Prestigious Scottish Funding Council Awards are available to high calibre applicants for this programme. The SFC has selected this programme in recognition of the high demand for students with these qualifications. The awards cover all tuition costs; for further information, please see: funded places.

The Masters in Dress & Textile Histories creates specialists in the curation, interpretation and preservation of dress and textiles in museums, costume departments, archives and historic interiors.

Programme overview

• MLitt: 12 months full-time; 24 months part-time

The taught component consists of five core courses and one optional course, running over two semesters. This is followed by a period of supervised research and writing towards a dissertation, submitted at the end of August.

You will also undertake a five-day study trip to see collections in a UK city.

In-house specialists and visiting researchers / practitioners will give lectures in your chosen discipline. These lectures will be enhanced with seminar discussions, some based in museums and galleries, giving you the opportunity to present your ideas and discuss them with classmates in a supportive but challenging environment.

Core courses

• Research methods in practice 
• Framing dress and textile histories
• 19th-century dress and textiles 
• Making dress and textile histories
• 18th-century dress.

Optional courses

You may choose from the following options in the College of Arts

• a Humanities Advanced Technology and Information Institute (HATII) course: 2D Digitisation (Theory and Practice)
• a course from elsewhere in the College of Arts, subject to the approval of the programme convenor.

Or from these courses run by History of Art

• Understanding textiles
• Work placement
• Hunterian placement
• Independent study.

Career prospects

The attributes you gain will be attractive to employers from museums, the heritage sector, art dealers and auction houses. You could also get into theatre, film and television production as a costume researcher/designer. The programme also offers an excellent foundation upon which to progress to PhD studies and an academic career.

Academic entry requirements

Entry requirements for postgraduate taught programmes are a 2.1 Honours degree or equivalent qualification (for example, GPA 3.0 or above) in a relevant subject unless otherwise specified.

Note: A minimum 2.1 in History of Art or a related subject is required. You should also submit a writing sample of 2-3000 words, a CV and a personal statement.

International students with academic qualifications below those required should contact our partner institution, Glasgow International College, who offer a range of foundation courses.

English language requirements

For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training):

• overall score 6.5
• no sub-test less than 6.5
• or equivalent scores in another recognised qualification (see below)
   

Common equivalent English language qualifications:

• ibTOEFL: 92; no sub-test less than 24
• CAE (Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English): A minimum
• CPE (Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English): B minimum
• PTE Academic (Person Test of English, Academic test): 68; minimum 60 in writing

Pre-sessional courses
The University of Glasgow accepts evidence of the required language level from the Language Centre Pre-sessional courses. We also consider other BALEAP accredited pre-sessional courses:

• Language Centre, University of Glasgow
• BALEAP guide to accredited courses 

FAQs

Visa requirements and proof of English language level

It is a visa requirement to provide information on your level of English based on an internationally recognised and secure English language test. All test reports must be no more than 2 years old. A list of these can be found on the UK Border Agency website. If you have never taken one of these tests before, you can get an initial idea of your level by using the Common European Framework self-assessment grid which gives you a level for each skill (e.g. listening B1/writing B2 etc.) However, please note that this is not a secure English language test and it is not sufficient evidence of your level of English for visa requirements.

If you require a Tier 4 student visa, your qualification must be one of the secure English language tests accepted by UK Border Agency:

• UK Border Agency Tier 4 English Language requirements
• UKBA list of approved English language tests [pdf]

For further information about English language requirements, please contact the Recruitment and International Office: pgadmissions@glasgow.ac.uk

Please note: applications for SFC funded places are open for entry in September 2013.

Apply now

For 2013-14

MLitt