Catalog

MUSM 4900 (1-6). Independent Study. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours. Same as MUSM 5900.

MUSM 5900 (1-6). Graduate Independent Study. Same as MUSM 4900.

MUSM 4010-3. Museums and Society. Investigates the museum as an institution in society; history of museums and changing roles and methods in society; administrative structure; museum profession; methodology of museum collections, exhibitions, and education. Designed for students interested in museums or museum careers.

MUSM 4494-3. Field Research: Basic Methods and New Technologies. Students are exposed to a wide variety of field methods in disciplines specific to natural history museums, with field exercises in zoology, archaeology, paleontology, geology, botany, and entomology. Emphasizes the collection and analysis of spatial and geographic data. Prereq., instructor consent. Same as MUSM 5494.

MUSM 5011-4. Introduction to Museum Studies. Provides background in history and literature of museums, their objectives and methods, laboratory exercises in curatorship, exhibition theory, and administration. Prereq., instructor consent.

MUSM 5021 (2-3). Selected Museum Topics.

MUSM 5030-3. Museum Education. Surveys and discusses the educational role of museums and informal learning centers. Issues include current trends, learning theories and styles, learning from objects, education programs, diverse audiences, museum/school partnerships, and the role of education in exhibit development.

MUSM 5031-3. Museums and the Public: Exhibit Development. Covers elements of exhibition development and design, up to production and evaluation of exhibit prototypes. The team approach is emphasized. Prereqs., graduate standing and instructor consent.

MUSM 5041-3. Museum Administration. Covers theory of organizations and how it applies to museums, application of small business management and nonprofit organizations to museums, marketing and development, and grant writing and funding strategies. Prereq., graduate standing or instructor consent.

MUSM 5051-3. Museum Collections Management. Deals specifically with curation and data management. Topics include acquisition practices and problems; organization, management, use and preventive conservation of collections; and computer data management of collections. Prereq., instructor consent.

MUSM 5061-3. Introduction to Scientific Illustration. Intended for students with little to no art background. Focus is on the accurate rendering of scientific subjects for publication and for public display. Course begins with basic drawing skills and sharpening of visual perception. Students progress to be able to produce realistic renderings of subjects. Students are exposed to a variety of black and white and color techniques and the standards for presenting illustrations for a variety of audiences. Course concludes with computer illustration tools and techniques.

MUSM 5494-3. Field Research: Basic Methods and New Technologies. Same as MUSM 4494.

MUSM 6110 (1-3). Seminar in Museum Issues. Offers a weekly seminar for museum and field study students that addresses one new topic each semester relevant to museum operations such as archival administration, museums, multiculturalism, repatriation, and others. Prereqs., MUSM 5011, graduate standing, and instructor consent.

MUSM 6140 (1-3). Advanced Topics and Trends. Discusses current topics and/or trends in the museum profession. Topics change annually to reflect current topics and trends and the most current museum issues. Prereq., graduate standing and instructor consent. Recommended prereq., MUSM 5011 and 5051.

MUSM 6150-3. Critical and Theoretical Issues in Museums. Investigates key problems facing museum institutions and studies the staging and representation of historical knowledge, the ethics of collecting and display, the changing nature and uses of historical evidence, and relations between curatorial practice, collecting, and field work. Critically examines different approaches to museums and museology in various disciplines, both past and present. Prereq., MUSM 5011 or instructor consent. Same as ARTH 6150, HIST 6150, and ANTH 6150.

MUSM 6930 (2-4). Museum Internship. Provides experience in museums of different sizes, audiences, and subjects, including history, natural history, art, and children’s museums. Each student is supervised individually by a faculty member as well as the appropriate person in the cooperating museum. Prereq., instructor consent.

MUSM 6940 (1-3). Master’s Degree Candidate.

MUSM 6950 (1-6). Master’s Thesis in Museum and Field Studies. A thesis, which may be of a research, expository, critical or creative type, is required of every master’s degree candidate under the thesis option. Prereqs., MUSM 5011 and 5051, and one of the following: MUSM 5030, 5031, or 5041.

MUSM 6960 (1-4). Master’s Project or Paper in Museum and Field Studies. A project or paper in the student’s discipline and related to some aspect of museum studies is required of every master’s degree candidate under the non-thesis-option plan. Prereqs., MUSM 5011 and 5051. Students in collections/field track also need MUSM 5030, 5031, OR 5041.

MUSM 4462 (2-6). Museum Field Methods in Anthropology. Archaeological field techniques including excavation, mapping, recording, photography, interpretation, and field laboratory. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours. Same as MUSM 5462.

MUSM 4912-3. Museum Practicum in Anthropology. Students take part in curatorial procedures of the anthropology section of the museum: conservation, cataloguing, collection management, and administration. Prereq., MUSM 5011 or equivalent. Enrollment is limited; students should make arrangements during previous semester. Same as MUSM 5912.

MUSM 5912-3. Museum Practicum in Anthropology. Same as MUSM 4912.

MUSM 4473-3. Museum Field Methods in Botany. Emphasizes field techniques for observation, analysis, and identification of vascular plants, collection, preservation, and date recording for museum specimens. Prereq., instructor consent.

MUSM 4913-3. Museum Practicum in Botany. Students take part in curatorial procedures of the botany section of the museum: specimen preparation, labeling, identification, cataloguing, conservation, and collection management. Prereq., MUSM 5011 or equivalent. Enrollment is limited; students should make arrangements during previous semester. Same as MUSM 5913.

MUSM 5913-3. Museum Practicum in Botany. Same as MUSM 4913.

MUSM 4914-3. Museum Practicum in Geology. Students take part in curatorial procedures of the geology section of the museum: field collection, specimen preparation, cataloguing, collection management, and a survey of current laws as they apply to specimens. Prereq., MUSM 5011 or equivalent. Enrollment is limited; students should make arrangements during previous semester. Same as MUSM 5914.

MUSM 5474-4. Vertebrate Paleontology. Discusses the history and evolution of the vertebrates, including the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary patterns of the major groups. Lab focuses on comparative vertebrate osteology and fossil representation of major groups. Same as GEOL 5474.

MUSM 5914-3. Museum Practicum in Geology. Same as MUSM 4914.

MUSM 4795-3. Field Methods/Zoology and Botany. Class covers research and field methods for biological disciplines associated with natural history museums: vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants. Emphasis is on field research techniques: observations, sampling, collection and preservation methods, and comparisons among elevation zones. Includes 5 field labs, 2 weekend trips, 5 lab practica, experience with several taxonomic experts, and individual research projects. Same as MUSM 5795, ENVS 4795, and EBIO 4795.

MUSM 4915 (1-3). Museum Practicum in Zoology. Students take part in basic curatorial procedures of the zoology section of the museum: relaxing, fixing, positioning, preserving, cataloguing, storing, and shipping. Also introduces students to the animal kingdom. Prereq., instructor consent. Same as MUSM 5915.

MUSM 5795-3. Field Methods/Zoology and Botany. Same as MUSM 4795 and EBIO 5795.

MUSM 5915 (1-3). Museum Practicum in Zoology. Same as MUSM 4915.

MUSM 4916 (1-3). Museum Practicum in Entomology. Students take part in curatorial procedures of the entomology section of the museum: field collection, specimen preparation, labeling, identification, rearing techniques, and exhibit preparation. Prereq., 5011, or equivalent. Enrollment is limited; students should make arrangements during previous semester. Same as MUSM 5916.

MUSM 5916 (1-3). Museum Practicum in Entomology. Same as MUSM 4916.

MUSM 4917 (1-3). Museum Practicum in Techniques. Students participate in museum public education functions that may include researching, planning, developing, and producing exhibits, traveling trunks, booklets, and other materials. May involve writing labels, molding and casting, conservation, and restoration. May be repeated up to 6 total credit hours. Same as MUSM 5917.

MUSM 5917 (1-3). Museum Practicum in Techniques. Same as MUSM 4917.