Interpretation: Management and Practice MSc
Course code N210
What is special about this course?
If you are enthusiastic about creating unforgettable visitor experiences that help people engage with heritage and learn in creative ways, then this innovative postgraduate course is for you.
Interpretation encompasses a variety of activities, from guided walks to multi-million-pound exhibitions, which help to explain the significance of places and resources in a meaningful way. It provides value to communities and organisations through the creation of successful visitor experiences that encourage appreciation of the resource and economic benefit.
A team of highly experienced tourism and heritage professionals and academics deliver this online Masters course, supported by experts engaged in exciting heritage and environmental projects around the world. Through a number of employer-informed modules and engagement with real-life projects, you will gain the knowledge and skills required to become an inspiring and effective interpretation professional.
Special features
- A unique industry-informed masters course in interpretation, heritage and tourism
- Taught by highly experienced professionals and academics
- You will learn how to plan, manage and deliver interpretation and communication projects and apply your newly acquired skills to your areas of expertise and interest
- The course is delivered online through the university’s virtual learning environment (VLE), so you can study wherever you are in the world
- You can study full-time or part-time enabling you to fit your studies around your personal and professional commitments
- You can work towards the PgCert, PgDip or full masters degree, or study individual modules for continuing professional development (CPD)
Entry requirements
- An honours degree or above, a postgraduate diploma or a professional qualification
- Applicants who have an ordinary undergraduate degree, relevant work experience and/or vocational qualifications may also apply
*Funding support notice*
Postgraduate Loans (SAAS) (Scottish domiciled and EU students)
Loans for tuition fees are available from SAAS for eligible Scotland domiciled and EU students, and loans for living costs for eligible Scottish students.
Access routes
Entry from the university's undergraduate programmes is possible.
PgCert
Core modules are:
- Interpretation: purpose and planning (S2)
- Project design and implementation (S2)
- Communication strategies and theories (S1)
PgDip
Option modules, of which you must choose three, may include:
- Interpretive methods, media and design (S1)
- Engaging with heritage (S1)
- Visitor studies (S2)
- Sustainable tourism (S2)
- Research methods and techniques (core for progression to the MSc) (S1)
MSc
To achieve the award of MSc Interpretation: Management and Practice you must complete a Research Dissertation (S1 and S2).
How will I study my course?
- Full-time
- Part-time (structured)
- Part-time (unstructured)
- You will study through supported online learning using the university's virtual learning environment (VLE)
- Online lectures, interviews with practitioners, presentations, industry case studies, e-books and academic articles are complemented by regular discussions with tutors and fellow students
- Assessment is varied and includes the production of industry-related plans and reports that give you the opportunity to put the skills and knowledge you have gained through your learning, into real-life scenarios that will benefit you in the workforce
How long will my course last?
- Full-time (MSc): 18 months
- Part-time (structured) (MSc): 3 years
- Part-time (unstructured) (MSc): 6 years (maximum)
Where can I study my course?
- Perth
Start date
- September
- January
Fees
For students normally domiciled in Scotland, with a term-time address in Scotland, the following fees apply:
This includes
- EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status in the UK,
- EEA/Swiss nationals with settled status in the UK
- EEA/Swiss nationals with pre-settled status who are self-employed or migrant workers in the UK.
| 2024-25 | 2025-26 | |
| Per module (20 credits) | £584 | £610 |
| Postgraduate certificate (3 modules, 60 credits) | £1,752 | £1,830 |
| Postgraduate diploma (6 modules, 120 credits) | £3,504 | £3,660 |
| Masters degree (6 modules + dissertation) | £5,256 | £5,490 |
Rest of UK students
For students normally domiciled in the rest of the UK (England, Wales and N. Ireland) or assessed as rest of the UK for fee status, the following fees apply:
| 2024-25 | 2025-26 | |
| Per module (20 credits) | £780 | £840 |
| Postgraduate certificate (3 modules, 60 credits) | £2,340 | £2,520 |
| Postgraduate diploma (6 modules, 120 credits) | £4,680 | £5,040 |
| Masters degree (6 modules + dissertation, 180 credits) | £7,020 | £7,560 |
EU/EEA and Swiss nationals without settled or pre-settled status in the UK
Following the UK’s departure from the European Union, the Scottish Government confirmed that EU/EEA and Swiss nationals, who do not have settled or pre-settled status, will be considered as international for fee purposes. These students will get an automatic fee scholarship.
This includes EEA/Swiss nationals with pre-settled status who are not self-employed or migrant workers in the UK.
| 2024-25 | With scholarship | 2025-26 | With scholarship | |
| Per module (20 credits) | £1,110 | £833 | £1,200 | £900 |
| Postgraduate certificate (3 modules, 60 credits) | £3,330 | £2,499 | £3,600 | £2,700 |
| Postgraduate diploma (6 modules, 120 credits, 180 credits) | £6,660 | £4,998 | £7,200 | £5,400 |
| Masters degree (6 modules + dissertation, 180 credits) | £9,990 | £7,497 | £10,800 | £8,100 |
International students
For students who do not normally reside in the UK or European Union, studying online from their home country, or assessed as international for fee status, the following fees apply:
| 2024-25 | 2025-26 | |
| Per module (20 credits) | £1,110 | £1,200 |
| Postgraduate certificate (3 modules, 60 credits) | £3,330 | £3,600 |
| Postgraduate diploma (6 modules, 120 credits, 180 credits) | £6,660 | £7,200 |
| Masters degree (6 modules + dissertation, 180 credits) | £9,990 | £10,800 |
This course is not available to international students requiring Student Route visa sponsorship to study in the UK.
A no fee increase guarantee is available for self-funding full-time and structured part-time rest of the UK, EU and international postgraduate students for continuous study for the same award, up to the permitted standard time limit for the relevant award.
Funding
Eligible Scotland-domiciled students studying full-time can access loans up to £11,500 from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS). This comprises a tuition fee loan up to £7,000 and a non-income assessed living cost loan of £4,500.
Eligible Scotland-domiciled students studying part-time can apply for a tuition fee loan from SAAS. You must be intending to complete the course in no longer than twice the length of time it would take for a full-time student. For example, if your course is available to full-time students as a one-year programme, you will be funded for a maximum of two years' part-time study. If your course does not have a full-time option, you must complete within three years. You can apply for a tuition fee loan up to £7,000, which will be paid pro-rata for each academic year of study.
Full details can be found on the SAAS website. Applications for loans open in April.
Students from the rest of the UK who meet the eligibility requirements may be able to apply for a loan from the Student Loan Company.
What can I do on completion of my course?
As well as considering new posts in the public, private or voluntary/third sector at officer, manager or senior management level, the continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities from this Interpretation: Management and Practice course could lead to promotion in your existing employment, or self-employment.
Can I progress into further study?
Progression to PhD is possible.
Is there more information available online?
You can use the above QR code to connect directly to the course details.
There are many reasons why I feel this was the right course for me. The flexibility allowed me to study while working full-time and raising children. The modules were diverse and I enjoyed the ability to select among them based on my interests and future career goals. Beyond this, as an international student in Texas, I valued the interactions with tutors and students from other parts of the world, with everyone bringing unique perspectives based upon interpretive sites and visitor experiences in their geographic areas. Even though I was studying thousands of miles away from UHI, I never felt ‘alone’ in my studies, my experience at UHI was very positive and I have many wonderful memories of it!
Courtney studied MSc in Interpretation: Management and Practice at UHI Perth.
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