Museum Studies Program Requirements for 2024-2025

Museum Studies Certificate

To earn the certificate in museum studies, the student must complete each course declared to be part of the program with a grade of at least a "C" (2.00) and achieve a grade point average of 2.50 for all four courses. A student may transfer only two courses from another institution to be applied to the certificate, and the internship course may not be transferred. All students pursuing the certificate in museum studies must take two required courses and two elective courses.

Requirements

Introductory Course – 3 credits

  • MSTD 100 – Introduction to Museum Studies (3)

Internship – 3 credits

  • MSTD 490 – Internship (3)

This course may be taken in the student's major or minor department. The internship must take place with a museum, archive, or historic site; include an analytic research paper on a significant aspect of museum studies, as appropriate to the particular internship experience; and be approved in advance by the program director, regardless of what other requirements the internship course has for the department in which it listed.

Electives – 6 credits

Choose TWO courses from the following group.

  • COMM 219 – Design (3)
  • ENGL 361 – Writing with New Media (3)
  • ENGL 2376 – Intercultural Communication (3)
  • HIST 296D – History of Rochester (3)**
  • HIST 298D – New York State History (3)**
  • HIST 390 – Public History: Historians and the Community (3)

Total: 12 credits

*Students pursuing the certificate who have already earned a baccalaureate degree and who have at least one year of experience with the operation of a museum or archive (paid or unpaid) may petition the director to substitute a one–to–three credit MSTD 496 – Independent Study for the 490 Internship requirement. This course will consist of preparing an analytic research paper on a significant aspect of museum studies. The topic must be approved by the director, and the student must complete the Independent Study/Tutorial Authorization form. 

NOTE: **Only one course from HIST 296D, or HIST 298D may be applied to the certificate.

Note: The program requirements listed are for the current academic year. Past and future program requirements may differ.