I suppose I was lucky in that I was able to pursue the degree in an
evening programme. A criteria for admittance was that one had to be
working full-time (another was that one needed to have several years work
experience). The cost was significant and money was pretty tight but it
hurt a little less because I had an income.  There were other advantages.
We used assignments, projects, theses to apply methods to and test
theories on our work-related problems.  My classmates represented public,
non-profit, and private sector institutions.  Through group projects and
presentations I learned lots about different sectors and regions of the
country.  And, my fellow students got regular doses of "museum" (and not
just the 'usual' funding/ fundraising/ marketing/ administrative stuff,
they heard lots on issues related to collecting, interpreting,
collaborating, repatriating, representating) and by the end of the
programme shared a sense of responsibility about our problems and issues.
Faculty direction and feedback was, of course, an important ingredient in
all of this.

I do know this type of programme is not for everyone.  But I don't know
where else or how much more efficiently I could have gained such a
concentrated and focussed experience.

(You are right when you say 'it could position you for work outside the
museum field if and when you want to move on'.  Without intending or
planning it, that seems to be what happened to me.)

Cheers

On
Fri, 13 Nov 1998, John Engman wrote:

> I would agree with you on the necessity for the skills you learned in your
> program. My MBA did the same but at a significant cost of time and money. I
> grant that having an MBA does give one a systematic way to approach problems
> and a point of differentiation when pursuing employment. I argue that there
> are other, perhaps more efficient, ways to gain those skills.
>

Anne-Marie Fenger
(formerly Museum of Anthropology
now Dean's Office)
Faculty of Arts
University of British Columbia
Buchanan B130, 1866 Main Mall
Vancouver, B.C.  V6T 1Z1
Tel:  604-822-8247
Fax:  604-822-6096
E-Mail:  [log in to unmask]
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