The University of Alabama is pleased to offer an interdisciplinary graduate certificate in museum studies intended for graduate students who are either majoring in a traditional museum content discipline such as art history, history, anthropology, American studies, geology, or biology; or students who have already completed graduate degrees in these disciplines. Students who complete the certificate program will be qualified for a variety of entry-level professional positions in museums in areas such as museum education, collections management, exhibit planning and development, and museum administration.
Generally defined as the study of all aspects of the theory and practice of museum operations, museum studies includes the history and background of museums, their role in society, and specific systems for research, conservation, education, organization, and administration. This certificate program combines education in traditional academic subjects together with coursework in museum theory and practices, and practical museum field experience.
Admissions
Consistent with the Graduate School’s requirements, an applicant to the museum studies certificate program must have completed a bachelor’s degree and be currently enrolled in a master’s or doctoral program of study at The University of Alabama, or have completed a graduate degree. Applicants not currently enrolled in a graduate program of study at The University of Alabama must submit the required materials, including a statement of purpose and two letters of recommendation, to the Museum Studies Internship Coordinator.
An applicant whose credentials meet the following minimum requirements may be considered for regular, unconditional admission to the museum studies certificate program:
- GPA: The applicant must have a GPA of 3.0 overall, 3.0 in the last 60 hours in a degree program, or 3.0 for a completed graduate degree program.
A student may be admitted with Permission to Continue if he/she falls below the expected criteria.
See the Admission Criteria section of this catalog for more information.
Curricular Requirements
The certificate program requires completing 15 credit hours, including three core courses. The remaining six hours will come from a list of electives pre-approved by the Museum Studies Advisory Board, allowing students the flexibility to tailor their program of study to their specific career goals
| Museum Studies Certificate | Hours |
| MUSM 500 | Museum Internship (Museum Internship) | 3 |
| MUSM 501 | Museum Administration | 3 |
| MUSM 502 or | Museum Collections Management | 3 |
| MUSM 503 | Museum Education & Exhibition |
| 6 |
| Landscapes of the South | |
| On The Road | |
| Writer & Artist in America | |
| Popular Culture in America | |
| American between the Wars | |
| Studies In The Arts | |
| American Experience to 1865 | |
| The "Good War" | |
| Fictions of American Identity | |
| American Experience to 1865 | |
| Ancient Maya Civilizations | |
| Ancient Maya Civilizations | |
| Anthropology of Africa | |
| Probs In Anthropology | |
| Probs In Anthropology | |
| Literature Of Art | |
| The Plastic Human | |
| Native Americans Ethnohy Persp | |
| Topics in Renaissance Art | |
| American Art Seminar | |
| Twentieth-Century Seminar (Representing Conflict only) | |
| Spec Topics Biolog Sci | |
| Seminar in C&IS | |
| Sem Culture Criti Rhetor Stdy | |
| Sem: Visual Communication | |
| Intercultural Communication | |
| Spec Topics Sem American Lit | |
| Volcanology | |
| Adv Topics In Geology | |
| Forest Eco Veg Analysis | |
| Literature Of American History | |
| Literature European Hist | |
| Lit Latin Amercn History | |
| Prosem Us HY Since 1877 | |
| Prosem Southern History | |
| Special Studies | |
| Info Sci & Tech | |
| Spec Libr & Info Centrs | |
| Youth Programming | |
| Intro Archival Studies | |
| Archival Theory & Practice | |
| Museum Collections Management | |
| Museum Education & Exhibition | |
| Exhibit Design & Production | |
| Social Theory Foundations | |
| Public Humanities Foundations | |
| Hy Costume For Stage | |
| Prob Th Arts: Design (Process and Model Making only) | |
| Costume Design through the Age | |
| Leadership in the Arts | |
| Financial Management | |
| Public Policy In Arts | |
| Marketing The Arts | |
| Board Relations and Planning | |
| Total Hours | 15 |
