Museology

The interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate Program in Museum Studies is administered jointly by the Department of Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences, and the Department of Art, College of Communication and Fine Arts.

Museum Studies at the University of Memphis prepares students who are currently enrolled in or have graduated from Master's or Doctoral degree programs for entry-level positions in museum administration, education, collection management, registration, exhibition development, curation, and public programs. As an interdisciplinary program, individuals from all fields, including art, anthropology, art history, biology, history, business, education, geology, communication, and public administration are encouraged to participate. The program will help prepare students for entry-level positions in museum administration, education, collection management, registration, exhibition development, curation, and public programs.

Undergraduate program in Museum Studies

The Museum Studies Program at Tusculum College provides students with the academic training and hands-on experiences to become museum professionals. Students develop an understanding of the important role of museums, and they acquire the skills and knowledge to serve their communities as museum administrators, curators, and educators. The Museum Studies Program operates two museums and the college archives through which students gain valuable practical experience. As a result of their learning experience, students are prepared to assume positions of responsibility in museums and other not-for-profit organizations. A primary focus of the program is to prepare students to work in museums with a small staff of paid or volunteer professionals. The program also prepares students who choose to continue their professional development at the graduate level.

Students pursuing an MA in Museum Science can specialize in one of two areas: Museum Science or Heritage Management.

The Museum Science Track offers study in the degree program Master of Arts in Museum Science. The program emphasizes thorough preparation in the broad spectrum of museum theory and practice. It is one of the few study programs offering classroom instruction coupled with a working museum setting, allowing theory to be applied in practice first-hand.Graduates from the program have a comprehensive background in museum studies, preparing them as generalists. In addition, students may elect to become specialized in a number of museum sub-disciplines including collection management; exhibitions and interpretation; museology; museum management and administration; and, curatorship in anthropology, art, history, or the natural sciences.

The Heritage Management Track emphasizes extensive investigation in the field of heritage management. Graduates from the Museum Science Program's Heritage Management Track are prepared to enhance local, regional, and national sociological and scientific values, encourage preservation and stewardship of cultural and natural heritage, advocate public service, and direct educational programs designed to derive maximum advantage from innovative technology without the loss of cultural identity and biodiversity. The track is configured to allow individual students to emphasize areas of special interests such as heritage administration, conservation, interpretation, education, and utilization (ecotourism). The track offers both theoretical and practical coursework designed to prepare graduates to be leaders in the heritage management field. The Heritage Management Track uses a variety of existing courses offered by various departments within the University to address individual educational and career goals.

The Department of Museum Studies offers both the BA and the MA in Museum Studies, as well as, an undergraduate minor in Museum Studies.

The program combines academic and professional training for students preparing to be the next generation of museum leaders. Students learn about the history and philosophy of different types of museums, about the different skills that are needed in museum administration, museum education, collections management and care, archival management, and exhibit design, as well as courses on material culture, decorative arts, and historic preservation. Students are also given the opportunity to apply (and test out) this knowledge in the real world, through work at the Mayborn Museum Complex and other museums in Waco and central Texas, in formal internships in museums across the country, and through attendance at professional conferences such as the Texas Association of Museums.

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.

In addition to gaining the broad knowledge of the major art historical periods and the historiography and critical methodologies of art history that are required for a degree in Art History, the M.A. and Ph.D. in Art History and Museum Studies requires the study of art museum procedures and connoisseurship, and a supervised museum internship. Dissertation topics for this specialty may be related to museum practice if they satisfy scholarly standards within the field.

The Center will not be enrolling degree-seeking students for the 2011-2012 academic year while they embark on an comprehensive effort to enhance and expand the Center's programs. Interested students should contact the program for updates on the status of this program.

The College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning offers a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies and a Graduate Certificate in Curatorial Practice. The College-Conservatory of Music offers an MA in Arts Administration.

The Museum Studies program teaches students how museums are organized and operate, how they care for and interpret their collections, how they serve their audiences, and what issues they face in satisfying their diverse responsibilities.

Curatorial Practice is designed to train students in the practical and critical aspects of assembling exhibitions. Since the greater number of exhibitions take place outside institutions (in galleries and artist-run spaces), it is as important for Fine Artists to be engaged with these alternative venues as it is to be cognizant of Museum exhibitions. With two galleries on campus and with a faculty actively engaged in exhibiting and curating contemporary work, the University of Cincinnati is positioned well to offer this certificate. There are plentiful opportunities for internships in the city where artist-led curatorial initiatives are already practiced. Cincinnati also has several significant private collections of contemporary art whose owners are already engaged with our programs in various capacities.

The Graduate Arts Administration Program prepares and trains students to become successful CEOs and senior managers of nonprofit arts and cultural institutions. The philosophy and structure of the program reflects the understanding that sound business training and practical, real-world exposure to the field are both essential qualities of a successful arts administrator. The program further recognizes that the successful arts administrator has the leadership capacity to adapt classical theories and practices to the management of complex and changing arts environment. The College-Conservatory of Music also offers a dual degree with the nationally-recognized College of Business called the MA/MBA option. The two programs combine resources to train administrative leadership for professional performing arts and visual arts organizations.

Walsh University offers the only full undergraduate major in Museum Studies (student earns a BA in Museum Studies) in the state of Ohio, and the program is one of the few offered in the entire United States. The program provides a unique and hands-on experience for students who want a career working in and managing museums. This field is a perfect fit for individuals with a keen interest in art or history. Our courses teach technical skills in managing artifacts and archives. We also focus on the public role of museums, ethical best-practices and the fundamentals of leadership within these institutions. Graduates are qualified to work in a wide variety of professional opportunities within museums. They also can move on to graduate training in Museum Studies or seek out employment in a non-profit cultural institution.

Walsh's program has partnered with the Campbell Center for Historical Preservation in Mount Carroll, Ill. Walsh students can receive a full scholarship to participate in Campbell Center workshops and work with museum professionals from across the globe while earning classroom credits.