Illinois

Columbia’s curriculum provides educational opportunities in the arts, communication, and public information fields within the context of a liberal arts education. Course offerings in major subject areas combine conceptual study with practical application, resulting in realistic career preparation.

The BA program in Art and Materials Conservation was developed observing the American Institute for Conservation guidelines and offers students intense training in chemistry, materials science, studio art, and the humanities, as well as a year of study and hands-on practice at the Lorenzo de’ Medici Italian International Institute in Florence, Italy. Upon completion of the program, students will be prepared for graduate study or for work in the field. They will have gained a solid foundation in the philosophy and ethics of art conservation and preservation. Further, students will have gained a deep understanding of the scientific basis of art and materials conservation.

Art History provides skills in analyzing and interpreting art in relation to its historical and cultural contexts. Students learn how art acquires and conveys meaning by exploring the interactions among artists, objects, patrons, and society at large across a broad spectrum of media, cultures, and periods. Unlike art history programs at other colleges, the curriculum at Columbia College Chicago emphasizes fields of study outside the traditional canon of western art history. Our students specialize in one of four areas – modern and contemporary art, history of design, history of photography, and global art. These areas provide exciting perspectives on our visual and cultural environment and reflect the inclusive and interdisciplinary nature of art and art history today.

Both the BA and MA in Arts Management equip students with the competitive advantage needed to support careers in creative sectors such as music promotion and distribution, live entertainment and the performing arts, museums and galleries, traditional and new media, and professional and collegiate sports.

Museum Studies is an interdisciplinary program housed in Anthropology that serves multiple departments in the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Sciences and of Fine and Applied Arts. The program offers a graduate minor in museum studies, effective Fall 2009. An undergraduate minor in museum studies is currently undergoing approval.

Museum Studies courses available for Fall Semester 2012 include:

• Museums in Action
• Museum Management (instructor permission required)
• Library & Museum Exhibition (instructor permission required)
• Introduction to Museums
• Learning in Museums
• Core Problems in Museum Theory & Practice

Artifact Collection Care Certificate Program

Build the skills and knowledge you need to care for a collection of art and artifacts at your organization or in your own personal collection. In a series of six courses, you will develop techniques that will help you manage a collection of historical objects, photographs, papers, textiles, art, and other items.

• How do you track and organize your collection?
• What are the best practices for labeling objects?
• How do you store objects?
• What are the best materials to use for long-term storage?
• How do you protect your objects from light and other environmental damage?

SAIC prepares the graduate student for entry into institutions, organizations, and workplaces through the integration of theory and practice and by stressing the importance of access and agency within the world at large. Students have many avenues of study that would prepare them for work in a museum setting. Among the degrees offered are the following:

• Master of Arts in Arts Administration and Policy
• Master of Arts in Art Education
• Master of Arts in Modern Art History, Theory, and Criticism
• Master of Science in Historic Preservation
• dual degree in Modern Art History, Theory, and Criticism and Arts Administration and Policy
• Certificate in Historic Preservation is available to students pursuing a Master of Architecture or a Master of Architecture with an Emphasis in Interior Architecture tracks

Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies is the only resource of its kind in the northern Illinois region. The certificate provides students with a solid background in museum practice. It can be earned on its own or in conjunction with a graduate degree in cooperating departments.

The certificate is jointly administered by the College of Education, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Visit NIU's online catalog for course descriptions and updated requirements.

The Certificate Museum Studies is designed to enrich the backgrounds of students and museum professionals working with anthropology, art, history, physical science, or other museum collections. It can also enrich K-12 teachers' use of museum collections in their teaching. The 15-semester-hour certificate may be earned on its own or in conjunction with a graduate degree in cooperating departments.

The certificate combines a core course in museum methods with a guided internship and three additional courses. Course work and internships review major principles of museum collections and program management, giving graduate students in various disciplines a solid grounding in museum practice. The certificate is one that museums would welcome in new employees. It also offers fresh ideas and perspectives to practicing professionals.

"Public history uses the past to serve a variety of contemporary needs. It entails the application of the skills and methods of history to the study, management, preservation and interpretation of historical records and artifacts. A public historian is a professional who can put his or her knowledge and skills to use in our society in such diverse activities as museum, historical society or archival work; neighborhood or community history projects; historic preservation and cultural resource management programs; and local, state or federal research projects. Working with architects, librarians, business people, government policy analysts, exhibit designers or history enthusiasts, public historians contribute to our knowledge and understanding of the past."

In addition, Loyola University Graduate School of Arts and Science and the Dominican University Graduate School of Library Information Science have a joint degree program, in which a student can complete two degrees, a Master of Arts in Library and Information Science (MLIS) and a Master of Arts in Public History. This joint program is well suited to students wanting a career in archives.

Master of Arts in Historical Administration prepares students "academically and technically to serve as professionals in museums and historical agencies. Students are introduced to the problems, philosophies, ethics, and techniques of preserving, interpreting, and administering the American heritage."

Certificate program in Museum Studies crosses academic and professional boundaries. Theory and practical experience come together in a curriculum that prepares participants for professional or volunteer careers in administration and specialty disciplines within museums, zoos, aquariums, parks and botanical gardens.

Northwestern University's School of Continuing Studies (SCS) offers a Museum Studies program designed to give an overview of museum practices and strategies and help students understand the contemporary role played by collections and exhibits. The curriculum balances art studies with insight on museum management. Chicago is one of the country's major cultural centers, and courses are taught by leading museum professionals from the area.

SIUC offers an undergraduate minor in Museum Studies in the College of Liberal Arts; and a Masters in the Public Administration Program with emphasis on museum studies by taking the 43 hour Museum Administration Curriculum, which "is designed to give the student a firm foundation in the essentials of public administration and specialized training through advanced courses in museum administration. "