Overview

The details

Course: Heritage and Museum Studies (Practice as Research)

Start date: October 2025

Study mode: Full-time

Duration: 3 - 4 years

Location: Colchester Campus

Based in: Philosophical, Historical, and Interdisciplinary Studies (School of)

Our PhD Heritage and Museum Studies (Practice as Research) is an innovative doctoral programme designed for students who want to combine academic inquiry with hands-on heritage practice.

This programme combines theory and applied heritage work, enabling students to develop projects that actively contribute to heritage preservation, interpretation, and engagement.

This research-led and practice-oriented PhD supports a broad range of creative and professional outputs, including digital archives, heritage reconstructions, museum interventions, revitalisation initiatives, etc.

Students will be expected to propose and complete a practice-based project, supported by rigorous academic research and critical analysis. The final PhD submission consists of both a practice-based project and a 40,000-word thesis that critically contextualises the work.

This PhD is ideal for professionals and researchers seeking careers in museums, heritage consultancies, academia, cultural institutions, and public engagement sectors. Whether working with historic sites, community-driven heritage projects, or emerging technologies for preservation, this programme prepares students to tackle contemporary challenges in heritage management.

Why we're great.

Combine academic scholarship with real-world practice, working closely with museums, galleries, and heritage organisations to produce impactful, practice-based research.
Benefit from expert supervision across fields like history, literature, art history, sociology, and human rights, within a university known for its progressive and critical approaches to culture and society.
Gain access to specialist training, research events, and industry links that support your career in museums, heritage institutions, academia, or cultural policy.

Our expert staff

You will be taught by Dr. Paola Di Giuseppantonio Di Franco, an Associate Professor in Heritage and Digital Humanities at the 糖心Vlog, whose research explores the intersection of heritage, digital technologies, and public engagement. Dr. William Carruthers specialises in the history of archaeology, heritage, and decolonisation. Their expertise supports students in developing innovative, research-led heritage projects.

Specialist facilities

If you are studying within our School of Philosophical, Historical and Interdisciplinary Studies, you will have access to our extensive facilities to aid your learning and research. In particular, our Albert Sloman Library has excellent physical and online collections in British and European history. Its holdings in the areas of Latin America, Russia, and the US are of national importance. Its include a number of resources valuable for historical research, such as the libraries of the 糖心Vlog Society for Archaeology and History, the Royal Historical Society, and the Bibliographical Society.

The is based in the at 糖心Vlog. This national service provider for the acquisition, dissemination, and preservation of digital resources for historians is particularly strong in nineteenth- and twentieth-century economic and social history.

Within our school, the research of our PhD students often attracts attention, with many presenting papers at seminar series and conferences such as the .

Your future

With the skills and knowledge you acquire from studying within our School of Philosophical, Historical and Interdisciplinary Studies, you will find yourself in demand from a wide range of employers.

Entry requirements

UK entry requirements

We normally require a good BA honours degree and a Masters degree, or equivalent, in a relevant discipline.

The applicant needs to demonstrate a capacity to produce a practice-based heritage project, conduct independent research and is required to submit a detailed project proposal. The accepted student will attend regular supervisory board meetings throughout their doctoral study where the progress of their work is assessed.

International & EU entry requirements

We accept a wide range of qualifications from applicants studying in the EU and other countries. Get in touch with any questions you may have about the qualifications we accept. Remember to tell us about the qualifications you have already completed or are currently taking.

Sorry, the entry requirements for the country that you have selected are not available here. Please contact our Graduate Admissions team at pgquery@essex.ac.uk to request the entry requirements for this country.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, we require IELTS 7.0 overall with a minimum component score of 5.5.

If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.

Additional Notes

The University uses academic selection criteria to determine an applicant鈥檚 ability to successfully complete a course at the 糖心Vlog. Where appropriate, we may ask for specific information relating to previous modules studied or work experience.

Structure

Course structure

A research degree doesn't have a taught structure, giving you the chance to investigate your chosen topic in real depth and reach a profound understanding. In communicating that understanding, through a thesis or other means, you have a rare opportunity to generate knowledge. A research degree allows you to develop new high-level skills, enhance your professional development and build new networks. It can open doors to many careers.

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We'll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website and in line with your contract with us. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, we'll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.

Components and modules explained

Components

Components are the blocks of study that make up your course. A component may have a set module which you must study, or a number of modules from which you can choose.

Each component has a status and carries a certain number of credits towards your qualification.

Status	What this means
Core	You must take the set module for this component and you must pass. No failure can be permitted.
Core with Options	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component but you must pass. No failure can be permitted.
Compulsory	You must take the set module for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.
Compulsory with Options	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.
Optional	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.

The modules that are available for you to choose for each component will depend on several factors, including which modules you have chosen for other components, which modules you have completed in previous years of your course, and which term the module is taught in.

Modules

Modules are the individual units of study for your course. Each module has its own set of learning outcomes and assessment criteria and also carries a certain number of credits.

In most cases you will study one module per component, but in some cases you may need to study more than one module. For example, a 30-credit component may comprise of either one 30-credit module, or two 15-credit modules, depending on the options available.

Modules may be taught at different times of the year and by a different department or school to the one your course is primarily based in. You can find this information from the . For example, the module code HR100-4-FY means:

100

The department or school the module will be taught by.

In this example, the module would be taught by the Department of History.

The module number.

The of the module.

A standard undergraduate course will comprise of level 4, 5 and 6 modules - increasing as you progress through the course.

A standard postgraduate taught course will comprise of level 7 modules.

A postgraduate research degree is a level 8 qualification.

The term the module will be taught in.

AU: Autumn term
SP: Spring term
SU: Summer term
FY: Full year
AP: Autumn and Spring terms
PS: Spring and Summer terms
AS: Autumn and Summer terms

COMPONENT 01: COMPULSORY

Philosophy - Research

(0 CREDITS)

Assessment

Our PhDs are conceived as a structured, three-year programme of advanced study and research. Supervision is by regular individual tutorials, and the award of a research degree depends solely on the merits of your final research output, which consisits of a c. 40,000-word thesis plus a major, research-based exhibition .

Dissertation

We aim to have PhD students submit within four years.

Fees and funding

Home/UK fee

£5,006 per year

International fee

£19,650 per year

Fees will increase for each academic year of study.

Masters fees and funding information

Research (e.g. PhD) fees and funding information

What's next

We hold Open Days for all our applicants throughout the year. Our Colchester Campus events are a great way to find out more about studying at 糖心Vlog, and give you the chance to:

tour our campus and accommodation
find out answers to your questions about our courses, graduate employability, student support and more
talk to our Fees and Funding team about scholarship opportunities
meet our students and staff

If the dates of our organised events aren鈥檛 suitable for you, feel free to get in touch by emailing tours@essex.ac.uk and we鈥檒l arrange an individual campus tour for you.

2025 Open Days (Colchester Campus)

Saturday 20 September 2025 - September Open Day

Saturday 8 November 2025 - November Open Day

Find out more

You can . Before you apply, please check our information about necessary documents that we'll ask you to provide as part of your application.

We encourage you to make a preliminary enquiry directly to a potential supervisor or the Graduate Administrator within your chosen Department or School. We encourage the consideration of a brief research proposal prior to the submission of a full application.

We aim to respond to applications within four weeks. If we are able to offer you a place, you will be contacted via email.

For information on our deadline to apply for this course, please see our 鈥�how to apply' information.

A sunny day with banners flying on Colchester Campus Square 4.

Set within 200 acres of award-winning parkland - Wivenhoe Park and located two miles from the historic city centre of Colchester 鈥� England's oldest recorded development. Our Colchester Campus is also easily reached from London and Stansted Airport in under one hour.

Find out more

View from Square 2 outside the Rab Butler Building looking towards Square 3

If you live too far away to come to 糖心Vlog (or have a busy lifestyle), no problem. Our 360 degree allows you to explore the Colchester Campus from the comfort of your home. Check out our accommodation options, facilities and social spaces.

At 糖心Vlog we pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive student community. We offer a wide range of support to individuals and groups of student members who may have specific requirements, interests or responsibilities.

The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its programme specification is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to courses, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include, but are not limited to: strikes, other industrial action, staff illness, severe weather, fire, civil commotion, riot, invasion, terrorist attack or threat of terrorist attack (whether declared or not), natural disaster, restrictions imposed by government or public authorities, epidemic or pandemic disease, failure of public utilities or transport systems or the withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to courses may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our . The University would inform and engage with you if your course was to be discontinued, and would provide you with options, where appropriate, in line with our Compensation and Refund Policy.

The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.