Northumbria is a research-rich, business-focused, professional university with a global reputation for academic excellence. It is based in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne, which is regularly voted the best place in the UK for students.
Northumbria University offers three masters level programmes in Conservation: A two year, full time MA in Conservation of Works of Art on Paper or the Conservation of Easel Paintings, and a part time, distance learning, asynchronous MA in Preventive Conservation.
The three Conservation programmes are fully research-led and sit within the department of Design, Arts and the Creative Industries, ranked 4th in the UK for research power (REF 2021) and joint 15th in the UK by the Times Good University Guide, 2026.
Conservation of Fine Art MA
With an almost sixty-year history behind it, Northumbria's MA Conservation of Fine Art is the only Masters programme in the UK offering specialisms in both easel paintings and works of art on paper. Integrating studio practice, science and art history, the programme develops advanced skills in conservation practice and theory, heritage ethics and philosophy, conservation science, technical art history, technical photography, preventive conservation, and research methods, alongside studio and project management and health and safety practice. Teaching aligns with the professional codes of the IIC, ICOM and ICON. Graduates leave fully equipped to enter the field as emerging professionals.
Students benefit from state-of-the-art studio spaces, an analytical science laboratory, and a technical examination and radiography suite. Works on Paper students also have access to a fully functional historic papermaking facility and traditional printmaking studio.
We welcome applications from a wide range of academic backgrounds - typically Fine Art, Art History or the Sciences - and while prior conservation or heritage experience is welcomed, it is not a formal requirement for admission. Students with a science background should be able to demonstrate sound practical skills (drawing, printmaking, painting etc); those with a Humanities or Fine Art practice background should be able to evidence a sound knowledge of science.
Conservation of Fine Art (Works of Art on Paper) MA (full time over two years)
MA Conservation of Fine Art (Easel Paintings) (full time over two years)
Preventive Conservation MA
Northumbria's two-year, part-time distance-learning MA in Preventive Conservation is the only programme of its kind in the UK. It equips students with the skills and knowledge to enter the field as collections care specialists or preventive conservators - roles that are growing rapidly worldwide - while offering the flexibility to study from any location or time zone. At the same time, the distance-learning format offers a cost-effective opportunity for students who are unable to relocate, have family commitments, or who need to continue in part-time or full-time paid employment during their studies.
Taught by academic staff with extensive professional and research experience, the programme is further enriched by bespoke content from leading international experts in collections management and care - from the Barbados National Museum and the British Parliamentary Archives to National Trust Scotland and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York - ensuring that the programme remains at the cutting edge of contemporary professional practice and provides you with invaluable industry connections.
Preventive Conservation MA, distance learning (two years part time)
