Masters graduate — Mike Wynne

Driven by his interest in heritage and a desire to deepen his knowledge, Mike pursued an MA in Heritage Studies at The University of Manchester. Learn more about the course and Mike's time as a postgraduate student

Why did you choose to study your course at Masters level?

I chose to study heritage as my undergraduate degree was in history, but I had developed a strong interest in places and museums. I wanted to study how history is presented to the public and how people can relate to historic places and objects. This course helped me to use academic frameworks to explore my interests in depth.

Prior to starting the course, I served as a police officer for nineteen years but was retired early due to disablement. Embarking on the MA course gave me a meaningful focus during a difficult first year of unexpected retirement. It also served as preparation for potential future employment within the heritage sector, the work placement module being particularly helpful.

What attracted you to the MA Heritage Studies course at The University of Manchester?

Few universities in the Northwest offer a heritage course. The others I looked at appeared to be geared toward medieval and ancient heritage, whereas I am interested in the modern and contemporary periods. Based on the modules, the course at Manchester allowed me to focus on my areas of interest.

Manchester, and the surrounding region, also has an extensive selection of heritage sites, museums and cultural institutions that could be easily inform my studies.

What was the application process like?

The application process was entirely online. It was easy and surprisingly quick.

Tell us about your course.

I studied full time, which took a year. Semester one was made up of the two compulsory modules. They both featured a diverse selection of guest speakers from the heritage sector including UNESCO and professional conservators.

In the second semester, I chose to study two optional modules in addition to completing a work placement. My placement was at the World Museum Liverpool, working on the 'Rethinking Relationships' project which was concerned with making Liverpool's extensive West African collection accessible to West African Museums. This placement gave me a real insight into curatorial work, as well as introducing me to experts in the sector.

All of the taught modules involved one combined lecture/seminar per week and were assessed through coursework.

The final part of the course was the dissertation.

How did studying a Masters differ from your undergraduate studies?

In a word: freedom. I was free to study whatever I was interested in. I was able to set my own essay titles and conduct research to answer my own questions, rather than questions that had been set for me.

My undergraduate degree involved a lot of compulsory modules and contact time, but my Masters was much more self-directed. The teaching gave me the tools to go out and work independently but also provided opportunities to receive feedback in order to help me improve the quality of my work.

What did you enjoy the most about the course?

I really enjoyed the seminar work. Being able to discuss subjects with my peers, as well as staff, was very useful in expanding my horizons.

Also, the areas I chose to study and my focus on places led me to conduct extensive field work. For my dissertation I visited several nuclear bunkers around the UK to critique them using skills I had learned in my taught modules. 

What were the challenges?

Because of the freedom of this course, I found that I had a lot that I wanted to write about. I had to make a conscious effort to keep my writing very focussed in order to stay within word counts. This required self-discipline and sometimes some ruthless editing, which meant that some of my research went unused.

How has the course aided your career?

The course has given me an insight into the heritage sector and knowledge of current issues and arguments concerning heritage.

It has also given me the confidence to continue my own independent research and writing, with a view to further study and/or publication.

How did you fund your Masters?

I self-funded my course.

What are your career ambitions?

I hope to find work in education and engagement within the museum sector. My dissertation taught me the importance of engagement at heritage sites in helping visitors to have meaningful experiences, and this is something that I would like to do.

I would also like to complete a PhD, preferably after some industry experience.

What advice would you give to others considering a Masters?

Be prepared to work and think independently. Remember that it is an opportunity to study things that fascinate you in depth, and the academic staff will support and guide you in pursuing your interests.

To any prospective mature students, I would say that being out of education for a period before taking the MA course actually helped me. I arrived with a high level of motivation, with interests and questions that had emerged over the years, that I wanted to explore through my studies.

Find out more

• Learn more about the MA Heritage Studies course at The University of Manchester.
• Read up on Masters degrees.
• Discover more about changing career.
• Gain an insight into the role of a heritage manager.