Museum Studies Graduate Certificate
The Museum Studies Program was established in 1963 as a cooperative venture between UW-Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Public Museum. The goal of the program is to provide, in a museum environment, the basic scholarship and functional training to equip the student with the skills necessary to assume professional entry-level museum positions in:
- museums
- galleries
- archives
- historical societies
- related institutions
Coursework is structured to develop a high degree of professionalism and responsibility, skills in problem solving, critical thinking and evaluation, writing, oral presentation, decision-making, and teamwork.
The program stresses professional museum standards and ethics and proper care and interpretation of collections while providing the opportunity for the development of expertise and special skills. The program is designed to be practical and realistic.
The Certificate in Museum Studies must be completed in conjunction with a UWM graduate degree program. The certificate is designed to supplement a student’s graduate discipline and assumes that each student will have a firm footing in their academic field.
The program is listed and administered through the Anthropology Department at UW-Milwaukee and taught off-campus at the Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) by museum professionals. All applicants to the Museum Studies certificate program must comply with a background check as required by Milwaukee Public Museum policy. Individuals with criminal records cannot be admitted to the program.
Regular individual academic advising and career planning are important features of the program. The majority of graduates of the program find a paid position in a museum within one year of graduation. Graduates of the program have assumed responsibilities in museums and related institutions across the country as directors, curators, collections managers, registrars, educators, and more.
Program Type
Graduate Certificate
Program Format
On Campus
Admission Requirements
Application Deadlines
Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.
Admission
Students must complete a minimum of 15 credits to earn the Museum Studies Graduate Certificate. Those interested in attaining the Certificate must indicate this in their application to their chosen graduate degree program in addition to completing a separate application for the Certificate. Students deciding to pursue the Certificate after having started a graduate degree program must both notify in writing the Director of Graduate Studies of their chosen graduate program and complete the Certificate online application.
Application
- Admission to a graduate certificate program requires formal student application through the Graduate School admissions application system, including the required admissions application fee.
- Certificate programs will inform the Graduate School of their admission recommendation for an applicant. The final admission decision is made by the Graduate School.
- Early application to the certificate program is recommended; late application is possible, but may incur delays for certificate conferral related to time required for credit tracking.
- Applicants must possess a baccalaureate degree and have a minimum 2.75 cumulative undergraduate grade point average to be admitted into a certificate program.
Credits and Courses
The certificate program consists of a minimum of 15 credits at the graduate level. ANTHRO 620 is the required gateway course for the certificate, but may be taken prior to admission to the certificate program for undergraduate credit. If ANTHRO 620 is taken for undergraduate credit, then 15 graduate credits are required for the certificate. If ANTHRO 620 is taken at the graduate level, a total of 18 credits are required for the certificate.
In all cases, the course prerequisites will be enforced, as the curriculum is sequenced.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTHRO 620 | Museum Fundamentals | 3 |
| ANTHRO 621G | Internship in Museum Studies | 3 |
| ANTHRO 720 | History and Theory of Museums | 2 |
| ANTHRO 721 | Administration and Organization of Museums | 3 |
| ANTHRO 722 | Visitor Experience Design in Museums | 3 |
| ANTHRO 723 | Museum Collections Management and Curation | 3 |
| ANTHRO 725 | Professionalism Capstone in Museum Studies | 1 |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
- 1
With approval of the program director an elective may be substituted for 621.
Anthropology, Art History, History, and Educational Psychology all offer courses that supplement the Museum Studies curriculum and such courses will count as electives. The structure and scheduling of the coursework requires at least two years for completion, since each course is taught only once a year and courses must be taken in sequence.