How To Apply

How To Apply: Museum Studies Graduate Certificate and Master of Arts Degree

DEADLINES are for admission for the fall semester only:

January 15: To be considered for merit-based scholarships

March 1: General Admission

The graduate school application is on-line and is available at this link: https://graduate.indianapolis.iu.edu/admissions/apply.html

1. Personal Statement: Please address the following questions and include headings in your response:

  1. Tell us about some of the experiences, skills, ideas, and/or goals that have led you to pursue a degree in museum studies. (500 words max.)
  2. What are your educational and career objectives? How does the Museum Studies Program and its core values fit with your goals? (500 words max.)
  3. Optional: If there’s anything else you think it’s important for the review committee to know as we evaluate your application, please tell us here. (200 words max.)

2. Three letters of reference, at least one of which should be from a person who can speak to your academic record and preferably another one from a person who can speak to your museum experience and aptitudes.

3. Current CV or Resume documenting your experience in museums or other relevant cultural heritage and arts organizations (including employment and/or internships, compensated or volunteer), as well as other related experiences.

4. Writing sample demonstrating your writing skills in an academic format (15 pp. maximum).

5. Official transcripts from all previous colleges and universities you have attended. We do not require a transcript from IU Indianapolis or IU Bloomington since we can access them electronically. Please mail them to the address below or electronically to teamgrad@iu.edu.

Optional: Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores from the general exam are optional. (ETS school code #1325). The Museum Studies Program does not require GRE scores as part of the admissions process. We recognize that the cost and structure of this standardized test can deter qualified applicants from pursuing graduate work in our field. To welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds, we request responses to specific essay questions, a writing sample, and letters of recommendation (described above) that allow each applicant to present the skills, experience, ideas, and goals that make them a great fit for our program.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ONLY: International students must submit TOEFL scores to school code 1325. The Office of International Affairs (OIA) will finalize your admission and assist you with obtaining a visa, if necessary. OIA will conduct a final review of your application to determine that all institutional and USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service) requirements have been met. OIA may contact you for additional information. In the meantime, please visit their web site at https://international.indianapolis.iu.edu/admissions/index.html to be sure that you have satisfied all admission requirements for international students. Please do not apply for your visa or make travel plans until you receive a formal confirmation of admission from OIA and your Certificate of Eligibility (I-20 or DS2019). If you have any visa-related questions, please direct your questions to the OIA office at (317) 274-7000 or oiagrad@iu.edu.

ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE DEADLINE DATE TO BE CONSIDERED FOR REVIEW BY THE APPLICATION COMMITTEE.

Please send hard copy application materials, such as your transcript and letters of reference that are not being completed on-line to this address:

ATTN: Graduate Admissions Committee
Museum Studies Program
CA 419, 425 University Blvd.
Indianapolis IN 46202

If you are interested in also pursuing a degree or certificate in a related program such as Anthropology, Public History, Non-Profit Management, Library Science, Philanthropic Studies, or Fine Arts, you need to apply separately to those programs.

August 15-October 15 and January 15-April 15 are rolling admission to the Museum Studies Graduate Certificate for Master’s students currently enrolled in other IU Indianapolis degree programs. Current students who are interested in completing the Museum Studies Graduate Certificate still need to formally apply to the Museum Studies program for the graduate certificate as an additional degree objective. Please contact Museum Studies (museum@iu.edu or 317.274.4756) if you plan to apply during the rolling admission periods or with any questions.

For further information, please contact:

Dr. Lois Silverman
Director of Graduate Studies
lsilverm@iu.edu