What is evaluation?

Evaluation is a professional practice driven by a desire to understand the value or effectiveness of the work we do. With roots in the nonprofit and education sectors, evaluation usually takes the form of a bounded study aimed at answering a focused set of questions about a specific program, initiative, or process in a particular context. Ultimately, for us, the goal of evaluation is to make our work as museum professionals relevant and responsive to the needs and aspirations of the individuals and communities we intend to serve.

Why does evaluation matter?

Evaluation can be impactful on multiple levels. On one level, evaluators bring a suite of techniques to bear on data collection and analysis that can help address critical questions that arise within our work. More importantly, evaluators are trained not just to answer questions but to make sure we’re asking good questions in the first place. Seen this way, the deeper value of evaluation is that it encourages the development of a learning mindset and, ideally, a robust feedback loop between intentions and impact.

Why a specialization in evaluation?

Doing evaluation well requires the participation of a broad range of stakeholders, not just professional evaluators. This is why we created our specialization in evaluation. While some of our graduates go on to work as professional evaluators, we believe it is critical that all museum professionals be familiar and comfortable with the practices and motivations of evaluators and see the value of evaluation in their work. By offering this specialization, we hope to equip students to work as evaluators if they want to, but we also hope to contribute to a broader flourishing and appreciation of evaluative practice in the museum field.

How does the specialization in evaluation work?

The specialization in evaluation consists of three pieces: an introductory course, a course in data analysis, and a year-long project.