Graduate School Question

ticklemepink
Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:40:59 +0000

I’m almost on that route… Your D should do a job shadow or sign up for an internship or volunteer work at the museum to see how she likes it and talk with a lot of different people. Museums really offer a lot of different opportunities and usually people can find their niche in just about anywhere. The most important thing is she has to have the passion for the public because that’s the point of the job- dealing with the public.

She’ll learned that museum people have a wide range of backgrounds, skills, and experience. She’ll find some with PhDs in history, art history, or literature or anthropology or… whatever relating to the museum world. Some will just have a MA in Museum Studies. Many will have languages- one or two (or three or more for PhDs). What she does need to do is look at different jobs within the museum and find something that she can see herself doing. And then do what she needs to do to get that route. For example, someone in Museum Education would not necessarily have PhD, only a MA and several years of teaching/education experience. On the other hand, if she works with a curator, that person will usually have PhD and do a lot of research and writing. The more senior level the job is, the more likely a PhD would be required unless you have years of experience with that museum.

MA in Museum Studies programs usually have a core curriculum relating to museum theory and different aspects of the museum’s workings such as the archives, administration, etc. Then the students do an internship and/or create a final project based on what they’re interested in doing (like putting together an exhibit). Some programs emphasize on practical applications while others do theory (more likely to attract those while museum experience who are just there for the MA).

The decision for the PhD shouldn’t come until at least your D finishes her sophomore year once she figures out what she likes better because the PhD is so specific and requires a lot of dedication and passion for that field. But the least she can do NOW is to start taking a language! Preferably something that will carry her a long way like German or French or Italian, depending on her art history interests.

However… it will be emphasized that if your D plans to do PhD relating to history, she’s in for a long haul because many history programs (even in ancient history) are NOT quite accepting of the idea that the PhD can do much more than teaching/professorship so she might have to fudge a little or really try to stick with art history, which would be more accepting to the idea of museum work.

I speak from my own experience of working in 3 internships at some of the world’s top museums over the course of 3 summers, and applying for the PhD this year. It’s quite interesting- the professors are impressed with my CV (very heavy on research) but they give me crap about wanting to work in the museum and try to consider other options. Sometimes I can’t help but wonder if it’s the reason for my rejections…