Museum curator
Create exciting displays and collections that help people understand more about history or different cultures.
About the job
What it's like
In this role, you'll bring history to life! Museum curators create displays of historic objects, pieces of art and all sorts of other items to help people understand the past and different cultures.
You'll look after collections of artistic, scientific and historical objects. It's your job to find ways you can display the collections so visitors can enjoy them. The exhibits you create will help people learn about the ways humans lived in the past, and its impact on how we live today.
In large museums, you might specialise in one area. You'll probably have wider responsibilities if you work in a small general museum.
The best museum curators have great planning and organisational skills! You'll need to build strong relationships with other organisations and businesses so you can work together on shared projects.
Your tasks might include:
selecting, buying or borrowing items
organising records, catalogues and indexes – you'll usually do this on a computer
making sure exhibits are stored in the right conditions and arranging conservation or restoration when it's needed
setting up new displays and exhibitions
helping visitors to understand and enjoy exhibits or collections
leading on fundraising initiatives and supervising museum assistants
Explore more information about this job
Here are some useful links to learn more about this career:
Museums Association – learn how to become a curator and explore jobs across the wider industry
YouTube video – watch as Owen, the curator of Eyam Museum in Derbyshire, tells us about his career journey
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- taking responsibility
- developing a plan
- sorting
- attention to detail
- researching
- innovative
- written communication
- verbal communication
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
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Classical Studies
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Creative Arts
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History
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Latin
Entry requirements can vary depending on the type of museum or gallery.
Let's explore the ways you can get into this career.
Work
You can become a museum curator by getting an entry-level job and working your way up. For example, you could spend time as a collections assistant, education officer or conservator before moving into a curator role through promotion and training.
Use the My World of Work job search to look for vacancies.
University
A degree may be helpful for getting into this job. It's a good idea to study a subject that's relevant to the type of collection you want to curate.
Useful degrees include:
Museum or heritage studies
Archaeology
Ancient history
Classics
Art history
Natural sciences
Anthropology
Education
You can use the My World of Work course search to find degrees.
Apprenticeships
Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) mean you learn on the job. You get paid and work towards a qualification at the same time. You might want to consider a Creative and Cultural MA.
Joining the Museums Association can help you build contacts within the industry.
Volunteering in a relevant role can help you build the skills and experience you’ll need to become a museum curator. Search for museum-based opportunities on Volunteer Scotland.
This is a very competitive career. To make sure your application for jobs and courses stands out, you should gain as much experience as possible through work placements and internships.
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