Liberal Studies - Museum Studies

Program Purpose:

In collaboration with the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center and the School of Human Services Folklife Studies program, this A.A. in Liberal Studies with a Museum Studies concentration provides students the opportunity to complete a Museum Studies Skill Set while completing course work that will satisfy General Education requirements of an Associate degree. (For more information on the Museum Studies Skill Set and the complete Folklife Studies program, please refer to the  School of Human Services.)

Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of the A.A. in Liberal Studies with a Museum Studies Concentration, graduates will be able to do the following:

• Demonstrate a working knowledge of the operations of differing types of museums: small and large, public and private
• Perform collections management and archival preservation processes
• Design, Construct, and install various exhibits and displays
• Demonstrate a working knowledge of museum administrative operations, including funding processes, volunteer/staff management, curatorial and collections management, and publications
• Create various museum educational activities, programs, and materials
• Perform first-person role play and third-person presentation, discussions, reenactments, lectures, and skills demonstrations

Opportunities:

Graduates who desire entry-level posts in a museum setting as an interpreter, collections manager, educational programming director, exhibit developer, historical reenactor, or other position in technical museum work will be competitive in this job market. Current area economic trends indicate  that heritage tourism, regional travel, historic preservation, and the general promotion of the region’s cultural resources are a fast growing segment of the economic base and will assist in setting the direction for future regional economic development. Many work settings, including regional state and national parks, museums, historical sites, and conference centers are all seeking qualified individuals for the various positions that this current interest in historical preservation, cultural study, and heritage tourism is creating.