Hi Mia,
I think
that given the job market in museums, particularly in the large coastal
cities, a graduate certificate is the way to go, given your other degrees. Gretchen's suggestion is a good one, and GW
has a solid program, beyond their fairly new Museum Collections Management and
Care Certificate Program, which means experience and resources to draw
from. I know several people who have
gone through Tuft’s Museum Studies program and have heard nothing but good
things about it. I hadn’t heard of Regis College’s program, but from their website
it appears to be in nonprofit management/administration vs. straight museum studies. If you want to go into museum administration or development, this
may be just the thing. If you are
interested in going into museum education, collections management or curatorial aspects,
then this probably isn’t the right certificate.
A few other graduate certificate programs in your area include:
Boston University Museum
Studies Program, Department of Art History –mainly enrolled grad. Students
at BU take this certificate, but they say they are open to letting
non-degree students in.Smith College offers a Summer Institute in
Art Museum Studies/Professional Certificate in Art Museum Studies.Framingham College used
to have a program in Museum Administration, but I don’t think they do any
longer.
Good luck,
Keni SturgeonCuratorMission Mill MuseumAdjunct Professor
Western Oregon University & Linfield College
--- On Thu, 7/31/08, Gretchen Stelzel <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
From: Gretchen Stelzel <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] questions about certificates/jobs
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Thursday, July 31, 2008, 8:59 AM
Mia,
It sounds as though you and I are twins! I also have a BA and MA in American
History and thought for sure I would be a shoe in for a job, but I was mistaken!
Desparately seeking museum employment I started working part time giving tours
in Old Town Alexandria, VA and eventually starting volunteering with the
collections. I also started the Museum Collections Management and Care
Certificate Program at George Washington University. This program has been
great because it is all online and therefor can be done from your Boston
location and the best part is, no internships. You do have to have access to a
museum collections so my suggestion would be to go out and try to find a small
local museum that is seeking volunteers. It's not ideal but it's a
great way to get a start. Most will only require you to volunteer once a month.
This way you get a bit of museum experience.
Good luck,
Gretchen
----- Original Message -----
From: Mia <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thursday, July 31, 2008 11:45 am
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] questions about certificates/jobs
To: [log in to unmask]
> Hello:
>
> I have been reading through the archives and have some questions
> about museum jobs and certificates. I know there is no one right
> answer, but would love to hear opinions from others.
>
> I have both a BA and MA in American history and have completed two
> internships during undergrad. I have been working as an admin in an
> unrelated area for the past few years but really want to get back into
> a history museum. Do you think obtaining a certificate is worth my
> while and will help my chances in landing a job?
>
> I have found two certificates in the Boston area: Tufts Univ and
> Regis College. Has anyone heard about the Regis certificate? It
> requires 4 classes and 2 internships. Are there any others in this area?
>
> What is the average pay range for starting out in the Boston area ?I
> know of several small museums in the surrounding towns. Do you think
> there are more opportunities in this general area, or is there more
competition?
>
> Any other info welcome and appreciated.
>
> Thank you so much!
>
> -Mia
>
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