Museum studies at Connecticut College is a broad interdisciplinary program, open to students of all majors, that explores the role of museums in shaping society's knowledge about art, culture, history, and the natural world.
The program is designed to introduce you to careers in all types of museums, cultural arts centers, historical sites and houses, science centers, environmental education centers, exhibit design firms, auction houses, planetaria, aquaria, zoos and botanical gardens.
Students apply to the Museum Studies Certificate Program in the first semester of sophomore year.
The museum studies certificate program offers you:
An introduction to the foundations of museology with a critical perspective on museum history and practice
An opportunity to visit and analyze a diverse range of museums and exhibitions
Study of community/museum relationships through on-site observations and interaction with museum professionals
Training in museum skills and operation, including curation, exhibition design and implementation, collection management, conservation, administration, publication, fundraising, and educational programming
Upon successful completion of the Connecticut College Museum Studies Certificate Program, students are eligible to apply to the Connecticut College/Tufts Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Combined Degree in Museum Education (BA/MA). This program offers students an accelerated path for students to earn their master’s degree in Museum Education from Tufts University.
Learn more about Connections, Connecticut College's innovative new curriculum.
About Connecticut College
Connecticut College educates students to put the liberal arts into action as citizens in a global society. A leader in the liberal arts since 1911, the College is home to nationally ranked programs for internships, community action, arts and technology, environmental studies and international studies. Our beautiful 750-acre arboretum campus is located in the historic New England seaport community of New London.
CONNECTIONS is Connecticut College's reinvention of liberal arts education. It is a new kind of curriculum that lets you integrate your interests into a meaningful educational pathway, to carry you through college and into a fulfilling, effective career and life.
People You Might Work With
Christopher B. Steiner
Lucy C. McDannel '22 Professor of Art History and Anthropology, Director of Museum Studies Certificate Program
Christopher Steiner teaches interdisciplinary courses in art history, anthropology and museum studies. His classes explore the traditional and contemporary arts of Africa; the visual representation of race and identity in art and film; the history of museums and contemporary museum controversies; kitsch and “bad” art; and the history and practice of studio and vernacular photography.
People You Might Work With
Christopher B. Steiner, Lucy C. McDannel '22 Professor of Art History and Anthropology
B.A., M.A., Johns Hopkins University; M.A., Ph.D., Harvard University
History of Photography; African Art; Offbeat Museums and Visionary Art
