Museum Work
Museums are always in need of bright, flexible and creative professionals who come from a wide variety of backgrounds and training. Undergraduate degrees include, but are not limited to, fine arts, art education, art history, anthropology, biology, business, communications, English, environmental studies, ethnic studies, history, legal studies, new media, philosophy, psychology visual studies and more. Professionals with experience in design, journalism, teaching, technology, marketing, public relations, and the hospitality industries have successfully transitioned into fruitful and productive careers in museum work.
Among the many positions that museums look for are the following:
Westerns Museums Association
Center for Education and Museum Studies, Smithsonian Institution What Students Need to Know: Graduate Training in Museum Studies, by Marjorie Schwarzer (Washington DC; American Association of Museums, 2001) Museums: A Place to Work by Jane R. Glaser (New York: Routledge, 1996). Or, contact us at museum@jfku.edu.
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Educator, Education Director, Evaluator, Curriculum developer, Community Outreach Coordinator, Program Coordinator, Visitor Services Coordinator, Volunteer or Docent Manager
These positions generally fall in the Education department and involve creating and delivering educational programs to the public, focused on a positive visitor experience. These professionals possess a passion for working with and advocating for the public, as well as knowledge of learning theory, museum education techniques, informal education, interpretation and program planning. Archivist, Collections Manager, Conservator, Curator, Digital Archivist, Registrar, Rights & Reproductions Coordinator, and Preparator
These positions generally fall in a Collections department, or a Curatorial department and involve caring for, organizing and administering collections. These professionals possess a passion for preserving and organizing material culture, that is, the objects and artifacts that make up a museum's collection. They are the "detail people" who accession, care for, store, pack, unpack and install art, historical artifacts and other items in a permanent collection or on exhibition. They possess knowledge of conservation, databases, law, materials, record-keeping and research. Audience Developer, Executive Director, Finance Director, Fundraiser, Marketer, Membership Coordinator, Public Relations Specialist, Technologist
These administrative positions are essential to the long-term functioning and health of museums as well as sustainability. These professionals possess a strong commitment to the external environment, balancing mission and market in the name of public service. They have knowledge of budgets, financial planning and analysis, human resources management, marketing, strategic planning and communication. Curator, Designer, Exhibition Developer, Evaluator
These exhibition production positions are sometimes outsourced through private consulting companies and sometime exist on staff, depending on the exhibition and the museum. These professionals research, plan and design exhibitions. Sometimes they possess a Ph.D. and specific expertise in subject matter, such as Renaissance Art, Paleontology or Native American basketry. Sometimes, they are generalists with a background in education and communication who "translate" complex information to the public in entertaining and educational ways. (This second approach is more common in children's museums and science centers.)
Westerns Museums Association
Center for Education and Museum Studies, Smithsonian Institution What Students Need to Know: Graduate Training in Museum Studies, by Marjorie Schwarzer (Washington DC; American Association of Museums, 2001) Museums: A Place to Work by Jane R. Glaser (New York: Routledge, 1996). Or, contact us at museum@jfku.edu.