The Museum Studies Graduate Certificate Program at the University of Hawai‘i offers students an opportunity to learn about museums, acquire professional experience, and develop research skills while earning a certificate. Currently housed in the Department of American Studies, it is the only official program in the state to offer formalized training for people interested in making a career in museums. The program is the result of a working partnership between the university, local museums, and the Hawai'i Museums Association.

Museums and related places (e.g., art galleries, historic homes, botanical gardens, zoos) are invaluable sites of knowledge in our society. They are charged with caring for and displaying important cultural resources and providing unique learning experiences for visitors. Within the last decade, the educational reach of museums has grown, especially in their expansion of public services and efforts to attract diverse audiences. As they form new partnerships with community groups or private organizations to support their programs, museums are becoming exciting places of civic engagement and dialogue as well as sites for innovative research and advanced studies on informal learning.

Through classes, field site visits, guest speakers, summer institutes, and internships, the program offers a broad spectrum of practical and scholarly experiences for enrolled students. In addition to learning about the roles and responsibilities of museum professionals, students will become familiar with the multiple challenges facing contemporary museums. For example, with the erosion of government funding and recent drops in private giving, museums have sought to increase their revenues by turning to cultural tourism and heritage activities. Simultaneous with these concerns, many museums are interested in increasing the participation of Native/indigenous peoples in the respectful presentation and use of Native cultural resources housed within museum collections. These interests and concerns have encouraged museums to seek creative solutions and tackle controversial questions about cultural differences. Students in the certificate program will learn about the efforts of museums to attract and engage new or non-traditional visitors by mounting innovative exhibitions, extending educational programming, or improving digital access to their collections.

The certificate may be taken by graduate students concurrently enrolled in other degree programs, people wishing to do the certificate only, or museum professionals interested in acquiring information about other areas of museum work or updating skills.

The program consists of six classes or 18 credits (3 credits per class) of which the requirements are:

3 Core Classes
2 Elective Courses
1 Practicum/Internship Course

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

Broad knowledge of the field of Museum Studies in the U.S. and internationally

Understanding of key disciplinary methods used in Museum Studies to analyze important issues in the field

Understanding of current issues in Museum Studies

Broad knowledge of the work and responsibilities of museums and related institutions

Specific knowledge of a specialized area in museum work through practical experience

Critical analysis and writing skills to analyze pertinent issues and competently write about them

Advanced research skills necessary to develop Museum Studies projects or competently evaluate them

Museum Studies Graduate Certificate Program
American Studies Department
University of Hawai‘i at Manoa
1890 East-West Road, Moore 324
Honolulu, HI 96822
museum@hawaii.edu
808 956 8570 Phone
808 956 4733 Fax