Master of Arts in Museum Studies
Museum Studies M.A. Program
The Museum Studies master's degree requires 36 credit hours.
The curriculum provides a comprehensive overview of the discipline, opportunities for grasping core components of museum practice, avenues for exploring the interdisciplinary nature of museums, grounding in current issues facing them, and possibilities for research to develop new and innovative approaches in the field. You'll also complete 500 total museum experience hours, including at least 250 hours in an approved internship.
Our graduates work as collection managers, educators, exhibit designers, curators, archivists, directors and more at museums and historical agencies across the country and around the world.
Admission to Graduate Studies
An applicant seeking to pursue graduate study in the College may be admitted as either a degree-seeking or non-degree seeking student. Policies and procedures of Graduate Studies govern the process of Graduate admission. These may be found in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.
Please consult the Departments & Programs section of the online catalog for information regarding program-specific admissions criteria and requirements. Special admissions requirements pertain to Interdisciplinary Studies degrees, which may be found in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.
Admission to the Museum Studies M.A. Program
Students are admitted to the M.A. program only in the fall semester, and the application deadline is February 1.
Eligibility criteria for admission to the M.A. program follow Graduate Studies' admission policy. To be considered for admission, a student must hold a bachelor's degree. Non-native speakers of English must meet Graduate Studies' English proficiency requirements for admission.
You can find the full list of required application materials on the Museum Studies website.
M.A. Degree Requirements
The M.A. degree in museum studies requires 36 credit hours at the graduate level. Students in the Museum Studies Program complete the following:
1. The Museum Studies Core - 9 credit hours
2. Museum Professional Areas - 9 credit hours
3. Museum Conceptual Domains - 6 credit hours
4. Electives - 9 credit hours
5. Museum Experience (Internship) - 3 credit hours
6. Final Product & Oral Examination
1. Museum Studies Core (9 credit hours)
The Museum Studies Core ensures that all Museum Studies students gain a comprehensive understanding of the theories, history, techniques, and problems common to museums, historical agencies, and related institutions. The capstone course, taken in a student’s third semester of study, provides an avenue for students to conduct research or other creative activities that advance the discipline of museum studies.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MUSE 801 | The Nature of Museums | 3 |
| MUSE 802 | Culture of Museums | 3 |
| MUSE 803 | Seminar in Current Museum Topics | 3 |
2. Museum Professional Areas (9 credit hours)
Students will develop expertise in one of the principal specialties of museum work by completing at least two courses in that area, at least one of which must be a Museum Studies (MUSE) course. Many courses in other departments could fulfill requirements. It is the responsibility of students, and their faculty advisors, to ensure that individual courses meet program requirements based on the general relevance of the course and assurance that the student’s work will be applicable to museum studies by meeting with instructors and examining syllabi.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT | ||
| Courses cover areas such as administration, policy, fundraising, and legal issues related to the management of non-profit organizations. | ||
| MUSE 701 | Museum Management | 3 |
| Examples of courses in other programs: | ||
| ENTR 703 | Entrepreneurial Marketing | 3 |
| PUAD 705 | Managing Nonprofit Relationships | 3 |
| PUAD 837 | Advanced Public Budgeting and Finance | 3 |
| PUAD 845 | Managing Public Organizations | 3 |
| PUAD 898 | Leading to Create a Culture for High Performance | 3 |
| INTERPRETATION | ||
| Interpretation includes developing skills in exhibition design and installation, graphics, marketing, public programs, as well as innovative approaches to new and emerging technologies. | ||
| MUSE 703 | Introduction to Museum Exhibits | 3 |
| Examples of courses in other programs: | ||
| ADS 712 | Advanced Design Methods | 3 |
| BIOL 720 | Scientific Illustration | 3 |
| THR 618 | Scenography and the Musical Theatre | 3 |
| COLLECTIONS | ||
| Courses provide opportunities to develop expertise in the practices and policies associated with the management and care of the range of materials in museum collections. | ||
| MUSE 704 | Introduction to Collections Management and Utilization | 3 |
| MUSE 706 | Conservation Principles and Practices | 3 |
| MUSE 707 | Practical Archival Principles | 3 |
| Examples of courses in other programs: | ||
| ANTH 520 | Archaeological Ceramics | 3 |
| ANTH 582 | Ethnobotany | 3 |
| ANTH 648 | Human Osteology | 4 |
| BIOL 603 | Systematic Botany | 3 |
| COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS | ||
| Courses enable students to develop skills in public programming, curriculum planning, visitor studies, audience development, and volunteer management. | ||
| MUSE 705 | Introduction to Museum Public Education | 3 |
| Examples of courses in other programs: | ||
| ABSC 719 | Experimental Field Work in Community Settings | 1-5 |
| C&T 808 | Qualitative Research: Curriculum Inquiry | 3 |
| COMS 855 | Qualitative Research Methods | 3 |
| ELPS 811 | Constructivist Learning Technology | |
| ELPS 830 | Foundations of Multicultural Education | 3 |
3. Courses focusing on Museum Conceptual Domains (6 credit hours)
The conceptual domains of museum work -- Materiality, Engagement, and Representation -- address in depth the conceptual and theoretical foundations of museums. Courses that emphasize conceptual domains will place museological subjects in broader historical and intellectual frameworks. Students may take courses offered in one or several disciplines. Courses will be selected based on the general relevance of the course, and assurance that the student’s work will be applicable to museum studies by meeting with instructors and examining syllabi.
4. Electives and Other Museum Studies Courses (9 credit hours)
Students are expected to deepen their knowledge of the field by taking courses in a subject area pertinent to their area of specialization.
5. Museum Experience (3 credit hours)
While enrolled in the Museum Studies Program, students are required to gain at least 500 hours of museum experience, of which at least 250 hours must be in an approved, professionally supervised internship. Students enroll in 3 credit hours of MUSE 799 Museum Internship to meet this requirement.
6. Final Product and Examination
Each student will be responsible for a final product, developed through research or other creative activity, which contributes to museum studies and demonstrates the student’s ability to engage conceptually and professionally with the discipline of museum studies.
A student will successfully defend their final product as part of the final examination of their work. The oral master's examination, taken during the student's final semester of coursework, focuses on the student's final product, while also testing the candidate's mastery of museum principles and practices, and relevant subject disciplines indicated by the student's record.
The examination is evaluated (Pass, Pass with Revisions, or Unsatisfactory) by each member of the exam committee. A favorable majority is required to pass the exam.
Course-Level Requirement and Selection Process
Courses must be taken at the 500-level or higher to count for graduate credit. Students pursuing an M.A. in Museum Studies must take 50% or more of their course work at the 700-level or above. Core courses count toward this requirement.
All courses, aside from the core, must be selected in consultation with the student's faculty advisor or Museum Studies Director. The Museum Studies Program maintains a list of professional area, conceptual domain, and elective course options, and it is available, along with the Graduate Student Handbook, on the MUSESTUDENTS Microsoft Teams site or upon request.
Graduate Policy
Students are encouraged to review Graduate Studies' policies related to master's degree programs for information about other requirements that may apply.