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Museum Studies

The University of Iowa has maintained a long museum studies tradition, having offered courses in the subject continuously since 1910. Iowa's museum studies students have gone on to become directors, curators, educators, and exhibit specialists in museums throughout the country.

Museums are interdisciplinary institutions that embrace every aspect of cultural study, and the study of museums mirrors that multiplicity. Many University of Iowa departments and programs offer courses relevant to museum studies, for example, American studies, anthropology (including archaeology), art history, studio art, biology, business, communication studies, elementary and secondary education, English, foreign languages, history, library and information sciences, and leisure studies.

Museum facilities at the University of Iowa include the Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Art and the Old Capitol Museum.

The Museum Studies Program offers an undergraduate certificate. Its courses are open to all University of Iowa students; they attract individuals who have a general interest in the arts, humanities, or sciences as well as those who would like to learn more about how museums work.

Certificate

The Certificate in Museum Studies requires 18 s.h. It is offered by University College and administered by the Division of Continuing Education.

The undergraduate certificate provides a broad foundation of knowledge increasingly desired in the museum field. Museum studies courses introduce students to the spectrum of museum endeavors, from organization and mission planning to institutional histories and current developments in the field. Most courses developed by the program offer hands-on experience in exhibition planning and design, collection management, educational programming, community development, and administration.

A major in one of the natural sciences (e.g., biology, geoscience), anthropology, science education, art history, American studies, or history is recommended for students preparing for museum careers; see the appropriate College of Liberal Arts and Sciences department sections of the Catalog for information about those majors. CLAS students also may use the individualized plan of study track in the interdepartmental studies major to create a museum studies concentration relevant to their academic and professional interests.

Requirements for the Certificate in Museum Studies include 15 s.h. of foundation course work and an internship (3 s.h.), for a total of 18 s.h.

All students take 024:102 Introduction to Museology (3 s.h.), which provides a historical overview of museum development and function while introducing students to issues such as museum governance and financing, ethics and law, collection management, exhibition and educational programming, interpretation, and audience research. Ideally, this is the first course students take in the certificate program; it is a prerequisite for some of the program's more advanced courses.

In addition to the introductory course, students select three courses (minimum of 9 s.h.), typically one from each of three of the following categories, and one additional course (minimum of 3 s.h.) from any of the categories:

Museum administration and management

History, theory, and culture

Exhibition development and public education

Collection management and care

After completing the 15 s.h. of foundation course work described above, students complete an internship (minimum of 3 s.h.). The director of the museum studies certificate program works closely with students and affiliated faculty members to ensure that internships provide students with the instruction and experience they need.

Students may count a maximum of 6 s.h. completed for another certificate, major, or minor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences toward the Certificate in Museum Studies; students must first request permission from the director of the museum studies certificate to use courses that are not included in the program, and the proposed course content and requirements must fit into one of the program's defined areas.

Students interested in the museum studies certificate are encouraged to contact the director of the Museum Studies Program.