Degree:
B.A.
Division:
Interdisciplinary
Program Options:
Secondary Field

This interdisciplinary secondary field (minor) offers a theoretical and practical foundation for engaging critically and creatively with museums.

About Museum Studies

Museum Studies is an interdisciplinary secondary field (minor) that offers a theoretical and practical foundation for engaging critically and creatively with museums, institutions—whether art museums, natural history museums, heritage (archaeological and historic) sites, botanical gardens, science centers, aquariums, or zoos—that collect, preserve, research, interpret, and exhibit tangible and intangible evidence of the human and natural world, with the goal of promoting deeper knowledge, understanding, and inquiry.

Students at New College will benefit from the wide variety of museological institutions in the surrounding area, including, but not limited to: the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art; the Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design; the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature; Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium; the Family Heritage House Museum at State College of Florida; the Gallery at State College of Florida; Sarasota County Historical Resources/History Center; Marie Selby Botanical Gardens; De Soto National Memorial (National Park Service); Reflections of Manatee; Florida Maritime Museum (Manatee County); Art Center Sarasota; Architecture Sarasota.

This secondary field is designed to complement areas of concentration in a wide variety of disciplines, though it is particularly suited to anthropology and art history. It consists of 1) a set of courses that introduce students to the fields of museum and heritage studies, as well as to the history of collecting and museums; and 2) elective coursework and internships (selected in consultation with faculty in Museum Studies, and approved by the Director of Museum Studies) that will enable students to gain focused experience in a core facet of museum practice, whether collections or communication. This combined exposure to broader theoretical frameworks and targeted practical experience prepares students for a variety of fields and employment, but is especially suited to students contemplating further study and a career in Museum Studies and related fields like Library and Information Science.

Recent Courses

  • Museum Studies in Theory and Practice
  • Worlds of Wonder: A History of Museums
  • Heritage: History and the Past Today

Career Pathways

  • Curator
  • Archivist
  • Conservator
  • Museum Preparator
  • Arts Educator

Contact Us

Magdalena Carrasco

Professor of Art History
Contact
Phone Number
Email Address
Location
Office
Ace 320
Mail
Ace 116

Museum Studies Faculty