Who We Are
Founded in 1972, the Master of Arts in Museology program is one of the longest-running museum studies graduate programs in the U.S. In 2023, Museology was proud to become the UW Information School‘s fifth academic program. Serving cohorts of about 30 students per graduating class, we focus on how museums can make the world a better place.
Below, you’ll find highlights of some of the key characteristics and values that shape our program. Be sure to visit the community section to learn more about who we are as people: our students, our three dedicated core faculty members, our dozen-ish guest faculty, and our staff.
Key Program Characteristics
2 years, 60 quarter credits
3 quarters your 1st year, 3 quarters your 2nd year, with a summer break in between
In-person
Take advantage of the many and varied learning opportunities afforded you by Seattle’s unique arts & culture ecosystem
Cohort model
Enter the program with 30 peers, learn alongside each other for 2 years, and graduate with a built-in professional network
Our values
We define museums broadly
We’re interested not just in art museums or natural history museums, but rather in all kinds of cultural institutions and informal learning settings – for example, children’s museums, science centers, zoos and aquaria, and national parks.
Museums can make the world a better place
We believe that the power of museums lies in the roles they play in learning, wellbeing, and community building. Our curriculum is centered on this belief, and our evaluation specialization equips students to understand museums’ impact.
Museums are learning institutions
Museums are part of a much larger informal learning infrastructure, a community ecology that includes libraries, community-based organizations and more. We focus on expertise and skills transferrable across this ecology.