The program can prepare you for work in an historical or cultural museum by focusing on interpretation and use of material evidence. It also can be part ofthe preparation for an academic career. Students are admitted for the terminal MA program alone or for the PhD program, which would then include an MA in Museum Studies. At present, Brown provides no financial aid for MA candidates. Some doctoral candidates declare their intention to pursue the Museum Studies option in their application, and others make that choice after admission.
Former students work in museums and historical agencies, and others are scholars in universities.
Our graduates have also worked in both museums and universities within one career. The strength of our program is its emphasis on academic preparation in the subject areas that students may later interpret as museum professionals. We provide a background in museum philosophy and practice and expect you to learn more about museum work through a mandatory internship. Our purpose is to give you the research tools and the mastery of the subject matter that can make you an outstanding curator or museum program director. For the MA in Museum Studies, we require three semesters of academic preparation at Brown, plus a summer internship at a museum.