I am a BA graduate [long ago - class of 69] from the University of Memphis, interned at the Pink Palace, and received my MA at SUNY in the Cooperstown Graduate Program, which is still one of the best MA programs in this country for those interested in careers in museum management. The companion fine arts museum administration program is at Winterthur. The Cooperstown program courses take place at the New York State Historical Association's museum buildings and placements occur in museums throughout the country. My first curator position - after graduation - was in Little Rock at the then named Arkansas Territorial Restoration. I just retired after 37 years with New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, site manager of Johnson Hall State Historic Site, 18th century home of Sir William Johnson. My husband, also a BA graduate from the University of Memphis, has two MA degrees, one from Duke [history] and one from Cooperstown. He had several museum jobs in upstate New York and retired in the same year as me with over 30 years as curator of art and architecture at the NYS Museum in Albany. We had offers back in the south but became settled in jobs in New York State. 
-Wanda [Easter] Burch and Ron Burch

On Apr 10, 2012, at 5:54 PM, Wesley S. Creel wrote:

> Good Afternoon Patricia,
> As someone who has been hiring museum workers (from Directors to Janitors) since the mid-1970s in a variety of museums – I can assure you that I am only interested in hiring a person, who can do the job as defined in the job description.  Therefore, the applicant has to convince me: whether it be in the cover letter, the resume, transcript, interview, or references…. that s/he has the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the job on day one.  How one acquires those KSAs – I don’t care.  I just need for the applicant to demonstrate to me that s/he possess that particular set of KSAs.  In other words, if an applicant’s transcript shows 9 credit hours in financial management and they can’t tell me in a job interview -- in two simple words -- why a museum should have a budget……….guess what…………. I won’t offer that particular job to that applicant………….. since the job s/he is applying for, specifically requires knowledge of financial management.
> The bottom line is that there is no exact formula (e.g., academic education, technical training, and relevant experience) that can prepare you for success.  To be truthful, much of it has to with being….. the right person, ……with the right set of skills, …..for the right job, ……at the right time.
> This all reminds me about the time – back in the Bronze Age (before satellite navigation, computers, and cell phones) – I  was offered two different jobs at the same time:  one job was a full-curator gig at a university anthropology museum, the other job was ferrying sailing yachts to/from Tahiti……  It was an example of being the right person, with the right sets of skills, for the right jobs……….at the WRONG time!
> Best Wishes,
> Wesley
> Wesley S. Creel
> Administrator of Programs
> Pink Palace Family of Museums
> 3050 Central Avenue
> Memphis, TN 38111
> www.memphismuseums.org
> Office 901.636.2370  new telephone number
> FAX 901.636.2391  new FAX number
>  
> Please consider including the Pink Palace Family of Museums in your charitable giving plans
> along with your other charitable interests.
> Please visit all our great facilities as well as our website: www.memphismuseums.org Our mission: The Pink Palace Family of Museums inspires people to learn how history.science, technology and nature shape the mid-South. Through rich collections, thought-provoking exhibitions, and engaging programs, we encourage our diverse community to reflect on the past, understand the present, and influence the future
>  
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> From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Patricia Christine Harris (pcharris)
> Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2012 3:57 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Museum Career
>  
> I plan to enter graduate school and enroll in the University of Memphis Museum Studies Graduate Certificate Program.  In addition to the certificate, I will also enroll in an MA program.  Here is my dilemma.  No single department really addresses my career interests and goals with museums that focus on Administration and cultural heritage studies.  Our Anthropology Department offers several excellent courses in cultural heritage studies, but also requires six core courses that are not relevant to my career trajectory.  Nonprofit Administration also has several excellent courses of interest, but if I were to apply to that MA program, its a bit more Nonprofit Administration than I am really interested in and would not allow me to take the cultural heritage courses in Anthropology.  A solution seems to be enrolling in our University College Master of Arts in Liberal Studies Program that would allow me the flexibility of choosing courses from both departments and complete the Museum Studies certificate as well.  I have been advised by some that an MA in Liberal Studies will put me at a disadvantage when applying for jobs and that my degree will mean more if it is from a specific department.  
>  
> I have also been advised that prospective employers will be more interested in the courses I have taken and my actual experience in museums, such as my current part-time employment, past and future internships and volunteering.  The latter advice makes the most sense to me, but I want to be certain that I am not fooling myself either.  I will appreciate any advice anyone has regarding this issue.  
> 
> Thanks,
> Patricia
>  
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