Museum Studies Certificate Program
Museum Studies at Connecticut College is a broad interdisciplinary program, open to students of all majors, that explores the role of museums in shaping society's knowledge about art, culture, history and the natural world. The Museum Studies Certificate Program is designed to introduce students to careers in all types of museums, cultural arts centers, historical sites and houses, science centers, environmental education centers, exhibit design firms, auction houses, planetaria, aquaria, zoos and botanical gardens. Students who successfully complete the program will receive a certificate at graduation.
The program offers:
• An introduction to the foundations of museology with a critical perspective on museum history and practice.
• An opportunity to visit and analyze a diverse range of museums and exhibitions.
• Study of community-museum relationships through on-site observations and interaction with museum professionals.
• Training in museum skills and operation, including curation, exhibition design and implementation, collection management, conservation, administration, publication, fundraising and educational programming.
• Special opportunities for internships, volunteer work and training at local museums.
The program consists of four components: a foundation course, two elective courses, a summer or semester internship at a museum, gallery, historical society or related organization (approved by the Director of Museum Studies), and a Senior Integrative Project.
Students may enter the museum studies program through first semester of the junior year.
Criteria for Entry into the Museum Studies Program:
• Minimum 3.0 grade point average.
• An academic plan approved by the director of Museum studies that includes elective courses to be taken, a proposed Museum internship, and a faculty-approved topic/project for the Senior Integrative Project.
Criteria for the Certificate:
• An overall 3.0 grade point average in foundation and elective courses.
• Successful completion of foundation and elective courses.
• Successful completion of a museum-related internship.
• Successful completion of the Senior Integrative Project.
Certificate Components
Foundation Course
Two Electives
Chosen from the following:
Internship
A summer or semester internship at a museum, gallery, historical society or related organization (approved by the Director of Museum Studies)
Senior Integrative Project
An independent or collaborative project undertaken while enrolled in AHI 496: Museum Studies Senior Projects. The project is usually created with the guidance of a faculty member in one's major and with the Director of Museum Studies. The project might involve designing and implementing an exhibition, developing interactive computer software or a museum website, producing an educational outreach program, or writing a research essay on some aspect of museums or museology.
| AHI 496 | MUSEUM STUDIES SENIOR PROJECT | 4 |