African Programme in Museum and Heritage Studies

The African Programme in Museum and Heritage Studies (APMHS), run by UWC and Robben Island Museum, is hosted by the History Dept at UWC and the CHR. The programme has existed since 1998 as the most important site of education for South African and other African graduates in curatorship, preservation, collections management and heritage resources management, as well as other areas of Museum and Heritage Studies. From its inception, the emphasis has been on conceptual and intellectual training of a layer of new leaders in the fields of conservation, curatorship and critical heritage. The programme has also had the unintended consequence of being a base to fast-track the development of conceptual and research skills necessary for graduate study. The programme is offered at the Postgraduate Diploma (Honours equivalent) level, and over the last 6 years has also had a Master’s qualification option. Most graduates have become employed in museums and heritage institutions on the continent while a few have become scholars and educators at universities after completing doctorates.