Find your path
Careers in the museum field can be incredibly rewarding. Finding your way into the field can be… challenging. Learn how our program supports students, what our graduates do, and how you can advance your own career.
Career Development in Museology & Beyond
If you’ve found your way to this webpage, you’re likely:
- interested in (or already) working in the museum field
- evaluating whether graduate school might be a generative next step in your career journey, and/or…
- simply trying to understand the landscape of career opportunities in the field.
Whichever of these statements applies to you, this section of our site is intended to help you refine your sense of the field, understand how career development opportunities are threaded throughout our graduate program, and evaluate whether the museum field (and the Museology program) is a good fit for you.
Museology alumni career outcomes
Career Development in the Museology Program
As a Museology student, you have a wealth of opportunities to grow your professional network; refine your understanding of the museum field; build your portfolio through courses, internships and thesis work; and develop invaluable mentoring relationships with faculty.
Faculty mentorship
In addition to having a full-time academic advisor serving all students, Museology pairs each student with one of our 3 core faculty members who serves as that student’s faculty mentor. In this role, faculty help you strategize to make the most of your time in grad school in light of your particular career goals.
Careers & Social Capital
The Museology curriculum is bookended by MUSE 500. Intro to Museology and MUSE 599. Careers & Social Capital. Taught by Dr. Meena Selvakumar, MUSE 599 supports students’ transition from graduate school into the museum field.
Portfolio building
From coursework, to internships, to thesis, you’ll have many opportunities to build an impressive portfolio. Grant writing samples, exhibit designs, exhibit installations, collections projects, evaluation studies, public programs, and more!
Networking Opportunities
From day one of the Museology program, students are constantly making connections. Guest speakers in courses, events like our annual internship fair, attendance of local and national conferences, and thesis work all present valuable opportunities to build your network.