New MA in museum studies offers contemporary, inclusive approach
Jessica Ulmer (standing), a specialist at ASU's Center for Archaeology and Society, and student Randii Lantz Castaneda document Hohokam red-on-buff pottery. Courtesy photo
Over the decades, there have been significant changes to museums, collections management and museum operations. With a new focus on community partnership and inclusion, the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University has revitalized and is offering a Master of Arts in museum studies.
“I am excited for students to discover the ways in which museums can positively impact the world, even though they have been the institutions of oppression and colonization in the past,” said Ryan Williams, professor and director of the School of Human Evolution and Social Change.
“The focus in our program is on how to care for cultural collections ethically and with social awareness in concert with descendant communities. We strive to give students the orientation and tools to do that work collaboratively and to prepare them to make a difference in the world of museums, small and large.”
The degree will include courses focused on topics such as museum administration, cultural resource management and compliance that are taught by expert faculty within the school. Students will also have the opportunity for experiential learning through internship opportunities.
In addition, under faculty supervision, students in the program will have the opportunity to help with ASU’s continuing Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act efforts.
Career opportunities with a Master of Arts in museum studies include::
- Museum collections manager.
- Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) specialist.
- Museum site director.
- Consulting for private and public organizations.
- Directing nonprofit organizations.
- Directing programs in the private or public sector.
The MA program will also offer students hands-on experiences with collections management, exhibits, administrative skills and collaboration with descendant communities as stakeholders in museum collections — skills that are essential for museum leadership.
Some of these experiences will be through engaging with the school’s Museum of the Human Story, a collection of exhibition spaces that showcase the school’s research and preservation efforts. These exhibition spaces include the Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve, the Innovation Gallery, and the Institute of Human Origins.
“The core class requirement of museum administration introduces students to practical skills that I wish I had learned (in school), such as assembling a grant application for collections or exhibits, budgeting, human resources and messaging,” said Christopher Caseldine, assistant research professor and curator of collections at the Center for Archaeology and Society.
“The other core classes and electives allow students to hone the direction that they want to specialize in, such as compliance, collections management or exhibits.”
The School of Human Evolution and Social Change continues to offer a museum studies certificate; however, the new master's program offers a more in-depth curriculum about administration and hands-on, back-of-the-house experience.
“Other museum programs are either hyper-specific or only provide theoretical applications,” said John Bello, a 2016 graduate of a previous iteration of the museum studies program and current assistant director at the Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve.
“This program will expose students to many different museum careers and networks of professionals that will help them understand what careers they would like to pursue during the program and have actionable steps to do after graduation.”
Applications for the MA in museum studies program will open in September 2024 and run through December 2024. No specific undergraduate major is required to enroll. However, exposure to anthropology, history, culture or art would complement this degree.
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