The Specialized Study in Museum Theory and Practice enables students to apply the knowledge gained from their disciplinary studies to the museum field. The study program was created after a study of museum programs throughout the United States, and it conforms to guidelines set forth by the American Association of Museums. It offers specific theoretical, practical, and methodological training in the following areas: museum management, curatorship, fundraising, fiscal administration, collections maintenance and management, education and interpretation, marketing, exhibition development, the law and museums, and museum standards.
An internship is required so that students gain experience working in a museum. Career counseling can assist in finding a position in a museum after graduation.
Requirements
An application to the program is required. To complete the program, each Classical Archaeology or Classics student must fulfill departmental requirements for their graduate degree and take additional Museum Studies courses, complete a museum internship, and submit a qualifying paper or project. The entire process may add an additional year to the graduate degree program, although the amount of time it takes to complete the Specialized Studies in Museum Theory and Practice may vary on a case-by-case basis. Some requirements may be fulfilled concurrently with graduate degree requirements.
The program requires 18 credit hours of work in addition to the hours required for the M.A. in Classical Archaeology or other M.A. degree program in Classics. Students who have fulfilled the fieldwork requirement for the M.A. in Classical Archaeology without receiving credit may apply up to 3 credit hours of the specialized studies program towards the M.A. in Classical Archaeology. With permission of the DGS, students may also apply up to 3 credit hours of the specialized studies program towards the M.A. degree.
Application Process
Students who wish to apply for Specialized Study in Museum Theory and Practice must submit to the chairperson of the Archaeology Committee a statement of purpose, a CV, and two letters of reference. The chairperson of the Archaeology Committee will forward applications received to the Archaeology Committee for approval. Normally the deadline for receipt of all application materials is no later than December 15 in the second year of the student's MA program in Classics.
Questions about the Specialized Study in Museum Theory and Practice should be addressed to Dr. de Grummond.