Virginia

UMW offers an undergraduate degree with a minor in Museum Studies. In addition students may request to pursue an interdisciplinary program or a special major.

The Museum Studies Minor is an interdisciplinary minor program (administered through the Historic Preservation Department) that was developed in conjunction with the three UMW museums (UMW Galleries, Gari Melchers Home and Studio, and the James Monroe Museum) and the departments of anthropology, art and art history, American studies, classics, historic preservation, and history. It provides students with the academic foundation and practical experience necessary for entrance into museum careers. It explores the manner in which museums are organized and operate and how they care for and interpret their collections, serve their audiences, respond to new technologies, and grapple with complex legal and ethical issues unique to their disciplines, including the cultural implications of the work they do and the extent of its impact from the intimate community to the global market. Historic Preservation currently serves as the home department for the Museum Studies Minor and students interested in enrolling in the minor should contact the chair of the department. The requirements for the minor are listed in the Museum Studies section of the Catalog.

Historic Preservation Department offers an interdisciplinary major that acquaints students with a broad range of activities, methods, and theoretical perspectives. Historic Preservation majors explore the theoretical, ethical, and philosophical issues that surround preservation practice. Students in the program may emphasize historic architecture, building forensics, folklore, archaeology, preservation planning, material culture, or museums in their course work. The program focuses on the maintenance, conservation, advocacy, and interpretation of historic sites and structures and on cultural resource management. The acquisition of research and analytical skills is stressed and substantial fieldwork, laboratory, or research assignments are woven into most courses. The academic program of the department is strongly enhanced by the research and public education programs of the UMW Center for Historic Preservation.

Undergraduate degree with a minor in Museum Studies.

The Museum Studies Minor is an interdisciplinary program that stresses theoretical concepts and develops practical skills that prepare you to understand and appreciate museums as cultural and educational places. The Museum Studies Minor is open to students in any major. Students work one-on-one with museum professionals in the College's Daura Gallery and as interns in museums around the country.

MA and PhD programs in Art History are offered.

The graduate program leading to an MA degree offers Architectural History, Art Historical Studies, and Museum Studies tracks. The PhD program offers Art Historical Studies and Curatorial tracks.

Graduate degree programs in Art History include the Master of Arts with individual tracks in Architectural History, Art Historical Studies, and Museum Studies, and the Doctor of Philosophy with Historical and Curatorial tracks; Provides a broad overview of historical developments, institutional responsibilities, professional opportunities, and theoretical issues relevant to contemporary museum practice; Curriculum equips students to build careers in curatorship, collections management, educational program development, and exhibit development.

MA in Arts Management or a Graduate Certificate.

George Mason's program emphasizes not administration, but rather the management of all aspects of the arts: commercial and not-for-profit; theatre, dance, music, visual, museum, literary, film, video and the combination of any and all of these in exciting arts centers around the country. Graduates provide for the continuance, development and nurturing of the art form, the artist and the audience, using technology, science, best practices, relevant and vibrant communications and good practical reasoning, taught by some of this country’s most outstanding practicing arts managers. The vision is to see arts managers bring into alignment the many resources required to birth, sustain, and further develop arts organizations.

Effective Fall 2012, a new Arts Management Graduate Certificate program will be offered. The Certificate is intended for those who know the specific expertise they desire to acquire to either enter into or advance arts management or related careers. Candidates choose one of the four concentrations: Marketing & Public Relations in the Arts, Entrepreneurship, Programming & Project Management in the Arts, Fundraising & Development in the Arts.