Master of Arts in the Field of Museums, History, and Culture

The master of arts in museums, history, and culture is an innovative interdisciplinary program. It provides students with advanced training in the methods and scholarship of history or American studies, while also grounding their education in the ethics of museum practice and the skills used by museum professionals. The program is designed for emerging scholars who wish to develop research skills and an area of expertise as well as the practical knowledge and skills needed to bring history to the public.

Students who choose to study in the field of history can do so in a range of specialized areas, such as Native American history, nineteenth-century US history, Asian history, or the history of the Middle East. Those focusing on American studies might specialize in performance studies, histories of race and ethnicity, media and popular culture studies, or urban studies.

The program takes full advantage of GW’s location in Washington, DC, close to the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution’s many museums. Unique opportunities for internships or independent study are provided by the many local and national cultural and political advocacy programs.

Visit the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences website for application requirements.

Supporting documents not submitted online should be mailed to:

Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Office of Graduate Studies
The George Washington University
801 22nd Street NW, Phillips Hall 107
Washington DC 20052

For additional information about the admissions process visit the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences Frequently Asked Questions page.

Contact for questions:

askccas@gwu.edu
202-994-6210 (phone)
Hours: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday

The following requirements must be fulfilled:

The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate Programs.

36 credits, including 6 credits in required methodology courses, 6 credits in selected museum skills courses, 3 credits in applied work, a 3-credit capstone project, and 18 credits in elective courses.

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Required
Methodology courses
AMST 6100	Scope and Methods in American Studies
or HIST 6005	Introduction to Historiography
CMST 6107	Museum Ethics and Values
Museum skills selected courses
Two courses (6 credits) selected from the following:
CMST 6101	Museum Management
CMST 6201	Introduction to Museum Collections
CMST 6301	Museum Exhibition Curatorial Research and Planning
Applied work
CMST 6501	Museum Studies Internship
or CMST 6304	Exhibition Development and Scriptwriting
Capstone project
One 3 credit semester course approved by the director in which the student produces a capstone project. ^*
Electives
18 credits (six courses) in a combination of Museum Studies (CMST), History (HIST), and American Studies (AMST) courses selected in consultation with the program director.

*The capstone course usually will be AMST 6195 Research Seminar in American Studies, or a History (HIST) course designated as a research seminar. Students can arrange to use an independent study to fulfill the capstone requirement with the approval of the program director and a specific professor. The final project completed in a course listed above also could be used to fulfill the requirement for a capstone with the approval of the program director; in such cases the student must take an additional elective course within one of the participating departments.