Museum Studies Minor
Deadline to apply
Applications submitted by April 15 will be considered for Fall enrollment.
The Museum Studies Minor examines the intersections of art with the public sphere in practical and theoretical terms, with a commitment to explore the social dimension of museums.
The minor focuses your academic efforts while showing future employers or graduate schools that you have undergone the core applied training and conceptual coursework to become a museum professional. In addition, you will gain valuable hands-on preparator experience working at the Western Gallery on campus or at the Whatcom Museum in downtown Bellingham during a year-long (Fall, Winter, and Spring) internship in your last full academic year at Western.
The minor will provide you with a recognizable curriculum to help you step into career paths such as curator, assistant curator, museum educator, gallery attendant, collections assistant, museum administration, docent, or preparator. Though grounded in art history, the minor is designed to be of use both as an art student, and also if you are interested in a museum career in other disciplines.
Museum Studies Minor Student Learning Outcomes
- Develop an understanding of the social dimension of museums
- Gain valuable hands-on preparator experience working in galleries on- and off-campus
- Learn how to organize art exhibitions
List of Courses
WWU Museum Studies Minor (20-26 credits) beginning Fall 2023
| Course code | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Art 109 | Visual Dialogue | 3 |
| A/HI 388 | The Museum | 4 |
| ART 384 | Teaching in the Art Museum | 5 |
| A/HI 305 | Western Gallery Workshop | 9 |
Choose one of the following (or another elective with permission of the Museum Studies Minor Coordinator):
| Course code | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A/HI 308 | Visual Arts in the Community | 5 |
| A/HI 489 | Architecture and Museums | 5 |
| A/HI 490 | Seminar: Exhibition Theory and Practice | 5 |
| HIST 393 | Intro to Public History | 5 |
| A/HI 348 | Art and Ecology | 5 |
| A/HI 450 | Decolonizing Visual Culture | 5 |
| A/HI 401 | Contemporary Issues and Post-Modern Critiques | 5 |
| A/HI 440 | New Media and Digital Art | 5 |
| A/HI 447 | Art in the Public Sphere: Laws, Markets, Policy | 5 |
| A/HI 383 | Contemporary Art of the African Diaspora (WWII to the present) | 5 |
| A/HI 438 | Art and Feminism | 5 |
| A/HI 446 | Aesthetics and Art Theory | 5 |
| A/HI 358 | Postwar Art and Culture | 5 |
Museum Studies Minor application process
Students from any major can apply for the Museum Studies Minor.
Please also note that the minor takes at minimum a full academic year to complete (beginning Fall quarter through Spring quarter).
Ideally, students will have two years to complete all of the required coursework, including the Western Gallery Internship.
To apply, you must:
- Have sophomore status
- Complete one 200-level art history course
- Have a 2.5 minimum GPA
- Submit an unofficial transcript
Need more info?
For advising and information about the Department of Art & Art History, email us or call 360-650-3660.