Interdisciplinary in nature, the Museum Studies Minor provides students with the academic foundation and practical experience necessary for entrance into museum careers or related graduate studies. The curriculum explores the manner in which museums are organized and operate and how they care for and interpret their collections, serve their audiences, respond to new technologies, and grapple with complex legal and ethical issues unique to their disciplines. Combining theory with practice, the curriculum incorporates classroom study and directed research with practical experiences in the form of field trips, group projects, and internships.
The minor incorporates the disciplines of American studies, anthropology, art and art history, classics, historic preservation, and history, from which students may select their own concentration preference. The minor is open to students from any discipline in the arts and sciences, education, or business colleges at UMW. The University’s three museums support this minor with internship opportunities. The museum field is a rapidly expanding and vital part of society. The Institute of Museum and Library Services estimates there are about 35,000 museums currently operating in the United States, generating a demand for highly trained museum professionals.
Students interested in enrolling in the minor must contact the chair of the Department of Historic Preservation for additional details.
Minor Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ARTH 315A | Art Museum Studies | 3 |
| or AMST 306 | Museums in the US | |
| or HISP 200 | Introduction to Museum Studies | |
| ARTH 317 | Laboratory in Museum Studies | 3 |
| or HISP 463 | Laboratory in Museum Design and Interpretation | |
| or HIST 425 | Public History Seminar | |
| Select 3 credits of the following: | 3 | |
| Internship | ||
| Internship | ||
| Internship | ||
| Internship | ||
| Internship in Historic Preservation | ||
| Internship | ||
| Select 9 elective credits of the following: | 9 | |
| Anthropology of Art | ||
| Practices of Memory | ||
| Touring Cultures | ||
| Laboratory in Museum Studies | ||
| Seminar: Women and Western Art | ||
| Archaeology of the Greek and Roman World | ||
| Introduction to Conservation | ||
| Archives and Society | ||
| Museum Education | ||
| Material Culture | ||
| Heritage Tourism | ||
| Laboratory in Museum Design and Interpretation | ||
| Introduction to Public History | ||
| Public History Seminar | ||
| Digital History | ||
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Elective Notes
- Special topics courses in the following disciplines may count as an elective, with the approval of Museum Studies Committee:
Course List Code Title Credits AMST 350 Topics in American Studies 3 ANTH 371 Special Topics in Anthropology 3 ARTH 470 Seminar: Special Studies in Art History 3 CLAS 351 Special Studies in Classical Civilization 3 CLAS 352 Special Studies in Classical Civilization 3 HISP 471 Special Studies in Historic Preservation 3 HIST 300 Topics in History 3
- Three (3) credits in in Individual Studies from these disciplines may substitute an elective with approval of Museum Studies Committee: AMST, ANTH, ARTH, CLAS, HISP, or HIST.
- Three (3) additional credits of Internship from these disciplines may substitute an elective with approval of Museum Studies Committee: AMST, ANTH, ARTH, CLAS, HISP, or HIST.
- Three (3) credits of ANTH 481 Senior Thesis may substitute an elective with approval of Museum Studies Committee.
- AMST 303 Junior Special Topics Seminar may count as an elective course, with the approval of the Museum Studies Committee.