UGC NET Museology and Conservation Syllabus 2025: Download PDF Now!

Exam Name

UGC NET (University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test)

Conducting Body

National Testing Agency (NTA)

Subject

Museology and Conservation

Mode of Exam

Online - CBT (Computer-Based Test)

Exam Duration

180 minutes

No. of Papers and Total Marks

• Paper 1: Teaching & Research Aptitude
• Paper 2: Museology and Conservation 

Total Marks

• Paper 1 – 100 marks
• Paper 2 – 200 marks

Total Questions

• 50 MCQs in Paper 1
• 100 MCQs in Paper 2

Marking Scheme

• +2 for each correct answer
• No negative marking for incorrect answer

UGC NET Museology and Conservation Syllabus Units

Module Name

Unit I

Introduction to Museum and Museology

Unit II 

Collection Management

Unit III 

Documentation and Research of Tangible and Intangible Collections

Unit IV 

Museum Exhibitions

Unit V 

Museum Education, Interpretation and Publications

Unit VI 

Conservation of Collections -- Part I

Unit VII 

Conservation of Collections -- Part II

Unit VIII 

Museum Management

Unit IX 

Museum Marketing and Public Relations

Unit X

Legislation and Conventions Related to Museums and Heritage

Unit

Syllabus

Unit- I

Introduction to Museum and Museology

• Definitions and concepts of museum, ecomuseum, community museum, virtual museum, neighborhood museum, etc. 
• Definitions and concept of museology, new museology, meta museology, museography, etc. 
• Early collections, ancient and medieval prototypes of museums. History, growth and development of museums in Indian and global context. 
• Classification and types of museums. 
• Functions and role of museums. 
• Role of national and international professional organizations – Museums Association (U.K.), Museums Association of India, UNESCO, ICOM, ICCROM, Commonwealth Association of Museums, American Alliance of Museums, IASC, IIC, IUCN, UNESCO-ICOM Museum Information Center, etc. 
• ICOM code of ethics. 

Unit- II

Collection Management

• Purposes of collecting. Scope of collections – tangible and intangible. 
• Ethics of collecting. Collection management policy including acquisitions,disposal, loaning, insurance, etc. 
• Methods of collecting tangible and intangible heritage. 
• Methods of authenticating museum objects. 
• Collection holding areas for tangible and intangible collections – accessibility, retrieval, storage systems and preventive conservation measures. 
• Collection security. Guidelines for handling, packing and transporting collections.

Unit- III

Documentation and Research of Tangible and Intangible Collections

• Purposes of documenting museum collections 
• Ethics of documentation. 
• Documentation policy and procedures. Types of documents – entry, accession, classified, and movement registers; index and catalogue cards. Digital documentation. 
• Numbering the objects – numbering systems, procedure of applying numbers on objects. Barcoding.
• Documentation standards – format of various types of documents. Use of standard terminology. Concept of Object ID. 
• Objectives and scope of collection research. Models of collection research. 

Unit- IV

Museum Exhibitions 

• Museum exhibition as a communication system. Models of communication in the context of exhibitions. 
• Exhibition policy. 
• Ethics of exhibitions. 
• Types of exhibitions on the basis of duration, location, arrangement of objects/ specimen and purpose. 
• Components of exhibitions – objects/ specimen, communication media, text, exhibition furniture and accessories. Spatial and other relationships between exhibit components. 
• Exhibition text – Types of labels, assessing reading and comprehensibility of text, typography, designing and preparation of labels. 
• Exhibition lighting – Basic considerations while using light, types of light sources, different types of lamps, recent trends: fibre optics, track lighting, computer controlled lighting. 
• Planning and designing exhibitions – stages of planning; exhibition brief; using principles of design, ergonomics, colour, texture and light in exhibitions. Orientation. Circulation of visitors. Signage. Use of multimedia. 
• Designing exhibition furniture, dioramas, and historical settings. 
• Evaluation – front-end analysis, formative and summative evaluation. 

Unit- V

Museum Education, Interpretation and Publications

• Role and potential of museums in informal, non-formal and formal education/ learning. 
• Museums and lifelong learning. Barriers to learning in museums. Education versus interpretation. 
• Ethics of museum education. 
• Museum education policy. Theories of learning. Characteristics of learning in museums. 
• Various learning activities such as guides tours, lectures, talks, storytelling, workbooks, workshops, demonstrations, drama, role play, live interpretation, digital methods, etc. for different target groups. 
• Making learning opportunities accessible to persons with disabilities. 
• Museum extension services – travelling and mobile exhibitions, school loan kits, community programmes, excursions, field trips, heritage walks, etc. Extension through digital media. 
• Museum publication – purpose and types. 
• Feedback – purposes and methods 

Unit- VI

Conservation of Collections -- Part I

• Definitions of conservation – preventive, remedial and restoration. Terminology used in conservation. 
• Nature and properties of material of collections – organic, inorganic and composite. Susceptibility of materials to different agents of decay. 
• Ethics of conservation. 
• Conservation policy. Conservation audit. 
• Causes and types of deterioration – environmental: effects of light, humidity, temperature and pollution; biological: fungi, insects, rodents and birds; human – carelessness, mishandling and wrong treatment; disasters: fire, flood, earthquake, arson, etc. 
• Preventive conservation: significance and effectiveness, and implementation in storage, exhibitions and transit through – 
• Environmental control – monitoring of light and UV radiations, R.H., Temperature and pollutants and application of control measures. Tools and equipment used in monitoring and control. 
• Integrated Pest Management – identification, control and termination of pests. Various fungicides, insecticides and rodenticides used in IPM. Good practices of Housekeeping and Rules of handling museum objects. Tools, materials and equipment used in housekeeping and handling. 

Unit- VII

Conservation of Collections -- Part I

• Methodology of remedial conservation – techniques of examination, diagnosis of type and extent of decay, documentation and testing of probable treatments, treatment of objects using suitable materials and methods. Recommendations for preventive care. 
• Materials, equipment, tools and techniques used in remedial conservation of following materials – 

i. Paper and archival materials 

ii. Paintings on different substrates such as wall, canvas, paper, wood, textiles, palm leaf etc. 

iii. Textiles and costumes 

iv. Wood, skin material, bone, horn and ivory 

v. metallic objects made of iron, copper, bronze and silver 

vi. stone objects 

vii. ceramic and glass 

viii. Biological specimens 

• Health and safety issues. 

Unit- VIII

Museum Management

• Concept of Management : Foundations and evolution. Essential components of management : decision making and leadership. 
• Functions of management: 
• Planning: Types of plans – Vision and mission statements, objectives, policies, Procedures, rules, strategies, action plans, and contingency plans. Planning process, MBO, Strategic planning, Use of Critical Path method and Simple Bar method in planning. 
• Organization Design – staff structures, job descriptions, authority and responsibilities. 
• Staffing – Framing recruitment rules, methods of recruitment, training and development of human resource. Performance appraisal. 
• Controlling -- process and methods of control. 
• Financing -- sources of fund generation, Budget and budgeting 
• Project Management. 
• Prevention of harassment in the workplace. 
• Museum security – Risk assessment and management. Manual, physical and electronic security. Security procedures. Fire safety. 
• Disaster management – preparation, prevention, response and recovery. 

Unit- IX

Museum Marketing and Public Relations

• Meaning and purpose of marketing and its role in museums. Marketing terminology. 
• Concept and types of products. Product Life cycle and marketing strategies at different stages. Museum as a multiproduct organisation and a service. 
• Segmentation and target marketing – significance, bases and approaches. 
• Marketing Mix – Product, Price, Promotion and Place: significance, tools and strategies. 
• Marketing Research – purpose, types and methods. 
• Marketing versus Public Relations. Definitions and significance of Public Relations. Foundational Principles of Public relations. 
• Tools, tactics and strategies of Public Relations. Media relations. Public relations campaigns

Unit- X

Legislation and Conventions Related to Museums and Heritage

• The Indian Treasure Trove Act, 1878 
• The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 
• The Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972 
• The Wild Life Protection Act, 1972 
• Persons with disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 
• Right to information Act, 2005 
• UNESCO World Heritage Convention, 1972 
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), 1973 
• The Venice Charter, 1964 
• The UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, 2003

Paper-I Teaching & Research Aptitude

50

100

Paper-II Museology and Conservation

100

200

Total Weightage 

150

300