The museum studies program provides a broad foundation of knowledge increasingly valued in the museum field. Museum studies courses introduce students to the spectrum of museum endeavors, from organization and mission planning to institutional histories and current developments in the field. Many courses developed by the program offer hands-on experience in exhibition planning and design, collection management, educational programming, community development, and administration.
The undergraduate Certificate in Museum Studies requires 18 s.h. Students must maintain a grade-point average of at least 2.00 in work for the certificate.
The certificate may be earned by any student admitted to the University of Iowa who is not enrolled in a UI graduate or professional degree program. Undergraduate to Graduate (U2G) students may earn the certificate when the undergraduate classification is primary.
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences students who are interested in museum studies may earn the certificate, or they may use the individualized plan of study track in the interdepartmental studies major to create a museum studies concentration relevant to their academic and professional interests.
Work for the certificate consists of two introductory courses, a minimum of four courses on specific museum studies topics, and an internship. Students must request permission from the coordinator of the museum studies certificate to use courses that are not included in the program, and the proposed course content and requirements must fit into one of the program's defined areas.
The Certificate in Museum Studies requires the following coursework.
Requirements | Hours |
---|---|
Introductory Courses | 4 |
Museum Studies Topic Areas | 12 |
Museum Studies Internship | 2 |
Introductory Courses
Students should begin the certificate with MUSM:3001 Introduction to Museum Studies and MUSM:3091 Topics in Museum Studies, which are prerequisites for some of the program’s more advanced courses. These courses provide a historical overview of museum development and function while introducing students to issues such as museum governance and financing, ethics and law, collection management, exhibition and educational programming, interpretation, and audience research.
Course # | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
MUSM:3001 | Introduction to Museum Studies | 3 |
MUSM:3091 | Topics in Museum Studies | 1 |
Museum Studies Topic Areas
Students complete a minimum of four courses in museum studies topic areas, choosing from the lists below. The areas are collection care and management; exhibition development and public education; history, theory, and culture; and museum administration and management.
Students must select one course each from three of the four topic areas (9 s.h. total). They also must complete a fourth course (3 s.h.) from any of the four topic areas.
Collection Care and Management
Course # | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
MUSM:3003 | Natural History Research Collections | 3 |
MUSM:3200 | Collection Care and Management | 3 |
MUSM:4200 | Museum Object Preservation | 3 |
Exhibition Development and Public Education
Course # | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
MUSM:3004 | Exhibition Planning | 3 |
MUSM:3105 | Engaging Museum Audiences | 3 |
MUSM:3115 | Museum Education and Interpretation | 3 |
MUSM:3125 | Museums in a Digital World | 3 |
History, Theory, and Culture
Course # | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
MUSM:2850 | Museums and Social Justice | 3 |
MUSM:3120 | Museum Origins | 3 |
MUSM:3237 | Politics of the Archaeological Past | 3 |
MUSM:4081 | The Art Museum: Theory and Practice | 3 |
MUSM:4130 | Museum Literacy and Historical Memory | 3 |
MUSM:4310 | Slavery Museums, Memorials, and Statues in the United States, Europe, and the Global South | 3-4 |
Museum Administration and Management
Course # | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
MUSM:3100 | Historic House Management and Preservation | 3 |
MUSM:3131 | Museum Evaluation and Visitor Studies | 3 |
MUSM:3500 | Nonprofit Organizational Effectiveness I | 3 |
MUSM:4150 | Introduction to Grant Writing | 3 |
Museum Studies Internship
After completing at least 12 s.h. of the required coursework above, students must complete one of the following internships, earning a minimum of 2 s.h.
The Certificate in Museum Studies coordinator and Pomerantz Career Center staff work closely with students and affiliated faculty members to ensure that the internship provides students with the instruction and experience they need.
Course # | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
MUSM:4084 | Museum Professionalism | 2 |
CCP:1201 | Academic Internship | 2 |
Online Option
Those with an interest in furthering their education in museum studies and who live outside of the Iowa City area may be interested in pursuing the certificate online.