Запровадження спеціальності «Музеєзнавство, пам'яткознавство» в Київському національному університеті імені Тараса Шевченка / Implementation of the Specialty "Museum Studies, Monument Studies" at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv

Specialty 027 “Museum Studies, Monument Studies” programs have been launched in Taras Shevchenko National University at 2018, based on current educational requirements. Curricula were developed taking into account the practical experience of teachers, graduates and colleagues. When designing the educational program, the project teams proceeded from the fact that in the process of studying the student should:

• a) to acquire knowledge about the specific activities of museum institutions;
• b) to familiarize with the available examples, to study the experience of the leading museums of Ukraine and the world;
• c) to acquire practical skills in various forms of museum work.

A considerable number of classes take place in museum institutions, which allows students to acquire the necessary practical skills, be acquainted with the rather colourful range of equipment used in the field, and directly observe the use of various techniques of museum work. Despite the keen interest in admission to the Master’s degree program among alumni-bachelors of the Faculty of History of the University, as well as graduates of other higher education institutions, as evidenced by the statistics of applications for admission, one of the weaknesses of the educational program is the lack of complexity of groups. The number of students is less than half the licensed volume of recruitment, which is explained by the small number of budget places. However, not only the negative but also the positive aspects caused by the reformatting of the educational process due to the lack of complexity of the groups. The small number of students means that during the classroom, it is about the individual interaction of the teacher with the students.

Teachers of educational programs have practical experience in working in museums and heritage preservation institutions, maintain regular contacts with practitioners, and participate directly in the work of permanent and temporary advisory and expert bodies in the field of museums and protection of monuments. These conditions transform teachers into direct translators from the practical sphere into the educational field the latest trends in heritage protection and museum studies. An important aspect is also a kind of monitoring of the potential labour market and the existence of healthy lobbying links that contribute to the further employment of graduates.