To put in my thoughts before the inevitable "Can we depart from this thread?" message comes through: >>> Megan Bryant <[log in to unmask]> 06/18/98 11:20am >>> I find this to be an inaccurate assessment of the make-up of the museum profession. I know a great many people working in museums, many of them at the upper levels, who do not have advanced degrees. Most of these people got their start by volunteering or taking those extremely low paid "entry-level" positions. >> ----------------------------------------- I'm curious, of what generation are these "great many people" without advanced degrees? It seems clear that entering the museum profession now is intensely more competitive than it was twenty, or even ten, years ago. And it's not getting any easier. Some advice to new BA job seekers: While pursuing work in small museums has been suggested, I've found advantages to targeting the big guys. Living in Washington, DC, I found it relatively easy to obtain "entry-level" positions at the National Gallery of Art and at the Smithsonian Institution, with only a BA in art history. Large museum complexes post numerous jobs every month for all kinds of basic secretarial and clerical duties, not to mention the constant need for guards and shop staff. Swallowing one's pride and working in a museum shop can seem demeaning, but the advantages to doing something WITHIN the museum walls are very good (visual familiarity with staff, knowledge of museum organization, first look at new position postings, etc...). That said, I still found that a Master's degree was really an a priori requirement to obtaining any kind of interesting museum work. No matter how lowly an advertised position seems, you can, increasingly, guarantee that a great number of applicants will have Master's degrees. When one thinks of any kind of curatorial work, expect to be competing against Ph.D.'s. If at all possible, seek graduate education, as much (if not more) for the internship possibilities as for the education. If you're really interested in a specific field of museum (art, history, etc.) an M.A. in that subject with some Museum Studies electives , is probably more valuable than a wholly Museum Studies degree. I know many, well, actually about 4, people whose graduate internship connections have led them to interesting, if underpaid, careers. Be flexible. I'm doing work that I never imagined I'd be doing in my "entry-level" years or in graduate school, but it's a good job with an almost livable salary. Good luck! ************************************************************************* All opinions here expressed are strictly my own-ljh. ************************************************************************* Lawrence J. Hyman Project Director, SITES Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 202.357.3168 x 142 [log in to unmask] **************************************************************************