Museology Master of Arts Program

Partnerships

Each evaluation course leverages the unique partnership the Museology Program has fostered with the local Seattle museum community over the years. Some of our museum partners include:

WISE Partnership 

Over the past six years, UW Museology has partnered with the Washington Informal Science Education (WISE) Consortium in the first two courses of the Specialization in Evaluation. “The Washington Informal Science Education (WISE) Consortium aims to inspire Washington State students to pursue and engage in scientific inquiry and engineering to understand and participate in solving our world’s most challenging problems.” The group consisted of six informal science education institutions – Burke Museum, Museum of Flight, Pacific Science Center, Seattle Aquarium, Woodland Park Zoo, and IslandWood. 

Each year, evaluators from each of these organizations worked with UW Museology to develop and implement a single evaluation study that addressed an important aspect of their organizations (e.g. science identity and curiosity). 

Impact on the museum field

Through their coursework, projects, and internships, students are encouraged to engage with museum professionals and contribute to the building of the field’s knowledge base.

Visitor Studies Association (VSA)

Visitor Studies Association (VSA) is an international association of museum professionals who conduct and use audience research and evaluation. Students in the Specialization in Evaluation are exposed to the work of the VSA in a number of ways. Since 2009, our graduate students have presented their yearlong evaluation projects during a poster session at VSA’s annual conference. During this conference, students have the opportunity to network with museum professionals while showcasing their academic work. Students and alumni often become involved in VSA through volunteer work within its various professional committees, as well as participate in regional workshops. 

American Alliance of Museums (AAM)

American Alliance of Museums (AAM) is a nonprofit organization that supports the global museum community of over 30,000 members through advocacy and excellence. AAM focuses on developing standards and best practices, providing resources and career development, and advocating for museum health and sustainability. Students in the Specialization in Evaluation are encouraged to participate in any of AAM’s 22 professional networks, specifically the Committee on Audience Research and Evaluation (CARE). Like VSA, students have an opportunity to participate in webinars and professional development sessions, network with museum professionals, and participate at the annual meeting. Museology faculty serves leadership roles, both past and current, in a variety of AAM professional networks such as CARE, COMPT, and EdCom. 

Informalscience.org

Informalscience.org is an online community and resource hub for those interested in research and evaluation within informal learning settings like museums, zoos, aquaria, and botanical gardens. Since 2009, students have used Informalscience.org as a way to disseminate project reports created by our graduate student teams who conduct evaluations within our partner institutions. All of our students are encouraged to create a profile on Informalscience.org as a way to connect and become involved with the informal learning community and also as a tool to seek out and use research and evaluation reports published by other professionals.

Yearlong evaluation studies

2020

  • Who’s Coming? An evaluation of Free Family Days at the Bellevue Arts Museum
  • Beyond the Lost Arch: Excavating Visitor Perceptions of Archaeology Activation Strategies at the New Burke Museum
  • Exploring Visitor Motivations at KidsQuest Children’s Museum
  • Visitors to Volunteers: Understanding Motivations for Volunteering at MoPOP

2019

  • Sound off on Sound Lab: An Exhibit Evaluation Study at MoPOP
  • New Nordic, New Visitors: Learning About the Visitors to the New Nordic Museum
  • Exploring Audience Perceptions of the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience
  • An Evaluation of Audience Perceptions at the Woodland Park Zoo

2018

2017

  • First-time/Member/It’s Complicated: An Investigation of Visitors’ Relationship Status with the Henry
  • Pacific Science Center: The IMAX Experience
  • Living Computers Museum + Labs: Who is this for?

2016

  • Making Sound Choices: Evaluating Conservation in a Compact Space at the Seattle Aquarium
  • The Times They Are A-Changin’ in the True Northwest: The Seattle Journey exhibit at MOHAI
  • RAWR! Tweet Tweet! An Evaluation of the Addition of a Living Component to Pacific Science Center’s Exhibit Dinosaurs: A Journey Through Time
  • Evaluating Visitor Expectations of Content at the Burke Museum

2015

  • Learning Through Touch: Assessing Learning Behaviors at the Life on the Edge: Inland Seas Touch Pool. Seattle Aquarium
  • Quiz Yo’ Self: Evaluating Network Stations at the Wellbody Academy of Health and Wellness. Pacific Science Center
  • McCurdy Family Maritime Gallery: Summative Evaluation. MOHAI

2014

  • Getting to Know Family Audiences: Family-Oriented Program Use at MOHAI
  • Summative Evaluation of the Renovated Harbor Seal Exhibit at the Seattle Aquarium
  • Formative Evaluation of Lobby Experience and Resources at the Henry Art Gallery

2013

2012

2011

2010