This is the first version of the 2024–25 General Catalog. Please check back regularly for changes. The final edition and the historical PDF will be published during the fall semester.
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 one introductory course, a minimum of four courses on specific museum studies topics, and 3 s.h. from the internship and professionalism category. 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. A maximum of 6 s.h. of coursework used to satisfy requirements for another major, minor, or certificate may be applied toward this certificate.
The Certificate in Museum Studies requires the following coursework.
| Requirements | Hours |
|---|---|
| Introductory Course | 3 |
| Museum Studies Topic Areas | 12 |
| Museum Studies Internship and Professionalism | 3 |
Introductory Course
Students should begin the certificate with MUSM:3001 Introduction to Museum Studies, which is a prerequisite for some of the program’s more advanced courses. This course provides 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 |
Museum Studies Topic Areas
Students complete a minimum of four courses in museum studies topic areas, choosing from the following lists. 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:3078 | Archiving Women's History | 3 |
| MUSM:3105 | Engaging Museum Audiences | 3 |
| MUSM:3115 | Museum Education and Interpretation | 3 |
| MUSM:3125 | Museums in a Digital World | 3 |
| MUSM:3145 | Excavation to Exhibit: Making Artifacts Public | 3 |
History, Theory, and Culture
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MUSM:2675 | The Politics of Memory: Holocaust, Genocide, and 9/11 | 3-4 |
| MUSM:2850 | Museums and Social Justice | 3 |
| MUSM:3010 | Fakes, Frauds, and Forgeries: The Dark Side of Art History | 3 |
| MUSM:3120 | Museum Origins | 3 |
| MUSM:3237 | Politics of the Archaeological Past | 3 |
| MUSM:3250 | American Stuff: Discovering History in Things | 3 |
| MUSM:4081 | The Art Museum: Theory and Practice | 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:3130 | Topics in Museum Administration and Management | 3 |
| MUSM:3131 | Museum Evaluation and Visitor Studies | 3 |
| MUSM:3500 | Nonprofit Organizational Effectiveness I | 3 |
| MUSM:3710 | Fundraising Fundamentals | 3 |
| MUSM:3720 | Nonprofit Communications | 3 |
| MUSM:4045 | Art, Law, and Ethics | 3 |
| MUSM:4150 | Introduction to Grant Writing | 3 |
| MUSM:4600 | Nonprofit Ethics and Governance | 3 |
Museum Studies Internship and Professionalism
Students must complete either 2 s.h. in CCP:1201 Academic Internship plus 1 s.h. in MUSM:3091 Topics in Museum Studies or 3 s.h. in CCP:1201. Additionally, students should not take 3 s.h. of CCP:1201 in a single semester. Instead, students who opt to take 3 s.h. of the internship course should divide the s.h. over two or three semesters (e.g., 1 s.h. for three semesters or 2 s.h. one semester and 1 s.h. another semester).
It is highly recommended that students wait to begin their internship work until after they have completed the introductory course and at least 12 s.h. of coursework for the program.
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.
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. Please see the program website for details.
Museum studies students have become directors, curators, educators, and exhibit specialists in museums throughout the country.
The Pomerantz Career Center offers multiple resources to help students find internships and jobs.