Interested in Becoming an Art Museum Curator?

 

Traditionally, curators have held a higher academic degree in their subject. For larger organizations this is typically a Doctor of Philosophy or a Master's degree - in subjects such as History, History of Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, or Classics.

Recently, the increased complexity of many museums and cultural organizations has prompted the emergence of professional programs in field such as public history, museum studies, arts management, and curating/curatorial practice.

A variety of careers exist within the discipline of museum studies, including museum director, curator, educator, docent, graphic designer, exhibit designer, archivist and conservation specialist. --- Wikipedia


Useful links:

http://www.collegesurfing.com/content/museum-curator-description-salary/ http://www.fabjob.com/artcurator.asp#

Helpful advice on educational programs:

• Undergraduate degrees for this career
• Graduate programs in art history, curatorial studies, & museum studies with links

Arizona State University, Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, School of Art, Graduate Programs in Art History, Tempe, AZ
http://art.asu.edu/arthistory/index.php

Arizona University, School of Art, Master in Art History, Tuscan, AZ
http://web.cfa.arizona.edu/arh/grads.html

Arkansas State University, College of Fine Arts, Art Degrees, Jonesboro, AR
http://www.astate.edu/college/fine-arts/degrees/

Arkansas State University's Online Program
http://degree.astate.edu/

University of Arkansas, Master in Public History, Little Rock, AR
http://ualr.edu/history/m-a-in-public-history/

 

University of California – Berkeley, M.A./Ph.D. Program in the History of Art, Berkeley, CA
http://ls.berkeley.edu/dept/arthistory/graduate.html

California State University – Chico, Master in Museum Studies, Chico, CA
http://www.csuchico.edu/anth/museum/museumStudies.html

Claremont Graduate University, Center for the Arts and Humanities, Cultural Studies Department, Claremont, CA
http://www.cgu.edu/pages/1092.asp

California State University – Fullerton, Department of Art, Museum Studies, Fullerton, CA
http://www.fullerton.edu/arts/art/other_museum.asp

California State University - Long Beach, Master in Museum & Curatorial Studies, Long Beach, CA
http://www.art.csulb.edu/academics/programs/index.php?prog=MS&page=2a1

University of Southern California, Museum Studies Program, Los Angeles, CA
http://college.usc.edu/news/topics/152/museum-studies/

University of California – Riverside, Master in Public History Program, Riverside, CA
http://history.ucr.edu/academics/graduate/phrm.html

San Francisco Art Institute, Master in Exhibition and Museum Studies, San Francisco, CA
http://www.sfai.edu/page.aspx?page=208&navID=392§ionID=4

San Francisco State University, College of Humanities, Master in Museum Studies Program, San Francisco, CA
http://www.sfsu.edu/~museumst/

Stanford University, School of Humanities and Sciences, Art and Art History Department, Stanford, CA
http://art.stanford.edu/#

University of Colorado, Graduate Program in Museum and Field Studies, Boulder, CO
http://cumuseum.colorado.edu/MFS/

University of Denver, School of Art and Art History, Master in Museum Studies concentration, Denver, CO
http://www.du.edu/art/graduate/MAmuseum.htm

 

 

University of Delaware, Master in Museum Studies Program, Newark, DE
http://www.udel.edu/museumstudies/

 

University of Delaware, Master in American Material Culture, Newark, DE
http://www.udel.edu/winterthurprogram/index.html

 

 

American University, College of Arts and Sciences, Master in Arts Management Program, Washington, DC
http://american.edu/cas/performing-arts/arts-management.cfm

 

Corcoran College of Art and Design, Smithsonian-Corcoran Masters Program in the History of Decorative Arts, Washington, DC
http://www.corcoran.edu/graduate_degrees/Smithsonian- Corcoran_MA_history_of_decorative_arts.php

 

Corcoran College of Art and Design, Master in Exhibition Design, Washington, DC
http://www.corcoran.edu/graduate_degrees/MA_exhibition_design.php

 

Johns Hopkins University, Master in Museum Studies Program, Washington, DC
http://advanced.jhu.edu/academic/museum/

 

George Washington University, Master in Museum Studies Program, Washington, DC

http://www.gwu.edu/~mstd/

 

 

Florida International University, Graduate Certificate of Museum Studies, Miami, FL

http://thefrost.fiu.edu/edu_studies.htm

 

Florida State University, Master in Museum Studies, Tallahassee, FL

http://www.fsu.edu/~ms/

 

University of Florida, School of Art and Art History, Master in Museum Studies Gainesville, FL

http://www.arts.ufl.edu/art/Programs/museumstudies.asp

 

University of West Florida, Department of History, Master in Public History Program, Pensacola, FL

http://uwf.edu/history/publichistory.cfm

 

 

University of Georgia, Lamar Dodd School of Art, Athens, GA

http://art.uga.edu/

 

Georgia State University, Ernest G. Welch School of Art and Design, Atlanta, GA

http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwart/art_design/index.html

 

 

Southern Illinois University, Bachelor in Museum Studies Program, Carbondale, IL

http://www.museum.siu.edu/studies.php

 

Eastern Illinois University, Department of History, Master in Historical Administration, Charleston, IL

http://www.eiu.edu/~history/ha/program.htm

 

Columbia College of Chicago, Masters in Arts, Entertainment and Media Management, Chicago, IL http://www.colum.edu/Academics/AEMM/programs/AEMM_Graduate_Program.php

 

Loyola University Chicago, Department of History, Master of Arts in Public History, Chicago IL

http://www.luc.edu/history/graduate/public_history.shtml

 

School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Master of Arts Administration, Chicago, IL

http://www.saic.edu/

 

University of Chicago, Division of the Humanities, Department of Art History, Chicago, IL

http://arthistory.uchicago.edu/

 

University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Art History, Certificate in Museology, Chicago, IL

http://www.uic.edu/depts/arch/ah/museology.shtml

 

Northern Illinois University, College of Visual and Performing Arts, Interdisciplinary Certificate of Graduate Study in Museum Studies, DeKalb, IL http://www.niu.edu/mstudies/

 

Northwestern University, Department of Art History, Evanston, IL

http://www.wcas.northwestern.edu/arthistory/

 

Illinois State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Master in History, Normal, IL

http://www.cfa.ilstu.edu/art/

 

 

Indiana University – Bloomington, School of Fine Art, Department of Art History, Bloomington, IN

http://www.indiana.edu/~arthist/

 

Indiana University, Herron School of Art and Design, Indianapolis, IN

http://www.herron.iupui.edu/

 

Indiana University – Purdue, School of Liberal Arts, Museum Studies, Indianapolis, IN

http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/mstd/

 

Ball State University, Department of Architecture, Master of Science in Historic Preservation, Muncie, IN http://cms.bsu.edu/Academics/CollegesandDepartments/CAP/Programs/Architecture/Aca demics/Programs/Masters/MScience.aspx

 

 

University of Iowa, College of Arts and Sciences, Bachelor in Museum Studies Program, Iowa City, IA

http://www.art.uiowa.edu/

 

 

University of Kansas, Center for Indigenous Nations Studies, Master in Cultural Preservation Management, Lawrence, KS

http://www.indigenous.ku.edu/

 

University of Kansas, Master in Museum Studies, Lawrence, KS

http://museumstudies.ku.edu/programs/index.shtml

 

 

University of Louisville, Master of Public Administration/Curatorial Studies, Louisville, KY

http://supa.louisville.edu/joint_mpa_ma.htm

 

 

Northwestern State University of Louisiana, Master in Heritage Resources, Natchitoches, LA

http://www.nsula.edu/heritageresources/

 

Southern University - New Orleans, Master in Museum Studies, New Orleans, LA

http://www.suno.edu/Colleges/Museum/

 

University of New Orleans, Master in Arts Administration Program, New Orleans, LA

http://arta.uno.edu/

 

 

Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts, Graduate Programs, PhD in Visual Arts and Visual Culture, Portland, ME (Doctorate) http://www.idsva.org/Pages/IDSVA_WebDocs/program?textPage=1

 

 

 

Morgan State University, School of Graduate Studies, Museum Studies, Baltimore, MD
http://web.morgan.edu/graduate/gs/ms/museum_studies.html

Goucher College, Master in Arts Administration, Towson, MD

http://www.goucher.edu/x1168.xml

 

Schools in Massachusetts

Boston University, Department of Art History, Boston, MA http://www.bu.edu/ah/programs/index.html

 

Northeastern University, Master in Public History, Boston, MA

http://www.history.neu.edu/graduate/ma_in_public_history/

 

Harvard Extension School, Master of Liberal Arts in Museum Studies, Cambridge, MA

http://www.extension.harvard.edu/museum/

 

Tufts University, Master in Museum Studies Program, Medford, MA

http://ase.tufts.edu/MuseumStudies/

 

Smith College, Summer Institute in Art Museum Studies, Northampton, MA

http://www.smith.edu/siams/

 

Brandeis University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Master in Cultural Production, Waltham, MA http://www.brandeis.edu/programs/culturalproduction/

 

Regis College, School of Arts and Sciences, Bachelor in Museum Studies, Weston, MA

http://www.regiscollege.edu/academics/details.aspx?id=6372

 

 

University of Michigan, Rackham Graduate School, Museum Studies Program, Ann Arbor, MI https://secure.rackham.umich.edu/academic_information/program_details/museum_studi es/

 

Western Michigan University, Department of History, Master in Public History Program, Kalamazoo, MI

http://www.wmich.edu/history/

 

Central Michigan University, Bachelor in Museum of Cultural and Natural History, Mount Pleasant, MI

http://www.museum.cmich.edu/newminor.htm

 

Michigan State University, College of Arts and Letters, Master in Museum Studies, East Lansing, MI

http://www.art.msu.edu/

 

Eastern Michigan University, Department of Geography and Geology, Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation, Ypsilanti, Michigan http://extended.emich.edu/programs/historic_pres.aspx

 

 

Southeast Missouri State University, Department of History, Bachelor/Master in Historic Preservation Program, Cape Girardeau, MO

http://www4.semo.edu/histpres/

 

University of Missouri - St. Louis, History, Art History, Anthropology Departments, Museum Studies Program, St. Louis, MO http://www.umsl.edu/bulletin/as/history.html

 

 

University of New Hampshire, Museum Studies, Durham, NH (Master's)

http://www.unh.edu/history/index.cfm?id=4A9774D5-01BF-8B8C- 0CA42C4461364CC0

 

 

State University of New Jersey, Department of Fine Arts, Bachelor in Art History and Museum Studies, Camden, New Jersey

http://finearts.camden.rutgers.edu/art_home.php

 

State University of New Jersey, Department of Visual and Performing Arts, Bachelor in Art History/Art and Design, Newark, New Jersey

http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~vpa/

 

Princeton University, Center for Arts and Cultural Policy Studies, Princeton, NJ (Graduate Programs)

http://www.princeton.edu/~artspol/index.html

 

Seton Hall University, Graduate Program in Museum Professions, South Orange, NJ

http://www.shu.edu/academics/artsci/ma-museum-professions/index.cfm

 

 

Institute of American Indian Arts, Bachelor in Museum Studies, Santa Fe, NM

http://www.iaia.edu/college/ac-programs-ms.php

 

Columbia University, Bard College, Center for Curatorial Studies and Art in Contemporary Culture, Master of Art Program, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY

http://www.bard.edu/ccs/graduate/

 

State University of New York – Buffalo, Department of History and Social Studies Education, Undergraduate Minor in Museum Studies, Buffalo, NY http://www.buffalostate.edu/history/

 

State University of New York – Buffalo, Multidisciplinary Studies, Master in Museum Studies, Buffalo, NY

http://www.buffalostate.edu/gradprog.xml?bpid=473

 

State University of New York – Buffalo, College of Arts and Sciences, Studio Art and Design (M.F.A), Art History (M.A.), and Visual Studies (Ph.D.), Buffalo, NY http://www.buffalostate.edu/artsandhumanities/departments.xml

 

State University of New York - Oneonta, Master in Museum Studies, Cooperstown, NY

http://www.oneonta.edu/academics/cgp/

 

Cornell University, Graduate Program in Historic Preservation Planning, Ithaca, NY

http://www.aap.cornell.edu/crp/programs/grad/ma.cfm

 

Christie's Education, Masters in Modern Art, Connoisseurship and the History of the Art Market, New York, NY

http://www.christieseducation.com/ny_mastersprogs.html

 

City College of New York, College of Liberal Arts and Science, Master in Museum Studies, New York, NY http://www1.ccny.cuny.edu/prospective/humanities/art/programs_ms.cfm

 

Columbia University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Museum Anthropology New York, NY http://www.columbia.edu/cu/anthropology/graduate/main/index/museum_anthro.html

 

Fashion Institute of Technology (SUNY), School of Graduate Studies, Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, New York, NY http://www.fitnyc.edu/2871.asp

 

Fashion Institute Of Technology (SUNY), School of Graduate Studies, Exhibition Design, New York, NY

http://www.fitnyc.edu/2868.asp

 

New York University, Department of History, New York, NY

http://history.fas.nyu.edu/page/home

 

New York University, Graduate School of Arts and Science, Program in Museum Studies New York, NY

http://www.nyu.edu/fas/program/museumstudies/graduate/index.html

 

New York University, Institute of Fine Arts, Curatorial Studies Program, New York, NY

http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/fineart/

 

New York University, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development Graduate program in Visual Arts Administration, New York, NY http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/art/

 

Parsons: The New School for Design, Master of History of Decorative Arts, New York, NY

http://www.parsons.newschool.edu/departments/department.aspx?dID=79&sdID=104&p

Type=2

 

Parsons: The New School for Design, Master in Fashion Studies, New York, NY

http://www.newschool.edu/parsons-ma-fashion-studies/

 

Pratt Institute, School of Art and Design, Master in Arts and Cultural Management, New York, NY

http://www.pratt.edu/academics/art_and_design/arts_cultural_management/

 

Sotheby's Institute of Art, Master in American Fine and Decorative Arts/Contemporary Art, New York, NY

http://www.sothebysinstitute.com/sem/index.php/sem/masters

 

Hartwick College, Bachelor in Museum Studies, Oneonta, NY

http://www.hartwick.edu/x2563.xml

 

Syracuse University, College of Visual and Performing Arts, Master in Museum Studies, Syracuse, NY

http://vpa.syr.edu/index.cfm/page/graduate-museum-studies

 

Appalachian State University, Master in History, Boone, NC

http://www.history.appstate.edu/Graduate/Graduate.html

 

North Carolina State University, Master in Public History, Raleigh, NC

http://www.ncsu.edu/grad/degree-programs/index.php

 

University of North Carolina – Greensboro, Graduate concentration in Historic Preservation or Museum Studies, Greensboro, NC

http://www.uncg.edu/hpms/

 

University of North Carolina – Wilmington, Master in Public History, Wilmington, NC

http://www.uncw.edu/hst/letter.html

 

 

University of Cincinnati, College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies, Cincinnati, OH

http://daap.uc.edu/about/welcome

 

Case Western Reserve University, Graduate Program in Art History and Museum Studies, Cleveland, OH

http://www.cwru.edu/artsci/arth/about_arth.html

 

Walsh University, Division of Humanities, Bachelor in Museum Studies, North Canton, OH

http://www.walsh.edu/museumstudies.htm

 

 

University of Central Oklahoma, History Department, Master in Museum Studies Program, Edmund, OK

http://www.libarts.uco.edu/history/graduate.htm

 

 

University of Oregon, Arts and Administration Program, Eugene, OR (Bachelor & Master’s)

http://aad.uoregon.edu/

 

 

Juniata College, Bachelor in Museum Studies, Huntington, PA http://www.juniata.edu/departments/art/museumstudies/index.html

 

Drexel University, Graduate Arts Administration Program, Philadelphia, PA

http://drexel.edu/westphal/academics/graduate/artsadmin/

 

University of the Arts, College of Art and Design, Master in Museum Exhibition, Planning and Design, Philadelphia, PA http://www.uarts.edu/academics/cad/ms/mepd.html

 

University of Pennsylvania, Graduate Program in Historic Preservation, Philadelphia, PA

http://www.design.upenn.edu/historic-preservation

 

Carnegie Mellon University, Master of Arts Management Program, Pittsburgh, PA http://www.heinz.cmu.edu/school-of-public-policy-management/arts-management- mam/index.aspx

 

Duquesne University, McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts, Master in Archival, Museum and Editing Studies, Pittsburgh, PA http://www.approval.duq.edu/amy/pa- approval/docs/liberalarts/docs/gradhistory/program.html

 

 

 

Brown University, Department of American Civilization, Master in Public Humanities Program, Providence, RI

http://www.brown.edu/Research/JNBC/

 

 

University of South Carolina, College of Arts and Sciences, Master in Public History, Columbia, SC

http://www.cas.sc.edu/hist/pubhist/

 

 

University of North Dakota, Department of Art & Design, Grand Forks, ND

http://www.und.nodak.edu/dept/art/html/degrees.html

 

 

 Middle Tennessee State University, Master in Public History Program, Murfreesboro, TN
http://histpres.mtsu.edu/

Tusculum College, Master in Museum Studies Program, Greeneville, TN

http://www.tusculum.edu/faculty/home/gcollins/html/museumstuds.html

 

University of Memphis, Interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate Program in Museum Studies, Memphis, TN

http://www.memphis.edu/museumstudies/

 

 

Baylor University, Department of Museum Studies, Master in Museum Studies, Waco, TX

http://www.baylor.edu/Museum_Studies/

 

Texas Tech University, Master in Museum Science Program, Lubbock, TX

http://www.depts.ttu.edu/museumttu/program.html

Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, College of Liberal Arts, Corpus Christi, TX

http://history.tamucc.edu/

 

University of North Texas, College of Visual Arts and Design, Master in Visual Arts, Denton, TX

http://www.art.unt.edu/

 

 

Brigham Young University, Graduate Certificate in Museum Practices program, Provo, Utah

http://www.byu.edu/gradstudies/programs/formdetails.php?program=128

 

Schools in Vermont

Vermont College of Fine Arts, Master of Fine Arts Programs, Visual Art, Montpelier, VT
http://www.vermontcollege.edu/visual-art/about-program

 

Schools in Virginia

George Mason University, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Art History, Fairfax, VA

http://historyarthistory.gmu.edu/

 

George Mason University, Master in Arts Management, Fairfax, VA

http://catalog.gmu.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=5&poid=1036&bc=1

 

Lynchburg College, Bachelor in Museum Studies, Lynchburg, VA

http://www.lynchburg.edu/museumstudies.xml

 

Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Art History, M.A. in Museum Studies, Richmond, VA

http://www.vcu.edu/arts/arthistory/dept/graduate/

 

Sweet Briar College, Bachelor in Arts Management, Sweet Briar, VA
http://www.artsmanagement.sbc.edu/

 

Schools in Washington

University of Washington, Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Museum Studies, Seattle, WA
http://www.museum.washington.edu/museum/

 

Schools in Wisconsin

Beloit College, Museum Studies Program, Beloit WI
http://www.beloit.edu/logan/

University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, Department of Anthropology, Graduate Program in Museum Studies, Milwaukee, WI
http://www4.uwm.edu/letsci/museumstudies/

Schools in Outside of the U.S.

University of the Arts London, Curating & Collections Program (among others), London, UK
http://www.arts.ac.uk/chelsea/courses/postgraduate/ma-curating-collections/