The Interdisciplinary Certificate Program in Museum Studies provides undergraduate and graduate students a broad overview of the history of museums as well as knowledge of museum methodology and practice consistent with contemporary national and international standards. The program gives particular attention to issues of museum history, ethics, the relationships of museums to communities and diverse audiences, educational programs, and an examination of diverse types of collections and interpretations. The 16-credit program includes traditional coursework, an internship, and field study opportunities. The certificate is available at undergraduate and graduate levels and to non-degree-seeking individuals. Contact Us: Program Director: Akela Reason, History Department, University of Georgia, 239 LeConte Hall, areason@uga.edu Who is Eligible? The following students are eligible for the certificate program: The Undergraduate Certificate in Museum Studies is open to all undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students at the University of Georgia. To be eligible to participate in the program, an applicant must be either a currently enrolled student in good standing in an undergraduate degree-seeking program or a post-baccalaureate student in good standing at the university. All applicants must submit a formal application to the program. The Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies is open to all currently enrolled graduate students, as well as students who possess a graduate degree and apply through Graduate Admissions as non-degree seeking students. Non-degree seeking students who have already earned an undergraduate degree but are not currently enrolled in a degree program at UGA. These students may apply to the Graduate School solely for CERT status (see the Graduate School website for more information, non-degree certificate student admissions). Program Requirements The certificate program consists of five 3-credit courses, plus a one-credit capstone course equaling 16 hours of credit are required to complete the certificate program of study. Three courses are required of all students enrolled in the certificate program: FCID 5010/7010 Introduction to Museum Studies (3 credits), FCID 5015/7015 Museum Internship (3 credits), and FCID 5020/7020 Museum Studies Capstone (1 credit). These foundations courses make up 7 of the 16 hours of credit necessary to complete the certificate program. Please note: FCID 5010/7010 is only taught in fall semesters and FCID 5020/7020 is only taught in spring. The remaining 9 hours will be selected from the approved electives list below and must come from at least two different disciplines. Undergraduate Electives (Three courses are required. Must be taken in two different areas.) AFAM/HIST 4032 3 hours. Black Skin, White Walls: African Americans and the Museum ANTH 3225 3 hours. Archaeological Curation and Collections Management ANTH 3230 3 hours. Material Culture (Prerequisite: ANTH 1102 or ANTH 2120H or permission of department) ANTH 4250 3 hours. Cultural Resource Management (Prerequisite: ANTH 3220 or ANTH 4200/6200) ARED 4010 3 hours. Art Criticism and Aesthetic Understanding ARED 4060S 3 hours. Art Education Practicum in School, Museum, and Community (Prerequisite: Permission of department) ARED 5500. 3 hours. Introduction to Museum Education (Prerequisite: Permission of department) ARED 5510 3 hours. Engaging Art Museum Audiences as Student Docents ARED 5540 3 hours. Topics in Art Museum Education ARHI 4050 3 hours. Icons: Theory and Practice ARHI 4970 3 hours. Art History Field Study ARHI 4580 3 hours. Postmodern Visual Culture ARHI 4910 3 hours. Topics in Renaissance and Baroque Art: Drawings CLAS 4400 3 hours. Art of Rome (Study Abroad Program) EDES 4610 3 hours. Vernacular Architecture EDES 4630 3 hours. Twentieth Century Architecture ENGL 3892S 3 hours. Literature and Libraries ENGL 4892 3 hours. Literature in the Archives (Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor) HIPR 4000 3 hours. Introduction to Historic Preservation HIPR 4030 3 hours. Principles and Practice of Preservation HIPR 4072 3 hours. Issues in International Heritage Conservation HIPR 4100 3 hours. Cultural Resource Assessment HIPR 4120 3 hours. Historic Site Interpretation HIPR 4160 3 hours. Public History and Technology HIPR 4250 3 hours. Art and Cultural Heritage Law HIPR 4820 3 hours. Cultural Heritage and the Law HIST 4022 3 hours. Picturing America HIST 4024 3 hours. Topics in Museum Studies HIST 4025 3 hours. American Material Culture HIST 4027 3 hours. American Museums, Parks, and Monuments HIST 4032 3 hours. Black Skin, White Walls: African Americans and the Museum HIST 4760 3 hours. Hands-on Public History LAND 4620 3 hours. Evolution of American Architecture NAMS 4000 3 hours. NAGPRA and the U.S. TXMI 5850 3 hours. Museum Introduction in Clothing and Textiles Graduate Electives (Three courses are required. Must be taken in two different areas.) ANTH 6250 3 hours. Cultural Resource Management (Prerequisite: ANTH 3220 or ANTH 4200/6200) ARED 6010 3 hours. Art Criticism and Aesthetic Understanding ARED 6060S 3 hours. Art Education Practicum in School, Museum, and Community (Prerequisite: Permission of department) ARED 7500 3 hours. Introduction to Museum Education (Prerequisite: Permission of department) ARED 7510 3 hours. Engaging Art Museum Audiences as Student Docents ARED 7540 3 hours. Topics in Art Museum Education ARHI 6050 3 hours. Icons: Theory and Practice ARHI 6970 3 hours. Art History Field Study ARHI 6580 3 hours. Postmodern Visual Culture EDES 6610 3 hours. Vernacular Architecture EDES 6630 3 hours. Twentieth Century Architecture ENGL 6892 3 hours. Literature and the Archives HIPR 6000 3 hours. Introduction to Historic Preservation HIPR 6030 3 hours. Principles and Practice of Preservation HIPR 6072 3 hours. Issues in International Heritage Conservation HIPR 6100 3 hours. Cultural Resource Assessment HIPR 6160 3 hours. Public History and Technology HIPR 6100 3 hours. Cultural Resource Assessment (Prerequisite: HIPR 4000/6000) HIPR 6120 3 hours. Historic Site Interpretation HIPR 6250 3 hours. Art and Cultural Heritage Law HIPR 6820 3 hours. Cultural Heritage and the Law HIST 6022 3 hours. Picturing America HIST 6024 3 hours. Topics in Museum Studies HIST 6025 3 hours. American Material Culture HIST 6027 3 hours. American Museums, Parks, and Monuments HIST 6032 3 hours. Black Skin, White Walls: African Americans and the Museum HIST 6760 3 hours. Hands-on Public History HIST 8765 3 hours. Colloquium in History, Museums, and Collections HIST 8770 3 hours. Colloquium in Public History LAND 6620 3 hours. Evolution of American Architecture NAMS 6000 3 hours. NAGPRA and the U.S. TXMI 7850 3 hours. Museum Introduction in Clothing and Textiles TXMI 8280 3 hours. Museum Issues in Historic Clothing and Textiles (Prerequisite: TXMI 4290/6290 or permission of department) How to Apply Currently Enrolled Students: Currently enrolled UGA students fill out and submit the one of the following application forms. Application to the Undergraduate Certificate in Museum Studies. Undergraduate students must also apply for the certificate in Athena. Application to the Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies Once your application has been approved and you have been accepted, you will receive follow up information on what to do next to start the program. Non-degree-seeking students follow the instructions on the Graduate School application website The Internship Students are required to complete an internship (FCID 5015/7015) as part of the certificate program. A relevant museum internship within another department may be substituted for FCID 5015/7015 with prior approval of the director of the certificate. In order to receive academic credit for the internship students must work at least 105 hours. Internships may be paid or unpaid. FCID 5015/7015 fulfills the undergraduate experiential learning requirement. Students are expected to find appropriate internships under the guidance of the program director. Internships may be on or off campus. Virtual internship are also possible. Some on-campus internship options include: the Georgia Museum of Art, the Georgia Museum of Natural History; and the Special Collections Library. Students must submit the museum studies program internship application to enroll in FCID 5015/7015. The application should be submitted at least two weeks before the start of the semester in which you wish to enroll. Internship courses are subject to University course deadlines. Late or retroactive enrollment is not possible. Students should ideally locate an internship the semester before they intend to enroll in FCID 5015/7015. All internships have a written academic component. Academic requirements appear on the internship course application form. Internship Requirements: Student must be enrolled in the museum studies certificate program. Student must be accepted into an approved internship position (at least 105 hours). Internships must be clearly related to museum studies. Student must be registered during the semester of the internship. Complete the internship course application form (FCID 5015/7015). Applying to Graduate with the Certificate Requests for the certificate should be made at the beginning of the semester of your last certificate course(s). To receive the certificate you must have completed all three required courses (Introduction to Museum Studies FCID 5010/7010, Museum Internship FCID 5015/7015, and Museum Studies Capstone FCID 5020/7020) and three approved electives in two different disciplines. Undergraduate students must apply to graduate in Athena. Students are advised to confirm with the program director that they have met the certificate requirements before their final semester. Graduate students must apply to graduate in Athena as well, but they must specify the museum studies certificate in addition to any other degrees they may be seeking. FAQs Do I need to take the Introduction to Museum Studies (FCID 5020/7020) in my first semester? It is recommended that you start with the Intro course, but since it is only taught in the fall semester many students begin the program with elective courses. I am graduating this semester, can I complete the internship and the capstone in the same semester? Yes. I did an internship last semester, can I get credit for it now? Unfortunately, internships are subject to the same enrollment deadlines as other courses. You cannot receive credit for FCID 5015/7015 for a previous semester. However, it’s great to have additional internship experience for your resume. How can faculty propose a course to add to the electives list? Faculty should submit a course description and syllabus to the program director. To qualify as a museum studies elective the course content must meaningfully engage with museum history and/or museum practices and methods. Direct interaction with collections is encouraged. Courses that include museum content in a less substantive way are generally not considered eligible. Course proposals are reviewed by a committee of three faculty members including the program director. The other members of the committee include one member outside Franklin College and one member working in practice at one of the campus collections.
