Museum Studies Bachelor of Science Degree
In museum studies, you’ll learn how collections are built, curated, and interpreted and you will apply methods of exhibition and interpretation used in museums, archives, galleries, libraries, and public spaces including national parks.
Overview for Museum Studies BS
Museums, archives, libraries, and other cultural institutions seek emerging professionals who can help 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. Museum studies provide a thorough grounding in the history, theory, and practice of institutional collecting, exhibition development and design, multi-platform technologies, collection management, fundraising, and grant writing. You’ll be prepared to help institutions share their collections, engage with their communities, and enhance, assess, and improve the visitor experience.
RIT’s Museum Studies Program
Museum studies is an interdisciplinary, technology-infused major that prepares you for careers in museums, archives, libraries, galleries, historical societies, and other cultural organizations. The museum studies degree 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 a professional track in libraries, archives, and museums or in public history. You also are required to complete one cooperative education or internship experience in a cultural institution or similar entity.
The museum studies program offers two tracks: (1) museums, libraries, and archives and (2) public history. Both tracks provide you with the skills of critical reflection, sound argumentation, and presentation of information in a meaningful way to a public audience. They also include museum studies courses that meet the criteria established by professionals in the field and reflects current opinion about necessary skill sets, as held 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).
Jobs in Art Museums... and Historical Sites, Cultural Institutions, Archives, and So Much More
Upon graduation, you will be prepared for a variety of museum studies careers. Work in institutions such as 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 museum studies, library and information studies, archival studies, informatics, or a number of disciplines including art history, history, and business.
RIT/Syracuse University College of Law 3+3 Option
RIT has partnered with Syracuse University’s College of Law to offer an accelerated 3+3 BS/JD option for highly qualified students. This option provides a fast-track pathway to law school where you can earn a bachelor’s degree and a Juris Doctorate in six years. You may apply to the 3+3 option directly. Successful applicants are offered admission to RIT and given conditional acceptance into Syracuse University’s College of Law.
RIT’s museum studies degree is one of the approved majors for the 3+3 option. Learn more about the RIT/Syracuse University College of Law 3+3 Option, including admission requirements and frequently asked questions.
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.
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A perfect first-look for high school sophomores, juniors, and their families.
Industries
Careers and Cooperative Education
Typical Job Titles
| Assistant Curator | Collections Associate |
| Document Processor | Gallery Manager |
| Exhibit Project Manager | Archivist |
Salary and Career Information for Museum Studies BS
Cooperative Education
What’s different about an RIT education? It’s the career experience you gain by completing cooperative education and internships with top companies in every single industry. You’ll earn more than a degree. You’ll gain real-world career experience that sets you apart. It’s exposure–early and often–to a variety of professional work environments, career paths, and industries.
Co-ops and internships take your knowledge and turn it into know-how. A liberal arts co-op provides hands-on experience that enables you to apply your knowledge in professional settings while you make valuable connections between course work and real-world applications.
Students in museum studies are required to complete one co-op or internship experience in a cultural institution. Co-ops are usually a summer or semester in duration. Internships may be full- or part-time and are often completed during the semester. They vary in duration depending on the organization. Co-ops and internships may be completed locally, nationally, or internationally.
Featured Work
Providing Discoverability and Accessibility of Historical Documents to Museums and Libraries
Juilee Decker, David Messinger, Steven Galbraith
Students in the Museum Studies degree program are working alongside research scientists from the College of Science Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science to create, test, and iterate a low...
Rochester Music Hall of Fame: Stage and Exhibit Spaces
Students in the Spring 2019 Visitor Engagement and Museum Technologies course worked with teams from RIT’s Interior Architecture Program and the Kate Gleason College of Engineering in developing a new...
Digital Exhibit: Suffrage Poster Exhibition
Completed in the Fall of 2020 to recognize the centennial of woman suffrage in the U.S., this virtual exhibition was a collaboration between Tamar Carroll, Associate Professor of History, and students...
Featured Profiles
Melissa Sagen
’15
“My professors each encouraged my passion for film preservation in their own unique ways. It was meaningful to have that type of positivity and reassurance while I was discovering how I fit in and...
Preserving Lost History
As an archivist, Kayla Jackson '18 is effectively restoring the lost history of the Black community in St. Paul, Minnesota by preserving and digitizing historical documents.
Hands-On Museum Experience
Landyn Hatch
Landyn Hatch, a fourth-year museum studies major, helped 3D-print hands for the mannequins at Genesee Country Village & Museum.
Curriculum for Museum Studies BS
Museum Studies (Museums, Libraries and Archives track), BS degree, typical course sequence
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| ARTH-135 | General Education – Elective: Survey: Ancient to Medieval Art In this course students will examine the forms, styles, functions, and meanings of important objects and monuments dating from prehistory through the Middle Ages, and consider these works of art in their social, historical and cultural contexts. The primary goals of this course are to learn how to look, how to describe and analyze what we see, and how to use these skills to understand and explain how art visually expresses meaning. At the end of the term, students will have gained a foundational knowledge of the object, scope and methods of the discipline of art history. The knowledge obtained in this introductory course will also guide students in their own creative endeavors. Lecture 3 (Fa/sp/su). |
3 |
| ARTH-136 | General Education – Elective: Survey: Renaissance to Modern Art In this course students will examine the forms, styles, functions, and meanings of important objects and monuments dating from the Renaissance through the beginning of the twentieth century, and consider these works of art in their social, historical and cultural contexts. The primary goals of this course are to learn how to look and how to describe and analyze what we see, and to use these skills to understand and explain how art visually expresses meaning. At the end of the term, students will have gained a foundational knowledge of the object, scope and methods of the discipline of art history. The knowledge obtained in this introductory course will also guide students in their own creative endeavors. Lecture 3 (Fa/sp/su). |
3 |
| MUSE-220 | General Education – Elective: Introduction to Museums & Collecting This course examines the history, theory, ideology, and practice of collecting within the institutional context of the museum. It considers the formation of the modern museum, and focusing on the American context, investigates the function and varieties of museums, ranging from natural history, anthropology, science and technology, history, and art. The course explores the history of the museum and its evolution institutionally, ideologically, and experientially. The course also considers the operations of museums from accessioning through deaccessioning, examining museum management, collections management and collections care. The course also explores museum governance and the professional ethics and legal constraints that affect museum professionals. The course examines how a museum carries out its mission of public education through its collections and exhibitions, as well as through its educational programs and community outreach and visitor studies. Current issues in the museum world are also considered, including: the museum's educational function versus its entertainment function; the problems of staying solvent in an era of diminishing governmental and corporate subsidies; deaccessioning collections to support the museum operations; issues of art theft and repatriation (ranging from colonial era and Nazi era plunder, the disposition of human remains and sacred objects, and illicit trafficking); the evolving responsibilities of the museum to its public and the cultural heritage; and the rise of the virtual museum. Throughout the semester, the course examines museums and their practices through the perspectives of colonialism, nationalism, class, race, age, gender, and ethnicity. The course includes field trips to local museums and collections throughout the semester. Lecture 3 (Fall). |
3 |
| MUSE-221 | Introduction to Public History Public history is using the research-based methods and techniques of historians to conduct historical work in the public sphere. If you've gone to a museum, conducted an oral history, researched your old house, or learned from an interpreter at a park or historic site, you've seen public history in action. This course will introduce students to the wide variety of careers in public history, and will examine the challenges and opportunities that come with doing history in, with, and for the public. Lecture 3 (Spring). |
3 |
| YOPS-10 | RIT 365: RIT Connections RIT 365 students participate in experiential learning opportunities designed to launch them into their career at RIT, support them in making multiple and varied connections across the university, and immerse them in processes of competency development. Students will plan for and reflect on their first-year experiences, receive feedback, and develop a personal plan for future action in order to develop foundational self-awareness and recognize broad-based professional competencies. Lecture 1 (Fall, Spring). |
0 |
General Education – Artistic Perspective |
3 | |
General Education – Ethical Perspective |
3 | |
General Education – First-Year Writing (WI) |
3 | |
General Education – Global Perspective |
3 | |
General Education – Mathematical Perspective A |
3 | |
General Education – Social Perspective |
3 | |
| Second Year | ||
| MUSE-224 | History & Theory of Exhibitions Art exhibitions are organized around a curatorial premise, a statement that articulates an idea allowing for the selection of work included in an exhibition. This course begins with an overview of exhibition history, starting with the transformation of the Louvre into the first public art museum following the French Revolution, where art history, a discipline developed in the 19th century, was enlisted to organize exhibition. The course then examines the proliferation of types of exhibitions that accompanies modernism, up to the present, paying close attention to the curatorial premise animating the exhibitions. Lecture 3 (Spring). |
3 |
| MUSE-225 | Museums & the Digital Age The digital revolution has profoundly influenced how we think about the world around us. Information once available only to experts is now accessible digitally to a much broader audience. Museums, archives, and libraries have adapted to this democratization of knowledge and decentralization of access in myriad ways. As visitors to museums—whether online or onsite—each of us is part of the creation, consumption, and reception of digital information. What does this mean for museums and for us as audiences and consumers of such information? How has the combination of digital technology and social media increased visitors’ abilities for interaction with cultural institutions, their collections, and other visitors? This course will examine the history and evolution of museum practices as they adapt to new technologies and rethink traditional museum practices. The course has no pre-requisite and is open to students of all majors. Lecture 3 (Fall). |
3 |
| MUSE-341 | Museum Education & Interpretation This course introduces students to the educational mission of the museum and to the museum’s role in educating citizens for participation in a democratic, pluralistic society. As sites of informal learning, museums have an educational impact on our lives beyond our formal schooling. The course focuses on a wide range of educational activities within museums that address visitors of all ages as individuals and as members of a democratic society, and helps to foster in them a sense of community, civic responsibility, tolerance for multiple viewpoints, and lifelong love of learning. The course examines the institutional shift from a fixed, scholarly approach to exhibiting collections to one that embraces the concept of interpretation, where visitors are encouraged to engage in a variety of experiences, make their own connections with objects and other visitors, and ultimately construct their own meanings. Lecture 3 (Fall). |
3 |
| MUSE-358 | General Education – Elective: Legal and Ethical Issues for Collecting Institutions This course presents an overview of the legal and ethical issues that govern the institutions and personnel involved in collecting cultural resources. Collecting institutions are governed by national, state, and local laws that define how facilities and collections are used and this course will consider them, as well as the larger social and historical context out of which they developed. The course will consider the evolution of the museum as a public institution and how the legal system increasingly defined minimum standards for maintaining collections, the facilities in which they are housed, and guaranteeing public access; in addition legal standards for the collection will be studied, including definitions of ownership, what this means in terms of intellectual property rights, copyright, reproduction (traditional and electronic), and deaccessioning/disposal. These will be studied within the context of the society within which the institution functions. The course will also study the development of national and international ethical standards and will examine the codes of behavior that govern the personal and professional conduct of museum professionals and the practices that comprise conflicts of interest. Ethical standards for collecting institutions will also be considered, particularly those that address the responsibilities to a collection, the ethics of acquisition, the question of illicit or stolen material, the issues of human remains and objects of sacred significance, and repatriation. Attention will be paid to the changes in society that made these issues critical for collecting institutions. Lecture 3 (Spring). |
3 |
General Education – Immersion |
3 | |
General Education – Natural Science Inquiry Perspective ‡ |
4 | |
General Education – Scientific Principles Perspective |
3 | |
General Education – Mathematical Perspective B |
3 | |
Open Electives |
6 | |
| Third Year | ||
| MUSE-340 | Introduction to Archival Studies This course introduces students to the role of archives in the construction of a society’s cultural heritage and historical identity. Archives are repositories of a culture’s original documents, both paper and electronic, and they function as a site for the construction, preservation, and dissemination of historical memory, as a source for social responsibility, and as a tool for the understanding of the cultural, social, and political forces that influence events. The course will examine the history of archives, the theory and practice that guide the work of archivists, and examine the basic components of an archival program: including acquisition and appraisal, arrangement and description, preservation and legal and ethical issues related to access to archival records. The class will also cover the transformation of the profession in the digital age, including digital preservation, the work of archival appraisal and collection building in an age of digital proliferation, and archival collection management systems. Lecture 3 (Fall). |
3 |
| MUSE-354 | Exhibition Design This course examines the history and practice of exhibition design. It reviews the history of exhibitions within the development of museum-like institutions. In this course the following aspects of exhibition design are considered: curatorial premise or theme, exhibition development timeline, exhibition site, contracts and contractual obligations, budgets and fundraising, publicity material, didactic material, and exhibition design. The course includes field trips to local institutions and collections throughout the term. Lecture 3 (Fall). |
3 |
| MUSE-355 | Fundraising, Grant Writing, & Marketing for Nonprofit Institutions This course examines the growing autonomy of collecting institutions as they are cut off from various forms of governmental sponsorship and public subsidy and their subsequent needs for raising money from outside, non-traditional sources. The course looks at issues of needs assessment, budgeting, and strategic planning. It focuses on the design and implementation of effective fundraising campaigns, as well as on the organization and writing of successful grant proposals. It also considers the importance of marketing to overall institutional success. Lecture 3 (Fall). |
3 |
| MUSE-357 | Collections Management & Museum Administration This course presents an overview of the administration and management of museums and their collections. The course examines the governance structure of museums, focusing on personnel responsible for their administration, curation and education, and operations, as well as on the mission statement and policies they determine. The course also details the management of collections, including the development of a collections policy, management of that policy, documentation and record keeping, acquisitions, and the creation/management of exhibitions. Finally, the course considers collections care or preventive conservation, looking at both the facility and collections. Throughout the term, legal and ethical issues pertaining to museums and their collections will be emphasized. (Prerequisites: MUSE-220 or 0533-421 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Spring). |
3 |
| MUSE-359 | Cultural Informatics This course introduces students to Cultural Informatics, the interdisciplinary field that examines the intersections of information technologies, information science, and cultural information centered in museums, libraries, and archives. Among the topics to be examined are: how information technologies are used in museums, libraries, and archives; how modern information systems have shaped the museum environment; the nature of convergence; the development of digital collections, digital curation, and online exhibitions; and the role and status of the information professional in the museum and cultural organizations. The course is designed around projects, case studies, and readings so that students gain hands-on experience working with information. The course has no prerequisite and is open to students of all majors. Lecture 3 (Fall). |
3 |
| MUSE360 | Visitor Engagement & Museum Technologies All of us, as museum visitors, have the capacity to engage with collections and to create meanings as a result of such interaction. This course considers the history and theory of visitor engagement at museums, galleries, and sites of cultural heritage tourism; examines the import of technology into this history; and articulates the role of visitors as participants who curate their own experiences. Two key questions will be addressed in this course: 1) How does technology provide a platform for contribution, collaboration, co-creation, and co-opting of experiences among all visitors? and 2) Can technology mediate the best possible experience for visitors? The course has no prerequisite and is open to students of all majors. Lecture 3 (Spring). |
3 |
General Education – Immersion 2, 3 |
6 | |
General Education – Elective |
3 | |
Open Elective |
3 | |
| Choose one of the following: | 0 |
|
| MUSE-497 | Museum Studies Internship (summer) Internship in a field related to Museum Studies (at least 50 hours). Students will apply the accumulated knowledge, theory, and methods of the discipline to problem solving outside of the classroom. (MUSEUM-BS) Internship (Fall, Spring, Summer). |
|
| MUSE-498 | Museum Studies Co-Op Part Time (summer) Co-op in a field related to museum studies (at least 80 hours). Students will apply the accumulated knowledge, theory, and methods of the discipline to problem solving outside of the classroom. (MUSEUM-BS) CO OP (Fa/sp/su). |
|
| MUSE-499 | Museum Studies Co-op (summer) Co-op in a field related to museum studies (at least 200 hours). Students will apply the accumulated knowledge, theory, and methods of the discipline to problem solving outside of the classroom. CO OP (Fall, Spring, Summer). |
|
| Fourth Year | ||
| MUSE-489 | Research Methods (WI-PR) This class introduces students to the methods of research appropriate for scholarship in the field of Museum Studies. Students will learn how to locate, analyze, assess, critique and conduct research in the field. They will choose the topic of their senior thesis project, develop a clear statement of how that topic will be explored, and construct an annotated bibliography relevant to that topic. This course leads to the development of a proposal for a senior thesis project that is suitable for full implementation in Senior Thesis for museum studies. (This class is restricted to students with at least 3rd year standing in MUSEUM-BS.) Research 3 (Fall, Spring). |
3 |
| MUSE-490 | Senior Thesis in Museum Studies (WI-PR) The Senior Thesis in Museum Studies is the final requirement in the degree program. Students will conduct the appropriate research to address the topic they had proposed in Research Methods. They will present their results as a formal written thesis and in an appropriate public forum. The course provides students the opportunity to develop their research and practical skills and to share the results with the department and the college. (Prerequisites: MUSE-489 or equivalent course.) Research 3 (Fall, Spring). |
3 |
General Education – Electives |
12 | |
MUSE Electives |
6 | |
Open Electives |
6 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 121 |
|
Please see General Education Curriculum (GE) for more information.
(WI-PR) Refers to a writing intensive course within the major.
* Please see Wellness Education Requirement for more information. Students completing bachelor's degrees are required to complete two different Wellness courses.
‡ 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 (Public History track), BS degree, typical course sequence
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| HIST-101 | Making History How do historians understand and interpret the past? What tools do historians use to uncover the past? What does it mean to think historically? History is both an art and a science, and in this course, we will learn the methods, practices, and tools used to create historical knowledge. You will learn how to read texts with an eye toward their argument, how to ask historical questions, how to conduct historical research, and how to write a historical narrative. At the discretion of the instructor, the class may use examples from a particular historical era to ground course concepts in a specific historical tradition. Lecture 3 (Fall). |
3 |
| MUSE-220 | General Education – Elective: Introduction to Museums & Collecting This course examines the history, theory, ideology, and practice of collecting within the institutional context of the museum. It considers the formation of the modern museum, and focusing on the American context, investigates the function and varieties of museums, ranging from natural history, anthropology, science and technology, history, and art. The course explores the history of the museum and its evolution institutionally, ideologically, and experientially. The course also considers the operations of museums from accessioning through deaccessioning, examining museum management, collections management and collections care. The course also explores museum governance and the professional ethics and legal constraints that affect museum professionals. The course examines how a museum carries out its mission of public education through its collections and exhibitions, as well as through its educational programs and community outreach and visitor studies. Current issues in the museum world are also considered, including: the museum's educational function versus its entertainment function; the problems of staying solvent in an era of diminishing governmental and corporate subsidies; deaccessioning collections to support the museum operations; issues of art theft and repatriation (ranging from colonial era and Nazi era plunder, the disposition of human remains and sacred objects, and illicit trafficking); the evolving responsibilities of the museum to its public and the cultural heritage; and the rise of the virtual museum. Throughout the semester, the course examines museums and their practices through the perspectives of colonialism, nationalism, class, race, age, gender, and ethnicity. The course includes field trips to local museums and collections throughout the semester. Lecture 3 (Fall). |
3 |
| MUSE-221 | General Education – Elective: Introduction to Public History Public history is using the research-based methods and techniques of historians to conduct historical work in the public sphere. If you've gone to a museum, conducted an oral history, researched your old house, or learned from an interpreter at a park or historic site, you've seen public history in action. This course will introduce students to the wide variety of careers in public history, and will examine the challenges and opportunities that come with doing history in, with, and for the public. Lecture 3 (Spring). |
3 |
| YOPS-10 | RIT 365: RIT Connections RIT 365 students participate in experiential learning opportunities designed to launch them into their career at RIT, support them in making multiple and varied connections across the university, and immerse them in processes of competency development. Students will plan for and reflect on their first-year experiences, receive feedback, and develop a personal plan for future action in order to develop foundational self-awareness and recognize broad-based professional competencies. Lecture 1 (Fall, Spring). |
0 |
General Education – Artistic Perspective |
3 | |
General Education – Ethical Perspective |
3 | |
General Education – First-Year Writing (WI) |
3 | |
General Education – Global Perspective |
3 | |
General Education – Mathematical Perspective A |
3 | |
General Education – Natural Science Inquiry Perspective ‡ |
4 | |
General Education – Social Perspective |
3 | |
| Second Year | ||
| HIST-125 | Public History and Public Debate In late 1994, the B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay, the airplane that dropped the first atomic bomb detonated in combat on Hiroshima, Japan, arrived at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. The museum’s staff faced important questions: Would they celebrate the Enola Gay as the weapon that ended the Pacific War? Would they exhibit it as a technological artifact that marked the dawn of nuclear warfare? Would they remind museum visitors that its potent cargo ended the lives of tens of thousands of people? These were difficult professional questions for public historians; they were deeply ethical questions too.
Much of the past that public historians interpret is the source of great debate in the present. Since the way history is remembered shapes public policy, community identity, and collective understanding, the ethical stakes for public history are high. This course will examine notable controversies in American public history and develop students’ critical perspectives on them. Students will generate answers to the questions: What are the ethics of doing public history? What happens when public historians remember, but the community wants to forget? When stakeholders (e.g., historic site, community, historians, sponsors) collide, whose stories and whose interests prevail? Who decides? How are those decisions made? Who is allowed to tell history? To whom or to what are public historians responsible? Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring). |
3 |
| HIST-324 | Oral History Oral history collects memories and personal commentaries of historical significance through recorded interviews. There are few opportunities for historical research that are more satisfying or more challenging than oral history. In this class, we will learn about oral history methods, techniques, and ethics. We will read, listen to, and watch some of the finest examples of the genre. Then we will go out and add to the world's understanding of its past by conducting oral histories of our own. For their final project in this course, students will work in teams to produce a podcast based on their own interview(s). Lecture 3 (Fall). |
3 |
| MUSE-224 | History & Theory of Exhibitions Art exhibitions are organized around a curatorial premise, a statement that articulates an idea allowing for the selection of work included in an exhibition. This course begins with an overview of exhibition history, starting with the transformation of the Louvre into the first public art museum following the French Revolution, where art history, a discipline developed in the 19th century, was enlisted to organize exhibition. The course then examines the proliferation of types of exhibitions that accompanies modernism, up to the present, paying close attention to the curatorial premise animating the exhibitions. Lecture 3 (Spring). |
3 |
| MUSE-225 | Museums & the Digital Age The digital revolution has profoundly influenced how we think about the world around us. Information once available only to experts is now accessible digitally to a much broader audience. Museums, archives, and libraries have adapted to this democratization of knowledge and decentralization of access in myriad ways. As visitors to museums—whether online or onsite—each of us is part of the creation, consumption, and reception of digital information. What does this mean for museums and for us as audiences and consumers of such information? How has the combination of digital technology and social media increased visitors’ abilities for interaction with cultural institutions, their collections, and other visitors? This course will examine the history and evolution of museum practices as they adapt to new technologies and rethink traditional museum practices. The course has no pre-requisite and is open to students of all majors. Lecture 3 (Fall). |
3 |
| MUSE-341 | General Education – Elective: Museum Education & Interpretation This course introduces students to the educational mission of the museum and to the museum’s role in educating citizens for participation in a democratic, pluralistic society. As sites of informal learning, museums have an educational impact on our lives beyond our formal schooling. The course focuses on a wide range of educational activities within museums that address visitors of all ages as individuals and as members of a democratic society, and helps to foster in them a sense of community, civic responsibility, tolerance for multiple viewpoints, and lifelong love of learning. The course examines the institutional shift from a fixed, scholarly approach to exhibiting collections to one that embraces the concept of interpretation, where visitors are encouraged to engage in a variety of experiences, make their own connections with objects and other visitors, and ultimately construct their own meanings. Lecture 3 (Fall). |
3 |
| MUSE-358 | Legal and Ethical Issues for Collecting Institutions This course presents an overview of the legal and ethical issues that govern the institutions and personnel involved in collecting cultural resources. Collecting institutions are governed by national, state, and local laws that define how facilities and collections are used and this course will consider them, as well as the larger social and historical context out of which they developed. The course will consider the evolution of the museum as a public institution and how the legal system increasingly defined minimum standards for maintaining collections, the facilities in which they are housed, and guaranteeing public access; in addition legal standards for the collection will be studied, including definitions of ownership, what this means in terms of intellectual property rights, copyright, reproduction (traditional and electronic), and deaccessioning/disposal. These will be studied within the context of the society within which the institution functions. The course will also study the development of national and international ethical standards and will examine the codes of behavior that govern the personal and professional conduct of museum professionals and the practices that comprise conflicts of interest. Ethical standards for collecting institutions will also be considered, particularly those that address the responsibilities to a collection, the ethics of acquisition, the question of illicit or stolen material, the issues of human remains and objects of sacred significance, and repatriation. Attention will be paid to the changes in society that made these issues critical for collecting institutions. Lecture 3 (Spring). |
3 |
General Education – Immersion 1, 2 |
6 | |
General Education – Mathematical Perspective B |
3 | |
General Education – Scientific Principles Perspective |
3 | |
| Third Year | ||
| HIST-325 | Museums and History Many more people learn history from museums than from textbooks. What is it that is so special about encountering the real thing in a museum? Why are Dorothy's Ruby Slippers the most visited artifact in the National Museum of American History? Do history museums themselves have an important history? Join us as we investigate the connections between our history, our museums, and the material artifacts that tell historical stories. Lecture 3 (Spring). |
3 |
| MUSE-354 | Exhibition Design This course examines the history and practice of exhibition design. It reviews the history of exhibitions within the development of museum-like institutions. In this course the following aspects of exhibition design are considered: curatorial premise or theme, exhibition development timeline, exhibition site, contracts and contractual obligations, budgets and fundraising, publicity material, didactic material, and exhibition design. The course includes field trips to local institutions and collections throughout the term. Lecture 3 (Fall). |
3 |
| MUSE-355 | Fundraising, Grant Writing, & Marketing for Nonprofit Institutions This course examines the growing autonomy of collecting institutions as they are cut off from various forms of governmental sponsorship and public subsidy and their subsequent needs for raising money from outside, non-traditional sources. The course looks at issues of needs assessment, budgeting, and strategic planning. It focuses on the design and implementation of effective fundraising campaigns, as well as on the organization and writing of successful grant proposals. It also considers the importance of marketing to overall institutional success. Lecture 3 (Fall). |
3 |
| MUSE-357 | Collections Management & Museum Administration This course presents an overview of the administration and management of museums and their collections. The course examines the governance structure of museums, focusing on personnel responsible for their administration, curation and education, and operations, as well as on the mission statement and policies they determine. The course also details the management of collections, including the development of a collections policy, management of that policy, documentation and record keeping, acquisitions, and the creation/management of exhibitions. Finally, the course considers collections care or preventive conservation, looking at both the facility and collections. Throughout the term, legal and ethical issues pertaining to museums and their collections will be emphasized. (Prerequisites: MUSE-220 or 0533-421 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Spring). |
3 |
| MUSE-359 | Cultural Informatics This course introduces students to Cultural Informatics, the interdisciplinary field that examines the intersections of information technologies, information science, and cultural information centered in museums, libraries, and archives. Among the topics to be examined are: how information technologies are used in museums, libraries, and archives; how modern information systems have shaped the museum environment; the nature of convergence; the development of digital collections, digital curation, and online exhibitions; and the role and status of the information professional in the museum and cultural organizations. The course is designed around projects, case studies, and readings so that students gain hands-on experience working with information. The course has no prerequisite and is open to students of all majors. Lecture 3 (Fall). |
3 |
| MUSE-360 | Visitor Engagement & Museum Technologies All of us, as museum visitors, have the capacity to engage with collections and to create meanings as a result of such interaction. This course considers the history and theory of visitor engagement at museums, galleries, and sites of cultural heritage tourism; examines the import of technology into this history; and articulates the role of visitors as participants who curate their own experiences. Two key questions will be addressed in this course: 1) How does technology provide a platform for contribution, collaboration, co-creation, and co-opting of experiences among all visitors? and 2) Can technology mediate the best possible experience for visitors? The course has no prerequisite and is open to students of all majors. Lecture 3 (Spring). |
3 |
Public History Elective |
3 | |
General Education – Immersion 3 |
3 | |
General Education – Electives |
6 | |
| Choose one of the following: | 0 |
|
| MUSE-497 | Museum Studies Internship (summer) Internship in a field related to Museum Studies (at least 50 hours). Students will apply the accumulated knowledge, theory, and methods of the discipline to problem solving outside of the classroom. (MUSEUM-BS) Internship (Fall, Spring, Summer). |
|
| MUSE-498 | Museum Studies Co-Op Part Time (summer) Co-op in a field related to museum studies (at least 80 hours). Students will apply the accumulated knowledge, theory, and methods of the discipline to problem solving outside of the classroom. (MUSEUM-BS) CO OP (Fa/sp/su). |
|
| MUSE-499 | Museum Studies Co-op (summer) Co-op in a field related to museum studies (at least 200 hours). Students will apply the accumulated knowledge, theory, and methods of the discipline to problem solving outside of the classroom. CO OP (Fall, Spring, Summer). |
|
| Fourth Year | ||
| MUSE-489 | Research Methods (WI-PR) This class introduces students to the methods of research appropriate for scholarship in the field of Museum Studies. Students will learn how to locate, analyze, assess, critique and conduct research in the field. They will choose the topic of their senior thesis project, develop a clear statement of how that topic will be explored, and construct an annotated bibliography relevant to that topic. This course leads to the development of a proposal for a senior thesis project that is suitable for full implementation in Senior Thesis for museum studies. (This class is restricted to students with at least 3rd year standing in MUSEUM-BS.) Research 3 (Fall, Spring). |
3 |
| MUSE-490 | Senior Thesis in Museum Studies (WI-PR) The Senior Thesis in Museum Studies is the final requirement in the degree program. Students will conduct the appropriate research to address the topic they had proposed in Research Methods. They will present their results as a formal written thesis and in an appropriate public forum. The course provides students the opportunity to develop their research and practical skills and to share the results with the department and the college. (Prerequisites: MUSE-489 or equivalent course.) Research 3 (Fall, Spring). |
3 |
General Education – Electives |
9 | |
Open Electives |
15 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 121 |
|
Please see General Education Curriculum (GE) for more information.
(WI-PR) Refers to a writing intensive course within the major.
* Please see Wellness Education Requirement for more information. Students completing bachelor's degrees are required to complete two different Wellness courses.
‡ 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.
Admissions and Financial Aid
First-Year Admission
A strong performance in a college preparatory program is expected. This includes:
- 4 years of English with a strong performance is expected.
- 3 years of social studies and/or history with a strong performance is expected.
- 3 years of math is required and must include algebra, geometry, and algebra 2/trigonometry.
- 2-3 years of science.
Transfer Admission
Transfer course recommendations without associate degree
Courses in liberal arts, art history, studio arts, photography, business, and chemistry
Appropriate associate degree programs for transfer
Fine arts, Liberal arts, or business/marketing
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RIT’s personalized and comprehensive financial aid program includes scholarships, grants, loans, and campus employment programs. When all these are put to work, your actual cost may be much lower than the published estimated cost of attendance.
Learn more about financial aid and scholarships
Latest News
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May 23, 2023
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Students use low-cost multispectral imaging system to uncover hidden texts
Izzy Moyer, a third-year museum studies student, earned an internship working with other RIT students on MISHA, the Multispectral Imaging System for Historical Artifacts. The system includes 16 LEDs to illuminate objects using different wavelengths of light to see the object in new ways.
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May 2, 2023
![Nine College of Liberal Arts alumni were recognized last week at an award ceremony held at RIT’s Tait Preserve. Pictured from left to right: Cheleen Burke ’14; Brianna Alverson ’16; Luiz Freitas ’07; Krystle Jones-Ellis ’09 , ’15 MS; Melissa Sagen ’15; and Dailyn Clark ’18.]()
CLA Alumni Award Recipients Make an Impact in their Professions and their Communities
Nine College of Liberal Arts (CLA) alumni were recognized last week at an award ceremony held at RIT’s Tait Preserve.
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April 25, 2023
![construction crews working on the exterior of a large glass building with a bridge over a walkway.]()
SHED and Wallace Library classrooms offer new teaching and learning experience
When the Student Hall for Exploration and Development (SHED) opens in the fall, the multi-use facility will create an entirely new learning environment for RIT faculty and students alike.
