The Graduate Minor in Museum Studies is intended to be an interdisciplinary program that emphasizes mentoring and collaborative opportunities through a combination of structured work experiences, academic instruction, supervised internships, and short-term professional workshops and training courses. Additional emphasis is placed on collection care, management, and preservation.
The Graduate Minor in Museum Studies requires 9 credit hours of course work and 6 credit hours of internship for a total of 15 credit hours.
Internship opportunities are created at a number of museums on the University of New Mexico campus and around the state. Each internship has a specific relation to the needs of the institution and its collections. Students are able to apply for internships at specific museums. The application process is competitive and based on selection criteria established by the specific internship’s requirements.
The minor is available to any student enrolled in a graduate degree program. Once completed, the minor designation appears on a student’s transcript.
Courses
MSST 407 / 507.
Museum Practices.
(3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)
(Also offered as ARTH 407)
History, philosophy and purposes of museums. Techniques and problems of museum administration, education, collection, exhibition, conservation and public relations.
{Offered upon demand}
MSST 475 / 575.
Museum Interpretation.
(3)
Public education within museum contexts, including exhibit research, planning, development, production; traveling trunks, booklets, outreach, public programming, evaluation, and digital and virtual applications.
Restriction: permission of instructor.
{Every academic year}
MSST 476 / 576.
Museum Collection Management.
(3)
Method, theory, and practice of collection management, including acquisitions, law, ethics, organization, storage and retrieval, environmental controls, security, stabilization, risk management, and data management.
Restriction: permission of instructor.
{Every academic year}
MSST 485 / 585.
Seminar in Museum Methods.
(3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)
(Also offered as ANTH, ARTH 485)
Theoretical and practical work in specific museum problems.
Prerequisite: 407 or ANTH 402.
Restriction: permission of instructor.
{Offered upon demand}
MSST 486 / 586.
Practicum: Museum Methods.
(3)
(Also offered as ANTH, ARTH 486)
Practicum in museum methods and management.
Prerequisite: ANTH 402 or ARTH 407.
Restriction: permission of instructor.
{Offered upon demand}
MSST 507 / 407.
Museum Practices.
(3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)
(Also offered as ARTH 507)
History, philosophy and purposes of museums. Techniques and problems of museum administration, education, collection, exhibition, conservation and public relations.
{Offered upon demand}
MSST 575 / 475.
Museum Interpretation.
(3)
Public education within museum contexts, including exhibit research, planning, development, production; traveling trunks, booklets, outreach, public programming, evaluation, and digital and virtual applications.
Restriction: admission to Museum Studies graduate program.
{Every academic year}
MSST 576 / 476.
Museum Collection Management.
(3)
Method, theory, and practice of collection management, including acquisitions, law, ethics, organization, storage and retrieval, environmental controls, security, stabilization, risk management, and data management.
Restriction: admission to Museum Studies graduate program.
{Every academic year}
MSST 585 / 485.
Seminar in Museum Methods.
(3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)
(Also offered as ANTH, ARTH 585)
Theoretical and practical work in specific museum problems.
Prerequisite: 407 or ANTH 402.
{Offered upon demand}
MSST 586 / 486.
Practicum: Museum Methods.
(3 to a maximum of 6 Δ)
(Also offered as ANTH, ARTH 586)
Practicum in museum methods and management.
Prerequisite: ANTH 402 or ARTH 407.
Restriction: permission of instructor.
{Offered upon demand}
MSST 598.
Graduate Project.
(1-6 to a maximum of 15 Δ)
Projects must be museum-based: exhibits, films, educational programs, collection curation, field collection and analysis, or other museum endeavors. Must be original contributions to museums or the profession, and demonstrate contemporary knowledge of museum methods, theory and practice.
Offered on a CR/NC basis only.
Restriction: admission to Museum Studies graduate program and advisor approval.
MSST 599.
Master's Thesis.
(1-6, no limit Δ)
Restriction: admission to Museum Studies graduate program.
