Admissions
BA for Select Majors/MA Museum Studies Accelerated Degree Program
For undergraduate majors in American Studies, Anthropology, Art and Art History, Journalism, or History who decide that they wish to apply their undergraduate knowledge to work in museums, the department offers an accelerated bachelor and master degree. Students should apply for the accelerated program in their junior year and can take four graduate courses, MST 5301, 5304,5309, and 5311, during their senior year. Having completed the BA, they can graduate with a MA in Museum Studies after one additional year of study. Students are required to meet all requirements for the BA in their undergraduate major for a total of 124 credit hours.
Admissions Process
Students who plan to apply to the Accelerated Degree Program must complete an interview with the Graduate Program Director prior to applying to Accelerated Degree Program. Applicants must also complete MST 1300 Introduction to Museums no later than their junior year.
The Accelerated Degree Program in Museum Studies uses a two-step application process. In their junior year, students apply to the Accelerated Degree Program by February 15. Successful applicants begin their graduate coursework the following fall. In their senior year, students in the Accelerated Degree Program, apply for admission to the Graduate School.
Please note: The GRE is not required for the Accelerated Program.
Junior Year - Apply for Admission to the Accelerated Program
Eligible students submit the Accelerated Program Application Form by February 15 of their junior year.
In addition to the Application Form, applicants must submit the following:
- Two academic letters of reference
- One letter of reference must be from a professor in the student’s major degree program.
- Letters must be sent directly to the department from the recommender.
- Personal statement
- Project sample
- This should be a meaningful project (e.g. an academic paper, a website, an exhibit, a public program, an artwork) that would be included in a professional portfolio.
The letters of reference, personal statement, and project sample should be submitted to the Museum Studies Administrative Associate Lisa Rieger.
Senior Year
Students in the Accelerated Degree Program apply for formal admission to the Graduate School in their senior year.
Students must submit the following:
- One professional letter of reference
- This letter of reference should come from an individual who can speak to the student’s professional potential. The individual may have supervised the student in a paid or volunteer position or served as an advisor to a student organization in which the student served in a leadership position.
During the senior year, students must complete the following in order to continue in the Accelerated Degree Program in Museum Studies:
- Earn a B or higher in each course (i.e. MST 5301, 5304, 5309, 5311) taken toward the completion of the 12 hours of graduate credit in the senior year.