CERT
Museum Practices
Application Deadline
Contact Information
Admission Requirements
Additional Requirements:
In order to apply for this program, you must be currently enrolled in a BYU Master's program.
In order to apply for this program, you must be currently enrolled in a BYU Master's program.
- Letter of intent describing career goals and how the certificate is expected to aid the student in achieving these goals.
- Three letters of recommendation.
Program Requirements
Optional Additional Museum Practices Certificate
Students interested in the Museum Certificate Program apply online but must be concurrently accepted into any Masters program at BYU in order to be accepted to the certificate program. The Museum Certificate Program provides training in collections management, exhibit preparation, museum education, and legal issues elated to maintaining museum collections. These skills provide career opportunities in museum work suitable for students who do not plan to continue in archaeology at the Ph.D. level, and/or are interested in archaeology as an academic discipline but do not wish to pursue a career that requires field work.
Students interested in the Museum Certificate Program apply online but must be concurrently accepted into any Masters program at BYU in order to be accepted to the certificate program. The Museum Certificate Program provides training in collections management, exhibit preparation, museum education, and legal issues elated to maintaining museum collections. These skills provide career opportunities in museum work suitable for students who do not plan to continue in archaeology at the Ph.D. level, and/or are interested in archaeology as an academic discipline but do not wish to pursue a career that requires field work.
- Credit Hours (24): 18 hours plus 6 hours of internship in an approved collections repository (Anthr 696R).
- Required Core Courses: Anthr 522, 524, 526, 625, 688, 696R. Anthr 524, 526, and 688 must be taken sequentially in the same academic year.
- Additional Courses: one approved elective (3 hours) selected from the following: Anthr 611, 512, 690; ArtHC 590R
- Examinations: Successfully pass a benchmark review (coordinated with the cognate master’s departmental review) no later than completion of the Anthr 524 course. Completion of the master’s degree in a cognate discipline such as anthropology, history, art education, or humanities.
Program Outcomes
Museum Collections Management, Law, and Ethics
Students will gain graduate level skills and a theoretical understanding of museum registration and collections management systems and related national and international laws and ethics related to collections and cultural heritage management through both course work and hands-on collections research and projects with actual museum quality objects. (ANTHR 522; ANTHR 525)
Professional Experience
Students will gain professional level competency in the museum fields through real-life mentored experiences in museum registration and collections management systems, museum conservation, exhibition research, development, and installation, and museum education and outreach. High skill levels in these areas will prepare students to be marketable in museum and collections employment venues. (ANTHR 511; ANTHR 512; ANTHR 522; ANTHR 524; ANTHR 525, ANTHR 526, ANTR 590R; ANTHR 599R)
Collections Interpretation and Exhibition
Students will gain graduate level hands-on experience in collections interpretation and exhibition. This experience will include in-depth research and writing with relation to a museum collection or cultural heritage site; all aspects of collections related writing including grant proposals and exhibition texts and publications; gaining a professional awareness of the cultural and legal sensitivities related to exhibition development; and finally, the practical skills needed to design and launch a public exhibition. (ANTHR 511; ANTHR 512; ANTHR 522; ANTHR 524; ANTHR 525; ANTHR 526, ANTR 596, ANTHR 599)
Museum Practices and Technology
Students will gain both an awareness of, and competency in, the variety of computer softwares and technologies upon which museum practices are dependent including those necessary for collections conservation, grant writing and research, exhibition design and display, as well as museum education and public outreach. (ANTHR 511; ANTHR 522; ANTHR 525; ANTHR 526; ANTHR 596; ANTHR 599R)
Writing
Students will gain professional level experience in writing in museum contexts and will be able to produce research and exhibition panels, condition reports, grant proposals, professional museum evaluations, and public education and museum related materials.
Museum Theory
Students will gain a professional level competency in overall museum and collections theory as well as museum education theories and practices including museum program evaluation techniques. (ANTHR 511; ANTHR 512; ANTHR 522; ANTHR 524; ANTHR 525; ANTHR 526; ANTHR 590R; ANTHR 599R)
Assessments
Through the BYU Museum Studies Certificate Graduate Program, each participating student will be able to explore and obtain an assessment of their individual aptitudes for the collections-oriented museum disciplines, as well as a clear idea of their career goals within the multi-faceted world of museum related professions. By the end of the BYU Museum Certificate Program each student will be academically prepared to move into an entry or mid-level museum or collections management professional position, or be qualified to pursue further graduate training in a museum or collections management scholarly or conservation related program outside of BYU.
Students will gain graduate level skills and a theoretical understanding of museum registration and collections management systems and related national and international laws and ethics related to collections and cultural heritage management through both course work and hands-on collections research and projects with actual museum quality objects. (ANTHR 522; ANTHR 525)
Professional Experience
Students will gain professional level competency in the museum fields through real-life mentored experiences in museum registration and collections management systems, museum conservation, exhibition research, development, and installation, and museum education and outreach. High skill levels in these areas will prepare students to be marketable in museum and collections employment venues. (ANTHR 511; ANTHR 512; ANTHR 522; ANTHR 524; ANTHR 525, ANTHR 526, ANTR 590R; ANTHR 599R)
Collections Interpretation and Exhibition
Students will gain graduate level hands-on experience in collections interpretation and exhibition. This experience will include in-depth research and writing with relation to a museum collection or cultural heritage site; all aspects of collections related writing including grant proposals and exhibition texts and publications; gaining a professional awareness of the cultural and legal sensitivities related to exhibition development; and finally, the practical skills needed to design and launch a public exhibition. (ANTHR 511; ANTHR 512; ANTHR 522; ANTHR 524; ANTHR 525; ANTHR 526, ANTR 596, ANTHR 599)
Museum Practices and Technology
Students will gain both an awareness of, and competency in, the variety of computer softwares and technologies upon which museum practices are dependent including those necessary for collections conservation, grant writing and research, exhibition design and display, as well as museum education and public outreach. (ANTHR 511; ANTHR 522; ANTHR 525; ANTHR 526; ANTHR 596; ANTHR 599R)
Writing
Students will gain professional level experience in writing in museum contexts and will be able to produce research and exhibition panels, condition reports, grant proposals, professional museum evaluations, and public education and museum related materials.
Museum Theory
Students will gain a professional level competency in overall museum and collections theory as well as museum education theories and practices including museum program evaluation techniques. (ANTHR 511; ANTHR 512; ANTHR 522; ANTHR 524; ANTHR 525; ANTHR 526; ANTHR 590R; ANTHR 599R)
Assessments
Through the BYU Museum Studies Certificate Graduate Program, each participating student will be able to explore and obtain an assessment of their individual aptitudes for the collections-oriented museum disciplines, as well as a clear idea of their career goals within the multi-faceted world of museum related professions. By the end of the BYU Museum Certificate Program each student will be academically prepared to move into an entry or mid-level museum or collections management professional position, or be qualified to pursue further graduate training in a museum or collections management scholarly or conservation related program outside of BYU.
Program Stats
Five Year Average of Graduated Students
Average Years to Degree
3.4
Graduated Per Year
2.3
Five Year Average of Admitted Students
Applied Per Year
2.4
Admitted Per Year
2.4
Percent Admitted
100.0
Average GPA
3.5
Courses and Faculty