum is.

Admission Requirements

Application to the program is competitive and made through the Graduate Program of the Department of History and heritage management. An applicant should fulfill the minimum requirement set by ministry of education. He/ she must also have bachelor degree from a recognized university in History, archeology, anthropology, architecture, tourism, biology, and related fields.

Graduation Requirements

In order to qualify and earn the M.A. degree in Heritage and Museum Studies, a student will have to fulfill rules and regulations and ethical standards set by the office of the graduate program of Bahir Dar University. Students will be eligible for graduation upon successful completion of all the courses/modules and thesis (30 credit hours total). The minimum grade point average (GPA) required for graduation is 3.0 with no "F" grade. In addition, student should complete, submit and successfully defend orally his/her Thesis at the end in public after carefully examined by internal and external supervisors.

Duration of study

Graduate students are expected to complete their studies by the end of their second year. However, under special circumstances, students may be allowed to extend their study to a third year. Courses will be given in modular form and completed in one year. The final year will be devoted to a great extent to the preparation and production of the thesis.

Degree Nomenclature

The degree to be awarded to the graduates will be:

MA in Heritage and Museum Studies

አርት ማስተሬት ድግሪ  በቅርስና ቤተ-መዘክር ጥናት

 Medium of Instruction

The medium of instruction for the program is English

List of Courses

 

Course Title

Course Code

Credit hours

LH

Tut.

Home

Study

CP

1

Advanced Research Methods

HIMS5211

3

3

0

13

8

2

 Introduction to Museum and Heritage Studies

HIMS5221

3

3

0

13

8

3

 Museum Collection and Exhibitions

HIMS5231

3

3

0

13

8

4

 Historic Heritage Conservation

HIMS5241

3

3

0

13

8

5

Heritage and  Museum Management

HIMS5252

3

3

0

11

7

6

Art and Curatorship

HIMS5262

3

3

0

13

8

7

Museum, Heritage and the Leisure

HIMS5272

3

3

0

11

7

8

Historical Archaeology 

HIMS5282

3

3

0

11

7

9

MA Thesis

HIMS 6292

6

 

0

114

60

 

 

Total

30

 

 

 

121

 

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