The Museum Studies certificate program unites history, theory and practical learning in a curriculum that prepares participants for professional or volunteer careers in administration, collections and specialty disciplines within museums, zoos, aquariums, parks and botanical gardens.
We offer courses online every quarter, so you can complete your Museum Studies certificate on your own terms.
The courses that I took definitely provided a foundation for me in museum management. All of [my classmates] were at museums, and I was able to network with folks from institutions like Cooper Hewitt. Having the exposure to people who were working day to day in the field was helpful.”
Sandra James, Deputy Director, Biggs Museum of American Art
Robert Caragher, Vice President of Finance and Operations, Autry Museum of the American West
Robert Caragher: Museum Studies alumni
“This was my first experience with a certificate program and with mostly online instruction. I would recommend both of those aspects to anyone, especially at Northwestern, because of the way this program is packed with content.”
After spending much of his career managing finances in higher education, Robert Caragher was ready to switch to a different sector within the not-for-profit world. Caragher knew he’d have to reposition himself to make the transition, so to gain a leg up, he enrolled in the Museum Studies Online Certificate Program at Northwestern University School of Professional Studies.
Through lectures, discussions, guest speakers and field trips to area museums, students learn about:
History of museums
How collections and community inform museum missions
Ethical challenges
Building audiences
Maximizing learning opportunities
Fundraising, finance and management
Organizational development
Program Audience for Museum Studies Online
The Museum Studies certificate program is useful for a wide-range of careers inside museums as well as those preparing for a graduate program in museum studies.
To earn a certificate of completion in Museum Studies, students must successfully complete three courses. Students typically earn a certificate in one year. Classes can be taken in any order.
The required courses are:
Museum Origins & Issues (MUSEUM 370-DL)
Successful Museum Management in Today’s Environment (MUSEUM 371-DL)
Learning and Museums (MUSEUM 372-DL)
Optional Two-day Exhibit Symposium
The Journey of a Museum Exhibition: From Vision to Reality (MUSEUM 373-0) - On-Campus
The Journey of a Museum Exhibition: From Vision to Reality is a supplement to the Museum Studies certificate program or can be a stand-alone experience for museum professionals and those who are interested in furthering their knowledge of the exhibit process. This two-day symposium presents a comprehensive overview of the critical components that make a museum exhibit successful.
Chicago museum site-visits, guest speakers, case-studies, and group activities will give ample opportunities to model best practices and help attendees better understand the remarkable opportunities and possible challenges facing museum professionals as they create an exhibition.
Topics include brainstorming, interpretation, design, fabrication, lighting, accessibility, loans, advertising, education, visitor satisfaction sponsorship, archiving, and above all how to ensure that multiple voices are heard, represented, and welcomed.
The course is typically offered one time a year in either late Spring or Summer at Wieboldt Hall – Chicago Campus. Students should expect out of pocket expenses related to meals and transportation to/from museum site visits and museum entrance fees.
Tuition and Financial Aid for Museum Studies Online
Instructors for this program have a range of expertise, specializations and work experience. Read about their qualifications on our Museum Studies Faculty page.
Find out more about Northwestern's Museum Studies Certificate Online Program
Contact SPS Enrollment Advisers
SPS Enrollment Advisers at Northwestern University School of Professional Studies can be a resource to you for inquiries regarding our certificate programs.
Museum Studies Course List
Core Courses:
Course Detail
Museum Origins and Issues : MUSEUM 370-DL
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.
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
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.
The Journey of a Museum Exhibition: From Vision to Reality is a
supplement to the Museum Studies certificate program or can be a
stand-alone experience for museum professionals and those who are
interested in furthering their knowledge of the exhibit
process.
This two-day symposium presents a comprehensive overview of the
critical components that make a museum exhibit successful.
Chicago museum site-visits, guest speakers, case-studies, and
group activities will give ample opportunities to model best
practices and help attendees better understand the remarkable
opportunities and possible challenges facing museum professionals
as they create an exhibition.
Topics include brainstorming, interpretation, design,
fabrication, lighting, accessibility, loans, advertising,
education, visitor satisfaction sponsorship, archiving, and above
all how to ensure that multiple voices are heard, represented, and
welcomed.
Note: The "Exhibit" course is optional. To earn the Museum
Studies Certificate, students must complete the three core
courses.
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.