Museum Studies

Offers an MA in Public History, which trains students to understand and perform rigorous historical research and analysis in the academic world, and also recognize the public’s interest and curiosity in history.  Public Historians work collaboratively with other professional historians to create a bridge between public and academic history. We design an environment that enables the public to actively experience, view, and interpret history.  Public historians work in fields such as museums, archives, cultural resource management, and historic preservation.

The Public History Program trains students for great jobs in museums and historic sites, archives, and historic preservation. Student can pursue an MA or a PhD in Public History and earn one of two certificates (the “Certificate in Museum Management” and the “Certificate in Historical Archaeology & Cultural Resource Management”). In addition, a dual-degree is offered in the a Joint Program with the School of Library and Information Science. Coursework, internships, advising, and job placement are supervised by a designated faculty member for each of our three tracks of specialization: museum studies, historic preservation, and archival administration.

The Museum Management Certificate is designed to be completed concurrently with a graduate degree in an academic field, or to supplement a degree already in hand and for museum professionals who have already attained a graduate degree and would like to extend their knowledge in the museum field. Focuses on management, collections, and exhibitions and related programs.

The Master of Arts in Museum Studies is a 33-hour degree program completed 100% online.

The museum studies graduate program prepares you to meet the challenges involved in museum operation. Courses address museum management procedures, budget administration, exhibit and educational programming, and community interaction. Faculty members for this program are drawn from museums across the country, including two AAM-accredited museums located at the University of Oklahoma – the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art.

The Museum Studies Program publishes the e-journal, Journal of Museum Studies.

School offers a BA in History-Museum Studies and an MA in History-Museum Studies.

The undergraduate Museum Studies Program provides training to students interested in pursuing careers in museums, historical agencies, archives, national parks, and related institutions. The Master of Arts in History is designed for those who wish to further their knowledge of history and the historian's craft, prepare for doctoral programs, or pursue professional goals through the Social Studies Teaching or Museum Studies options. Course offerings reflect the Department of History and Geography's commitment to the highest standards of research and writing and to the development of an awareness and understanding of diverse cultures.

The MA in Museum Studies and Historical Preservation is an interdisciplinary graduate program within the College of Liberal Arts. The courses and faculty are interdepartmental. Through theoretical (curriculum-based) and practical (hands-on) training, students are prepared for a wide range of positions in varying types of museums, as well as gaining an understanding of historic resources and the processes necessary for their preservation. The Program's goals are:

• Produce professionally trained museum staff in the areas of museum management, museum education, collection management, exhibition design, conservation, curatorship, and the methods of archiving and historical preservation.
• To increase the number of museum professionals with formal training at the graduate level.

The Department of Art + Design, Art History, Art Education offers undergraduate degrees with a minor in Museum Studies provides students with a comprehensive education in the field of museology by looking at the history, philosophy, role, operation, and multiple functions of museums in American society. Academic theory in the political, social, business, legal, and ethical issues that confront museum professionals is combined with practical experience in the form of museum internships, field trips, and directed research projects to give students a foundation for work in university, public, and private museums. This minor is designed to complement majors in the fields of studio art, art history, art education, history, anthropology, business, interdisciplinary studies, environmental science and studies, among others.

Goucher offers a MA in Arts Administration and a Concentration in Arts Administration. Arts administration is a rapidly expanding profession in performance and institutional arts organizations, including museums and galleries; in community or regional centers for the arts; and in government, corporate, and foundation agencies that are concerned with the development of the arts.

The Master of Arts in Arts Administration (MAAA) program is a distance learning graduate degree meant for those interested in furthering their career in arts administration; it gives working professionals living anywhere an opportunity to further their skills and knowledge in the challenging and ever-developing field of arts administration. This program brings together students and distinguished faculty members from around the world who share one common goal: to see that the arts thrive in their own communities, and in society as a whole.

Students pursuing a concentration in arts administration take a major in one of the arts and supplement that major with three courses in arts administration and four in economics and business management. The courses in the major provide a solid foundation in an art form. The additional courses enhance knowledge appropriate to the student’s interest in arts administration. Students major in art, dance, music, or theatre, completing a minimum of 27 credits that are chosen in consultation with the department and that cover both historical/ theoretical and studio work.

The minor in Historic Preservation is designed for undergraduate students interested in the stewardship and future of America’s historic buildings, structures, and landscapes. Basic historic preservation courses emphasize the theory and history of historic preservation and the various tools and techniques used to document cultural resources. Each course challenges students to think critically and to improve their writing and oral presentation skills. Additional courses are to be drawn from American studies, art history, history, and the social sciences. The historic preservation minor is composed of six courses.

The Graduate Arts Administration Program offers two options: an MA in Arts Administration and a Certified Performing Arts Executive certificate, designed for practicing professionals in the performing arts management field.

Master’s candidates are post graduates interested not only in the arts but also in business and the non-profit world. The Master’s training offers the ultimate balance of classroom and real-world experience, reflecting the latest trends in both the performing and visual arts industries. Through internships and practicums, guest speakers, class trips, classroom and online courses, and group and individualized study, the Program prepares students for administrative careers within nonprofit and for profit culture and arts related organizations - among them: galleries, museums, opera companies, theater companies, performing arts centers, dance companies, music business, auction houses, film societies, festivals, arts councils and other governmental arts programs, and art education programs.

Certified Performing Arts Executive candidates are performing arts management professionals who are in the early or mid-stages of their careers. These individuals are looking to expand their knowledge base, trend awareness, and seek to expand their professional skills and credentials. The Program’s goal is to provide professional certification for performing arts agents and managers. Students will learn: Planning for Success; Business Organization Models; Budgeting and Financial Management; Fees, Commissions, and Negotiating Skills; Client and Venue Relationships; Negotiation Basics; Ethics and Liability; Building a Roster; Dealing with Artists; Technical Riders; Marketing, Promotion, and Media Arts; and Law, Copyright, and Royalties

The Master of Arts in Museum Studies Program trains students to become innovative and knowledgeable leaders in museums and cultural institutions. The program is designed for students who desire a career in the professional museum field.

Through the Department of History, students can earn an MA in Public History with a specialization in Museum Studies or a Certificate in Historic Preservation. The Public History program provides students with an M.A. degree in history from the Department of History with a public history specialization. The Public History track within the UWF Department of History trains students in the various aspects of public, or applied, history.

The specialization in Museum Studies emphasizes Museology including exhibit conception, interpretation, design and construction, museum administration, working with missions, budgets, collections, and boards. Electives provided by courses offered within the department and with the departments of Art History.

Master's students may also earn a certificate in Historic Preservation. The certificate program is geared to individuals interested in acquiring a general focus in the field of historic preservation and to current practitioners in the field who wish to add a historic preservation certification to their academic or professional credentials.
The certificate program in historic preservation requires the completion of eighteen (18) credit hours of courses at the Master’s level. These courses provide students both the breadth and depth necessary for a basic understanding of the diverse field, while also allowing students to gain some expertise in certain areas of the field through their selection of the elective courses, and, in some cases, by providing an opportunity to work on faculty grant projects. Courses are multi-disciplinary, including coursework in anthropology, archaeology, art history, environmental studies, traditional history, and public history.