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Museum Management, Certificate

College of Arts and Sciences

Curate your career with skills and practical experience. Combined with your USC graduate degree, this certificate prepares you to work in a museum, archive, gallery, library or cultural heritage site.

Learn all aspects of working in a museum, including collections management, exhibition curation and presentation, and solving ethical challenges. By working in museums, archives and collections on campus or in Columbia, you will build proficiency in written and verbal communication, collaboration and leadership.

Program Highlights

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    Fast Track

    Take up to four 3-credit-hour courses and a 3- or 6-credit-hour internship. Two classes from your M.A. or Ph.D. work can count for credit.

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    Interdisciplinary Approach

    Study different perspectives from the fields of anthropology, art history, public history, library science and studio art.

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    Marketable Skills

    Enjoy coursework that provides an overview of administration, collections management and exhibition development.

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    Practical Experience

    Use McKissick Museum collections, as well as other on-campus special collections and exhibition spaces, to master hands-on tasks.

What You’ll Study

Build leadership skills, evaluate governance documents, and produce organization management policies in museum administration. Execute the processes necessary for museum registration and collections management. Study theories and principles of exhibition development and interpretation. The program is open to current USC graduate students or those with an advanced degree.

Building Skills

Gain the professional and personal intelligence it takes to have a successful career.

  • Critical Thinking

    Analyzing and evaluating information to make informed decisions or judgments

    Interpersonal Skills

    Communicating and interacting effectively in a variety of social and professional situations

    Problem Solving

    Identifying, analyzing and resolving problems or challenges using creative and effective strategies

  • Project Management

    Organizing and overseeing tasks to achieve specific goals

    Flexibility

    Adapting to changing circumstances and being open to new ideas and approaches

    Responsibility

    Being accountable for one's actions and decisions and fulfilling obligations and duties

Using your degree

Make your college experience the foundation for a successful future.

Potential Careers

  • Curator
  • Registrar
  • Educator
  • Engagement Coordinator
  • Cultural Resource Manager
  • Archivist

Workplace Settings

  • Museums
  • Special Collections
  • Libraries
  • Archives
  • Galleries
  • State or National Park Service
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