The Certificate is a 12-credit program with 3 core classes and 1 elective course which often overlaps with related degree courses. Students interested in completing the certificate should enroll in the Introductory course and consult with their degree advisers and an MSMC faculty to ensure successful completion.

AMST 655/ANTH 655/HIST 610/INST 653: Introduction to Museum Scholarship (3 credits, Fall) The purpose of this class will be to introduce students to museum practice emphasizing research roles and scholarly considerations. Topics will include the history of museums, evolving collections priorities, and exhibition strategies (on-site and virtual), and will encompass controversies, both public and scholarly. Students will gain an understanding of museums as educational institutions and their standing within the broader cultural milieu. The introductory class will include visits to Washington area museums. Note: the instructors and locations of this course may vary each year.

AMST 856/ANTH 856/HIST 810/INST 786: Museum Research Seminar (3 credits, Spring) Prerequisite: Introduction to Museum Scholarship or permission of instructor. In consultation with seminar leaders, students will select research topics that investigate key issues in museum-based scholarship and demonstrate their ability to research and prepare an extended research project. The project will be presented at the completion of the seminar.

AMST 857/ANTH 857/HIST 811/INST 787: Museum Scholarship Practicum (3-6 credits) Prerequisite: Museum Research Seminar or permission of instructor. Students will devise and carry out a research project using collections at the Smithsonian or another approved institution and will work under the joint supervision of a museum staff member and a UMCP Certificate Committee member. Students already in the program should arrange the practicum with a museum professional in consultation with their certificate program advisor.

The fourth course for the certificate is a seminar in one of the three supporting colleges —the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, the College of Arts and Humanities, and the College of Information – that deals with major scholarly issues in material culture, as approached by the home discipline.