Kyoto University of the Arts' Distance Learning Division (Sakyo-ku, Kyoto) will establish a Museum Studies Practice Course within the Department of Arts and Humanities in the Faculty of Arts starting in the 2027 academic year. This course is being established in response to the growing need for training the next generation of museum professionals and for working adults to continue their education. By completing the prescribed subjects, students will also be able to obtain the national qualification of museum curator.
The Museum Studies Practice course uses museum activities and cultural resources as subject matter to provide practical learning opportunities that involve observation, questioning, and sharing culture with society. Through repeated processes of interpreting exhibits and materials and communicating them to others, students will develop the ability to position culture within society. Details of the course will be released after December 2026.
The annual tuition fee is 243,000 yen. The faculty is expected to include Rieko Tanaka (Associate Professor, Kyoto University of the Arts Correspondence Education Department), Toshimasa Kikuchi (Full-time Lecturer), Mika Kitamura (Full-time Lecturer), and Miyako Otsuji (Professor). Upon graduation, students will receive a Bachelor of Arts degree. Furthermore, if students proceed to the university's correspondence graduate school, the 100,000 yen entrance fee will be waived, and they can obtain a Master of Arts (MFA) degree.
With the establishment of this course, the existing curriculum will become the "Arts and Humanities Course," transitioning to a two-course system. Furthermore, student admissions for October enrollment will be discontinued from the 2026 academic year, with only April enrollment from the 2027 academic year onward. Additionally, the course structure will be partially revised, and student admissions for the Art Writing Course in the Department of Cultural Content Creation, Faculty of Arts, will be discontinued from the 2027 academic year onward.
