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Museum Studies

Also see the Graduate Program in Museum Studies.

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MUSE E-100 Introduction to Museum Studies

Fall term (10207)

Sara Schechner, PhD, David P. Wheatland Curator of the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, Harvard University.
Shelley N. Monaghan, CMS, Consultant.

Class times: Tuesdays beginning Sept. 1, 5:30-7:30 pm.

Course tuition: noncredit and undergraduate credit $950, graduate credit $1,850.

Online option available. Lecture 1 video.

Spring term (21989)

Sara Schechner, PhD, David P. Wheatland Curator of the Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments, Harvard University.
Shelley N. Monaghan, CMS, Consultant.

Class times: Wednesdays beginning Jan. 27, 5:30-7:30 pm.

Course tuition: noncredit and undergraduate credit $900, graduate credit $1,800.

This course provides a behind-the-scenes view of museums from the people who are actively involved in their operation. Students learn about the history and objectives of various types of museums (art, natural history, science, historical, zoological) through panel discussions that involve museum directors, curators, conservators, collection managers, and exhibit designers. The focus is the rich and diverse resources of Harvard University's museums, but there also are guest lecturers from other local museums. The course is required for students planning to apply to the Graduate Program in Museum Studies, but it is also appropriate for the avid museum-goer who desires a more comprehensive understanding of how museums function. (4 credits)

MUSE E-101 Graduate Research Methods and Scholarly Writing in Museum Studies

Fall term (12896)

Christina J. Hodge, PhD, Senior Curatorial Assistant, Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University.

Class times: Mondays beginning Aug. 31, 5:30-7:30 pm.

Course tuition: graduate credit $1,800.

Students who do not have Harvard ID cards must purchase $100 special borrower's cards at Widener Library.

Graduate proseminar. Limited enrollment.

Spring term (23163)

Diana Loren, PhD, Associate Curator, Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University.

Class times: Tuesdays beginning Jan. 26, 5:30-7:30 pm.

Course tuition: graduate credit $1,800.

Students who do not have Harvard ID cards must purchase $100 special borrower's cards at Widener Library.

Graduate proseminar. Limited enrollment.

This proseminar explores the special research requirements of the museum professional, including tools needed for identifying and documenting collections, preparing background context for exhibits, and assembling information for grant proposals. We look at the preparation of bibliographies in a number of museum subject fields, including anthropology, art, history, and science. Prerequisites: MUSE E-100 and a satisfactory score on the test of critical reading and writing skills. In addition, at the first class meeting, students must complete a writing assignment that demonstrates graduate-level reading comprehension and ability to write coherent, logical arguments. (4 credits)

MUSE E-105 Introduction to Museum Management (13448)

Fall term

John Durant, PhD, Adjunct Professor of Science, Technology, and Society, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Director, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Museum.

Class times: Wednesdays beginning Sept. 2, 7:35-9:35 pm.

Course tuition: noncredit and undergraduate credit $900, graduate credit $1,800.

This course introduces students to the main elements of museum management. Its focus is not on administrative technicalities but rather on issues of organizational and managerial practice. The course identifies the typical mix of challenges involved in running a museum successfully, drawing on a combination of museum management, business management, and cultural and business leadership literature. Case studies are used to illustrate the application of good management practices in particular contexts, and students undertake both a number of practical site visits to local museums and one site-based management analysis as part of their assessed work for the course. (4 credits)

MUSE E-110 Museum Exhibition Content Development (20185)

Spring term

Shelley N. Monaghan, CMS, Consultant.

Class times: Thursdays beginning Jan. 28, 5:30-7:30 pm.

Course tuition: noncredit and undergraduate credit $900, graduate credit $1,800.

All exhibitions start with a key concept that informs all decisions made in its development. This course explores the issues and processes involved in the development of that concept, and the planning of exhibition content in a variety of museum settings. Topics include the development of exhibition themes and educational goals, visitor engagement, intellectual and physical accessibility, universal design, working with designers, and exhibit evaluation methods. The course encourages students to acquire creative communication and problem-solving skills through assignments, workshops, and field trips. (4 credits)

MUSE E-115 Collections and Curation (12166)

Fall term

Carl A. Francis, PhD, Curator of the Mineralogical Museum, Harvard University.

Class times: Thursdays beginning Sept. 3, 5:30-7:30 pm.

Course tuition: noncredit and undergraduate credit $900, graduate credit $1,800.

This course investigates the formation of collections and their use by museums for educational and research purposes. It also examines the roles of those who care for collections. Topics addressed include acquisitions, cataloguing, documentation, ethics, interpretation, loans, registration, and research. (4 credits)

MUSE E-120 Museum Education (23288)

Spring term

Marion Wingfield, MEd, Consultant.
Roger Dell, MA, Adjunct Lecturer on Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Class times: Fridays beginning Jan. 29, 5:30-7:30 pm.

Course tuition: noncredit and undergraduate credit $900, graduate credit $1,800.

This course is designed to introduce students to the basic tenets of teaching and learning in museums. The first part of the course examines how museums' initial educational roles evolved. The second part explores case studies of noteworthy museum education programs, including how audiences are built, evaluation is conducted, and individuals learn in the galleries. The last third of the course looks toward future museum education practices and issues. The course includes guest speakers and visits to local museums. Prerequisite: MUSE E-100 is strongly recommended. (4 credits)

MUSE E-135/W The Historic House Museum (13435)

Fall term

*** MUSE E-135/W has been CANCELED. ***

MUSE E-150/W The Role of Museums in History (12939)

Fall term

Mary Malloy, PhD, Associate, Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University and Professor, Maritime Studies, Sea Education Association.

Class times: Wednesdays beginning Sept. 2, 5:30-7:30 pm. Optional sections to be arranged.

Course tuition: noncredit and undergraduate credit $900, graduate credit $1,800.

Writing-intensive course.

In the ancient world, a museum was a place where ideas were exchanged. Using that definition as a starting point, this course examines the intellectual life of museums beginning with concepts of collecting and cultural property in the medieval period. We look at how traders, pilgrims, and crusaders perceived objects they brought back to western Europe; how the organization of collections into taxonomic categories influenced science in the age of Enlightenment; how natural history, anthropology, and art museums contributed to the development of those subject fields; the gulf between the "learned societies" and the P. T. Barnums; how social changes in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries led to the rise of large public museums; and how museums are redefining themselves today as educational, social, and cultural institutions. (4 credits)



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