Museum Studies: Getting Your Degree Online

Professionals with a passion for their career or for a favorite pastime can segue into careers as curators and exhibitors with the help of a museum studies degree program. Smaller museums make use of volunteers with strong organizational skills and deep subject knowledge. However, publicly funded institutions and large private organizations rely on the rigorous scholarship of museum professionals to locate and validate critical acquisitions.

Museum Studies Degree Programs

• Graduate Certificate Programs
• Master's Degree Programs
• Doctorate Level Programs

Career & Salary Options for Graduates of Museum Studies Degree Programs

Technicians with experience in preservation and exhibit staging frequently earn annual salaries over $36,000, according to recent government statistics. As technicians gain more experience and stage more events, their wages rise to market standards. Technicians with the ability to travel with collections earn more than professionals who remain in one market. Museum curators and managers often earn more than $40,000 per year. Curators with heavy involvement in fundraising can earn significant bonuses or stipends from corporate sponsors.

Typical Museum Studies Course Work

Museum professionals routinely build on an undergraduate degree in their chosen specialty by completing a master's degree program in museum studies. Graduate degree programs help students filter their experience through the lens of an archivist or a curator, with an emphasis on:

• Recordkeeping
• Database management
• Preservation technology
• Non-Profit management

Museum Studies Online Education Options

Because of the specialized nature of museum studies, few colleges and universities offer accredited degree programs. Thanks to online education technology, however, students from around the world can access some of the field's most accomplished instructors. Online degree programs in museum studies enable working adults to grow their skill sets while completing essential internships in their own communities. By enabling working professionals to gain key career training, online education programs help to invigorate the community of museum professionals.
Sources:
Canton Repository
Smithsonian
United States Bureau of Labor Statistics

Joe Taylor Jr. is an internal business consultant for a Fortune 500 company, who writes about finance, culture, and design. He holds a bachelor's of science in communications from Ithaca College.