Museum Studies Minor

Museum Studies Minor

This 20-credit minor in museum studies is designed for students interested in creating a foundation for future graduate work in museum studies or a career in museums and other public exhibitionary spaces, in conjunction with a major or minor in an academic field most often associated with museums, such as anthropology, art, art history, education, history, English, publishing and editing, business administration, or one of the natural sciences. The minor draws on its component strengths to offer students experience in both the museological (the study of museums as a site for critical study/reflection on the act(s) of representation) and the museographical (the practical study of museum practices, such as the doing of exhibitions in all of their aspects) facets of museum studies. Students pursuing the museum studies minor will complete an internship in a museum. This component includes opportunities with the Lore Degenstein Gallery on campus, local museums and historical houses, or other museums, exhibitionary spaces, archives, and state and national parks with public exhibition or commemorative spaces. Internship possibilities will be reviewed and approved by the program's director, in consultation with the Museum Studies Advisory Board, chosen from faculty in the art history, history, and anthropology programs.