Museum Studies, M.A.
The Department of Museum Studies offers a Master of Arts degree in museum studies. The program consists of thirty-six semester hours, including six hours of internship, professional project, or thesis.
Admission Process
New students are admitted for the fall semester only. An applicant for the master’s degree in museum studies should have a baccalaureate degree, documentation of courses taken, and GPA earned in previous college or university study, and internship experience in a museum, gallery, historic site, or archive. Applications are considered on a rolling basis until the class is filled. Students wishing to be considered for a graduate assistantship and/or a departmental scholarship, which are the principal form of financial aid in the department, should have their applications complete by February 15.
The application consists of transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions, three letters of recommendation, and a personal statement explaining their interest in museums and museum studies, and why they are a good fit for Baylor. Letters of recommendation must include two letters from academic references and one letter from a professional reference. The admissions committee looks carefully at academic credentials but is also interested in previous experiences that show familiarity with and aptitude for museums and the museum profession. Professional experience may include summer internships or volunteer assignments in a museum or related institution; it does not have to be a full-time position. If you lack such experience in a museum, we suggest you take some time to gain such experience before submitting an application to the program.
Under certain circumstances, students who do not meet all requirements may be admitted into the program on probation and may be required to take undergraduate leveling courses before formal admittance to the program.
Museum Studies, M.A.
Requirements for a Major in Museum Studies
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Thirty-six semester hours including the following: | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| MST 5301 | The Museum: History, Philosophy, Prospects | 3 |
| MST 5304 | Collections Management | 3 |
| MST 5309 | Museum Education | 3 |
| MST 5311 | Issues in Museum Administration | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| At least 12 hours of 5000-level MST seminars from the following course offerings: | 12 | |
| Outreach and Community Relations | ||
| Ethical Issues in Museums, Libraries, and Archives | ||
| Historic Preservation | ||
| Archival Arrangement and Description | ||
| Archival Technology and Digital Collections Management | ||
| Special Topics in Museum Studies | ||
| American Material Culture | ||
| American Decorative Arts | ||
| Design and Management of Museum Exhibits | ||
| Leadership in Museum Administration | ||
| Independent Studies in Museums | ||
| The remaining 6 hours of coursework may be completed from the following: | 6 | |
Any 5000-level MST seminar (see listing above) | ||
Any 5000-level graduate seminar in a cognate field (American Studies, Anthropology, Art and Art History, English, History, and Journalism) listed in the most recent Graduate Catalog, selected in consultation with the Graduate Program Director | ||
Any 4000-level course in a cognate field (American Studies, Anthropology, Art and Art History, English, History, and Journalism) listed in the most recent Graduate Catalog and taught by a member of the graduate faculty, completing the additional requirements designated for graduate credit, selected in consultation with the Graduate Program Director | ||
| Capstone Experience | 6 | |
| Graduate students complete a six-hour capstone experience, consisting of an internship, a professional project, or thesis. | ||
| Master's Internship | ||
| Professional Project | ||
| Thesis | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |
In their final semester of study, all students in either the thesis or non-thesis program are required to take a written comprehensive examination testing the student’s mastery of the four core areas of museum practice: museum history and philosophy, museum education, museum collections management, and museum administration. Thesis students will also have an oral examination representing defense of the thesis.
Up to six semester hours of graduate study in museum studies or a cognate field may be transferred from another accredited institution with the approval of both the Department of Museum Studies and the Graduate School.
Prospective students are encouraged to have a pre-admission interview.
ACA-Approved Courses
The Academy of Certified Archivists has created a Graduate Course Preapproval Program to evaluate graduate-level archival courses. Courses that have been preapproved by the ACA will count toward the 9 semester hours of credit required to take the ACA exam under the provisional option. The following Museum Studies courses have been preapproved by the ACA:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MST 5304 | Collections Management | 3 |
| MST 5311 | Issues in Museum Administration | 3 |
| MST 5312 | Outreach and Community Relations | 3 |
| MST 5324 | Archival Arrangement and Description | 3 |
| MST 5326 | Archival Technology and Digital Collections Management | 3 |