The Museum Studies Program’s mission is to support the development of self-reflective, skilled, and engaged leaders in the museum field through experiences in and outside of the classroom and to advance the scholarship of museums and their missions.
Our core values of civic engagement, applied learning, integration, collaboration, inclusion, and leadership support this mission.
Modeled in teaching and research and promoted as a central tenet of museums, engagement with communities is fundamental to the learning experiences in the program and to the life-long work of our graduates in the museum field.
Through applied projects in real world settings and problem-based learning, students are empowered to make knowledge their own, to be active inquirers, to respond to new situations and challenges with creative thinking, and to assess the merit of their work based on its impact.
Students integrate disparate bodies of knowledge and, through the multidisciplinary faculty and curriculum, encounter varied perspectives on the museum field, and craft a critical, self-reflective understanding of the roles and potential power of museums in society.
The program teaches, models, and applies the skills and attitudes necessary to the success of team-based work and encourages students to explore the relationships of power and authority that are inherent in collaborations of all sorts.
Diverse perspectives, experiences, and traditions are included, valued, and promoted, with a particular interest in increasing access to and the value of museums for communities.
Through experiences and reflection, students master skills, ethics, and values required to be leaders in the museum field, whatever their professional roles.
