Museums matter in the 21st century
Certificate in Museum Studies
Certificate in Museum Studies
Through the Certificate in Museum Studies, students will investigate the critical issues facing diverse types of museums today, including museums of history, art, science, natural history, music, sports, memorials, entertainment, and zoos/aquariums, just to name a few. Students will explore, through five graduate-level courses, the practical skills necessary for successful museum careers and consider the ways in which new audiences, technology, theory, exhibitions, collections, and innovative programming shape the museum field. Students in our museum studies program continuously review museums and their ethical standards and practices in their coursework.
The Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies program includes opportunities for dialogue with museum professionals, hands-on projects, and visitor experiences.
Get a feel for the program
Life as a Student
The Department of Art History meets the needs of students seeking to establish or retool their skill sets in order to enter the field of museum studies and non-profit work.
Classes and Curriculum
Two Required Seminars on Museum Studies (6 Credits)
- ARHS 570 Museum Studies: Visitors, Trends, and Exhibitions
- ARHS 571 Museum Studies: Collections, Curation, and Controversy
One Required Museum Internship (3 Credits)
ARHS Internship
Two Seminars With a Museum Component
Courses that qualify will vary each semester but may include:
- ARHS 500 Methods and Theories of Art History
- ARHS 510 Topics in Ancient and Medieval Art
- ARHS 515 Topics in Renaissance and Baroque Art
- ARHS 520 Topics in Modern Art
- ARHS 525 Topics in American Art
- ARHS 540 Topics in Architectural History
- ARHS 545 Topics in Design and Applied Arts
- ARHS 550 Topics in Textiles, Ceramics, and Metalwork
- ARHS 570 Topics in Museum Studies
- ARHS 530 Topics in East and South Asian Art
- ARHS 535 Topics in the Art of Africa and the African Diaspora
- ARHS 536 Topics in the Art of the Pacific
- ARHS 537 Topics in Indigenous American Art
Two Required Seminars on Museum Studies (6 Credits)
- ARHS 570 Museum Studies: Visitors, Trends, and Exhibitions
- ARHS 571 Museum Studies: Collections, Curation, and Controversy
One Required Museum Internship (3 Credits)
ARHS Internship
Two Seminars With a Museum Component
Courses that qualify will vary each semester but may include:
- ARHS 500 Methods and Theories of Art History
- ARHS 510 Topics in Ancient and Medieval Art
- ARHS 515 Topics in Renaissance and Baroque Art
- ARHS 520 Topics in Modern Art
- ARHS 525 Topics in American Art
- ARHS 540 Topics in Architectural History
- ARHS 545 Topics in Design and Applied Arts
- ARHS 550 Topics in Textiles, Ceramics, and Metalwork
- ARHS 570 Topics in Museum Studies
- ARHS 530 Topics in East and South Asian Art
- ARHS 535 Topics in the Art of Africa and the African Diaspora
- ARHS 536 Topics in the Art of the Pacific
- ARHS 537 Topics in Indigenous American Art
Collections you can engage with
Department Highlight
The art and architectural collections at the University of St. Thomas serve as teaching collections for our students and the public. For undergraduate and graduate students in art history, the collections provide an opportunity to view and handle the artwork, to learn proper curatorial and exhibition techniques, and to foster a better understanding of the works’ cultural context.
Faculty
Gretchen Burau
In July 2020, Burau was named Interim Director of the American Museum of Asmat Art. She completed her Master’s of Art History here at St. Thomas where she researched the commission and collection activities of artist and anthropologist Tobias Schneebaum in the Asmat region during the late 1970s. Director Burau’s other interests include ecological art and fresco painting/restoration.
Amy Mickelson
Dr. Mickelson’s teaching and research focuses on interconnection between systems of power and trauma in contemporary art of the global south. She teaches introductory Art History courses as well as graduate seminars in Museum Studies.