Aspiring museum professionals and volunteers frequently ask us the aforementioned question at the Grant Museum, and it’s a question that isn’t easily answered. I can’t say that my opinion—which, regrettably, isn’t expressed as often as we’d like—on whether it helps or not is the final word, but here are my personal views.
I would first advise reading the job description and application form. You will undoubtedly need a museum studies degree if “Must have a museum studies degree” is a requirement in order to be considered for the position. In order to encourage people with extensive experience working in museums and other sectors to apply, we try to avoid making this a strict requirement at the Grant Museum, but you still see it on job postings.
There are a number of Museum Studies courses out there. They are undoubtedly an interesting subject to study, and UCL has a good one (full disclosure: I studied museum studies there), which I teach on. If you’re on the fence about whether museums are for you or not, or if you stumbled upon a particular museum by accident and want to advance your career in museums, I’d strongly advise doing one of two things. The first example might sound like an expensive way to see if a career in museums is for you, but working in a museum involves more than just swanning around pretending to be intelligent to the public and occasionally dusting specimens. If you take a good museum studies course, you’ll be exposed to all the aspects of museums you need to know about, put up with, or learn in order to get a job. I notice a lot fewer occurrences of the latter case these days. Before a career in museums became more formalized, there were many ways to enter the field without prior museum experience. Each museum operates differently, and without exposure to the bigger picture, it is very simple to become “institutionalized.” An excellent way to truly comprehend what museums are, how they were created, and, most importantly, how museums collaborate locally, nationally, and internationally in the museum sector is to take a museum studies course. This sense of perspective and desire to alter practice outside of one institution is something I really value, and it’s essential to comprehending the underlying reasons why museums generally do what they do rather than just the museum I work at. This distinction is subtle but very important (I think).
What else you did at the same time is another factor that is perhaps more significant than pursuing a degree in museum studies. Although earning a degree in museum studies is not simple, doing so to focus on a particular area of interest is a fantastic opportunity and will help you stand out from your peers. While you are studying, consider working or volunteering in several museums. Take on all of your assignments in natural history museums if that’s what you’re interested in. Possibly most importantly, visit as many museums and exhibitions as you can (at least the ones that are free). Since there are so many fantastic museums right outside your door, studying in London was especially exciting for me. Additionally, the volunteer and work placement opportunities offered by my course helped to shape my future career and work ethics. In addition to receiving a degree, if you have studied museum studies, I like to see this activity on your application.
This sounds hugely unfair. And it is unfair. Jobs in museums are competitive and require a variety of skills. You must be a great manager, an engaging public speaker, an expert in your field, a networker, a conservator, a writer, a porter, a photographer, a researcher, a historian, a technician, a designer, and an interpreter. the list is endless, and in order to land that dream job, you probably need to be in the right place at the right time. Most of these are necessary merely to gain entry via a brief contract or volunteer work. Because the pay is so low compared to that of similarly qualified professionals in many other fields and the career ladder has so few rungs, you might want to think about finding a wealthy partner as well. Unfortunately, this is the industry reality, but the benefit is that the work is incredibly rewarding.
No, a museum studies degree is not more significant than years of industry experience. You have more than enough experience if you have worked in a variety of museums as either paid staff or a volunteer, understand the big picture, and can respond to all whats, whys, wheres, and hows of museums. The best candidates, in my opinion, comprehend what the theoretical gold standard is (in conservation, management structures, and engagement practice) and why most museums ignore many of these standards because they are incompatible with day-to-day practice. There is a significant gap between museum history, theory, and practice. The advantage of being open to thinking outside the box or bringing knowledge and skills that are in critical shortage within museums (e.g., computer programming) as well as the fact that there are many careers outside of museums that operate in a similar manner and provide people with identical skill sets are also factors. g. Political lobbying, fund-raising, marketing, IT/digital, business activity, and development are examples of advocacy.
Again, this is just my opinion as to whether a museum studies degree is necessary or not to obtain employment in museums; other employers may have different views (please leave a comment if you have any additional advice), but hopefully this article will provide some direction for those considering pursuing one.
- Teacher.
- Librarian assistant.
- Tour guide.
- Gallery assistant.
- Park ranger.
- Gallery manager.
- Research assistant.
- Community outreach coordinator.
What is a museum studies degree?
A degree in museum studies is an arts and humanities program that prepares students for roles in education and society. People who work in this field gather, display, and preserve artifacts from various societies, businesses, and eras. The majority of applicants to these programs are graduate and doctoral students. They frequently hold bachelor’s degrees in disciplines like science, history, anthropology, or the arts. You can become qualified for employment in one of the four most fundamental categories of museums—art, history, nature, and science—by obtaining this kind of degree. Additionally, you might be able to find employment with the government, nonprofits, and privately held businesses.
What jobs can you do with a museum studies degree?
With a degree in museum studies, you can begin a career with organizations of all sizes. These roles span entry-level to senior-level positions. If you have this kind of degree, use this guide to help you find 25 potential job opportunities:
The main responsibilities of teachers are to instruct students in accordance with the requirements of the curriculum in their subject areas. They create lesson plans and teaching resources, encourage participation from students in discussions and projects, and Teachers monitor how their charges behave and assign grades for homework, essays, projects, and tests. They are capable of working with students in preschool through grade 12.
Primary responsibilities: Assisting librarians with all aspects of running a library They maintain and catalog books, movies, magazines, and other items in addition to lending materials to customers. Additionally, they may sort and reshelve returned items, maintain the library’s computer databases, and respond to reference queries. Assistant librarians may work for academic, public, or private libraries.
Tour guides’ main responsibilities include leading visitor groups through museums, buildings, or cities. They share information about attractions both indoors and outdoors. Daily duties include conducting research, organizing itineraries, presenting on artifacts or locations, and offering travel guidance. Tourists, locals, and school or community groups are all possible clients for tour guides.
In art galleries, gallery assistants’ main responsibilities include providing creative, administrative, and customer support services. They speak with visitors, answer phone calls and coordinate events. Sometimes, they work with gallery designers to manage collections. Depending on the current exhibits and the type of art gallery they work for, gallery assistants may have additional responsibilities.
Primary duties: Park rangers protect local, state and national parks. They preserve and monitor ecosystems, wildlife and resources within them. Some rangers have historian, environmental or law enforcement backgrounds. Enforcing park regulations, assisting visitors, leading group tours, and presenting visitor programs are among the daily responsibilities. Depending on the size and location of the park, different obligations may apply. Additionally, rangers may work at trails, national monuments, and historical sites and battlefields.
The success of a gallery and its exhibits on a commercial and artistic level is primarily the responsibility of gallery managers. With the gallery owner’s assistance, they decide which works of art and artists to display. They also plan, organize, market and present exhibitions and shows. Creating connections with artists, budgeting, fundraising, and managing the sale of artwork are among the additional duties.
Research assistants’ main responsibilities include using the internet, court documents, surveys, and other published information to find solutions to issues or questions. They collaborate with principal researchers, authors, historians, and scientists to gather data on a variety of topics. These helpers gather data, conduct interviews, make project outlines, and fact-check information.
Coordinators of community outreach create programs to help members of their communities as one of their main responsibilities. They take concepts and transform them into small- and large-scale activities like community days, fundraisers, galas, contests, athletic events, and educational programs. Setting budgets, organizing committees, recruiting volunteers and sponsors, and raising money are additional duties.
Museum registrars’ main responsibilities are managing the collections at a museum or historical society. They plan the logistics of transporting works of art or artifacts, record them, and prepare them for display and exhibition. Registrars oversee the direct installation of exhibits, record information about each item into an information management system, and track international customs clearance for items that are imported from abroad.
Public program coordinators’ main responsibilities are to supervise the development and implementation of educational, charitable, and professional programs. They lead preparation teams and delegate tasks. Additionally, they develop budgets and give particular aspects of the event funding priority. Program managers can acquire supplies and equipment, create grant proposals, market their programs, and organize community outreach. Museums, nonprofits, schools, and community organizations are common places to work.
Art teachers’ principal responsibilities include planning lectures, workshops, classes, and tours for students interested in creative expression. They might work in a variety of media, such as sculpture, photography, painting, or drawing. Additionally, they might impart knowledge in areas like art history and concepts like color theory. Teachers of the visual arts may work in public institutions such as museums and schools.
Among their main responsibilities is serving as a liaison between those two departments. They create consistent and cohesive messaging for all marketing materials. These include print, web and other mediums. They can choose to work for big or small businesses and organizations. If they have additional duties like public relations and media relations, it may depend on the size of the institution.
Graphic designers’ main responsibilities are to produce images and layouts for marketing and design projects. They develop media for brochures, magazines, reports and advertisements. Additionally, they could produce add-on materials for museum and gallery exhibitions. While some graphic designers work with computer software, others draw by hand. One of a designer’s main objectives is to convey ideas that are motivating, interesting, and appealing to viewers or customers.
Curators of museums oversee both new acquisitions and the institution’s ongoing collections. They might focus on holding collections from a particular region, time period, or media. Choosing what to display is frequently decided by a team of curators. Additionally, they decide on the informational content of the museum’s guidebooks, signs, and informational plaques. Promoting communication between the staff and board of trustees as well as managing fundraising are additional duties.
Education program managers’ main responsibilities are to design and assess educational programs for institutions and organizations. They frequently concentrate specifically on producing content for kids and teenagers in kindergarten through grade twelve. Program managers could assist in bringing these educational opportunities into libraries, community centers, and classrooms. Organizing training sessions for faculty and staff, leading community outreach efforts, scheduling programs with teachers, and tracking program success are additional duties.
Librarians’ main responsibilities include assisting clients with their research and directing them to relevant online databases and materials in the library. They create community programs for both adults and children by organizing internal resources so they are simple to find. Other duties include organizing new materials for circulation by cataloguing them, recommending books to visitors, and investigating and acquiring fresh library materials based on demand and interest from the general public. Librarians can specialize in areas like research, reference and technology.
Tutors’ main responsibilities include assisting students with their homework, projects, and other assignments after school hours. Students’ learning needs are identified, and they receive assistance in creating learning strategies to complete their assignments and prepare for tests and exams. Tutors can work for schools and districts, community organizations, businesses, or on their own. They can also specialize in one subject area.
Professors’ main responsibilities are to instruct college and university students in their chosen fields of study. They organize lectures, produce and distribute homework assignments for students, and assess written work and tests. Other responsibilities include mentoring students and researching in their fields.
Museum learning specialists’ main responsibilities include conducting research for educational initiatives within museums. For museum visitors, they might produce the lesson plans or presentation materials, such as slideshows, worksheets, and publications. Educators, tour guides, and other professionals may attend staff training sessions that learning specialists conduct to learn how to present information to the general public.
Records managers are primarily responsible for classifying and arranging both physical and digital documents for an institution. They could produce documentation, logically arrange data, destroy sensitive information, and preserve records with historical value. They may work specifically with historical records like land documents or vital records when working with historical societies or museums. Managers are required to abide by all information security and privacy laws.
Research associates’ main responsibilities are to organize, plan, and carry out industry-specific research. This position is common in the accounting, investment, and business fields, but it is also well-liked in the nonprofit, educational, and museum sectors. A company’s internal research associates may work there or offer consulting services. They recruit and train the research study team, draft protocol documentation, respond to participant inquiries, and track the study’s progress. They also guarantee that all research studies adhere to applicable state and local laws.
Philanthropy managers’ main responsibilities are to organize, coordinate, and carry out an organization’s fundraising efforts. They manage donor portfolios, plan events, supervise grant writing, and coordinate donor engagement campaigns. They could also create and implement annual giving programs and write reports on the success and progress of fundraising.
For researchers and the public, archivists’ main responsibilities include analysis, cataloging, and upkeep of exhibit objects and collections. They work for historical societies, museums and government agencies. They preserve media like photographs, documents and artifacts. Additionally, archivists create and maintain records of their discoveries for each item.
Primary responsibilities: Coordinating and managing research projects and studies They work together as a team to assess work processes, offer advice on the study, and gauge work progress. Additionally, they employ analytics to make strategic recommendations and guarantee that projects are completed on schedule and within budget. Research managers can be employed by a wide range of organizations and in a variety of fields.
Historians’ primary responsibilities include gathering historical information from artifacts, archives, and books to assess its veracity. They use information’s historical significance to interpret developments in a specific field. They could also offer preservation advice and publish articles on new discoveries.
Why pursue a Museum Studies degree?
FAQ
Is museum studies a good major?
No, a museum studies degree is not more significant than years of industry experience. You have more than enough experience if you have worked in a variety of museums as either paid staff or a volunteer, understand the big picture, and can respond to all whats, whys, wheres, and hows of museums.
Is a master’s degree in museum studies worth it?
Obtaining a master’s degree will help you grow professionally and point you in the right direction for outreach, education, collections, or exhibitions, among other things. Your position in larger museums will probably be specialized, and you can hone your abilities through targeted internships and programs.
What should you major in if you want to work in a museum?
There is no standard job description for a museum career or course of study that can give you access to the entire field. There aren’t many schools that offer bachelor’s degrees in museum studies; instead, it’s more common to earn degrees or minors in fields like art history, history, or anthropology.
What types of jobs are in a museum?
- Museum Job Descriptions. It takes many, many people to run a museum. Here are some jobs people hold in museums and the qualifications needed for each one.
- Director. • …
- Curator. • …
- Registrar/Collections Manager. • …
- Museum Educator. • …
- Development Officer. • …
- Public Relations. • …
- Exhibit Designer. •
