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Museum Studies BS
Program overview
The bachelor of science degree in museum studies is an innovative, interdisciplinary, technically-based major that prepares students for careers in museums, archives, photo collections, and libraries.
Curriculum
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 will also choose to pursue one of two professional tracks: management or art conservation.
Internship
The major requires students to complete a 200-hour internship in a cultural institution. This experience gives students the opportunity to apply what they've learned in the classroom to a professional setting and gain valuable work experience before they graduate.
Professional tracks
Both professional tracks (management or art conservation) include course work that meets the criteria established by professionals in the field and reflects current opinion about necessary skill sets. Since 2000, the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and the Committee on Museum Professional Training (COMPT) have called for revisions in the training of museum professionals that reflect evolving needs for management, leadership, information technology, fundraising, and grant writing skills—all of which the cultural resource and information studies track includes. The art conservation track features the traditional criteria for entry into the field as well as course work in chemistry and studio arts, two areas that have been identified as deficient in other undergraduate programs.
Museum studies (management track), BS degree, typical course sequence (semesters), effective fall 2013
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| MUSE-220 | Introduction to Museums and Collecting | 3 |
| ARTH-135 | Survey of Western Art and Architecture 1 | 3 |
| LAS Foundation 1: First-Year Seminar | 3 | |
| LAS Perspective 1, 2, 3, 4 | 12 | |
| MUSE-221 | Introduction to Public History | 3 |
| ARTH-136 | Survey of Western Art and Architecture 2 | 3 |
| ENGL-150 | LAS Foundation 2: Writing Seminar | 3 |
| Wellness Education* | 0 | |
| Second Year | ||
| MUSE-222 | Panel Painting | 3 |
| Studio Art Course (CCER, CGLS, CMTJ, or CWFD) | 3 | |
| Art History Elective | 3 | |
| LAS Perspective 5†, 6, 7A, 7B | 12 | |
| MUSE-224 | History and Theory of Exhibitions | 3 |
| MUSE-223 | Historic Photographic Processes | 3 |
| IGME-110 | Introduction to Interactive Media | 3 |
| Third Year | ||
| MUSE 354 | Exhibition Design | 3 |
| MUSE 355 | Fundraising, Grant Writing and Marketing | 3 |
| IGME 101 | Interactive Media Development 1 | 3 |
| LAS Immersion 1, 2, 3 | 9 | |
| MUSE-357 | Collections Management and Museum Administration | 3 |
| IGME-102 | Interactive Media Development 2 | 3 |
| MGMT-320 | Organizational Behavior | 3 |
| LAS Elective | 3 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| MUSE-438 | Conservation and Analysis | 3 |
| MUSE-490 | Senior Thesis | 3 |
| MGMT-415 | Digital Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| Free Electives | 6 | |
| LAS Electives | 9 | |
| MUSE-356 | Interactive Design for Museums | 3 |
| MGMT-460 | Leadership in Organizations | 3 |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 120 | |
Please see New General Education Curriculum–Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) for more information.
(WI) Refers to a writing intensive course within the major.
* Please see Wellness Education Requirement for more information.
† Students will satisfy this requirement by taking either a 3- or 4-credit hour lab science course. If a science course consists of separate lecture and laboratory sections, the student must take both the lecture and lab portions to satisfy the requirement.
Museum studies (art conservation track), BS degree, typical course sequence (semesters), effective fall 2013
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| MUSE-220 | Introduction to Museums and Collecting | 3 |
| ARTH-135 | Survey of Western Art and Architecture 1 | 3 |
| LAS Foundation 1: First-Year Seminar | 3 | |
| CHMG-141, 145 | LAS Perspective 5: General and Analytical Chemistry I w/ Lab | 4 |
| LAS Perspectives 1, 2 | 6 | |
| Studio Art Course (CCER, CGLS, CMTJ, CWFD) | 3 | |
| ARTH-136 | Survey of Western Art and Architecture 2 | 3 |
| ENGL-150 | LAS Foundation 2: Writing Seminar | 3 |
| CHMG-142, 146 | LAS Perspective 6: General and Analytical Chemistry II w/ Lab | 4 |
| Wellness Education* | 0 | |
| Second Year | ||
| MUSE-422 | Panel Painting | 3 |
| Studio Art Course (CCER, CGLS, CMTJ, CWFD) | 3 | |
| CHMO-231, 235 | Organic Chemistry I w/ Lab | 4 |
| LAS Perspective 3, 4, 7A, 7B | 12 | |
| MUSE-223 | Historic Photographic Processes | 3 |
| CHMO-232, 236 | Organic Chemistry II w/ Lab | 4 |
| LAS Immersion 1 | 3 | |
| Third Year | ||
| LAS Immersion 2, 3 | 6 | |
| FDTN-111 | Drawing 1 | 3 |
| FDTN-112 | Drawing 2 | 3 |
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| FDTN-121 | 2D Design 1 | |
| FDTN-131 | 3D Design 1 | |
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| FDTN-122 | 2D Design 2 | |
| FDTN-132 | 3D Design 2 | |
| LAS Electives | 6 | |
| Free Electives | 6 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| MUSE-438 | Conservation and Analysis | 3 |
| MUSE-490 | Senior Thesis | 3 |
| Studio Art Courses (CCER, CGLS, CMTJ, CWFD) | 8 | |
| LAS Electives | 6 | |
| MUSE-356 | Interactive Design for Museums | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 120 | |
Please see New General Education Curriculum–Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) for more information.
(WI) Refers to a writing intensive course within the major.
* Please see Wellness Education Requirement for more information.
† Students will satisfy this requirement by taking either a 3- or 4-credit hour lab science course. If a science course consists of separate lecture and laboratory sections, the student must take both the lecture and lab portions to satisfy the requirement.
Additional information
Career opportunities
Upon graduation students will be prepared to work in public and private 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, or arts management; an MLS in library and information studies; or an MBA.
Advisers
Every student is assigned a faculty adviser who provides academic advising and career counseling. All of the fine arts department faculty members in museum studies hold the highest degrees in their field and all have been published within their areas of expertise.