Director: Linda Ellis
San Francisco State University
Humanities 515
1600 Holloway Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94132
(415) 405-0599
museumst@sfsu.edu
Hours: M-Th, 10-4
Courses
Course offerings in the major, as of Fall 2007. With consultation from a Museum Studies faculty advisor, area electives can be drawn from, but are not limited to, the following departments & programs: American Indian Studies (AIS), Anthropology (ANTH), Art (ART), Biology (BIOL), Business (BUS), Chemistry (CHEM), Classics (CLAS), Design & Industry (DAI), Elementary Education (EED), Ethnic Studies (ES), Geology (GEOL), History (HIST), Humanities (HUM), Interdisciplinary Studies in Education (ISED), Instructional Technologies (ITEC), Management (MGMT), Public Administration (PA), Recreation (REC), Secondary Education (SED), and Technical & Professional Writing (TPW).
For courses and electives in other departments, see the SFSU Bulletin.
M S 497 Writing for Museums, Galleries and other Cultural Institutions
Units: 3
Prerequisite: ENG 214 or equivalent, and passing score on diagnostic writing test administered first week of class
Writing and editing guidebooks, labels, brochures, articles, reports, and catalogues for museums, galleries and other cultural institutions. Includes audience-analysis, writing, editing, and formatting. (Also offered as ANTH 497. May not be repeated under alternate prefix. Formerly CLAR 497.)
M S 600 Dangerous Exhibitions - Culture Wars & Censorship in Museums
Units: 3
Prerequisite: ENG 214 or equivalent
Analysis of escalating censorship of museum exhibitions which confront difficult issues in art, history, and science. Examination of legal, political, social, and religious issues from the 'culture wars' that began in the 1990s.
M S 605 SF Bay Area Museums: Behind the Scenes
Units: 3
Prerequisite: ENG 214 and consent of instructor
Student of SF Bay area museums: their history, organization, collections stewardship, exhibits, public programs, and mission. Includes structured 'behind-the-scenes' tours of local museums. Paired with M S 705. Students who have taken M S 705 may not take M S 605 for credit. Non-Museum Studies majors should enroll in M S 605.
M S 640 Museum Conservation & Restoration
Units: 3
Prerequisite: ENG 214 or equivalent
Theory and practice in general museum collections conservation, using the Sutro Egyptian Collection. Analysis of museum artifacts. Paired with M S 740. Students who have completed M S 740 may not take M S 640 for credit. Non-Museum Studies majors should enroll in M S 640. (Formerly CLAR 650)
M S 680 Cultural Heritage Preservation
Units: 3
Prerequisite: ENG 214 or equivalent
Archaeological and architectural conservation: history of US legislation and implementation, international organizations, major national and international projects, philosophy of preservation techniques, conservation ethic. Paired with M S 780. Non-Museum Studies majors should enroll in M S 680. Students who have completed M S 680 may not take M S 780 for credit. Formerly CLAR 560.
M S 700 History and Organization of Museums
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Classified graduate status and/or consent of instructor
Overview of the historical development of all types of museums and related institutions, the structure and organization of museums, the museum professions, job qualifications, and current ethical issues.
M S 705 SF Bay Area Museums: Behind the Scenes
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Classified graduate status and consent of instructor
For course description, see M S 605. Students who have taken M S 605 may not take M S 705 for credit.
M S 710 Museum Education & Schools Outreach
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Classified graduate status and consent of instructor
Overview and evaluation of educational services in museums, including the planning and implementation of educational programs and establishing a liaison with public schools. Designed for graduate students, museum professionals, and public school teachers.
M S 715 Interpretation in Museums and Heritage Organizations
Units:
Prerequisite: Classified graduate status and consent of instructor
Analysis of the methods and styles of interpretation of museum collections and heritage facilities (e.g., historic sites, historic houses, landmarks, open-air facilities). Development and improvement of interpretive programs.
ART 719 Exhibition Design
Units: 1-3
Prerequisite: Classified graduate status
Development of art exhibitions in the Art Department Gallery. Theory and production of exhibitions, including planning, collecting, preparation, annotation, and criticism. Offered in spring and fall semesters. (M. Johnson, Dept. of Art)
M S 720 Museum Curatorship & Collecting
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Classified graduate status and consent of instructor
Analysis of the duties of museum curators, including academic research, collections documentation, collections development, donor cultivation, ethical collection practices, exhibition concept development, and the curator's position within the institution and community.
M S 730 Museum Exhibit Design & Curation
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Classified graduate status or consent of instructor
Practical experience in all aspects of the development, promotion, documentation, and installation of museum exhibits using museum collections at SFSU and at other museums in the S.F. Bay area. Fall focus: Sutro Egyptian Collection; Spring focus: ancient world civilizations. May be repeated once for credit. Maximum enrollment: 15.
M S 740 Museum Conservation & Restoration
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Classified graduate status or consent of instructor
For course description, see M S 640. Paired with M S 640. Students who have completed M S 640 may not take M S 740 for credit.
PA 745 Public Administration of Non-Profit Organizations
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Classified graduate status or consent of instructor
Overview of fundamentals of administration of non-profit organizations with special emphases on social policy roles, economic and political dimensions, and administrative issues involving regulation, governance, and organizational management.
M S 760 Conservation of Natural History Collections
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Classified graduate status or consent of instructor
Natural history specimens are in every museum, from traditional collections of plants to materials included in artwork, historical objects or anthropological specimens. This course will cover the major types of natural specimens, their properties, the potential hazards facing them and the appropriate conservation techniques of each.
M S 780 Cultural Heritage Preservation
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Classified graduate status or consent of instructor
For course description, see M S 680. Paired with M S 680. Students who have completed M S 780 may not take M S 680 for credit. (Formerly CLAR 860)
M S 794 Museum Collections Management & Registration
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Classified graduate status in Museum Studies
Tasks performed by museum registrars: documentation of collections, loan procedures, collections storage, museum security, disaster preparedness, traveling exhibitions and customs, insurance, and development of collections management policies.
M S 795 NAGPRA for Museum Registrars & Curators
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Classified graduate status and consent of instructor
For museum registrars and curators; analysis of legal compliance and practical implementation of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
M S 800 Museum Management, Law & Ethics
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Classified graduate status in Museum Studies
Legal issues of concern to museum professionals and artists: laws governing acquisition of art/cultural objects, authentication, taxes, liability, censorship, artists' rights, copyright, museum management, and labor relations.
M S 810 Information Technology in Museums
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Classified graduate status or consent of instructor
How information technology is used in museums, including internal management functions and external public uses of technology in education and collections management. Maximum enrollment: 15.
M S 830 Museum Governance
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Classified graduate status or consent of instructor
Analysis of governance in museums including: trusteeship, board issues, roles of director and senior management, governance conflicts, mission statements, use of advisory committees and support groups, collections issues, planning, and recent controversies.
M S 840 Museums & Cultural Property
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Classified graduate status or consent of instructor
Examination of legal and ethical issues concerning cultural property in museums: museum acquisitions policies; international art/antiquities trade; auction houses; WWII-era looting; repatriation; ownership dispute resolution; relationships with descendant communities.
M S 860 Fundraising in Museums
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Classified graduate status or consent of instructor
Examination of fundraising in museums; budget building; budget cycle; legal and tax issues of fundraising; as well as specific fundraising methods (gifts, planned giving, bequests, endowments, e-commerce, grants, contracts).
M S 880 Museum Internship
Units: 3
Prerequisite: M S 700 and classfied graduate status in Museum Studies
Practicum in collections management, exhibition design, fundraising, management, publishing, curation, educational programming, conservation, at a recognized museum under the supervision of a professional museum employee and SFSU instructor. May be repeated for a total of 6 units.
M S 885 Professional Conferences & Workshops
Units: 1
Prerequisite: Classified graduate status in Museum Studies and consent of instructor
Attendance, participation and evaluation at professional conferences, workshops or short courses offered by museums, professional associations, or other recognized institutions. Prior approval by Museum Studies Program is mandatory. CR/NC grading only, 1-3 units.
M S 894 Creative Work Project
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Advancement to candidacy for the Master of Arts degree
Original creative work project which must be developed with the approval of the M S program. Graduate Approved Program (GAP) and Proposal for Culminating Experience Requirement forms must be approved by Graduate Studies prior to enrollment. CR/NC grading only.
M S 897 Directed Thesis Advising and Support
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Classified graduate status in Museum Studies
Directed thesis advising and support for students writing theses or creative works. May be taken before enrollment in M S 894 or M S 898. Once students have enrolled in M S 894 or M S 898, they must enroll thereafter in M S 897 once each academic year until they finish the degree. CR/NC grading only.
M S 898 Master's Thesis
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Advancement to candidacy for the Master of Arts degree and recommendation of major adviser
Graduate Approved Program (GAP) and Proposal for Culminating Experience Requirement forms must be approved by Graduate Studies before registration. CR/NC grading only.
M S 850 Volunteer Management & Membership Development
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Classified graduate status or consent of instructor
Development and management of volunteer and membership programs for museums and heritage organizations. Topics include volunteer recruitment and retention, sound practices for producing and managing membership programs, and training and day-to-day volunteer operations in the museum and heritage environment.
M S 875 Public Relations & Marketing for Museums
Units: 3
Prerequisite: Classified graduate status or consent of instructor
Development of and best practices in strategic marketing, earned income operations, and public relations for museums and heritage organizations. Topics include strategic marketing planning, heritage tourism, branding, product development, and consumer behavior relevant to museums and heritage presentation.