Museum Studies
Museum Studies, also called museology, covers a wide variety of disciplines such as preservation, archivist, the practical day-to-day of running a museum, to the ideological and societal roles of museums. Museums collect, document, and preserve information and objects which provide insight into cultural ideas, history, and experiences of people, places, animals, and objects.
For a professional career with a museum, a master's degree in Museum Studies, Conservation, Historic Preservation, or Arts Administration is generally required. Many universities offer museum studies programs both online and in-person. The Smithsonian Institute Museum Studies website offers a list of the current programs available.
Students interested in pursuing graduate studies in museology can prepare by:
- Complete a bachelor's degree. While your academic major does not matter, museum studies programs can be competitive an expect students to have a high GPA, strong scores on the Graduate Records Exam (GRE), professional and faculty letters of recommendation, a diverse background, experience working in museums or other informal learning environments, and a compelling statement of interest. Related undergraduate coursework in computer applications and programing, English, history, art, anthropology, archaeology, communication, journalism, and foreign language is recommended.
- Review the SLED Testing and Education Reference Center for GRE test preps. You will want to choose Graduate Schools after clicking on Testing and Education Reference Center.
- There are specialized areas within museology. Research on the different aspects of museum work. The Smithsonian Institute Museum Studies website is a good research starting point as is the American Association of Museums.
Additional information for preparing for a career in museum studies can be found at:
- American Association of Museums
- Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Schools with programs in Museum Studies and/or Archival Preservation