Jessica Rosen, alumna MA Arts and Heritage: Policy, Management and Education

When we asked her why she decided to study this master, she replied: “I decided to study Arts and Heriage because I am interested in an expansive understanding of art history and the art world. I have always wanted to work in museums and I found this to be a flexible and practical degree, rather than a more rigid art history one.” She also told us what was unique about the programme: “This programme was unique in the level of practical skills we learned. We had lessons on how to conduct the day-to-day tasks that working in the art world entails, from grant writing to putting together budgets, and professionals in the field came to speak to us, which was an amazing experience. We had hands-on experiences doing various commissioned research projects, which also prepared us for of working in the field.” Her favourite course was Arts and Audiences taught by Emilie Sitzia. “Emilie is an amazing professor that brings course material to life – she let us pick the direction of the class and run with it.”

During the programme, she also tackled some challenges. Her biggest challenge during her academic year was writing the thesis in a short period of time. According Jessica, it is a benefit that the programme is only one-year, but that also comes with the fact that it is a very intense year. We also asked her how she looks back on her time at FASoS. To which she replied: “My time in Maastricht was the best time of my life. I was studying what I loved, in such a culturally rich and wonderful city, and meeting people from all over the world. I had access to so many cities and places to travel that were so close to Maastricht. I definitely took advantage of that as much as possible. It was a time of immense growth and happiness for me. Besides that, my best friends and wonderful professors are going to be lifelong relationships that I am very grateful for.”

At the end, Jessica told us also about her current job: “I currently am a Curatorial Assistant at The Heckscher Museum of Art. My role is primarily to help develop and organize exhibitions as well as manage our collection.” She also explained why this master’s programme helped her to prepare for her current job position. “Classes such as Research and Writing, combined with the thesis writing experience, have provided me with strong writing skills. My specialisation in Arts and Audiences has prepared me to understand different kinds of audiences, learning styles, and audience interactivity. In my class Researching the Field: Practice and Power, I conducted commissioned research for the Bonnefanten, which prepared me for what it is like to work in a museum environment. In Entering the Field: Valuation and Evaluation, we learned about various metrics used for assessing art programmes, which has helped me understand the different ways a programme's success can be measured. Overall, these courses have equipped me with practical skills, as well as theoretical foundations for understanding how to navigate the art world.”

June 2024