My proposal for a Museum Studies PhD minor at Indiana University Bloomington
was recommended by my committee and accepted by the Dean in 1988. That was
the first, but I believe there have been others since. [This was my 'primary'
minor, the other being anthropology; my degree is in folklore - I.U.'s
Folklore Institute is great.] It consisted of 18 semester hours, and more
is available, in such courses as museum management (Arts Administration dept.),
arts and anthropology, textile conservation (Apparel Merchandising and Interior
Design dept [formerly 'Home Ec'], folk art craft and architecture, various
museum studies and practica offered through the anthrop dept but done at e.g.
their museum of world cultures, the folklore archives, the historic house
museum of the first president, the local history museum [where I've ended up
;)]the arts center, etc. Also pertinent could be offerings in fine arts dept.,
chemistry [for conservators], business [ugh, but Somebody has to keep the
payroll and bills paid!], health-p.e.-and-recreation [parks administration
and the like], the oral history project, biology [for zoo/herbarium/arboretum-
oriented museum people]. I.U. has been flexible, to meet the interests and
needs of a variety of people, but it does have an official museum studies
minor -- you just have to roll your own and have your dissertation committee
approve it.
Chris Bobbitt, still A.B.D....
Curator of Collections
Monroe County Historical Museum
Bloomington, IN 47408
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"May 10, 1995 gets closer every day; so how are your last 3 chapters coming?"
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