Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Museum Studies

Certificate in Museum Studies

The Museum Studies graduate-level certificate program consists of five museum studies courses. Two are required (Museums Today: Mission and Function, and the Practicum). The remaining three are electives. The program is designed for recent college graduates, career changers, those who already have advanced degrees, and those who currently work in museums.

Build your knowledge and enhance your career
Courses teach new skills and address current issues and trends in the field. Guest speakers, discounts to area museums, and membership in the New England Museum Association build valuable professional networks.

Be part of a flexible, exciting learning environment

Museum studies courses are scheduled in the evening, and the certificate program can be completed on a part-time basis or in as little as one year. The program is designed to be flexible and to allow you to go at your own pace. You do not have to enroll in a course every semester but are expected to complete the certificate requirements within four years of starting the program.

All certificate and master's museum studies students begin the program in the fall by taking the foundation course Museums Today: Mission and Function, which examines the past, present and future of museums.

Of the four remaining courses, three are electives. You may wish to explore developing education programs, caring for a museum's collection, interpreting historic objects, or planning an exhibition. You may also take one upper-level graduate course from another department at Tufts to count toward the certificate. All students participate in a 125-hour museum practicum at a museum anywhere in the world.

All students participate in a 125-hour museum practicum at a museum anywhere in the world.

When applying, you will select a concentration in Art History, Classics, Education, or History, which will guide your course selection and determine your academic advisor.

Course Requirements

Foundation Course
Museums Today: Mission and Function (Required First Course)

Museum Practicum (Required)

Certificate Electives
Select at least two courses from this group of electives. The third course may be chosen from these electives or from other graduate-level courses.

  • Collections Care and Preventive Conservation
  • Curatorial Approaches to Collections Management
  • Exhibition Planning
  • Museum Education for K-12 Audiences
  • Museum Evaluation
  • Museum History and Theory
  • Museums and Digital Media
  • Philanthropy and Fundraising
  • Proseminar in Museum Education
  • Revitalizing Historic House Museums
  • Teaching and Learning in the Museum
  • The Meaning of Things: Interpreting Material Culture

Certificate Tuition
Admitted museum studies certificate students pay by the course. Tuition is set by the credit and museum studies courses are all three credits.