We only offer fall entry, and the application deadline is February 1. If February 1 falls on a weekend, the deadline will extend to the following business day.

Students seeking admission to the dual degree will complete just 1 application but must meet the admission requirements for both programs. Admission into one program does not guarantee admission to the other.

Students who have begun coursework in either Museum Studies or African & African-American Studies can apply to be a dual degree student prior to completing all coursework requirements for the first degree. In consultation with each department's Director of Graduate Studies, they may be able to receive credit for coursework already completed. However, the student may be required to take more than the required 54 credit hours of coursework to obtain both degrees if the application for admission to the second degree program is submitted after the student has completed courses that will not count toward the second program's requirements.

Museum Studies Admission Requirements

1. A copy of your official transcript, issued by the Registrar's Office of the institution from which you have (or will have) earned your bachelor's degree (and master's degree, if applicable).
2. One essay not to exceed three single-spaced pages. A fourth page can be added for a bibliography, if needed.

   Please respond to this prompt: How has a museum experience shaped your outlook on the function and relevance of museums? Explain how you have seen museums engage with their various audiences, stakeholders, or communities.

   Feel free to draw from personal experiences, visits to museums or volunteer/paid positions you have held, or current events or other instances of museum engagement you have learned about in your studies. Be analytical. Use your essay to help the Admissions Committee to better understand your worldview and how you think about museums, and your career objectives in them in critical, comparative, and aspirational terms. We realize you may not have museum work experience so we want to know how you envision approaching museum studies and your unique perspective as an emergent scholar. We also want to see how well you write. Feel free to cite and support your essay with representational examples from museums, related socio-cultural or political events, and/or interventions that you see are necessary in the field.

   We evaluate your work based on the clarity of your vision, the evidentiary support for your perspective and claims, and your passion for the field as an incoming scholar. We want to know who you are and realize your subject position greatly impacts how you navigate the academy and the field. Therefore, we encourage you to think critically about your areas of interest and how your particular subject position and experience, broadly conceived, offers a fresh perspective to an incoming graduate cohort in Museum Studies at KU. Cogency and clarity are at least as important as content.

   Topics you might consider (but are not limited to): ethical responsibility to the community; programming surrounding collections and holdings; repatriation of collections; decolonizing museum collections; ecology; environmental justice concerns; natural history and ethics of collecting; places and people; the role of objects in deepening people’s capacity for self-awareness.

3. A personal statement, not to exceed three double-spaced pages. The statement should cover: (a) aspects of museums and museum studies that particularly interest you; (b) your professional goals, including the area of museum work that most attracts you; (c) your relevant experience and background, (d) how you believe KU's Museum Studies Program matches your interests; and (e) anything else you think is important for us to know. If you believe your academic record does not reflect your potential to perform well in the KU Museum Studies Program, please provide an explanation.
4. Three letters of recommendation. At least two of your letters should come from professors, instructors, or other individuals who can speak directly to your academic ability.
5. A resume or curriculum vitae that lists your education, employment history, volunteer experience, internships, scholarships/fellowships, and academic awards. Please calculate your junior/senior GPA and include it on your resume.

African & African-American Studies Admission Requirements

1. A copy or scan of official transcripts from each college and post-secondary institution you have attended. Copies of official transcripts should be uploaded directly to the online application. If admitted, applicants will be required to submit official, sealed transcripts directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions within the first semester of enrollment.
2. Statement of Purpose: A professional narrative explaining your background, academic interests, and reason for applying to the M.A. program in African and African-American Studies at KU. Please indicate the faculty member(s) with whom you would like to work in your statement. (maximum 3 pages double-spaced)
3. A resume or curriculum vitae listing your education, employment history, volunteer experience, internships, scholarships/fellowships, academic awards, knowledge of foreign languages, and any other relevant information
4. Three letters of recommendation from qualified individuals, preferring most recent professors
5. A sample of your writing or creative work that could be an academic paper or a combination of written work and a portfolio of creative work (maximum 15 pages)

Please see the Admission to Graduate Study policy for additional information on admission requirements.