The Museum Studies minor provides students with an interdisciplinary appreciation for the ways that museums collect, preserve, interpret and document our world. Museums are a major part of modern life and support more than 726,000 American jobs. Ripon College’s interdisciplinary minor in museum studies prepares students to join this robust cultural world. Students will develop skills related to curating exhibitions, analyzing objects, communicating with the public, doing public history, managing nonprofit organizations, educating the public, interpreting materials and thinking ethically. Coursework from multiple departments is incorporated.
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Assistant Professor of Educational Studies
Associate Professor of Educational Studies
Professor of Communication, Chair of Communication Department, Mentor for Oral Communication and Collaboration Skills (Catalyst Curriculum)
Associate Dean for Faculty Development, Ralph Hale Ruppert Distinguished Professor of History
Associate Professor of Art History, Director of the Caestecker Art Gallery
Professor of Art
Associate Professor of English
Library Director and User Services Librarian Departments: Instruction, Archives, Electronic Resources
Professor of Art and Chair of Art Department
Associate Professor of Educational Studies, Chair of Educational Studies Department
Ripon College faculty and professional staff are dedicated to helping you reach your goals, whatever they may be and however often they may change along the way. It’s part of our value statement to you.
As a student at Ripon, you will be assigned a faculty adviser based on your area(s) of interest. You will meet with your faculty adviser throughout your time as a student to discuss your current aspirations, plan your course schedule and plot a future trajectory. We also work collaboratively with Ripon College Career and Professional Development to help match your interests and skills to concrete goals and construct a plan for professional success offering personalized career counseling, off-campus learning opportunities and an online job board with potential to connect with local, national and international employers. Our collaboration with Student Support Services provides tutoring and additional academic and skill development, as well as tools to help with note-taking, exam preparation, goal-setting and time management. Likewise, Mentors in the Franzen Center provide in-depth, one-on-one or group mentoring for students about class projects and college-level writing, and can share problem-solving strategies to overcome academic obstacles.
Advising at RiponREQUIREMENTS FOR A MAJOR IN MUSEUM STUDIES: 20 credits. Four credits of MST 115: Museums, Artifacts and Cultural Heritage. Twelve elective credits relevant to the study of museums, taken in consultation with the advisor, from the following list: ART 377: Arts Management; BSA 110: Introduction to Management; BSA 208: Introduction to Marketing; BSA 223: Business and Society; BSA 310: Nonprofit Management; CMM 248: Media and Society; EDU 190: School and Society; EDU 250: Psychological Foundations of Education; EDU 260: Diversity in American Education; ENG 251: Foundations of English Literature; HIS 214: Greek and Roman Society; HIS 340: Public History; HIS 383: Mapping the World; PHL 202: Business Ethics; PHL 245: Professional Ethics; POL 212: Introduction to Law; POL 246: Morality and Public Policy. Internships also may be counted as elective credits at the discretion of the academic advisor. Four credits of MST 215: Controversies in Museum Studies.
Students with a minor in museum studies will be qualified to work in various positions in museums, historic sites and other cultural institutions. This can include work as a curator, museum educator and nonprofit administrator. Graduates with a background in art studies can assume a critical standpoint and interact with the art world, whether producing visual art; preparing for further education, writing and research; working in arts institutions, art therapy or art education; or assuming a lifetime attitude of art appreciation. Graduates are well-prepared to enter graduate programs in museum studies.