1st Level Master in

Future of Art Museums – FOAM

A postgraduate programme designed to train professionals in the field of museology and museography who creatively engage with the contemporary conditions of art museums and the challenges posed by their changing role in a continuously evolving society.

The Master, conceived in close collaboration with Museion - Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Bozen-Bolzano, aims to train professionals in the field of museology and museography, equipping them with theoretical and practical tools to deal creatively with the contemporary conditions of art museums and the challenges posed by their changing role in a changing society. At the heart of the programme lies the conviction that today's art museums should be more than spaces dedicated to research, conservation and exhibition production; they should be significant actors in the social transformation necessary to respond to the multiple crises we face. For this reason, the master focuses on relevant issues for contemporary art museums such as sustainability, inclusion, accessibility and social engagement.

The courses taught will cover the most pressing issues that characterise the main aspects of art museums – exhibitions, presentations, public programmes, workshops, events, research projects and collections – offering innovative perspectives on them. Particular attention will be paid to the idea of the museum as a place of informal learning and experience: a civic space of encounter and discussion strongly involved in the current debate on sustainability.

The programme will be based on a series of courses taught by unibz professors, international practitioners, professionals of the Museion staff, and on collaborations with other European museums as part of a compulsory internship.

The master is aimed at professionals in the field of cultural production and graduates in art, design, architecture, or similar disciplines – without excluding those who have already approached museology and museography during their studies (or in their profession) from a cultural perspective such as managers, curators, mediators, etc.

The first edition, dedicated to the theme of social responsibility, will focus on innovative approaches to museology and exhibition-making in general that consider the social and political role of museums as an essential starting point for any practice and discourse. This edition will explore the idea of the museum as a critical agent of transformation, with the aim of redefining the relationship that museums have with people and their communities.

To the application information

Structure of the Course

In line with the vocation of the Faculty of Design and Art - which is oriented towards art, design and all possible contaminations between them - and with the constant engagement of Museion into the institutional and international contemporary discourse, the programme will focus not only on the theories and practices of museology, but also on the concrete realisation of a diverse list of museum-related activities. Its structure is therefore articulated around three different areas (The Museum; The Display; Contemporary Discourse), flanked by two practice-based studios, a study trip and an internship.The master offers 60 ECTS credits of in-presence teaching, organised in theoretical and practice-based courses:

25 ECTS credits (140 hours) of design studios;
21 ECTS credits (155 hours) of seminars;
14 ECTS credits(350 hours) of internship;

Lectures

The timetable is designed to meet the needs of working people, making it easier to combine study and work. Throughout the year, classes are held in six main blocks of between three days and two weeks. During these periods the students are required to be in Bozen/Bolzano to take part in the teaching activities, which will take place in the spaces of the Faculty of Design and Art - and inside Museion - Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Bozen-Bolzano. During the summer, the students will spend nine weeks in a European partner museum: if necessary, they will have to move temporarily to the city where the institution is located. The rest of the year will be devoted to individual study, which can be done from anywhere.

The courses will be taught by professors and researchers from the Faculty of Design and Art, by Museion staff and by internationally renowned practitioners from the world of art museums.

The courses will be taught by professors and researchers from the Faculty of Design and Art, by Museion staff and by internationally renowned practitioners from the world of art museums.

Studio teachers: Sepake Angiama, Diogo Passarinho,

Lecturers: Marcello Barison, Davide Tommaso Ferrando, Roberto Gigliotti, Sook-Kyung Lee, and Elena Bini, Frida Carazzato, Petra Guidi, Brita Köhler, Leonie Radine, Bart van der Heide and other professionals from the Museion staff.

Facilities and Study Environment

Our ateliers

Design work is carried out in ateliers, where both individual and teamwork based on an effective combination of theory and practice is encouraged. Our lecturers' offices are very close to the ateliers so that students and lecturers can exchange ideas regularly and openly.

Our workshops

In the workshops at our faculty, you will find all the traditional and modern tools you need to turn your projects into reality. Skilled professionals manage our workshops and will help you by sharing their experience with you.

Application and Admission

You can find all you need to know in order to apply and gain admission to this study programme by browsing through the information below.

Application: 29/07/2024 - 31/10/2024 (by 12 noon) 
Admission interview (online):18/11/2024 from 2 pm local time
Publication of the ranking lists: 22/11/2024
Enrollment deadline: 04/12/2024 (12 noon) 
Start of lectures: 05/03/2025

The minimum number of enrolled students required for the master to be activated is 12 and the maximum number is 15.

Applicants with a university degree or other equivalent qualification in cultural heritage, art, design, philosophy, literature, languages, tourism, architecture, communication, sociology, history, restoration and conservation, may be admitted.

Graduates from foreign universities may also take part if the degree obtained is evaluated as equivalent for the sole purpose of admission to the programme by the Council.

Students about to graduate are also eligible for selection, provided that the required degree is still obtained at the time of registration

You must have a good knowledge of English. It is not necessary to prove official teaching languages by means of language certificates.

Your application must be submitted online through the Application Portal. The deadlines are indicated in the “Deadlines” section.

You need to create an account and upload a valid ID card or passport (front/back). Please note: if your document is invalid, incomplete or unreadable, you will be excluded from the admission procedure;
Fill in the online form and upload the attachments listed under “Admission procedure”;
If you gained your qualification abroad, you must also upload the diploma of your qualification: if you are not yet in possession of the diploma, you’ll need to upload it upon enrolment;
Complete and submit the online application by the deadline. Once the application has been sent, it cannot be modified. Filled-in forms which have not been sent correctly will not be taken into consideration.

Please note: Mendacious declarations will be criminally prosecuted and will result in the automatic exclusion from the ranking list.

According to current regulations, it is possible to enrol in up to 2 study courses at the same time. The two study courses must differ for at least 2/3 of the course contents.

The selection procedure consists of:

evaluation of the curriculum vitae and/or portfolio (maximum 25 points);
evaluation of additional qualifications and/or professional experience (maximum 25 points);
an individual interview to verify the adequacy of personal preparation in relation to the educational objectives of the course (maximum 50 points).

A minimum score of 60 points is required for admission to the Master's course.

If you have been admitted to more than one study programme, you can secure your admission for a maximum of 2 programmes by paying the designated rate twice.

1. Choose the study programme and pay the fees (to secure your admission) in the application portal.

The deadlines are indicated in the “Deadlines” section.

Please note that you do not gain full student status by only paying the tuition fees. This status will only be acquired upon enrolment. If you have secured your admission, there will be no refund of the tuition fees unless you do not pass your secondary school final exam.

The entire fee (including the provincial fees) will only be refunded if the Masters programme will not be activated due to the insufficient number of enrolled students.

2. Enrol online in the application portal.

The deadlines are indicated in the “Deadlines” section.

Enrolment is recommended as early as possible, so you have the possibility to upload incomplete documents before the deadline.

If you do not meet the enrolment deadline, you will be excluded and the next applicant in the ranking list will be admitted.

Admission with reservation:If you do not have the required academic qualification, you will be given a conditional offer for a study place and you must submit your qualification upon enrolment. If you achieve your qualification after the enrolment deadline, you cannot enrol, and you will lose your place which will be offered to the subsequent applicant in the ranking list.

If you have gained your qualification abroad, you must upload:

the diploma of your qualification
the official translation of your diploma into Italian (not necessary if the diploma has been issued in German or English)
the Diploma supplement, where it must be indicated: that you have achieved at least 180 credit points (ECTS) and that the qualification gives access to a master programme

If you have gained your qualification abroad in one of the Countries that are signatory to the Lisbon Convention you must also upload:

the Statement of Correspondence of your qualification, to be downloaded from the ARDI - Automatic Recognition Database – Italy

If you have gained your qualification abroad in a country that is not a signatory to the Lisbon Convention, you must also upload:

the Statement of Comparability and Verification of your qualification, issued by the Italian Information Centre on Academic Mobility and Equivalence (CIMEA)

unibz performs the necessary checks on your foreign qualification and in case of doubt reserves the right to request additional documents.

Please note that if you do not possess a valid admission qualification, you can be excluded with Rector’s decree even after enrolment.

Tuition fees amount to € 4,500.00 (+ € 173 for the provincial tax for the right to university study). The amounts are to be paid in a single instalment upon enrolment.

Payment of fees is a prerequisite for enrolment.

If you abandon your studies, renounce them, or are excluded from them, you are not entitled to a refund of the amount paid.

The Advisory Service provides support regarding your choice of study. In many cases a simple call or a short request is enough to get the relevant information (Tel. +39 0471 012100).

Scholarships

Stiftung Südtiroler Sparkasse - Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio is funding 15 scholarships of €1,000 each through a special call for applications - deadline 31/10/2024 (by 12 noon). The award of these scholarships is subject to the approval of the Foundation's Board of Directors. For more information and to apply, follow this link.