The Museum Studies Program is an interdisciplinary course of study designed to provide students with academic training in essential aspects of museology. The curriculum equips students with a range of museum skills and enables them to tailor learning to their career objectives.
The Program prepares students for a variety of museum related occupations, including: collections managers, registrars, museum educators, exhibit developers, park interpreters, curators, and administrators. The Museum Studies Program also is valuable to students who wish to become outdoor educators, interpreters, or naturalists. Some graduates may choose to pursue a Ph.D. to prepare for advanced curatorial work in museums.
The Museum Studies Program brings together a unique consortium of UNM Museums, courses, laboratories, researchers, museum professionals, and educators in a statewide and national network to train qualified students for teaching, research, curation, and public service in museum contexts.
Program Goals:
Provide a formal educational program to meet the need for trained museum professionals
Strengthen New Mexico’s contribution to the nation's visitor industry
Increase the quality of museum based public education
Support and provide training for tribal and pueblo museums and cultural centers
Encourage and facilitate object-based scientific and humanistic research
Core learning objectives will dovetail with the student’s cognate discipline and include:
Collection management - acquisition, organization, stabilization, conservation, and research
Security, risk management, and environmental controls
Exhibit design and development
Museum law, ethics and professionalism
Service to underrepresented groups
Informal and object-based education and interpretation in museum contexts
Other topics relevant to museum theory and practice