Museums, archives, libraries, and other cultural institutions are rapidly changing. These historical sites are seeking professionals who can help adopt and implement technological innovations to help manage, curate, conserve, and exhibit, and digitize their cultural or scientific collections, in order to make them available to the public in interactive and engaging ways. The museum studies program provides a thorough grounding in the history, theory, and practice of institutional collecting, exhibition development, and design, collection management, fundraising and grant writing, and implementing today’s technologies. You’ll be prepared to help an institution enhance assess, improve engagement, and better share their collections with the world.
Museum studies is an innovative, interdisciplinary, technically-based major that prepares students for careers in museums, archives, photo collections, and libraries. The major includes a set of introductory and advanced core courses to familiarize students with the fundamentals of museum studies, including the history, theory, and practice of institutional collecting, conservation, and the technical investigation of art. To broaden and deepen their knowledge, students choose a professional track in management or public history.
Career opportunities
Upon graduation students are well prepared to work in institutions that collect cultural objects, such as museums, historical sites, historical societies, libraries, archives, and corporations. Students are also prepared to further their education in graduate programs in museum studies, art history, informatics, arts management, library and information studies, or an MBA.