A certificate prepares students for entry-level positions in museums or for advanced studies in graduate school.  Employment in zoos and botanical gardens; historical houses and science centers; local, state and federal parks and monuments; and libraries and archives are all possible. 

In large institutions a graduate with a BA/BS degree combined with a certificate may find employment supporting the head of department (e.g., assistant collection manager, education coordinator, exhibit artist); in smaller institutions, the same credentials may enable entry with a higher title (e.g., curator, exhibit manager, director).

Whether you are taking online or face-to-face courses, you can expect to engage in a variety of activities.

Through lectures, discussions, visits to museums, hands-on learning, professional guest speakers, and museum based projects students will learn about:

- The history and origins of museums

- Collections management and care best practices

- Audience and community engagement

- Nonprofit fundraising, grant writing and management

- Strategic planning and organizational structure

- Ethics and professionalism in the field

- Communication and collaboration best practices

The Certificate Program is open to any student, either non-traditional or undergraduate, with a minimum 2.0 GPA who is not enrolled in the Graduate College at the University of Iowa.

Graduate students are welcome to take museum studies courses, but currently the Certificate is only offered at the undergraduate level.  Graduate students have the option to enroll in the Certificate program after completing the graduate degree.

Thank you for your interest in the online certificate in Museum Studies with the University of Iowa! Many of our courses are offered online, and you can earn the Certificate completely online. It is also possible to take a mix of online and face-to-face courses to meet the certificate requirements. More detailed information is available below. 

Online courses are semester long, with 16-week courses in the Fall and Spring, and 4-, 6-, 8- and 12-week options in the summer. You do not have to be admitted into a bachelor’s program or have earned a bachelor’s degree to enroll in the undergraduate, online Museum Studies certificate program.

Online Certificate in Museum Studies
Through preservation, education, and research, museums provide space for communities to share ideas about their past, present, and future. The University of Iowa maintains a long tradition of training and preparing professionals for the interdisciplinary work that takes place in museums, offering courses continuously since 1910.

Graduates of the Museum Studies program have become directors, curators, educators, and exhibit specialists in museums throughout the country. The Museum Studies program offers courses that are of value not only to students intending to pursue museum careers or continue their education, but also to those with a general interest in the arts, sciences, or humanities, as well as to those students who simply wish to know more about the workings of museums.

Curriculum
The University of Iowa offers the Museum Studies Certificate, an 18-semester hour certificate program administered through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS). Undergraduate and non-traditional students can complete a Certificate alongside their major area of study or as a stand-alone Certificate.

If Interested In Applying:

Complete the Nondegree Students application at the Office of Admissions website. You will need to set up a user account and password to complete the application.

When prompted for a college select College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and indicate that you're pursuing online undergraduate coursework.

In the Purpose of Attending box, enter Online Certificate in Museum Studies.

A total of 18 s.h. of work is required for the Museum Studies Certificate, including 13 s.h. of foundation courses, 3 s.h. elective course(s) and a 2 s.h. museum professionalism course.

Below is an outline of the courses offered and certificate requirements. You can read about specific museum studies courses in the general course catalog. 

CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS: * indicates online courses

Foundations Courses:

MUSM:3001 Introduction to Museum Studies (3 sh) * 

MUSM:3091 Topics in Museum Studies (1 SH)

Professionalism Course:

CCP:1201 Academic Internship * (2 SH)

Choose FOUR courses from three of the following four Focus Areas (12 sh)

Collection Care and Management

     MUSM:3003 Natural History Research Collections (3 sh)

     MUSM:3200 Collection Care and Management (3 sh)*

     MUSM:4200 Museum Object Preservation (3 sh)

Exhibition Development and Public Education

     MUSM:3004 Exhibition Planning (3 sh)*

     MUSM:3105 Engaging Museum Audiences (3 sh) *

     MUSM:3125 Museums in a Digital World (3 sh) *

     MUSM:4210 Museum Without Walls (3 sh)

History, Theory, and Culture

     MUSM:2850 Museums and Social Justice (3 sh)

     MUSM:3120 Museum Origins (3 sh) *

     MUSM:3237 Politics of the Archaeological Past (3 sh)

     MUSM:4081 The Art Museum: Theory and Practice (3 sh)

     MUSM:4130 Museum Literacy and Historical Memory (3 sh)

     MUSM:4310 Slavery Museums, Memorials and Statues (3 sh)

Museum Administration and Management

     MUSM:3100 Historic House Management and Preservation (3 sh) *

     MUSM:3131 Museum Evaluation and Visitor Studies

     MUSM:3500 Nonprofit Organizational Effectiveness I (3 sh) *

     MUSM:4150 Introduction to Grant Writing (3 sh) *

Museum Studies students completing an internship should register for CCP:1201 Academic Internship through the Pomerantz Career Center. This course will substitute for MUSM:4080 Internship and MUSM:4084 Museum Professionalism. More information on the course can be accessed via the course information page. To register for the course, students should follow these steps to register link to ensure that you are able to enroll in the class.

Please also note that internship opportunities will be posted to Handshake moving forward, which can be accessed here: https://careers.uiowa.edu/handshake. Please note that in order to register for CCP:1201 Academic Internship, students should select CCP:1201 Academic Internship (1-2 Credit Hours) or F-1 & J-1 CCP:1201 Academic Internship (1-2 Credit Hours) for CPT  in the Handshake form. More information on these steps can be accessed here: https://careers.uiowa.edu/internships/registering-your-internship#steps-for-registering-for-a-pomerantz-career-center-internship-course.

This change of course for the required professionalism credits requires that students register for 75 hours of internship experience for 1 credit hour. As a result, Museum studies students who have not yet begun an internship will need to complete 2 credit hours of CCP:1201: Academic Internship, which equates to 150 hours of work. 

For students who have already begun to fulfill the professionalism requirement of their certificate via internships at 45 hours per 1 credit hour, Museum Studies staff, advisors, and the program coordinator will work with you to construct a plan to fulfill the remaining credits for your certificate. Rest assured that we are here to support you during this transitional phase.

Thanks for your flexibility as we undertake this new and exciting partnership with the Pomerantz Center, which we believe will expand the quantity and quality of internship opportunities for Museum Studies students. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to your academic advisor, Museum Studies staff members, and the Museum Studies Coordinator as we are very happy to help all of you navigate this transition. 

The program is flexible to meet your needs, however it is possible to complete the Certificate requirement within one academic year.

Complete the Nondegree Students application at the Office of Admissions website. You will need to set up a user account and password to complete the application.

When prompted for a college select College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and indicate that you're pursuing online undergraduate coursework.

In the Purpose of Attending box, enter Online Certificate in Museum Studies.

Please contact anthropology@uiowa.edu for further information.