Job Description
A Museum or Gallery Curator acquires, cares for, develops, displays and interprets a collection of artefacts or works of art in order to inform, educate and inspire the public.
Entry Requirements
You can get into this job through:
Apprenticeship
You may be able to start by doing an advanced apprenticeship in heritage and cultural operations.
This could lead into museum assistant jobs. With further training and several years' experience, you could apply for curator roles.
You'll usually need 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship.
Click here to search for an apprenticeship.
University
You'll usually need a degree and a postgraduate or professional qualification relevant to your area of interest to become a curator. Subjects include:
- museum or heritage studies
- archaeology or ancient history
- classics
- natural sciences
- anthropology
- education
Paid or unpaid work experience in a museum, gallery or heritage property is usually essential to apply for courses and jobs.
You'll usually need:
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
- a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course
Click here to search for a suitable course.
The Museums Association and Creative Choices have more information about this job.
Career Path and Progression
With experience you could progress to senior curator.
Related careers you may be interested in:
- Museum assistant
- Archivist
- Indexer
Required Skills
- A strong interest
- knowledge of artefacts
- art or your relevant subject area
- creative flair
- good organisation and planning skills
- attention to detail
- able to work well in a team
- a flexible approach to work
- good research skills
- project management skills
- self motivated
- excellent communication skills.
Salary Range
£20,000 to £40,000
