This course provides an opportunity for students to participate in a field-based practical project where issues of cultural and environmental heritage have to be dealt with in real-life terms. Issues of documenting heritage in the field as well as heritage management practice are explored directly with stakeholders. The aim of the field practice is to allow students the opportunity to apply the conceptual and methodological skills they have developed in the program to a particular project that is the focus for the course. Projects will be designed in conjunction with and supervised closely by appropriate experts. Student engagement with stakeholders for projects will be facilitated, and the course assessment tasks will be oriented to the practical needs of the stakeholders.

Course aims:

The aims of this course are to:

1. demonstrate independent thought and the ability to work in a team to address a key management or research question in the field.

2. synthesise and articulate key concepts in the various disciplines that contribute to field practice in heritage studies, and demonstrate effective interdisciplinary thinking.

3. apply methodological, conceptual and analytic tools to advanced level research in heritage practice.

4. conduct data-collection, analysis, and verbal and written presentation at the standard of a postgraduate degree.

5. model best practice and have a commitment to ethical, reflective practice in heritage practice.

Learning outcomes:

On completing this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1.     skills in written and verbal expression for a variety of relevant academic and / or professional purposes.

2.     skills in interdisciplinary thinking and the ability to apply theoretical ideas to case studies developed from personal observation.

3.     skills required for humanities research, heritage and museum work. This includes data-collection, analysis, and verbal and written presentation at the standard of a postgraduate degree.

4.     Model best practice and have a commitment to ethical, reflective practice in regard to museum and heritage work and analysis.

4000-5000 words of written assessment or project-based work. The nature of the field based program will be established in preliminary planning sessions between the students and supervising lecturer. The field based programs will need to be submitted to the program coordinator for formal approval.