Museum Studies Bachelor of Science Degree

At RIT, museum studies is an interdisciplinary, technology-infused major that prepares you for careers in museums, archives, libraries, galleries, historical societies, and other cultural organizations.

Three principles guide our program and your academic experience:

• Tech-infused and collections-based curriculum, projects, and initiatives, making use of RIT’s resources from across campus, including the new makerspace in the SHED
• Collaboration across campus and in the community to highlight the interdisciplinary nature of museum work
• Equity-focused work that can take many forms, including foregrounding under-studied narratives from Rochester’s history and democratizing access to technology.

RIT’s Museum Studies Courses

The museum studies major at RIT includes a set of introductory core courses to familiarize you with the history, theory, and practice of institutional collecting. These courses are bolstered by classes in exhibition development, education and interpretation, and multi-platform interpretation and design. To broaden and deepen your knowledge, you will choose from a selection of electives that cover a range of topics and areas of studies that can speak to your interests and passions.

You will also complete at least one co-op or internship experience in a cultural institution or similar entity.

Overall, the museum studies curriculum is anchored around museum studies courses that reflect current opinions about necessary skill sets, competencies, and subject areas identified by the Museum Studies Network (MSN) of the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), International Council of Museums (ICOM), and the National Council on Public History (NCPH). You will also acquire skills of critical reflection, sound argumentation, and presentation of information to public audiences in a variety of formats.

Collections, Exhibit Spaces, and Labs

RIT has long been a hub of creativity. See and experience it for yourself, tap into generations of inspiration, and use it as a springboard for your own. 

RIT Collections:

• RIT Archives collects and makes accessible physical and digital materials relating to the rich history of RIT, Deaf culture and history, artwork by RIT alumni, faculty, and students, and other special collections.  
• The Cary Graphic Arts Collection is one of the world’s premier libraries on graphic communication history and practices, holding 45,000+ volumes and more than 130 archival collections.
• The Dyer Art Center at NTID houses several state-of-the-art galleries that showcase artworks created by current students, alumni, and artists who are nationally and internationally renowned. All of these artists are deaf, hard of hearing, and/or allies of the Deaf community.
• The Vignelli Center for Design Studies is a hub of research, education, and creative inspiration that houses more than 750,000 artifacts across all fields of design.

Exhibit Spaces:
Student-led and faculty-led displays and exhibitions at RIT’s exhibit spaces are the result of collaboration with professionals and artists locally, regionally, and worldwide — exposing you to the latest techniques and trend makers in the industry:  

• University Gallery, in Booth Hall
• Wehrheim Gallery in the SHED

Other Stats

• +11% employment growth predicted by the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics.
• $800K grant-sponsored research funds secured by museum studies program in the last five years.
• $1.3M gift that supports RIT-museum partnership with the Genesee Country Village & Museum.

Jobs in Museums Studies

A career in museums, archives, libraries, other cultural institutions, or cognate fields awaits you! The good news is that the occupational outlook for archives and museums is very good, with a 12% growth predicted in the next decade, and the outlook for libraries is good, with a 6% growth for library media specialists predicted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the next decade.

Upon graduation, you will be prepared for a variety of positions in museums, historical sites, historical societies, libraries, archives, and corporations or other organizations with cultural repositories that develop and implement strategies to digitize, exhibit, manage, curate, and interpret their artistic, cultural, historical, and scientific collections, and to make them available to the public in interactive and engaging ways.

You may also wish to further your education in graduate programs in library and information science, archival studies, informatics, or a number of disciplines including art history and related humanities fields, business, color science, imaging science, and other disciplines that can build upon the firm foundation of liberal arts and tech-infused courses and projects that are cornerstones of the museum studies degree program.

Furthering Your Career in Museum Studies

Combined Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Degrees: Today’s careers require advanced degrees grounded in real-world experience. RIT’s Combined Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees enable you to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in as little as five years of study, all while gaining the valuable hands-on experience that comes from co-ops, internships, research, study abroad, and more.

• +1 MBA: Students who enroll in a qualifying undergraduate degree have the opportunity to add an MBA to their bachelor’s degree after their first year of study, depending on their program. Learn how the +1 MBA can accelerate your learning and position you for success.

3+3 Accelerated BS/JD Programs

RIT has partnered with Syracuse University’s College of Law and University at Buffalo School of Law to offer accelerated 3+3 BS/JD options for highly capable students. These programs provide a fast track to law school where you can earn a bachelor’s degree at RIT and a Juris Doctorate degree at Syracuse University or University at Buffalo in six years. Interested students may apply to the option directly, with successful applicants offered admission to RIT and conditional acceptance into either Syracuse University’s College of Law or University at Buffalo School of Law.

RIT’s museum studies degree is one of the approved majors for the 3+3 option.

Learn more about Accelerated Law 3+3 Programs.

RIT’s Teaching Partnership Programs

Whether your goal is to go into early childhood or elementary education, become a secondary education teacher with a content area specialty at the middle or high school level, or work in the higher education or counseling fields, RIT’s partnership programs with local universities provide a guided pathway to a career in teaching. 

These 4+1 or 3+2 programs enable you to earn your bachelor’s degree at RIT and a master’s degree in education at one of our partner universities. As you progress, you’ll benefit from focused academic advising, career exploration opportunities, and resources for research, learning, and skill development.  

RIT’s museum studies degree is eligible for RIT’s Teaching Partnership Program. 

Learn more about RIT’s Teaching Partnership Programs.