>My argument here is that a good graduate program will teach more than what is
>in the books.  For instance, discipline--knowing how to accomplish 1001
>assigned tasks when you have enough time to complete 500.


What graduate program does this?  My graduate program (admittedly, in art
history rather than museum studies) erroneously taught me that I had all the
time in the world to accomplish something of very little value outside of a
small circle of people, who all fought intensely to ensure that whatever
hard, original work you did was instantly discredited.  It wasn't until I
hit the "real world" that I learned that you DON'T have the luxury of time
to check and recheck, cover all bases in the way of sources, and produce
something of tiptop scholarly quality for people who wouldn't care if you
missed some small thing as long as they understood the basic thrust.  Grad
school was fun and intellectually stimulating, and I wouldn't have missed it
for the world, but as career preparation it left a whole lot to be desired.

If you want to learn how to juggle 1001 things when you only have time for
500, have children.


Julia Moore
Indianapolis Art Center