Museum Professions (M.A.)
Arts and Sciences Hall/Arts Center
CHDCM@shu.edu
shu.edu/academics/ma-museum-professions
Program Code: EC_ARMS_MA
Graduate Studies within the College of Communication and the Arts offers a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Museum Professions. This 39-credit program prepares students for careers in museums and other cultural institutions through challenging coursework and concrete experience, melding the theoretical with the practical, with an emphasis on ongoing assessment of student learning. A hallmark of the Museum Professions program is its career-focused experiential, social, and constructivist pedagogy; grounding in the professional and scholarly literature; discourse about current issues impacting the museum field and society; emphasis on the broad spectrum of diversity, equity, and inclusion; regular interaction with museum practitioners; and career guidance. After completing this program, students will be able to design compelling education programs or exhibitions for diverse audiences, manage collections based on standards and best practices, and serve as persuasive museum leaders and change agents.
Program of Study
The Master of Arts in Museum Professions provides students with the resources they need to build and demonstrate mastery of museum generalist knowledge and skills, museum specialist knowledge and skills focused on visitor experience and engagement or collections stewardship, and core competencies for professional roles in museums and other fields. Students enrolled in this 39-credit program engage in the following course of study:
- Foundations. Students build generalist knowledge and skills in foundations courses exploring the history, function, and future of museums as mission-driven public institutions focused on collecting, communicating, and advocating for the essential and diverse stories about the world in which we live.
- Areas of Advanced Study: Students build knowledge and skills through courses related to their respective disciplines. Areas of advanced study offer fluidity and flexibility within and across areas of study. Students enroll in courses under the direction of faculty and advisers that best align with their professional goals, while also considering other courses that may broaden their competencies in a competitive job market.
- Capstone Experiences. Students demonstrate growth and mastery though robust capstone experiences, including master’s thesis, professional portfolio, and/or museum internship. Collectively, these experiences provide students with immersive opportunities to apply, test, reflect on, and refine their growing knowledge and skills inside and outside the classroom setting and into professional museum environments.
Admissions Requirements
To be considered for admission, applicants are required to submit the following materials:
- Online application and application fee
- Resume/Curriculum vitae
- Personal statement (up to 550 words, about two pages)
- Official transcript(s) from all institutions attended - including pre- and post-baccalaureate coursework
- GRE or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) official score report (waivers available for qualified applicants)
- Letters of recommendation (2)
International applicants are welcome. Please review program website for supplemental requirements.
Curriculum Requirements
A total of 39 credits is required.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| ARMS 6000 | Anatomy of a Museum | 3 |
| ARMS 6505 | History-Theory of Museums | 3 |
| ARMS 6805 | Legal-Ethical Issues Museums | 3 |
| COTC 7110 | Communication Research | 3 |
| COMM 8000 | Communication Research Methods | 3 |
| Subtotal | 15 | |
| Thesis Related Courses | ||
| COMM 8199 | Sp Tp - Master's Project I | 3 |
| COMM 8200 | Master's Project II | 3 |
| ARMS 7800 | Internship | 3 |
| Subtotal | 9 | |
| Areas of Advanced Study (see below, subject to availability) | 9 | |
| Electives | 6 | |
Any courses in any track other than the one the student has chosen. | ||
| Total Hours | 39 | |
Note: Electives will be selected in consultation with a faculty advisor.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ARMS 6601 | ST - Foundations Musem Ed | 3 |
| ARMS 6815 | Museums and Communities | 3 |
| ARMS 6817 | Audience Rsch Proj Evaluation | 3 |
| Total Hours | 9 | |
Museum Registration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ARMS 6802 | Object Care | 3 |
| ARMS 6803 | Museum Registration I | 3 |
| ARMS 6818 | Intro Archives Museum Professn | 3 |
| Total Hours | 9 | |
Museum Management
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ARMS 6806 | Museum Fundraising Fundamental | 3 |
| ARMS 6815 | Museums and Communities | 3 |
| COTC 6100 | Intro Organizational Comm | 3 |
| Total Hours | 9 | |
Exhibition Development
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ARMS 6803 | Museum Registration I | 3 |
| ARMS 7001 | SP TP - Museum Exhibition A-Z | 3 |
| ARMS 7002 | Producing an Exhibition | 3 |
| Total Hours | 9 | |
Plan of Study
Requirements for the program are outlined in the "Requirements" tab of this Catalogue. This Planner tab offers a sample semester-by-semester model schedule which accounts for historical course availability. For timely completion of the program, students must routinely meet with their assigned academic adviser to carefully plan their schedule based on available courses.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | |
| ARMS 6000 | Anatomy of a Museum | 3 |
| COTC 7110 | Communication Research | 3 |
| Concentration Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| ARMS 6505 | History-Theory of Museums | 3 |
| COMM 8000 | Communication Research Methods | 3 |
| Concentration Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Second Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| COMM 8199 | Sp Tp - Master's Project I | 3 |
| Concentration Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| COMM 8200 | Master's Project II | 3 |
| ARMS 6805 | Legal-Ethical Issues Museums | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Third Semester | ||
| ARMS 7800 | Internship | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 39 | |
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