School of Art + Art History

Museum Studies

Museum Studies Courses

Core Seminars (15 credits)

  • ARH 6938 Introduction to Museum Studies (3 credits)

    This seminar, covering museum theory and practice, considers museums as dynamic institutions that interact with their communities.
     
  • ARH 6898 Collections Management Seminar (3 credits)

    Collections Management involves both information management and care of objects under the museum's purview, including legal and ethical matters surrounding collections.
     
  • ARH 6797 Museum Education (3 credits)

    Museum Education builds bridges between visitors' experiences and expectations. This course provides an introduction to museum education and critical issues in the field.
     
  • ARH 6836 Exhibitions Seminar (3 credits)

    Exhibitions are the ways in which museums share their collections with the public. Students collaborate to produce an exhibition for one of our many local museums or galleries.
     
  • ARH 6930 Special Topics in Museology (3 credits)

    Special topics courses have included classes such as Design Thinking + Social Media, Art & Global Diversity, Race & Cultural Heritage Space, and Museum Ethics.

Electives (6 credits)

Electives provide an opportunity for students to take exploratory courses outside of the discipline, or take other courses that support their academic priorities. These could include language courses, research methods, or art classes!

Disciplinary Focus (15 credits)

Disciplinary focus courses allow students to specialize in one area of interest or explore widely applicable topics. These credits are often used to complete a graduate certificate. Practically any graduate-level course at UF, with sufficient relationship to the student’s course of study, can be taken as a disciplinary focus.

Thesis or Project in Lieu of Thesis (6 credits)

The thesis credits are generally taken in the student’s last semesters, as built-in time to work on the thesis/project. The thesis/project is the culmination of the student’s academic and experiential work. Theses often build off of internships, papers and projects from other courses, and former work and research.

Former theses include: 

  • Carmen Beatriz, “Social Inclusion and Democratization in the Museum Casa Das Rosas, São Paulo, Brazil”
  • Marygrace Kennedy, “Navigating New Waters: The Importance of Incorporating Sea Level Rise Programming at Coastal Historic Sites and Museums”
  • Summer Bias, “But How Do You Know That?” Exploring Historical Thinking in History Museums”
  • Nameiko Miller, “Beyond the Walls: Inclusion, Equity and Community Engagement in Museums”
  • Lynea Wilson, “Tasting Culture: The Rise of Food Initiatives in Museums”

*Internship (6 credits)

Students complete a full-time internship during one of their two summers at UF. The internship is for 6 course credits. Students are encouraged to find internships most appropriate to their skills and interests.

Students have interned at The National Gallery of Art, Yellowstone National Park, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, The Churches Conservations Trust in England, and many other museums and cultural institutions around the world.

* International students on the F1/J1 Visa may not begin the internship until the formal CPT process is initiated and approved by the University of Florida International Center. (Paid and unpaid/volunteer, part-time and full-time, on-campus and off campus all require formal ADVANCE approval.)

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