Established in 1966, the School of Museum Studies at the University of Leicester is the oldest and largest academic unit of its kind in the world and the only autonomous museum department in the UK. It has acquired a global reputation for leading-edge thinking and experimental practice in museum studies.

By working collaboratively with partners within and beyond the cultural sector, blending expertise and diverse perspectives, we aim to generate new insights that not only shape the way we look at, understand and experience cultural institutions but also influence the ways museums, galleries and heritage sites shape their priorities, values and practices.

We have made a significant and sustained contribution to the international cultural sector and the field of museum studies through postgraduate study and internationally influential research and working collaboratively on a range of pioneering initiatives. Museum Studies hosts the Research Centre for Galleries and Museums (RCMG) and Researching the Institutions of Art (CRIA).

Recent research has focused on manuscripts as objects, how they can be displayed in transformative, sensorial ways and the potential of digital technologies in shaping engagement; and how archives and libraries are using exhibitions to reshape their physical spaces and visitor experiences.