Program Overview

---

Introduction to Museum Studies

The Museum Studies Program provides an integration of museum history and theory with hands-on instruction in museum techniques and practices. It encompasses the scholarly exploration of museums, including their history, operations, ethics, and role in society from interdisciplinary perspectives, while also training students in the technical aspects of museum work such as collections care and management, administration, education, exhibit planning and design, curatorial practices, visitor studies, and technology.

Program Overview

The program offers a master's degree and a graduate certificate. Students considering application to the certificate or degree program are welcome to take classes prior to formal admission. Students admitted to the graduate program may apply to count credits earned as a non-degree student toward their graduate credential (up to 6 credits toward the graduate certificate and up to 9 credits toward the Master's degree).

Faculty and Partnerships

As an urban university, IU Indianapolis is part of a community with a rich heritage of museums and cultural arts. Faculty appointed as Public Scholars of Civic Engagement craft relationships and sustainable partnerships with area museums and cultural institutions and involve undergraduate and graduate students in meaningful ways in those collaborations. The Museum Studies Program has an extensive network of adjunct faculty and guest lecturers who bring state-of-the-art museum practice to the curriculum.

Student Learning Opportunities

The program also offers opportunities for student learning through the resources of the museum community with experiences such as internships; collaboration on exhibit development and design; exhibition- and collections-focused projects; collections research; collaboration with faculty on museum research projects; and participation in museum-sponsored seminars, lectures, and professional meetings.

Curriculum

The Master of Arts in Museum Studies curriculum (36 credit hours) consists of a required introductory course, a set of integrated core courses which provide a broad-based interdisciplinary training in museum practice, a choice of elective courses that allow the student to develop a particular specialty, and a capstone colloquium course preparing students for entry into the museum workforce.

Core Courses

• MSTD-A 503: Introduction to Museum Studies (3 cr.)
• MSTD-A 510: Museum Education (3 cr.)
• MSTD-A 512: Exhibit Planning and Design (3 cr.)
• MSTD-A 516: Collections Care and Management (3 cr.)
• MSTD-A 548: Museum Administration (3 cr.)

Internship

• MSTD-A 508: Museum Internship (1-6 credits)
  • Proposals must be approved by internship advisor prior to registration.

Capstone

• MSTD-A 530: Museum Colloquium (3 cr.)

Electives

Select 4 courses from the following list of approved courses. Electives not included in the list below must be approved by your academic advisor.

• MSTD-A 509: Applied Research in Museums (3 cr.)
• MSTD-A 514: Museums and Technology (3 cr.)
• MSTD-A 518: Museums and Audiences (3 cr.)
• MSTD-A 511: Object-based Learning (3 cr.)
• MSTD-A 513: Curatorial Practices (3 cr.)
• MSTD-A 531: Critical Approaches to Museum Education (3 cr.)
• MSTD-A 540: Issues in Cultural Heritage (3 cr.)
• MSTD-A 560: Current Topics in Museum Studies (3 cr.)
• MSTD-A 595: Independent Learning in Museum Studies (1-4 cr.)

Approved Electives from Other Departments

• Anthropology
  • ANTH-A 560: Variable Topics in Anthropology
  • ANTH-A 565: Anthropological Thought
  • ANTH-E 501: Fundamentals of Applied Anthropology
  • ANTH-E 509: Modern Material Culture
  • ANTH-E 521: Indians of North America
  • ANTH-P 501: Community Archaeology
• Herron
  • HER-H 560: Visual Culture: A Visual Studies Approach
  • HER-H 590: Topics in Art History
  • HER-H 610: Art Theory and Criticism
  • HER-V 501: Introduction to Design Thinking (1.5 cr)
  • HER-V 502: Introduction to Human Factors in Design (1.5 cr)
  • HER-V 511: People-Centered Design Research (1.5 cr)
  • HER-Z 508: Issues in Art Education
• NonProfit Management
  • SPEA-V 522: Human Resource Management in Nonprofit Organizations
  • SPEA-V 525: Management in the Nonprofit Sector
  • SPEA-V 526: Financial Management for Nonprofit Organizations
  • SPEA-V 557: Proposal Development and Grant Administration
  • SPEA-V 558: Fund Development for Nonprofit Organizations
  • SPEA-V 652: Managing Workforce Diversity
• History
  • HIST-H 542: Introduction to Public History
  • HIST-H 546: Topics in History
  • HIST-H 547: Special Topics in Public History: Historic Preservation
  • HIST-H 547: Special Topics in Public History: Archival Practices
  • HIST-H 547: Special Topics in Public History: Historic Site Interpretation
  • HIST-H 547: Special Topics in Public History: Digital Public History
• Journalism/Public Relations
  • JOUR-J 528: Public Relations Management
  • JOUR-J 531: Public Relations for NonProfits
• Library and Information Science
  • LIS-S 502: Acquisitions and Management of Knowledge and Information
  • LIS-S 511: Database Design
  • LIS-S 548: Archives and Records Management
• Philanthropic Studies
  • PHST-P 521: The Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector
  • PHST-P 535: Law of Non-profit Organizations
  • PHST-P 532: Applying Ethics in Philanthropy
  • PHST-P 556: Grant Making and the Role of Foundations
  • PHST-P 558: Principles and Practices of Fundraising
• Sociology
  • SOC-R 551: Quantitative Methods in Sociology
  • SOC-S 659: Qualitative Research Methods in Sociology

Student Learning Outcomes

Students completing the Museum Studies M.A. curriculum will:

• Develop their abilities as critical thinkers by questioning the role of museums in society and think critically and creatively to evaluate and improve that role.
• Develop self-reflective understanding of their own vocations and professional ethics in the museum field.
• Develop mastery of professional skills through using a variety of approaches to create original products, such as educational programs, exhibit concepts, strategic plans, of relevance to museums in the community.
• Develop necessary knowledge and skills to meet professional standards in one or more areas of museum practice including collections, education, exhibit development, administration, curatorial practices, evaluation, and interpretive planning.
• Engage in and conduct creative research problems that, over time, yield new insights into museums, their missions, their collections, and their engagements with communities.
• Engage in hands-on learning in an area of the museum field through an internship experience.
• Become skilled at effectively presenting their work through oral presentations and in written work in formats relevant to the museum profession.