Courses

Investigates the museum as an institution in society; history of museums and changing roles and methods in society; administrative structure; museum profession; methodology of museum collections, exhibitions, and education. Designed for students interested in museums or museum careers.

Students are exposed to a wide variety of field methods in disciplines specific to natural history museums, with field exercises in zoology, archaeology, paleontology, geology, botany, and entomology. Emphasizes the collection and analysis of spatial and geographic data. Prereq., instructor consent. Same as MUSM 5494.

Provides background in history and literature of museums, their objectives and methods, laboratory exercises in curatorship, exhibition theory, and administration. Prereq., instructor consent.

Surveys and discusses the educational role of museums and informal learning centers. Issues include current trends, learning theories and styles, learning from objects, education programs, diverse audiences, museum/school partnerships, and the role of education in exhibit development.

Covers elements of exhibition development and design,up to production and evaluation of exhibit prototypes. The team approach is emphasized. Prereqs., graduate standing and instructor consent.

Covers theory of organizations and how it applies to museums, application of small business management and nonprofit organizations to museums, marketing and development, and grant writing and funding strategies. Prereq., graduate standing or instructor consent.

Deals specifically with curation and data management.Topics include acquisition practices and problems; organization, management, use and preventive conservation of collections; and computer data management of collections. Prereq., instructor consent.

Intended for students with little to no art background. Focus is on the accurate rendering of scientific subjects for publication and for public display. Course begins with basic drawing skills and sharpening of visual perception. Students progress to be able to produce realistic renderings of subjects. Students are exposed to a variety of black and white and color techniques and the standards for presenting illustrations for a variety of audiences. Course concludes with computer illustration tools and techniques.

Same as MUSM 4494.

Offers a weekly seminar for museum and field study students that addresses one new topic each semester relevant to museum operations such as archival administration, museums, multiculturalism, repatriation, and others. Prereqs., MUSM 5011, graduate standing, and instructor consent. Prerequisites: Restricted to Graduate Students only.

Discusses current topics and/or trends in the museum profession. Topics change annually to reflect current topics and trends and the most current museum issues. Prereq., graduate standing and instructor consent. Recommended prereq., MUSM 5011 and 5051.

Investigates key problems facing museum institutions and studies the staging and representation of historical knowledge, the ethics of collecting and display, the changing nature and uses of historical evidence, and relations between curatorial practice, collecting, and field work. Critically examines different approaches to museums and museology in various disciplines, both past and present. Prereq., MUSM 5011 or instructor consent. Same as ARTH 6150, HIST 6150, and ANTH 6150.

Provides experience in museums of different sizes, audiences, and subjects, including history, natural history, art, and children's museums. Each student is supervised individually by a faculty member as well as the appropriate person in the cooperating museum. Prereq., instructor consent.

A thesis, which may be of a research, expository, critical or creative type, is required of every master's degree candidate under the thesis option. Prereqs., MUSM 5011 and 5051, and one of the following: MUSM 5030, 5031, or 5041.

A project or paper in the student's discipline and related to some aspect of museum studies is required of every master's degree candidate under the non-thesis-option plan. Prereqs., MUSM 5011 and 5051. Students in collections/field track also need MUSM 5030, 5031, or 5041.