The Hunterian

Students at The Hunterian

The Hunterian recognises the value of having a huge community of enthusiastic learners on its doorstep.  We hope you will explore different ways of connecting with us, whether as a volunteer, through formal work placements or as a visitor or participant in our programmes and activities, taking a well-earned break from your studies.

Some of you are far from home while others have families right here that might also enjoy the museum and art gallery. We welcome you all.

Regardless of your discipline of study, you could find something of interest in our varied collections and the volunteering programmes outlined below can help develop various transferrable skills that will enhance any CV.

Whether you hope to hear about opportunities for volunteering or work experience or you just don't want to miss out on news about our events and activities, sign up to our Student Newsletter.  

Subscribe to FREE Hunterian Student Newsletter

Museum Student Educators (MuSE)‎

The Hunterian offers regular public gallery tours led by volunteer student MuSEs (Museum Student Educators) as a work related learning programme. The popular 30-minute tours offer an excellent learning experience for the students and a unique interpretative perspective on our collections for our visitors. 

This voluntary programme is open to current University of Glasgow students of any discipline or level of study. It has grown year on year and now operates with a cohort of around 30 students from a mixture of Arts and Science disciplines and a various study levels.

Tours are mainly offered in two of our public venues: the Hunterian Art Gallery and the Hunterian Museum.

Guides receive an induction and basic tour outlines to work with but are very much encouraged to make the tour their own with further research and a personal perspective. Some guides have developed new tours for temporary exhibitions or proposed new themes for the existing displays. The provision of a varied and engaging tour programme is only possible with the contribution of dedicated students, for which we are very grateful.

Tours can be offered in the Hunterian Museum, the Hunterian Art Gallery or both. MuSEs are expected to offer two tours a week over the course of six months during the academic year. Recruitment to the programme is by application and interview. Application to the 2022-23 programme is now closed. 

What previous guides have said...

I like the feeling of knowing you have had an impact on someone else’s day and made their visit more enjoyable. It is also good to feel part of a larger organisation different from everyday university life.

Eleanor Dillon, MA Classics/English Literature‌

I enjoy the rush of pride I feel in myself, the MuSE programme, The Hunterian and the University when a group of visitors applauds at the end of a tour. Delivering tours has given me a sense of achievement and purpose outside my studies by doing something extra-curricular which I think is really worthwhile for my own personal development and the community.

Mairi Hamilton,  MA History

Student Voice - Online and remote engagement

During the 2020 closures of our venues, some of our student MuSE guides continued to share our collections online via social media (#HunterianTour), on our Blog and through a series of videos featuring Hunterian artworks and objects. Some of their work can be seen below under Online Student Talks.

Since January 2021, a new student opportunity has been developed called Student Voice.  The initiative is a development of the MuSE online activities and offers students a flexible way to be involved in our digital collections engagement by creating content for our online communication channels.  The level of commitment can vary from a single contribution to much more depending on your availabilty. Any UofG student interested in signing up to the Student Voice Team should email our Education Manager Ruth Fletcher (Ruth.Fletcher@glasgow.ac.uk).