Description
The Museum Studies and Public History Minor is an interdisciplinary minor using courses from the Departments of History, Anthropology, African and African-American Studies, Art, and Communication. The program consists of courses that enhance the students' knowledge of museums, public history, heritage and preservation, and public culture. It is designed for students who are interested in these subjects or in pursuing careers related to museum work and/or graduate studies.
The minor should especially appeal to students who major in one or more of the following disciplines:
- African and African-American Studies
- Anthropology
- Art
- Business Administration
- Communication
- English
- History
- Philosophy
- Women and Gender Studies
Admission to the Program
An undergraduate student who has reached sophomore status can declare the Interdisciplinary Minor in Museum Studies and Public History.
Program Requirements
The minor requires 18 credits. Students must earn a grade of "C" or higher in all minor coursework.
Students design their course of study in close consultaiton with their minor advisor from the options identified below.
- at least TWO core courses from the following options:
- ANT 463 Museology
- ART 470 Gallery Management
- HST 412 Public History
- HST 413 Rochester Reform Trail
- HST 427 Material Culture
- six credits of internships (typically TWO three-credit experiences) from the following options:
- ANT 462 Museum Internship
- HST 371 Brockport Career Exploration Course: History I
- HST 372 Brockport Career Exploration Course: History II
- HST 485 Museum Internship
- Study Abroad Internship by advisement
- up to six credits of electives (typically TWO three-credit courses) from this list, or other courses with the approval of the minor advisor
- AAS 114 African American History II 1865-Present
- AAS 303 Slavery and the Underground Railway
- ANT 202 Intro to Archeology
- ANT 301 Indigenous Issues in Native North America
- ANT 337 Iroquois Culture and History
- ANT 384 Methods in Archaeology
- ANT 401 Native American Art and Culture
- ANT 440 Historical Archaeology
- ARH 310 Women in Art
- ARH 420 Twentieth Century ART
- ARH 431 American Art
- ART 404 Collections Management
- ART 418 Documentary Film/Video
- CMC 327 Web Publication and Design
- HST 310 American Indian History
- HST 311 Empire State: The History of New York
- HST 313 Slavery in the Antebellum South
- HST 324 Politics in America, 1780s-190s: Sex, Race, Culture & Party
- HST 328 Women in America
- HST 344 Sex, Sin and Sorority
- HST 358 Family and Social Change in American History
- HST 404 Topics in World History
- HST 414 The Salem Witch Crisis
- HST 415 Natives and Newcomers
- HST 470 Consumerism in Europe and the World, 1600-Present
Courses That Count with a Course Substitution Form
- HST 401 Topics in American History (A)
- Photo Archive Stories, 3 credits ($550) (VSW)
- Photographs are fluid in meaning. Much of what the image says depends on context. In this workshop we will start from and appropriate photographs that are part of the VSW collections and use them to create book dummies that reflect on the nature and history of photography while telling contemporary stories.
- Producing an Oral History, 3 credits ($550) (VSW)
- This one week workshop presents an opportunity to explore the rich history of several key photographer/educators in Rochester, NY that have had a role in defining the medium of photography. In an intimate environment, workshop participants will discuss and record these photographer/educators as they share thoughts on their contributions to the field. The class will then organize the material for a multi-media presentation at the end of the week. A final product will be presented to the Visual Studies Workshop community and become part of the collection of the organization. Workshop participants will use digital audio, digital photography and video to create this history document. There will be hands on instruction and experience with the media and materials used in creating the final document
Please visit the Visual Studies Workshop for more information.
Some opportunities to fulfill the internship requirements
Local Internship Opportunities