Accelerated Bachelor of Arts in American Studies/Master of Arts in Museum Studies

To earn an Accelerated BA in American Studies and MA in Museum Studies, a student must complete all requirements for the BA degree with a major in American Studies, as well as additional coursework at the graduate level. (See the Graduate Catalog for details of graduate requirements, including eligibility and admissions.)

BA in American Studies

Requirements for a Major in American Studies

Thirty-three semester hours including the following:
Required Courses
JOU/FDM 1303Introduction to Mass Communication3
AMS 4385Seminar in American Studies3
Twenty-seven semester hours of 3000-4000 level courses, with no more than twelve credits from one area from the following:27
English
American Literature through Whitman
American Literature from Whitman
Literature of the American West and Southwest
American Renaissance
Early American Literature
American Realism and Naturalism
Postmodern American Novel
Modern American Novel
Postmodern American Poetry
Literature of the South
Modern American Poetry
Twentieth-Century American Drama
History
History of the American Presidency
Religion in America to 1877
Religion in America since 1877
History of Black Americans
American Colonial History
American Revolution and Constitution
The Early Republic, 1789-1860
The Civil War and Reconstruction
Texas History
History of Indigenous Peoples of America
Religion and War in U.S. History
The United States, 1877-1920
The United States since 1920
The American Civil Rights Movement
American Women's History since 1865
The American West
History of the South
The City in American History
U.S. Foreign Relations since 1919
History of American Thought, 1630-1859
History of American Thought since 1859
Readings in American History
Philosophy
Philosophy of Law
Contemporary American Philosophy
Political Science
Legislative Process and Behavior
Minority and Ethnic Group Politics
American Public Policy
The American Presidency
Law and Religion in the United States 1
Campaigns and Elections
American Political Thought
Political Behavior
African American Politics
American Constitutional Law
American Constitutional Law
Religion
Law and Religion in the United States 1
New Religious Movements in the United States
Introduction to Religion in America
Women in Religion in America
Anthropology/Sociology
Native North Americans
Archaeology of North America
The Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
Stratification in Society
Social Movements
Art/Music
Modern American Art History
American Art
Popular Musics
Jazz and its History
American Folk Music
Music and Identity in Texas Culture
Communication/Journalism
American Rhetoric
History of American Journalism
History of Photography
Total Hours33
1

Course cannot count in two areas

MA in Museum Studies

Museum Studies, M.A.

Requirements for a Major in Museum Studies

Thirty-six semester hours including the following:
Required Courses
MST 5301The Museum: History, Philosophy, Prospects3
MST 5304Collections Management3
MST 5309Museum Education3
MST 5311Issues in Museum Administration3
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 Experience6
Graduate students complete a six-hour capstone experience, consisting of an internship, a professional project, or thesis.
Master's Internship
Professional Project
Thesis
Total Hours36

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:

MST 5304Collections Management3
MST 5311Issues in Museum Administration3
MST 5312Outreach and Community Relations3
MST 5324Archival Arrangement and Description3
MST 5326Archival Technology and Digital Collections Management3