Master in Museum Studies
University of San Francisco - College of Arts & Sciences
Key Information
Campus location
San Francisco, USA
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
16 months
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
USD 36,240 / per year
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
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Introduction
The University of San Francisco offers a unique master’s degree in museum studies. Our program prepares students for leadership positions in artistic, cultural, and heritage organizations that operate in a constantly changing social dynamic.
Our sixteen-month curriculum is flexible and can be tailored to fit students’ diverse academic interests. The Museum Studies MA program provides students with the comprehensive knowledge and hands-on experience to assume a variety of roles at museums, historic societies, cultural nonprofits, and heritage organizations.
The San Francisco Advantage
USF’s campus — situated in the center of the city — is within walking distance to the de Young Museum and the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park, a short bus ride to SFMOMA and the Asian Art Museum, and an easy drive to world-class institutions in Berkeley, Oakland, Palo Alto, and San Jose.
For over a decade, University of San Francisco students and faculty have been our valued partners in the creation of innovative educational programming and outreach that benefits a wide community. The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco is grateful to USF for being such important members of our community.
- Sheila Pressley, Director of Education, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Admissions
Curriculum
Program Overview
The Master in Museum Studies program emphasizes social justice and curatorial practice; education and new technologies; collections management and heritage preservation; non-profit and museum management; financial and project management; and museums and the law. Students integrate and apply knowledge from a variety of disciplines in order to analyze critical issues facing museums today—from creating more equitable and diverse museum spaces to promoting and advocating for access and human rights.
Students complete the 32-unit, full-time, on-campus, program in 16 months, including three semesters of coursework and a required internship. In the fall semester of their second year students harness the knowledge, experience, and skills they have acquired during their first year and channel them into a four-unit museum capstone paper or project on a relevant museum studies topic of their choosing.
Internships
Taken the summer after a student’s first year of study, the 150-hour formal internship is central to the professional training our program offers and allows students the opportunity to complete a major project in a museum setting under the guidance of an on-site supervisor and a faculty advisor. In addition to the 150-hour requirement, students simultaneously enroll in a 4-unit online internship course that allows students the flexibility to either intern at one of the Bay Area’s many renowned cultural institutions or pursue opportunities at museums nationwide or internationally.
Sample Program Timeline
Year One | Year Two | |
Fall | Museum Studies: History and Theory Collections Management and Preservation Practicum or elective | Museum Project Management: Capstone Project |
Spring | Museums and Social Justice Cultural and Financial Management Practicum or elective | |
Summer | Museum Studies Internship Online course and onsite internship This course supplements the internship hours, which can be completed throughout the duration of the program. |
Program Outcome
The mission of the University of San Francisco’s Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Museum Studies is to shape leaders in museums and cultural organizations of all disciplines. Through a curriculum that emphasizes social justice, community engagement, and hands-on experience, students acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to strategically transform museums in a constantly changing global context.
Program Learning Outcomes
Students will:
- Articulate a critical understanding of the histories, challenges, and methodologies related to museums as complex public service organizations
- Analyze institutional practices in light of USF’s mission of social justice
- Apply skills and knowledge essential for successful professional patterns of behavior and practice in all types of museums and like organizations
Scholarships and Funding
Museum Studies Specific Financial Aid
Many students pay for graduate school through a mix of savings, program scholarships, external scholarships, part-time jobs, and loans. Read more about these various funding sources below.
Program Scholarships
We offer a limited number of merit-based scholarships to incoming students on a competitive basis. There is no separate application for these one-time scholarships; students are automatically considered for these scholarships when they submit their application for admission. Scholarships are limited in number, vary in amount, and cover only part of tuition costs. If a scholarship is awarded, the amount will be indicated in the admission letter.
Part-Time Jobs
While our program does not offer teaching assistantship jobs, on-campus student employment opportunities are available.
Internships
Our program has an internship requirement. Whether the internships are paid or unpaid is determined by the external companies or organizations that offer them.
Loans
If you think you may need additional funds to cover the full cost of your education, consider applying for a federal or private education loan.
Career Opportunities
Our Alumni
Through interdisciplinary coursework, professional training, and internships, our students graduate with the skills necessary to advance museums at a time of great social and technological change.
Employers
A select list:
- Aquarium of the Bay
- Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive
- Berkeley Botanical Garden
- California Academy of Sciences
- Contemporary Jewish Museum
- Faena Art
- Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
- Foster Youth Museum
- Gallatin History Museum
- Gleeson Library
- Guidekick
- Haggin Museum
- Harvard University School of Education
- Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles
- Maritime Museum
- Mexican and Latino Art Museum
- Museum of Latin American Art
- National Japanese-American Historical Society
- National Museum of African-American History
- National Women's Hall of Fame
- Nelson Atkins Museum of Art
- Neville Public Museum
- Oakland Museum of California
- Pacific Science Center
- Palo Alto Art Center
- Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo
- Pasadena Museum of History
- Peterson Automotive Museum
- Rise Against Hunger
- San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
- Sartle.com
- Thacher Gallery
- Treasure Island Museum
- Walt Disney Family Museum
- Wind River Indian Reservation Museum
English Language Requirements
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