As Ohio's premier undergraduate Museum Studies program, Walsh University's Museum Studies major provides a solid foundation in non-profit management with a dual focus on the theory of museology and hands-on experiences. The program features three tracks—history, art, and the natural sciences—and thus encompasses a broad spectrum of types of collections. All aspects of the program focus on museums' missions, policies and procedures, professionalism, codes of ethics, and sensitivity to cultural material and historical perspectives.
Students in this degree program are required to take core courses in Museum Studies, including Introduction to Museum Studies, a course for incoming freshmen that offers an overview of the civic roles of museums, basic collections care, and the types of museums and career paths. Highlights include panel discussions with professionals in area museums and an opportunity for students to visit up to four museums for oral presentations and written critiques. The Senior Seminar in Museology provides an opportunity for students to research a museological problem or topic as it relates to a specific contemporary museum. Students write a research paper on the nature of the issue and propose solutions for a real-life situation.
The Birk Center for the Arts on Walsh's campus provides the setting for students at the Sophomore, Junior, or Senior levels to learn exhibition design by curating shows for the Atrium Gallery. Students jury, curate, prepare, install, and de-install shows every semester. Students also host the opening reception with gallery talks, as well as write the wall texts, labels, and press materials for the exhibition.
Sophomores take a Public History Practicum for one semester at the Hoover Historical Center on Walsh's campus. This supervised experience working in an actual, operating museum allows students to give tours to the general public, create small exhibitions in display cases on campus, and conduct archival, registration, or collections care projects. Juniors take a two-semester sequence of supervised museum Internships off-campus. Placements may include, but are not limited to, the Canton Museum of Art, the Massillon Museum, the Professional Football Hall of Fame, and the National First Ladies' Library. Seniors also work with an actual museum on their Capstone Projects. These independent projects can be catered to a student's interest in a particular kind of work within a museum. For example, a student who wishes to be a curator may design an exhibition. A student pursuing museum education may design a school tour or family program. A future registrar or collections manager may do an archival project. Or a student with an eye on leadership may write a strategic plan or grant proposal.Graduates who earn a Bachelor of Arts in Museum Studies from Walsh University are qualified to work in a wide variety of entry-level positions in multiple types of museums or other kinds of non-profit organizations as outlined below. For those with an eye on senior-level or specialized positions within museums, Walsh graduates may wish to pursue graduate studies.
Types of Museums Arboreta or Nature Centers Art Museums Botanical Gardens Children's Museums History Centers Historic Houses Historic Sites or Battlefields Living History Museums National Historic Landmarks Natural History Museums Sculpture Parks/Outdoor Art Science Centers/Planetariums Zoological Parks Career PathsAdministrator Archivist Collections Manager Curator Development Coordinator/Fundraiser/Grants Writer Director/Executive Director Donor Relations/Membership/Corporate Relations Educator/Interpreter/Outreach Coordinator Events Coordinator/Public Programs/Public Relations Exhibition Designer/Preparator/Art Handler Registrar Restoration, Preservation, Conservation Visitor Services CoordinatorFind out more on our website by clicking here.
