Assistant National Collections Coordinator
National Collections Program
It depends upon your subject interest. I am a 1993 GW Museum Studies
graduate with an undergraduate degree in art history. The Museum Studies
Program, in regards to the core curriculum, concentrates primarily on
the legal and ethical issues which surrounds collections management and
general museum administration ie. ethical responsibilities of a board of
trustees. You will learn the importance of the non-profit sector; the
role that the museum plays as a charitable corporation; how to create
your own museum; how to write a collections management policy; and what
are the resposibilities of a board of trustess. You will learn about
conservation, exhibit planning and interpretation and so on and so on.
You will be required to put in 520 hours (don't quote me on that number)
towards an internship in any museum, historical house, etc. The
intership allows you to apply what you have learned and learn what is
not found in the text book (baptism by fire experiences). What you will
not learn about is museum administration in regards to fundraising. You
may, however, take a course on budget or proposal writing but that's it.
What is unique about the program is the staff. Marie Malaro, Director of
the Museum Studies program is an attorney and former Assistant General
Counsel for the Smithsonian Institution. Additional staff members work
within the Smithsonian and are thereby able to provide an indepth
knowledge of their particlar field via text book, individual experiences
and application, and on-sight course work. In my biased opinion, you
could not pick a better group of instructors. However, because the
museum field is so vast and the museum community and their various
voices are so abundant (those who serve and the receiving
beneficiaries), additional courses could or *should* be offered but are
not.
 
In regards to your academic core, because I had an interest in art
history, I created my own program ( in other words, I took courses
wherever they were offered). Most students concentrate in American
Studies or Anthropology. And, again, good instructors. It was difficult
to create the academic core that I wanted, but that was my choice. If I
wanted an M.A. in Art History, then I would have gone elsewhere. Good
luck in whatever you decide to do.
 
Oh, by the way, as an additional plug most of my graduating class,
including myself, are all proud employees of the Smithsonian. Mind you
we had additional work experience, but it did not hamper us to have our
M.A. from G.W.
 
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