The University of Leicester in the UK has unveiled what will be the world’s first Massively Open Online Course (MOOC) related to museum studies.

Working in partnership with National Museums Liverpool, the MOOC – an online course aimed at unlimited participation and open access via the internet – will offer a six-week, two hours a week course exploring a range of topics about how the museum sector works and what a museum’s role is in society .

“The MOOC is a new departure for the school but something that we were very keen to do,” said Suzanne MacLeod, director and head of school at the University of Leicester. “The ways in which people want to learn are changing and we wanted to understand more about that.

“The MOOC has enabled us to experiment with new ways of delivering, teaching and research. It is something of an experiment and so we are intrigued to see how people respond to the MOOC and to get their feedback.”

The course will be delivered through the Future Learn platform and is aimed at anyone with an interest in museums; including prospective students interested in further training in museum studies; museum volunteers; or museum practitioners. No prior knowledge or equipment is required.Interested parties can sign up for the course now, with the programme starting on 1 June 2015.