It sounds as if things are run quite differently over here in the UK. I
went to the University of Leicester do do my MA. Leicester is the
largest Museum Studies department in Britain, and every full time
student does a two month work placement.

however, the student is not personally responsible for finding a
placement, as they appear to be in the US. Rather, the museums are
responsible for deciding that they would like to host a student, putting
together a project for the student to work on and submitting this to the
department. A full list of all submitted projects is then circulated to
all students who  then choose where they would like to go.

There is no additional financial support and students are not paid. Most
have to return to Leicester at the end of the 2 months to finish the
course so may end up having to pay two lots of rent at the same time. So
although the process is different, most students here also end up going
back to their home area, or to a place where they know people. I went to
Glasgow, a friend of mine went to Liverpool and is now working there,
others went 'home' but several went to areas where they knew no-one to
work in both large and small museums, because the project was
interesting.

Perhaps because of the traditional class make up of the profession,
established systems like this one do not apeear to take financial
pressures etc into consideration, so it is often the practicalities that
hold people back, not the desire to avoid being in an interesting place
doing interesting work!

rant over.
>jane

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