Program Information

Program Description

The graduate certificate in museum studies (GCMS) is a transdisciplinary program open to UO graduate students interested in pursuing a career in a museum or in any profession that involves exhibition or curation. It addresses the demand for a deeper understanding of the guiding principles behind a museum's mission and its practical day-to-day operations.

Today, the practice of exhibiting is not just the purview of art and cultural museums. Exhibition history and practice is integral to museums of science, medicine, natural history, ethnography, theater, and music as well as institutions such as zoos, aquariums, art galleries, botanical gardens, and libraries.

Housed in the Department of the History of Art and Architecture, the GCMS collaborates with departments, programs, and museum professionals across campus to provide foundational theoretical and practical training in the museum field, while allowing students the freedom to explore museum operations from a variety of perspectives.

Program Prerequisites

Open to current UO doctoral/master’s students alongside their graduate degree.

Program Information

How to Apply

Students who are applying for the graduate certificate in museum studies must fill out the online application form.

You will be asked to provide the following:

• Brief statement of interest explaining how the GCMS program fits into your field of specialization and career goals
• Department/Program Statement of Support form signed by your academic advisor or department/program head approving your participation in the certificate program
• Graduate School graduate certificate declaration form

Apply Through Department