Emily and others --

Take a look at the job openings frequently posted on 
this Listserv for a good idea of the type of
qualifications, educational and experience, that
employers expect.  While entry-level positions may not
be advertised so widely, those requiring specialized
training (like a certificate) will.

Chances are, unless the salary is near poverty level,
they will get a fair number of applicants, many
over-qualified for the type of work, but often lacking
computer skills and other basics that employers tend
to expect everybody to have these days.

A subject master's degree, i.e. anthropology, history
or the sciences, was the traditional starting point
required by the museum I know best (a large natural
history one).  Quite a few of the curators actually
began their museum careers with Ph.D.'s and prior
research and or teaching experience.

Collections managers generally joined with a subject
master's degree which may or may not have included a
Certificate in Museum Studies. The then museum
director taught a museum studies class in the
anthropology dept. of a local university in the
1960's. By the 1970's another local university offered
a certificate with many of its graduates interned at
the museum and most of the faculty drawn from the
same.

In addition to looking at job announcements, contact
the program, and ask them about placement rates and
starting salaries.  IMHO, any school offering a
professional degree (one intended to meet an entry
level requirement for a career in the given field) or
certificate ought to be able to provide this
information for prospective students (so they can put 
their parents' minds at ease.)  
 
Judith Turner
Whitefish Bay

--- Emily Brunell <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Hello all...
> 
> I've been accepted to the Museum Studies certificate
> program at Tufts.
> Before I enroll (partly because my parents are
> convinced there's no future
> in this line of work), I was wondering if any one
> has any information on how
> a certificate from a program like that would affect
> my being hired in the
> future.  Is it actually worth doing?  Also, what
> might be some other
> (possibly more effective?) ways of 'breaking into'
> the museum field?
> 
> Thank you,
> Emily
> 
>
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