Diploma in Collections Management and Cataloguing
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in collections management and cataloguing. 8 modules covering collections policy, SPECTRUM registration and inventory, vehicle cataloguing, collections management systems, loans and insurance, preventive conservation and access, with an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in Collections Management and Cataloguing — studying from Canada
Canada has an active classic and heritage vehicle community, supported by clubs, restoration specialists and museums across the country. Restoration work requires skills in engineering drawings, metalworking, electrical systems and historical research. Heritage vehicle collections and automotive museums, such as the Canadian Automotive Museum in Oshawa, sustain professional and volunteer expertise. Specialist businesses and independent workshops are the main employers in this niche.
Fees for Canada: C$2,790 (Canadian dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Canada
Typical roles
Questions from Canada
Is this programme recognised by professional bodies in Canada for vehicle restoration work?
SEIUM's qualifications are private, not official state degrees, and carry no national accreditation in Canada. Restoration is largely a trade and enthusiast field in Canada, with recognition typically driven by reputation, workshop experience and clubs or heritage organisations rather than a single licensing body. Confirm with any prospective client or employer how they regard private qualifications.
What career use could this have in Canada's classic vehicle sector?
Potential uses include working with specialist restoration workshops, dealerships, collectors or heritage vehicle organisations. Employers and clients decide how to value a private qualification, and hands-on experience is usually the strongest factor in this sector. The final project may serve as a portfolio example, but it does not guarantee work.
Can I study this online with my own schedule from Canada?
Yes, the programme is 100% online and taught in English, so it suits learners across Canada and no student visa is needed to study from home. Programme lengths are 300, 800 or 1,900 hours depending on the level. Fees are payable in instalments, employer sponsorship is possible, and an assigned technical tutor supports your progress.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Draft collections policies consistent with the museum's mission.
Apply SPECTRUM registration and inventory procedures.
Catalogue vehicles and associated objects with documentary rigour.
Implement and manage collections management software.
Process loans, insurance and object movements.
Plan the preventive conservation of the collection.
Facilitate access to and dissemination of collections data.
Who it's for
- Collections registrars.
- Museum documentation officers.
- Managers of private collections.
- Inventory technicians.
- Loans coordinators.
- Curators of motoring collections.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to move into automotive museums.
What you'll work with
- SPECTRUM 5.0, Collections Trust (collections management procedures)
- ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums (professional ethics for museums)
- Spanish Historical Heritage Act 16/1985 (protection of heritage assets)
- Royal Decree 620/1987 (regulations for state-owned museums)
- UNE-EN 16095 (condition recording for movable heritage)
- UNE-EN 16893 (specification of storage buildings for heritage collections)
- UNE-EN 15946 (packing principles for transport)
- ISO 21127, CIDOC CRM (cultural heritage ontology)
- DOMUS
- CollectiveAccess
- Axiell Collections
- TMS Collections
8 modules
1.1Mission and collections plan1.2Acquisition criteria1.3Donations and bequests1.4Deposits and loans for use1.5Deaccessioning and disposal1.6ICOM ethics applied to collections1.7Working collections versus static collections1.8Risks of a vehicle collection1.9Documenting the policy1.10Case study: acquisitions policy of a motor museum
2.1SPECTRUM procedures2.2Temporary object entry2.3Inventory number2.4Marking objects2.5Location control2.6Recording movements2.7Physical inventory2.8Associated objects and groups2.9Managing source documents2.10Practical exercise: entry record for a vehicle
3.1Essential descriptive fields3.2Identifying chassis, engine and coachbuilder3.3Thesauri and vocabularies3.4History and provenance of the object3.5Condition description3.6Catalogue photography3.7Associated documentation and manuals3.8Loose parts and spares3.9Review and validation of records3.10Workshop: complete catalogue record
4.1Functional requirements4.2DOMUS, CollectiveAccess and Axiell systems4.3System data models4.4Migrating legacy inventories4.5Data quality control4.6Permissions and workflows4.7Reports and queries4.8Web integration4.9Backups4.10Lab: setting up a record in CollectiveAccess
5.1Loan agreements5.2Facilities report5.3Condition report5.4Nail-to-nail insurance5.5State indemnity5.6Specialist vehicle transport5.7Accompanying couriers5.8Packing and tie-down5.9Customs for international loans5.10Practical exercise: outgoing loan file
6.1Stores and reserve collections6.2Climate control6.3Integrated pest management6.4Fluids, fuel and batteries6.5Periodic start-up6.6Tyres and supports6.7Emergency plan6.8Collections salvage6.9Scheduled maintenance6.10Case study: emergency plan for a collection
7.1Appraisal and valuation of collections7.2Inventory audits7.3Documentation indicators7.4Researcher access7.5Publishing catalogues7.6Open collections data7.7Image rights of objects7.8Reproductions and licences7.9Handling external enquiries7.10Practical exercise: location audit
8.1Collection assessment8.2Collections policy8.3Inventory plan8.4Cataloguing model8.5Selecting the management system8.6Preventive conservation plan8.7Access and dissemination plan8.8Schedule and resources8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
The programme is delivered 100% online on SEIUM's campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There is no fixed timetable: you progress at your own pace within each intake, making it compatible with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standards and applied exercises. The working software is DOMUS, CollectiveAccess, Axiell Collections and TMS Collections, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: entry registration and inventory of a vehicle, an international loan file and a physical location audit. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: SPECTRUM 5.0 (Collections Trust), ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums, Spanish Historical Heritage Act 16/1985, Royal Decree 620/1987, UNE-EN 16095, UNE-EN 16893, UNE-EN 15946, ISO 21127 (CIDOC CRM).
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. No university degree is required.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 800 hours over 6–8 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with DOMUS, CollectiveAccess, Axiell Collections and TMS Collections, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector (no university degree required), a computer able to run the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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