Course Overview for the Certificate in Museum Studies, Northwestern University School of Professional Studies - Northwestern School of Professional Studies

Program Courses

To limit our community's exposure to COVID-19, the spring quarter will now commence on April 4. Online courses may have adjusted dates, but will otherwise run as usual. On-campus courses will be conducted remotely until April 27; University leaders will decide by April 17 whether to continue remote teaching or to return to in-person instruction on April 27. Updated information for affected courses can be found in the scheduling notes area under the course description.

MUSEUM 370-DL : Museum Origins and Issues

Description

This course explores the diverse origins of the major types of museums, and contemporary issues and ethical challenges facing those museums today. It will also explore how the primary public mission is established and interpreted as well as an overview of museum organization. Planning for exhibitions, community inclusion, and diversity are also addressed. Students are encouraged to make weekly field trips, visiting subject-appropriate museum sites in their own area and reporting back to the class. Students will also participate in discussion boards on the assigned topics and research the origins and mission of a museum in their local community.

There is no live/real-time component to this class. Students participate in all aspects of the learning experience, within each week, around their own life/work schedules. 

Course Materials:

• Riches, Rivals, and Radicals: A History of Museums in the United States. Schwarzer, Marjorie. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers/American Alliance of Museums, 2020. ISBN-10: 1538128063 | ISBN-13: 978-1538128060
• Museums in Motion: An Introduction to the History and Functions of Museums, Third Edition. Alexander, Edward P., Mary Alexander, and Juilee Decker. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2017. ISBN-13: 978-1-4422-7880-6

Students may purchase these books from any retailer where they are available, in any format. Additional course materials will be provided via the online course site.

Registered students can access their online course site here. An activated NetID and password is required for login. *Please note: It may take up to 24-hours for registered students to be added to the online course platform.

Additional Information:

This course is offered every academic quarter.