Preserving the Past, Observing the Present: Museum Studies
There is a lot that can be learned online, but the internet will never be able to replace the feeling of walking into a museum and seeing the exhibits with your own eyes. If you are excited about the preservation of history and seeing historical items preserved for future generations, then a career in the museum industry might interest you. An online degree in museum studies prepares students for an exciting career in a museum or preservation environment. Graduates earning a museum studies degree are experts in artifact retrieval, conservation, exhibition, art history and culture. These skills generally apply to the appreciation or investigation of art, science, history and nature.
Museum Studies Degree Information
Students who pursue a museum studies degree will become extremely well-versed in human culture. They will learn the ethics surrounding museum collections and how museums edify, elucidate and enlighten. Students will become experts on art, history and culture and learn how to share their expertise with others.
Study Options
Students who plan for a museum career will usually start by earning a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Fine Arts in a related field, such as art history or history, to give them a base of knowledge to work from. Once they graduate, the student can opt for a master's degree or doctoral degree in museum studies or a related field.
Advanced Studies
Students who are interested in being museum curators can earn a master's degree with a focus on arts administration and management. Those planning to be museum directors may also want to add courses in finance and in management to their curriculum. Those who plan to be museum guides or to acquire pieces for museum collections will need to take additional art history, art appreciation and possibly anthropology, archeology and/or sociology courses. Students should be prepared to sharpen their research and analytical skills in pursuit of their museum studies degree.
Master Of Arts In Arts Administration
The Master of Arts in Arts Administration or some management degree will be required for museum curators. These degree candidates will become experts in the running of a complex system like a museum and in effective leadership and public relations. Curricula will also touch on fund-raising and volunteer management.
Masters Of Library Science
Masters of Library Science degrees teach students how to archive and find collections of items, as well as touching on how to identify, recover and restore deteriorated documents and items. These degrees are ideal for library work, of course, but also for a museum archivist.
Master of Arts in Museum Studies
This type of course typically has an emphasis on the increasingly important role of technology throughout museums. Core courses may include exhibition strategies, the business of museums, introduction to museum education or museums in a global perspective. Amongst the electives to choose from, there are museums in the digital age, ethnically specif museums, museums, laws and policy, curatorship and many others.
Choosing A Degree
Students who grew up enjoying and appreciating museums may wish to pursue a career in museum studies. The four main types of museums are art, science, history and nature, so an individual with an interest in the history, development and current state of any of these areas may enjoy being surrounded by a collection of relevant items in a museum. A museum studies degree is one of the best ways to become a part of this enriching environment. Students who are not sure which courses are best suited to their career goals can usually speak to an advisor working for the learning institute where they wish to enroll.
What Type Of Career Opportunities Exist In This Field?
Many students who pursue higher education in museum studies go on to become museum directors or curators. Other museum studies experts may become educators, archivists, conservation specialists, designers of museum exhibits or museum guides. When working as a curator you might find employment at historical sites, specialist or independent museums as well as museums that are funded by the government, local authorities or colleges and universities.
What Is My Earning Potential In This Field?
Museum curators, who oversee collections and acquisitions, earn an average of around $51,520 a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Archivists, who analyze and catalog the collections, earn roughly $50,250 on average. Museum technicians and conservators, who preserve and restore damaged works, reported a median income of $40,340 in 2015.
Getting Your Degree Online
Students who already have a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Fine Arts degree can usually earn a Masters of Arts in Arts Administration, Master of Arts in Museum Management or Master of Library Science in two years or less with little inconvenience. These degrees are ideal for continuing education students, as they can get a top distance learning education from an accredited online university with little disruption to their current schedule. Some courses are also available in hybrid format. This means that you can complete the majority of the course online, but have to attend on-site seminars at certain times to complete your degree. Online courses can also provide you with resources such as virtual field trips as well as the expertise of museum professionals across the globe. Many learning institutions that offer online courses make use of asynchronous course management systems which delivers content using streaming video, discussion threads, text notes and presentations. However, students are usually also able to contact professors or advisors directly to discuss any concerns. Obviously to learn online you need some basic computer skills.
Getting Your Degree Offline
Students who are foreseeing a career in the museum world can start with a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Fine Arts from one of the many top brick-and-mortar colleges or universities that offer them. Students should major in a field that best relates to the type of museum they would like to work in and the position they would most like to attain. Once the BA or BFA is earned, students can proceed to a master's degree in arts administration, library science, art history, art management or any related field. Students can consult with departmental advisers to help plan a curriculum that will make them most appealing to potential museum employers. The master's degree is usually obtained within around two years. Some students may choose to move on to a doctoral degree in museum studies or a related field in order to maximize their appeal as a museum employee.
Museum Studies Degree FAQs
What Can I Do With a Museum Studies Degree?
Earning an online museum studies degree is the first step to following numerous career paths. Museum curators are in charge of permanent collections and acquiring new additions. Archivists catalog and analyze artifacts, paintings, film and other historical items.
Museum technicians and conservationists restore damaged artwork and artifacts. Other potential museum studies careers include professor, art historian, art dealer, insurance appraisers and anthropologist.
What Topics of Study Are Covered in an Online Museum Studies Degree Program?
Students can expect to learn about a variety of museum related topics. Many master's programs allow students to specialize in a particular area of study. For example, some schools may be better suited for a career in art museums, while others prepare students for a job at a natural science museum. Classes often include art history, preservation and art appreciation.
What Skills Are Beneficial for Pursuing a Career in Museum Studies?
An inherent appreciation for art and culture is essential to finding a rewarding career in museum studies. Oral and written skills are effective for promoting the importance, meaning and intrigue of specific artifacts and museum pieces. Archivists and conservationists require a keen eye for detail and inquisitive mindset to deliver the best job results. It helps to be highly organized and to be able to manage other people. Since many careers in the museum industry places items of great historical significance under your care it is vital that you are dependable and accountable.
What Type of Duties Might I Have When Working In The Museum Industry?
Your duties when working in this field will depend largely on the type of career path that you have chosen. For example, as a museum curator you might be tasked with the identification of collections that will be interesting to the community. You might also have to run the programs aimed at acquiring objects for the museum, the preparation of grant applications and the management of staff at the museum.
Online Museum Studies Degree Programs
Museum studies is a specialized fine arts degree. At the baccalaureate level, students typically complete a broad degree program, such as a bachelor's in fine arts.
Museum Studies degree programs tend to be at the master's and doctoral levels. A bachelor's degree may be sufficient for low-level museum jobs. However, competition is tight for high profile and management positions. As such, a master's degree is often a valuable asset.
Museum Studies Student Guide
Museum studies degree holders learn how to organize museum collections and manage museums. The field is also known as museology and students in the field learn the history of museums and information about the key functions and proper administration of museums.
Museum Studies Books
Students looking for books in museum studies should start with the Keyguide to Information Sources in Museum Studies by Peter Woodhead and Geoffrey Stansfield, which will provide a good resource to start out with. Other useful museum studies books include Museum Studies by Betting Carbonell, Museum Ethics by Gary Edson and The Handbook for Museums by David Dean.
Museum Studies Articles And Databases
A terrific resource for museum articles is the Artcyclopedia website. The Artcyclopedia contains links to Internet collections from museums all over the world, searchable by artist name, artist type or location. You may also wish to peruse the National Gallery of Art website or the official website for the Smithsonian.
Online Museum Studies Journals
The main journal you will be looking at if you are interested in museum studies is Museum, published bimonthly by the American Association of Museums. You may also be interested in Aviso, which is exclusive to American Association of Museums members.
