Aims
Our aim is to offer training for a variety of employment in stained glass conservation, but also in cultural heritage management, arts administration, museums, and the administration of historic buildings.
The programme may also be preparation for higher research degrees.

Curriculum
This is a two-year programme, including four terms of taught courses, with two modules per term, a sixteen-week placement, and a five-month dissertation. Modules are devoted to basic and advanced techniques of glass conservation. Other fields of study include the history, ethics and the philosophy of conservation, international issues in conservation, art and architectural history, archaeology, conservation and the impact of climate change, and heritage and business administration. There will be a free choice of art-historical or archaeological modules in the spring term of the second year. In each taught term a masterclass addressing current issues and new research will be conducted by a visiting lecturer.

Placements
Leading conservation studios, museums and heritage institutions in Britain, Europe and the United States host placements, providing invaluable work experience, and networks for future careers.

Study tour
Every other year, usually in the Easter vacation, students will have the chance to join a European study tour, visiting major stained glass sites, and leading conservation practices.
 
Applicants
Background
The programme is designed to appeal to a wide range of potential applicants. They may include college graduates with an undergraduate degree in related fields (eg architectural stained glass, conservation, art history, history, architecture, archaeology, fine arts, literary studies).
Applicants without a college degree, but with exceptional experience or demonstrable skills may also be admitted, subject to an entrance test.
Experience
Previous experience in glass conservation is desirable and advice on securing preliminary placements can be offered. Intensive training is offered at the beginning of the course.

Funding
A range of funding opportunities are available from the Worshipful Company of Glaziers, the York Glaziers Trust and the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies (NADFAS). Scholarships are announced the summer before the MA programme commences.  Accepted MA applicants will be invited to apply for these scholarships in the summer.
Read more about available funding> 
 
See video>
Working with glass and stone at York Minster

How to apply
You can apply for this course using our online application system. If you've not already done so, please read the application guidance first so that you understand the various steps in the application process.

Applications guidance
Full guidance information about the process of applying can be found on the central web pages for postgraduate admissions:
Applying for graduate study>

Sample of writing
Online applications
Files uploaded to online applications cannot exceed 1MB. You may therefore need to remove digital images from your work so that the file size does not exceed this limit.
 
We will read art-historical writing samples without images as long as your text indicates which images were originally included.
 
All applicants for the MA in Stained Glass Conservation and Heritage Management should submit one sample of academic writing, c. 1500 words in length. Where possible the subject matter should concern history or conservation of stained glass, but if your background lies in other areas, we would welcome work in another field such as literature or history.
If you have any questions or concerns about the writing sample, contact the Course Administrator for advice.

Deadlines
Normally we expect to receive applications for the taught MA by late Spring, although we may consider further applications until mid-August, and sometimes later in special circumstances.
The deadline for many scholarship applications is 1 May or earlier, and many of them require a further research proposal beyond the general statement of application. We find that the process of reviewing an application, following up references, conducting an interview, arriving at a topic for research and completing the different sections of the grant application form can take fully two months, so those planning on applying for a scholarship should submit their course application as early as possible.
 
Department of History of Art?University of York
Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK
+44 (0)1904-322978
history-of-art@york.ac.uk
http://www.york.ac.uk