Museums and Galleries
Museums are educational organizations that collect, preserve, and present important artifacts and/or works of art for the public to view and study. Museums may be organized by their collections (art, history, natural history) or by their intended audiences (children's museums). Possible occupational titles include: museum director, curator, collections manager, archivist, museum technician, conservator, researcher, exhibit designer, educator, editor, photographer, and librarian.
Careers
Many, but not all, museum jobs require advanced degrees. Students who are considering curatorial work will have to decide between a Master’s and a PhD. PdD’s are certainly preferred in the world of art museum curation, but not always required. There is a lot of debate about which educational path is the most effective. Regardless, experience in museums, in any capacity, is beneficial to an applicant’s qualifications. Some museum education positions even require K12 licensure. You will want to explore the various requirements for these jobs and pay attention to how the location and size of the museum impacts the kinds of experience and education these positions require.
While process-heavy jobs, like archivist, registrar, or conservation require specialized training, there are many entry-level positions open to students who have recently completed an undergraduate degree. Some of the more accessible “entry points” for museum work, like marketing, development, or program support, allow recent grads to explore and grow into more competitive museum opportunities.
Check out this “So You Think You Want To Work at a Museum” blog post!
Resources and Job Boards
- American Alliance of Museums Job Board
- Smithsonian Jobs
- Smithsonian Internships
- New England Museum Association Job Board
- National Council on Public History
