Introduction to the historical development of museums, the museum profession, and the field of museum studies.

Focus on methods, systems, and roles in museum operations. Analyzing trends and current topics, networking with museum professionals, and experiential learning in local museums.

Survey of collections, engagement, and trends in museums, science centers, zoos, environmental sites, and national and state parks.

Explores how history museums have developed from early memorial sites to today’s complex, interpretive institutions. Introduces key debates in museum interpretation and prepares students to think critically about how history is presented to the public.

Introduces students to the history, functions, and contemporary issues of art museums. Through visits to museums and analysis of exhibition and interpretation practices across both fine arts and decorative arts contexts, students explore how art museums collect, display, and communicate meaning, and how they respond to ethical, cultural, and community focused challenges.

Topics not covered in other museum studies courses. May be repeated once under a different topic.

Explores types of museum education, including both directed/formal education programs and free choice/informal learning opportunities. Examines the history of museum education and ways to create engaging educational programming that will attract visitors and adapt to different learning styles. This course fulfills the A&S Engaged Learning requirement.

Examines cultural collections in museums, libraries, and archives, including their historical development; their role in society; and their use in scholarship, education, and public programming.

Topics in Museum Studies not covered in other museum studies courses. May be repeated once under a different topic.

Undergraduate research undertaken under the supervision of a faculty member. May be taken for a maximum of 6 hours.

Overview of museum and non-profit administration, with emphasis on governance, oversight, budgetary planning, fundraising, public relations, and ethics.

Develops outreach techniques in U.S. museums. Provides hands-on experience researching, creating, and executing strategies in advertising, public relations, marketing, and development/fundraising, including a marketing plan for a museum/archive/library partner institution. This course fulfills the A&S Engaged Learning requirement.

Explores how education inspires museums and museums inspire education. Examination of the history, theory, and practice associated with the question, “What is museum education?”

Examination of the intellectual, physical, legal, financial, social, and ethical challenges of preserving and providing access to museum collections. Explores the theory and practice of collections management and how to utilize available resources for collections care in any museum regardless of size.

Exploration of how historic buildings and districts are documented, interpreted, and preserved, gaining practical experience through fieldwork, archival research, and engagement with preservation professionals. Equips students to understand and advocate for the cultural, legal, and community significance of the built environment. This course qualifies for credit in the Engaged Learning distribution list.

The material evidence of American life, including everyday artifacts, and those reflecting social and political history.

Guide to the origins, nature and display, as well as chronological and geographical classification of American decorative arts.

History of books and book collections, best practices for their intellectual and physical care and curation of book collections, and the potential ethical issues in management and curation of books.

Exploration of issues pertaining to non-profit administration, including working with a board of trustees, budgetary planning, fund raising, grant writing, marketing, public relations, ethics and best practices and standards as promulgated by the American Alliance of Museums accreditation program.

Ethical issues in museums, libraries, and archives. Emphasis on collections management issues such as fakes and forgeries, accessioning and deaccessioning, cultural patrimony, interpretation and exhibition, and repatriation.

Explores best practices for engaging children and families in museum settings, with a focus on understanding audiences, collaborative program development, and reflective practice.

Explores how history is interpreted and presented in public settings, with a focus on history museums and historic sites as spaces of informal education. Students engage with public history theory, hands-on learning practices, and TEKS-aligned educational frameworks while analyzing how institutions address both engaging and difficult historical topics. Students gain practical experience creating exhibit interactives, educational resources, and programming that interpret history in meaningful, interdisciplinary ways.

The history of records and recordkeeping systems, the organizational structure of museums, and the respective roles of collectors and researchers in the archival environment.

Advanced topics in Museum Studies not covered in other museum studies courses. May be repeated once under a different topic.

Provides a practical introduction to the theory and execution of museum exhibitions, which are the most forward-facing aspect of the visitor experience, in a variety of forms. This course qualifies for credit in the Engaged Learning distribution list.

See TED 4362 for course information.

Internship in the daily operation of a museum or related organization and completion of a specialized project.

Directed studies of standards of museum professional practices.

May be taken for a maximum of 6 hours.