Museum Studies Bridging Disciplines Program Certificate
Department website: https://undergraduates.utexas.edu/academics/bridging-disciplines-programs/programs/museum-studies
This program offers students the opportunity to develop an understanding of how museums, archives, libraries, galleries, and related institutions function as sites of collecting, education, and research. Course offerings spanning a wide range of disciplines allow students to learn about contemporary museum practices and their historical development, and to acquire skills and knowledge relevant to their own specific areas of interest within Museum Studies. Some courses focus on objects, collections, and their preservation or conservation; others will help students to think about how museums serve their audiences and publics and how they preserve and shape the histories, heritage, and identity of cultures and societies. Through the Connecting Experiences component, students gain first-hand experience working directly with professionals in the field at a variety of different institutions, both on and off the UT Austin campus.
Total Hours Required: 19
Requirements
Requirements are listed in the table below. Additional requirements may follow the table, so be sure to read the entire page. Some required courses listed below may also satisfy General Education requirements, including Core Curriculum. Students should also review the University's Undergraduate Minor and Certificate Requirements and Policies.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Hours chosen from: Forum Seminar | 1 | |
| Introduction to Museum Studies | ||
| Hours chosen from: Theory and Practice | 3 | |
| Museum Studies | ||
| Hours chosen from: Approved list (Requires at least one course each from the Cultures, Societies, Audiences and Objects, Collections, Preservation categories; ones Optional Introductory or Survey Course maximum may be counted.) | 9 | |
| Cultures, Societies, Audiences | ||
| Cultural Heritage on Display | ||
| Introduction to Cultural Heritage Informatics | ||
Hours chosen from: Approved list | ||
| Objects, Collections, Preservation | ||
| Issues in Exhibitions and Collections of Visual Arts | ||
Hours chosen from: Approved list | ||
| Optional Introductory or Survey Courses (must be outside the student's major field) | ||
| Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Introduction to the Visual Arts | ||
Hours chosen from: Approved list | ||
| Approved Hours chosen from: Research or internship Connecting Experiences (see advisor) | 6 | |
| Connecting Research Experience | ||
| Connecting Research Experience | ||
| Connecting Internship Experience | ||
| Undergraduate Minor and Certificate Requirements and Policies | ||
| Total Hours | 19 | |
Additional Requirements and Policy
- A three to four page essay in which students reflect on what they have learned and accomplished through their experience is required. The essay is reviewed and must be approved by a member of the faculty panel in order to complete the certificate requirements
- To create an interdisciplinary experience, students must choose courses from a variety of disciplines. Only one of the strand courses may come from the student's major department(s) or from same as with the student's major department(s). The certificate as a whole must represent a variety of disciplines; the advisor can help ensure that the coursework will meet the certificate requirements for interdisciplinarity.
- In courses taken for a letter grade, the student must obtain a grade of at least C- .
- A cumulative certificate GPA of at least 2.0 is required.
- Only one BDP course, including connecting experience, may be taken pass/fail. Any exceptions will be considered by the faculty panel on an individual basis.
- The student may be able to count courses toward the certificate that are not listed, if enough of the course content relates to the BDP topic. Consult with the advisor to petition a course to count towards the certificate.