MADRID.- The Museo Nacional del Prado today announced the launch of Spain’s first Comprehensive Museum Management Program, a ten-month training course designed to equip working professionals and recent graduates with practical, hands-on expertise in every facet of museum operations. Pre-registration opens May 14, and classes will run from October 30, 2025, through June 11, 2026, at the Prado’s historic Casón del Buen Retiro campus.
Built around the Prado’s own experience and that of peer institutions, the curriculum covers collection care, curatorial administration, audience engagement, institutional communications, and complementary activities. In addition to 240 hours of in-person instruction and 120 hours of online seminars, participants may complete up to 300 hours of optional, on-site internships at the museum itself. Sessions are held on Thursdays from 9 AM to 6:30 PM, and enrollment is capped at 20 students; tuition is €3,840.
“Museum professionals today must master a broad spectrum of skills, from conservation science to digital outreach,” said Prado Director Miguel Falomir. “This program channels decades of our staff’s knowledge into a single, immersive learning experience.”
Deputy Director for Administration Marina Chinchilla, who spearheaded the initiative through the Prado’s Center for Studies, emphasized its interdisciplinary scope: “By integrating practice-based instruction with internships, we’re preparing the next generation of museum leaders to navigate both everyday challenges and the unexpected crises that defined our recent history—whether a major anniversary or a global pandemic.”
The Prado’s new program builds on its recent publication La gestión del Museo del Prado desde su experiencia más reciente, which documents how the institution managed day-to-day operations and responded to emergencies such as its 2019 Bicentennial and the COVID-19 shutdowns of 2020 and 2021.
Interested candidates may find full details and application forms on the Prado’s website. The pre-registration window runs from May 14 to June 20, 2025.
