Program Overview

Collections Management for Costume and Textiles

This dynamic, interactive program is the first of its kind to specialize in training collections managers for costume and textiles. After completing the six modules, you will be prepared to help meet the growing demand for skilled professionals to work with museums, studio archives, and private and corporate collections.

Program Overview

The program culminates in mentor-sponsored fieldwork where you will have the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with professionals in a variety of notable institutions. Career professionals from museums, academia, and historic sites will teach the skills and key aspects of materials and agents of deterioration, care and storage, and management issues that are the foundation of collections management.

Program Structure

• The program consists of six modules, which must be completed in order.
• Module I: Introduction to Collections Management (4 weeks, $350)
• Module II: Nature of Materials and Agents of Deterioration (6 weeks, $550)
• Module III: The Museum World: A Further Exploration (4 weeks, $350)
• Module IV: Care and Storage (8 weeks, $650)
• Module V: Issues of Collections Management (4 weeks, $695)
• Module VI: Fieldwork in Collections Management (16 weeks, $695)

Ideal Candidates

This program is ideal for:

• Collections professionals who wish to augment their expertise
• Museum and archive professionals
• Volunteers and docents
• Private collectors
• Career professionals in the costume, apparel, and textile fields who wish to retool their skill sets
• Those interested in pursuing a career in textiles and collections management

Program Completion

To complete the program, you must:

• Complete the first five online modules
• Complete the 120-hour Fieldwork experience within 16 weeks, following the prescribed expectations and standards
• Provide an evaluation of this internship experience at the end of the course

Digital Badges

Effective January 1, 2026, all program completions will be recognized with a digital badge instead of a traditional certificate. Badges are issued immediately upon meeting program requirements and include secure, verifiable details about the achievement.

Program Outline

Required Courses

The program consists of the following six courses, which must be taken in order:

1. Introduction to Collections Management: This course provides an overview of critical areas in the field of collections management.
2. Nature of Materials and Agents of Deterioration: This course provides an understanding of the basic elements of textile composition and the environmental factors that lead to deterioration.
3. The Museum World: A Further Exploration: This module explores costume and textiles as artifacts and objects of history and culture, as well as the interaction and roles of museum personnel.
4. Care and Storage: The focus of this course is the handling, storage, and exhibition of costume and textile objects.
5. Issues of Collections Management: This module explores the impact of various concerns on collections management and the museum as a whole.
6. Fieldwork in Collections Management: In this intense field experience, you will assume a para-professional role in a collections setting.

Fieldwork

• A minimum of eight hours per week, Monday through Friday during regular business hours, is required for Fieldwork in Collections Management.
• You must have access to reliable personal or public transportation to the location of the hosting institution.
• You must be available for an interview.
• You may be asked to complete an online application to your institution, as part of its protocol.
• You must pass any background checks required of the institution, and provide insurance information, if requested by them.

Instructors

The program is taught by experienced professionals in the field, including:

• Jessica Butler-Roberts, Rights and Reproductions Coordinator, Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation
• Tawny Sherrill, Program Coordinator & Instructor

Frequently Asked Questions

• Do I need to be admitted to the university to enroll in the program?: No, this is a professional development program and admittance to the university is not required.
• Is the course offered completely online?: Courses I-V are offered completely online. The last course, Fieldwork in Collections Management, is a hands-on course where you will be assigned to a specific institution.
• How long is the program?: The program takes about one year to complete, depending upon the number of hours logged per week during the Fieldwork assignment.
• Can I take the courses in any order?: The courses need to be taken in order, as each course curriculum builds on the next.
• How many courses are in the program?: There are six courses. The first five are fully online and the last one is the Fieldwork course, a hands-on course where you will be assigned to a specific institution.
• How do I earn the Collections Management in Costume and Textiles Professional Designation?: To earn the designation, you must successfully complete the first five courses and the Fieldwork course (120 hours within the 16-week timeframe).