New teaching partnership with the Wallace Collection

Wishing to pursue a career in a heritage organisation, antique-dealing, auctioneering, museums, conservation or interior design?  A limited number of full-time and part-time places are available on the MA in Decorative Arts and Historic Interiors starting in October 2019 and will be taught in London by the University in Buckingham, in partnership with the Wallace Collection, which houses one of the greatest collections of French Decorative Arts in the world.

The University and Museum are joining forces to collaborate on the teaching of the MA in Decorative Arts and Historic Interiors, which focuses on French and British Decorative Arts and Historic Interiors from 1660 to circa 1830. Many of the classes will be based at the Wallace Collection and taught alongside the museum’s curatorial staff.

Sir Anthony Seldon, Vice-Chancellor of The University of Buckingham said:  “I am passionate about History of Art at Buckingham and am therefore delighted about our partnership with the Wallace Collection.  As a University, we believe in providing a combination of a first-class academic education with training students for the world of work.  The Wallace Collection is a world leader in the field of French fine and decorative arts and having their curatorial staff involved in the teaching will be of great educational benefit for our students as well as providing a pathway for future careers.  The fact that two of our alumni from the MA are working at the Wallace Collection goes to show the value of the training that this course provides.”

University of Buckingham Programme Director Jeremy Howard said: “For too long, the decorative arts have been regarded as the ‘Cinderella discipline of art history’; but historically they were very important, understanding how people lived in places like Versailles or our great British country houses.

He continued: “I am delighted about this latest collaboration between The University of Buckingham and one of the greatest collections of French fine and decorative arts in the world.  Working closely with the Wallace Collection will greatly enrich our students’ experience as well as help open doors to new career opportunities whether that be as a curator, auction-house expert or interior designer.   Two of my former students now work at the Wallace Collection”.

Dr Caroline McCaffrey-Howarth, an expert on French eighteenth-century decorative arts and nineteenth-century collecting of Sevres porcelain and an alumna of the course, has been appointed as The University of Buckingham lecturer for this area of study. Dr McCaffrey-Howarth completed her PhD at University of Leeds and has previously taught at other establishments focusing on decorative design courses such as the V&A/Royal College of Art MA in the History of Design.

For more details about the MA in Decorative Arts and Historic Interiors please contact Jeremy Howard (Programme Director) or Matilda Eason-Jarvis on +44 (0)1280 820227 (Admissions Office).