JFKU's one-year Certificate in Museum Studies is tailored for experienced museum professionals and individuals with one or more graduate degrees who prefer a shorter course of study. Students may specialize in either collections management or education and interpretation.
Museum Studies Specializations
Collections Management: for future professional registrars and collections managers who are responsible for a museum's objects. Students engage in in-depth study and get hands-on experience in documenting collections and practicing preventative conservation with a focus on creative problem-solving and real world issues.
Education and Interpretation: for those who wish to work with diverse audiences, and develop educational programs and exhibitions. Students pursue coursework in program development and learning theory, with an eye on using current research and innovative methods to provide engaging learning experiences for visitors of all ages.
Core Curriculum
(Courses are 4.5 units unless otherwise noted.)
- Issues in Museums I: History and Theory
- Issues in Museum II: Finance and Administration
- Museums and Communities
- Internship (7.5-13.5 units) *
Specialization Courses
Collections Management: Documentation of Collections; Preventive Conservation
Education and Interpretation The Visitor Experience: Learning Theories and Understanding Audiences; The Visitor Experience: Interpretive Methods and Applications
* Six additional units of internship are required for students without substantial museum experience.
Internships
Through internships, students put their classroom knowledge to practice in a museum or related institution. The internship usually begins the summer after the first year of course work. Students in the collections management and education and interpretation specializations are required to complete 640 hours (12 units) of internship.
Prior to the internship, students receive extensive advising. During the internship, advisors maintain close contact with the interns and their on-site supervisors. Projects are clearly specified and result in a detailed portfolio and report.
Typically, students complete two or three internships at different institutions, working on projects related to their specialization. Some students find paid internship positions, while others are unpaid. Students who hold professional positions in museums may arrange to complete their internships at their place of employment.
Summer internships take students all over the world, and during the academic year professionals at many of the 250+ Bay Area museums work with JFKU interns. Recent internship sites include The Huntington, Field Museum, Wing Luke Asian Museum, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, California Academy of Sciences, Lucasfilm Archives, Minnesota Historical Society, among others.
