> >Hi Jenifer, >I saw your post and thought I would pitch in with my 2 cents. I >read one response saying that it depends and there is no right or >wrong answer, and I don't disagree. However, I think you can >consider some guidelines. First, what type of job do you want to >pursue? You mention curator or registrar, but I think it makes a >difference. As a curator, you would be expected to participate in >what one might call "scholarly" activities. You should be very >familiar with Art History for those jobs. Most museums will want to >hire a curator who specializes in one particular area. So, if you >want to be a curator in European Art, for example, I would strongly >recommend a Masters in Art History, emphasis in European art. Also >important to consider - what size and type of museum do you want to >work in after receiving your degree? If your goal is to work in a >large museum with a strong reputation in a city like Chicago, NYC, >LA, Dallas, Milwaukee, St. Louis etc. you should consider that a PhD >will probably be needed for a position above curatorial assistant. >Small regional museums may be more flexible. You might even be the >only curator on staff, in which case a broad background in art >history or general museum work might be acceptable. One thing I >have noticed - it seems that postings for curators of Modern Art - >even at the large museums - often list that only a masters with a >specialization in Modern art is required (though a PhD may be >preferred). For registrar positions, a museum studies program might >be more appropriate. For those jobs - as you probably know from >your experience - a certain type of skill and familiarity with >collections management is needed. It is probably less important for >someone to have an advanced knowledge of art and more important that >they know about cataloging procedures, standards of collections >management, climate control, condition reports, etc. Museum studies >programs will probably focus more on those areas than an Art History >program unless you took a museum course or practicum. I have seem >Masters in Museum Studies programs which might be more marketable >than just a Certificate, but I don't know much about either of those >programs, and am not speaking from personal experience with them. I >have a Masters in Art History from UW-Madison (I am guessing you got >your BA from UW - I'd be curious to know when you were there!) and >have gone into Museum Education. Museum education job postings >often list that education degrees are acceptable too, but since you >did not mention museum education, I won't elaborate on those jobs! >I had the feeling that an M.A. in Art History was the way to go >because that seemed to be more highly regarded than Museum Studies >programs. That may be changing, but, again, I think it depends on >the type of museum in which you want to work and on the mind set at >that place. I remember hearing that one Museum Director at a >University museum had said he would never consider hiring someone >who did not have a masters in Art History. But, at the small >university museum where I work now, our new registrar has a Master >of Arts in Museum Science from Texas Tech in Lubbock. > >I would recommend looking through postings in AVISO (AAM's monthly >magazine which lists jobs) - you can get it online through AAM's >website or in paper form if you are an AAM member. Also look at >sites like globalmuseum.org or other reputable museum job sites. >Look to see what kind of qualifications they require. You can also >check individual museum websites for job listings to look for their >requirements. You might try calling some Human Resource >representatives at Museums that are the same size and in a similar >location as Museums in which you'd want to work to ask them what >education experience they look for in candidates - they used to call >these informational interviews. You are simply calling to ask for >information - you do not pitch yourself at that time. You might >even set up an appointment to meet for an informational interview. >Again - do not pitch yourself to anyone who has agreed to give you >an informational interview, though you should have a resume with you >in case THEY ask for it. One last piece of advice - museum jobs are >not often easy to get, so try very hard to get practical experience >while in school - work study jobs or even volunteering. You will >want to have that experience as well as strong recommendations when >you begin looking for a job in addition to a Masters. The education >alone is usually not enough. Also, I hope that you are prepared to >move for a position. I finished my MA at Madison and moved to >Dallas for a Museum Education internship. Yes, be prepared to take >an internship even after getting your masters. A masters does not >mean that you can get right into the job market. You still need >that experience. Ideally, try to get an internship in a museum >where you would want to work for some time. The internship may pan >out into a regular position. Internships are a great way to make >connections and learn on the job! > > >-- > >Sincerely, >Andréa M. Morrill >Curator of Education >Southeast Missouri State University Museum >(573) 651-2301 >[log in to unmask] -- ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).