This is an archive. See the current website at www.summer.harvard.edu.
This page contains content from the Summer School 2009. For current information, visit the Harvard Summer School website at www.summer.harvard.edu.
MUSE S-100
Introduction to Museum Studies (31851)
(Website) (Printable version)
Katherine Burton Jones and Shelley N. Monaghan
(4 credits: UN, GR, NC) Tuition $2,475.
Online lectures, with required weekly on-campus sections for local students, Wednesdays, 6:30-9:30 pm. See Distance Education. Harvard College students see additional information.
This course provides a behind-the-scenes view of museums from the people who are actively involved in their operations. Students learn about the history and objectives of various types of museums (art, natural history, science, historical, zoological) through panel discussions that involve museum directors, curators, conservators, collection managers, and exhibit designers. The focus is the rich and diverse resources of Harvard University's museums, but there also are guest lecturers from other local museums. During the required weekly on-campus section, we hear from guest speakers and visit local museums, meeting with curators and other museum staff. The recorded lectures are from the Harvard Extension School course MUSE E-100. The course is required for students planning to apply to the Extension School's Master of Liberal Arts in Museum Studies Program but is also appropriate for the avid museum-goer who desires a more comprehensive understanding of how museums function. Prerequisite: students must view sample online lectures before they register.
MUSE S-101
Graduate Research Methods and Scholarly Writing in Museum Studies (31854)
(Syllabus) (Printable version)
Mary Malloy
Graduate proseminar. (4 credits: GR) Mondays, Wednesdays, 6:30-9:30 pm. Tuition $1,775. Limited enrollment.
Harvard College students see additional information.
This proseminar explores the special research requirements of the museum professional, including tools needed for identifying and documenting collections, preparing background context for exhibits, and assembling information for grant proposals. We look at the preparation of bibliographies in a number of museum subject fields, including anthropology, art, history, and science. At the first class meeting, students must complete a writing assignment that demonstrates their graduate-level reading comprehension and capacity for coherent logical argument. Prerequisite: successful completion of MUSE S-100 and a satisfactory score on the test of critical reading and writing skills.