On Mon, 28 Dec 1998 11:13:29 -0400, Jane Thomson  wrote:

>I am still seeking input from museum professionals on a proposed new program
>at the University of Calgary, Alberta. There are currently several Master's
>level programs in Museum Studies available in Canada, but nothing at the
>graduate level in Alberta, and no PhD level program in Canada.
>If the U of C decides to go ahead with an expanded program (we currently
>offer a minor only, and it is very popular), we need to know whether we
>should offer a distance education option for professionals with regular
>jobs, so they could pursue studies throughout the year, perhaps taking
>on-site summer courses or a couple of months at other times during the year.
>Should it be a thesis-based program? Should we include offerings from
>departments of architecture, business, design, computer studies? What do
>people need and want in the area of museum education?
>I'd be very grateful if you could take a few minutes and respond. Happy New
>Year to you all.
>Jane Sproull Thomson

Jane -

Having received both a BA in Art History and an MA in Anthropology from the University of Calgary, I am curious as to where a graduate program in Museum Studies would be housed?

 I think a thesis based program is important.  The ability to collect, analyze and desseminate information in an articulate and well-organized manner is an important skill for anyone interested in pursuing a career in the museum field.  Access to experienced and knowledgeable museum professionals would be one of the first considerations in the design and implementation of a museum studies program.  The museum field is constantly changing, faculty members need to be aware of these changes and the impact that they have on the field.  The University of Calgary is fortunate in that they have excellent departments of History, Anthropology, Art History, Archaeology and Environmental Studies (architecture), however, are the faculty in these departments well versed in current museum practices?  Can all of these departments support graduate level (MA and PhD) courses and seminars and would they be willing to offer these courses to students from a Museum Studies Program?

The education that I received at the University of Calgary was excellent.  The skills and knowledge that I attained through both my Bachelors and Masters programs gave me the academic background and critical thinking skills that have allowed me to work successfully in the museum field.  I guess my question would be, is it necessary for UofC to offer graduate programs in museum studies or would it be more valuable for students to have museum studies offered as a minor to augment the graduate level academic courses in their particular choosen discipline.  I am not convinced that a general museum studies degree can substitute for the subject specific training or knowledge that is necessary in so many museums  today.  For students interested in pursuing administrative positions in a museum, an MBA with a concentration in Museum Studies might be more useful than a general Museum Studies degree.

Distance education is becoming more and more popular.  I have taken a year off from my museum career to pursue an MBA degree at Colorado State University.  While I am a full-time on campus student, the College of Business has developed an exceptional distance MBA program which is very popular in addition to being very lucrative for the university.

Good luck with the program.  Please contact me off-list as I would be very interested to learn more about your plans.

Angela Brayham
Fort Collins, CO
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