Museum Studies Online Certificate Program | Northwestern SPS - Northwestern School of Professional Studies

This course explores the diverse origins of the major types of museums, and contemporary issues and ethical challenges facing those museums today. It will also explore how the primary public mission is established and interpreted as well as an overview of museum organization. Planning for exhibitions, community inclusion, and diversity are also addressed. Students are encouraged to make weekly field trips, visiting subject-appropriate museum sites in their own area and reporting back to the class. Students will also participate in discussion boards on the assigned topics and research the origins and mission of a museum in their local community.

There is no live/real-time component to this class. Students participate in all aspects of the learning experience, within each week, around their own life/work schedules. 

Course Materials:

• Riches, Rivals, and Radicals: A History of Museums in the United States. Schwarzer, Marjorie. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers/American Alliance of Museums, 2020. ISBN-10: 1538128063 | ISBN-13: 978-1538128060
• Museums in Motion: An Introduction to the History and Functions of Museums, Third Edition. Alexander, Edward P., Mary Alexander, and Juilee Decker. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2017. ISBN-13: 978-1-4422-7880-6

Students may purchase these books from any retailer where they are available, in any format. Additional course materials will be provided via the online course site.

Registered students can access their online course site here. An activated NetID and password is required for login. *Please note: It may take up to 24-hours for registered students to be added to the online course platform.

This interactive course explores the organization, governance, and management of museums, with a focus on real-world problem solving. We consider the role of the board, the museum president, staff, and volunteers. Topics include team building, strategic planning, governance, organizational structure, fundraising and membership, marketing and public relations, collections management, exhibit development and design, evaluation, budgeting and finance, risk assessment, government affairs, and museum relevance. Students, instructor, and museum guest lecturers together critically examine current issues in the museum world, such as technological impacts, funding strategies, relevance to new audiences, virtual museums, and economic impacts. With guidance from museum professionals, students take on real projects at real museums. Past projects have ranged from marketing plans to volunteer recruitment strategies to exhibit development to retail planning.

Students have the option to participate in a live weekly synchronous session with the instructor and fellow students, as well as one or two guest museum experts. This session will be as announced. Those whose schedules don’t allow them to participate live can access the session recording. The instructor is available via phone, email or online office hours to help students keep up with the brisk pace of this course and its practical applications. Get ready to have fun, network with museum professionals, and either advance your museum career or explore whether a museum career is right for you.

Course Materials:

Course materials are included in the cost of tuition and will be provided via the online course site.

Registered students can access their online course site here. An activated NetID and password is required for login. *Please note: It may take up to 24-hours for registered students to be added to the online course platform.

This course explores theories and practices of education and learning in museums for all visitors, of all ages, through a combination of weekly readings, presentations, videos, assignments, and virtual class discussion questions assigned on Canvas. In addition to studying the theories of education, students will research a museum in their own geographic area to examine theories in action and other practical applications of museum education OR design a family-oriented museum activity, incorporating all the theories of family learning.

There is no live or real-time component to this class. Students participate in all aspects of the learning experience, within each week, around their own life-work schedules.

Course Materials:

• Learning from Museums, Second Edition. Falk, John H., and Lynn D. Dierking. Schwarzer, Marjorie. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers/American Association for State and Local History, 2018. ISBN-10: 1442275995 | ISBN-13: 978-1442275997
• Museum Education for Today's Audiences: Meeting Expectations with New Models. Porter, Jason, and Cunningham, Mary. (Eds.). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers / American Alliance Of Museums, 2022. ISBN-10: 1538148609 | ISBN-13: 978-1538148600

Students may purchase these books from any retailer where they are available, in any format. Additional course materials will be provided via the online course site.

Registered students can access their online course site here. An activated NetID and password is required for login. *Please note: It may take up to 24-hours for registered students to be added to the online course platform.

Museum exhibits create memorable experiences for their visitors, and museum staff must consider many factors to determine what an exhibit says to their viewers to ensure a successful museum exhibition.

Through case studies, guest lecturers, and Chicago area museum site visits, this course explores the components that make a successful museum exhibition, whether permanent or temporary, from concept, opening, and beyond.

The topics this course will survey are: concepts, interpretation, design, lighting, accessibility, loans, advertising, education, visitor satisfaction and sponsorship controversies. The course will also consider diversity and inclusion, such as how museums and their exhibits ensure multiple voices are heard, multiple stories are told, and that all people are represented and welcomed.

This two-day symposium can be taken as a supplement to the Museum Studies certificate program or as a stand-alone experience for museum professionals interested in furthering their knowledge of the exhibit process. 

Registered students can access their online course site here. An activated NetID and password is required for login. *Please note: It may take up to 24-hours for registered students to be added to the online course platform.