Reflective, collaborative learning to enhance your career
The Associateship of the Museums Association (AMA) is a professional development programme that is beneficial at any stage of your career. It provides a flexible way to become an up-to-date and well-rounded museum professional.
Start your AMA journey for free
Inclusive places available now
Our Members Support Fund is offering 12 free AMA places for individual MA members who face barriers due to ethnicity, disability, socio-economic background, and gender identity or sexual orientation (LGBTQ+). These 12 free places are part of our wider work towards creating a more inclusive sector.
At its heart is personal reflection and professional development that you carry out in your own time, while you work. This development is recorded and contributes to your AMA along with a project and an end-point assessment.
You are supported all the way by a development framework, a mentor, support groups and much more. It takes three years to complete (on average). At the end of this time you will be assessed by trained sector colleagues who will review your competence to a recognised standard in line with the MA’s Competency Framework.
Benefits
There are many benefits to doing the AMA, in addition to gaining a recognised sector standard for competence. These include:
- Opportunities to reflect on and develop your experience, skills and knowledge
- A structure and goals for your development
- Mentoring in a safe, non-judgmental and supportive space
- Funding available for external professional development
- Guidance to help you plan and record your learning
- New and enhanced networks to support your next steps
- Source materials to help you apply for jobs
“One of the best things about the AMA was that it encouraged me to engage with other museums, in such a variety of areas, including exhibitions, decolonisation, governance and community engagement. The AMA helped me become a more well-rounded professional than I otherwise would have been.”
Who is it for?
The AMA is open to paid employees, volunteers, freelancers and consultants with at least 12 months’ experience, either full-time or part-time.
You must be a full or concessionary member of the Museums Association, and can join at the same time as signing up for your AMA.
You will need to reflect on your experience by looking at the MA’s Competency Framework and complete a self review which determines your competence level of understanding of the sector. This process will help you determine if the AMA is right for you at this stage of your career.
Inclusive places
We are committed to creating a more inclusive sector, and we know our current AMA profile is not reflective of this commitment. As part of our wider work towards creating a more representative and progressive sector, we offer inclusive AMA places for individual MA members who face barriers due to ethnicity, disability, socio-economic background, and gender identity or sexual orientation (LGBTQ).
The inclusive places scheme for AMA places is open once a year for 12 places, and is currently closed.
Fast Track AMA
The Fast Track AMA programme enables individuals who have been working or volunteering in the sector for a minimum of five years to participate in an accelerated 12-month programme to complete their award.
Professional development remains at the heart of the programme, but the Fast Track acknowledges that, for some, the opportunity to be assessed against an existing track record of professional development and achievement best meets their needs.
Applications for the Fast Track AMA are currently closed.
Got a question?
If you have any questions about eligibility, please contact us via cpd@museumsassociation.org.
