Undergraduate
Certificate Programs
Museum Studies
The Museum Studies Program offers an 18 credit hour undergraduate certificate in museum studies designed to complement a bachelor’s degree and to prepare students for a career in museums or for graduate study. Many of the courses take advantage of the excellent museum community in Indianapolis with behind-the-scenes tours of museums and guest lectures by experts in the field. The Museum Studies Program is interdisciplinary and draws students from the arts, humanities, and social sciences, as well as from the hard sciences.
The undergraduate core courses provide a firm introduction to the theory, methodology, and practice of museum work. An internship in a museum provides the opportunity to apply skills, gain experience, and develop professional relationships. A range of electives is recommended to allow exploration of areas of interest or to develop deeper knowledge in a more specialized aspect of museum work.
The Undergraduate Museum Studies Certificate consists of a core of four courses (12 cr.) and a choice of two additional courses (6 cr.) from a list of museum studies courses. All of these courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher in order to count for the certificate. Electives not on the list of approved electives must be approved by the museum studies director prior to registration. Before enrolling in the Undergraduate Museum Studies Certificate Program, IUPUI students must have completed 55 credit hours of university study with a minimum GPA of 2.0 and must have declared a major field of study.
IUPUI students meeting these requirements and wishing to enroll in the undergraduate certificate should complete a change of record form in the Liberal Arts Office of Student Affairs and should complete an intake form (which may be downloaded on the museum studies Web site). Once enrolled in the undergraduate certificate program, students should meet with their museum studies advisor to develop a curriculum plan.
The following 18 credit hours of course work are designed to provide a firm introduction to the theory, methodology, and practice of museum work.
- Museum theory (6 cr.): MSTD A403, HIST H217
- Museum methods (9 cr.): MSTD A405 and two electives, at least one of which must be a museum studies course; the other may be an approved elective from another department.
- Practical museum work: (3 cr.): 3 credits required in a museum internship (MSTD A408 or a discipline-based internship such as ANTH 412 done in a museum and with a museum studies faculty advisor.
Student Consumer Information for the Museum Studies Certificate. For more information about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the program, and other important information, please visit our website at, http://apps.usss.iu.edu/disclosures/?plan=IN01.30.1401.
Undergraduate Certificate Requirements
Core courses (12 cr.)- MSTD A403 Introduction to Museum Studies (3 cr.)
- MSTD A405 Museum Methods (3 cr.)
- HIST H217 Nature of History (3 cr.)
- MSTD A408 Museum Internship (3 cr.)
Choice of two additional courses. One or more must be from the museum studies curriculum. One elective may be from an approved list of courses offered in other departments (see the museum studies Web site for a current listing).
