West Dean College programmes in conservation

West Dean College offers MA Degree and Diploma programmes in Conservation Studies as well as short courses and a Conservation Masterclass.

History
West Dean College’s MA/MFA degrees, graduate and postgraduate diplomas are validated by the University of Sussex (www.sussex.ac.uk). The University of Sussex received its Royal Charter in 1961 and has become a leading teaching and research institution. It is regularly ranked in international surveys in the top 20 universities in the UK and in the top 100 universities globally. Its academic reputation is based on research excellence, internationalism and an interdisciplinary approach. We have enjoyed a formal and fruitful partnership with the University of Sussex since 1996. In June 2012 West Dean College was recognised as a Full Partner of the University for a further five year period to the end of June 2017. Edward James (1907-1984), a life-long patron of the arts, is best remembered for his patronage of painters, particularly the Surrealists Dalí, Magritte, Tchelitchew, Fini and Carrington. He established the Edward James Foundation in 1964, a charitable educational trust, which today supports and teaches artists and craftspeople. The flint mansion, his family home, was converted and opened as West Dean College in 1971. Students from all over the world benefit from life-transforming experiences by living and studying in remarkably inspirational surroundings.

Specialties
Student pursuing the Conservation MA and Diploma can specialise in Conservation of Book and Library Materials, Ceramics and Related Materials, Clocks, Furniture and Related Objects and Metalwork.

GRADUATE DIPLOMA
The Graduate Diploma programmes are designed to prepare students with the practical and academic skills required for postgraduate study. Validated by the University of Sussex, they are one academic year, full-time. Conservation students choose to specialise in one of five subjects: Books and Library Materials, Ceramics and Related Materials, Clocks and Related Objects, Furniture and Related Objects, and Metalwork.

POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA
Postgraduate Diplomas are awarded by the University of Sussex and offer you the opportunity to spend one academic year continuing your chosen Conservation subject.

They offer you opportunities to further develop your practical skills, alongside critical and theoretical research and understanding.

MA DEGREES
All Postgraduate Diplomas at West Dean can be transferred into the MA Degree programmes, subject to the negotiation of an appropriate project proposal. This involves additional MA units of study and an extension of study from one academic year to a full calendar year.

Students on Postgraduate Diploma programmes start MA units mid-way through the academic year in February, in addition to the remainder of their Postgraduate Diploma. On successful completion of the full academic year in July, students will have finished their Postgraduate Diploma and completed a significant amount of MA introductory study. In July, students start their major projects for the MA Degree which involve a further 10-week period of full-time study with a final assessment towards the end of September.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIPLOMA
With flexible entry requirements the West Dean College award offers a negotiated course of study, managed and programmed between the student and tutor. You have a dedicated studio or workshop space at West Dean, access to lecture series, taught sessions, tutorials and specialist short courses. It is available across all subject areas, following the approval of a project proposal or research project.

Continuing Professional Development Courses
Professional Conservators in Practice West Dean College has joined with other institutions to develop a series of short courses (3, 4 or 5 days) designed for professional conservators to refresh their skills and update their knowledge of developments in materials and techniques. Collaboration with the relevant specialists and organisations ensures the highest levels of expertise are offered on these specialist courses. Teaching approaches vary according to the demands of the subject matter. Some courses are workshop based with a high practical content while others are conference style events. Student-to-tutor ratios are kept low enough to ensure high levels of personal tuition while still encouraging discussion and debate.

Buildings, interiors and sites

West Dean College Professional Development Diploma is awarded in recognition of the successful completion of ten Building Conservation Masterclasses (BCMs) and the submission of a 3,000 word (minimum) final essay. The BCMs can also be taken individually and are intensive practical workshops. They cover a coherent range of aspects of the conservation of buildings, their interiors and the management of their sites. BCMs are taught by leading experts in their specialist fields and the courses are relevant for a variety of professional practitioners, including architects, surveyors, planners, construction managers, specifiers, specialist contractors, engineers, experienced craftsmen, conservators and conservation officers.

Faculty
West Dean is a leading Higher Education College offering full-time graduate and postgraduate study in Conservation, Visual Arts and Musical Instrument Making, to Diploma and MA level. Students benefit from our national and international reputation as experts in conservation and the visual arts and many go on to work with the best in their field. The historic and atmospheric West Dean House, home of the College, is in the heart of the beautiful South Downs National Park. Most students choose to live in our attractive and comfortable student accommodation in the grounds of the House. It is an inspirational setting, conducive to focussed and creative study. As a student here, you will enjoy a student-to-staff ratio which averages 8:1, allowing you an unusually high degree of personal tuition. The teaching has a strong practical as well as academic focus and our tutors are experts. You will take advantage of our excellent learning resources. These include dedicated studios and workshops, open from 7am to 10pm seven days a week, and a specialist Art and Conservation library. We are proud that 94% of students recently surveyed reported that their expectations of studying at West Dean had been either exceeded or fulfilled. West Dean College is part of the Edward James Foundation, an educational charitable trust. It is affiliated with the University of Sussex as a Full Partner which awards the majority of its portfolio of diplomas and MAs. We also offer full-time West Dean College Diplomas.

With the support of funders who share our values, we are able to offer several generous scholarships. These are awarded to students who show the enthusiasm, commitment and potential to excel in their chosen field. In 2014 in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Foundation we will be awarding The Edward James Anniversary Scholarship to a postgraduate applicant in any discipline who demonstrates outstanding promise. We have a bursary fund to support students who might otherwise struggle to attend West Dean. This scholarship and bursary fund is made possible by a substantial donation from the Edward James Foundation, and with the support of many external funders, to whom we are most grateful.